Esperanza Orosco – Trustee, Single-Member District 5

What is your motivation to become a school board member?

We have had great successes in Hays CISD. I am proud of our dramatic advances in academics, staff retention and morale, and in our compensation. Our employee-friendly policies are unmatched. But we are not done yet! Public education is under attack and I cannot stand by and allow these attacks on our educators and students of PubEd to go unchallenged. I feel like I am watching the dismantling of public education right before my eyes. I will continue to push Hays CISD to be the best. I will continue to advocate for our district and every single public school in the state. We must all come together on this matter because PubEd is all of us. It’s the future of our world and I am highly capable, prepared and motivated to help Hays CISD lead the way to strengthening the power of public education.

What qualities will enable you to be an effective school board member? 

It is important to have persons on the board who are knowledgeable and have a consistent record of support and commitment to this community. I am invested and involved in what happens here. I make time to prioritize volunteering with organizations and serving on the boards of several organizations that enhance the quality of life of our students and their families. As a former teacher and active member of the community, I have advocated for our students and teachers for over 21 years. My track record of service in our community and district proves my ability to effectively govern and improve our district. Prior to being elected to the board, I had attended over 200 board meeting and kept myself informed about the happenings in and around our District. Since 2016, I have served on the board and have held the positions as Board President and Vice President. I am proud to be part of a team that, through hard work, collaboration and cohesiveness, has been named as one of the top five honor boards in the State of Texas. I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to work for the Texas Association of School Boards training boards all over the state on how effective governance translates into higher student achievement.

What are currently the greatest challenges facing Hays CISD?

Currently, the top three priorities at Hays CISD are:

1. accelerating learning for students, especially with the gaps we have encountered due to the pandemic;

2. providing mental health resources through access to therapeutic counseling and social emotional learning programs;

3. recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and staff during a time marked by high levels of employee shortages across the nation.

Student achievement is paramount; we must continue to strengthen our programs and capitalize on what we have done well and build on that.

What are the greatest challenges facing public education in Texas? 

Texas and the nation are also facing similar challenges as Hays CISD-

1. accelerating learning for students, especially with the gaps we have encountered due to the pandemic;

2. providing mental health resources through access to therapeutic counseling and social emotional learning programs;

3. recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and staff during a time marked by high levels of employee shortages across the nation.

What are your ideas to improve the future of Hays CISD? How would they help our students?

Given the current climate regarding public education, the ever increased demand from the State of Texas on educators, and the mental health concerns for students and staff, we must be singularly focused on protecting the integrity of every classroom. That is the only way we will be able to close those achievement gaps and mental health issues that were broadened by COVID. Beyond the priority work of protecting the classroom, our district must take the next step in academics. We will be working to implement magnet programs, additional advanced academics programs and expanding activities and programs to our neediest campuses.

How much do you think vaccines, masks and other health and safety measures have contributed to the decline of COVID-19 in our community? What is your position on maintaining these measures and vigilance about COVID going forward?

Our school district has consistently advocated at the state and county levels for school districts to have the ability to exercise local control and the flexibility to make decisions based on a measured response to local conditions and data. As educators, we know that one size does not fit all. Providing local districts the flexibility to adapt to COVID-19 conditions in our areas is the best strategy to keep Texas students healthy, in their classrooms, and engaged in learning for the entire school year. I sponsored a resolution, that passed our board with a 7-0 vote, demanding the following from The State of Texas and the Texas Education Agency: • giving local school districts the flexibility to make decisions to provide in-person instruction or virtual learning based on local data, community values and funding for resources to keep students and employees safe; and • the right to lawfully require masks in schools given current local health conditions.

Please explain your stance on book bans happening in public schools across Texas.

I am not in favor of book banning.

Describe how you will make sure diverse voices from the LGBTQIA+, economically disadvantaged, and culturally diverse communities will be heard and supported in the district?

Our district has created the first Diversity Advisory Council to ensure that we hear from all voices throughout our community, like LGBTQIA+, the economically disadvantaged, and representatives from culturally diverse communities and groups. This broad-based coalition provides support and advice to our Superintendent on the development of policies, programs, resources, and methods aimed at increasing student achievement in a multicultural, gender equitable environment safe for stakeholders of our Hays CISD Community.

As a school board member, how will you counteract the rhetoric of the far-right to sow fear and division surrounding the teaching of history in our schools?

I’ve worked as an advocate for students, district employees and our communities at large from my time as a teacher, Union president, school board trustee and as a board consultant. Positions on our school boards are nonpartisan, as such, we have to rise above the noise of state and national politics and focus on what we, as trustees, are entrusted to do - set policy for our local boards in keeping with the values of our communities all aimed toward educating our students. Playing to extremes does not help accomplish our goals nor does it serve our community.

If elected, how will you work to address disparities in our communities and areas that the district serves?

In Hays CISD we know that students who struggle with basic needs insecurities cannot be expected to put academics first. That’s why I am very proud to have founded the Hays Clothes Closet (2018) and cofounded Hays Hope2Go (2019). We serve thousands of Hays CISD students, staff and families. We partner closely with our district counselors and the director of the McKinney-Vento federal program. I spend countless hours every week delivering food, health care needs, and clothing to our schools and to the homes of many families. Our community deserves these actions and I’m proud to be part of it.