What Does Politics Have to Do With It? Find Your Lane as an Influencer
"Politics make me feel…. nauseous, panicked, uncomfortable, excited [fill in the blank]."
So few charter school educators and leaders got into education to deal with politics. Yet, so many have experienced the facilities, enrollment, and renewal defeats that harm students. So many are realizing they must influence election outcomes to keep their schools open and provide access to resources.
Learn how to stay true to personal values and become a political influencer.
In this session, participants will:
- Discover the power of personal self-interest and understanding the self-interest of candidates and elected officials
- Learn how to personally engage influential leaders and enact engagement strategies at school to build the influence and support for charter school goals.
- Learn how to build a power map to get started.
- Learn how charter schools can tap into their electoral power through C3 educational strategies and become hubs of civic empowerment.
Presented by
Javier Barraza
Associate Director of 6-12 Organizing
FIA Oakland
Javier Barraza is a dedicated community organizer and education advocate based in Oakland, California. With a strong background in youth leadership development and parent engagement, he works to build power among families and students to push for quality, equity, and accountability in public education. Javier has led initiatives that uplift parent voice, strengthen grassroots coalitions, and advance policy change through campaigns like Raise the Bar. Javier creates spaces where communities feel empowered to act.
Kimi Kean
Chief Executive Officer
Families in Action for Quality Education
Formerly a high school drop out, Kimi Kean has spent two decades as an enthusiastic, results-driven public education leader in Oakland, CA. Kimi was the award winning principal of Acorn Woodland Elementary, leading the turnaround from lowest performing to CA Distinguished School. Kimi led the Aspire Bay Area region, renewing its instructional program and leadership pipelines. Student results outgrew 80% of California peers for 3 consecutive years. In 2019, Kimi co-founded a non-profit coalition dedicated to building the leadership and collective power of underserved families to lead transformation in public education. Families in Action for Quality Education creates grassroots demand for quality education, having trained over 1,000 Oakland parents and youth who lead campaigns that increase quality, equity and access at school and citywide.
Rich Harrison
Chief Executive Officer
Lighthouse Community Public Schools
Rich began his career in education as a High School English teacher and College Counselor in New York City, where he developed a passion for all things teaching and learning. After six years of teaching, Rich served as a principal in Denver Colorado, After leading schools, he served as the CAO for Uplift Education in the Dallas/Fort Worth region for 8 years and helped grow a system of charter schools serving 20,000 students. Rich moved to Oakland two years ago to join the awesome team at Lighthouse Community Public Schools in East Oakland.
Susan Singleton
Associate Director of K-5 Organizing
FIA Oakland
Susan Singleton, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, comes from a long line of Black women educators and professionals, laborers and sharecroppers native to Mississippi and South Louisiana. As the child of a single mother who did not have access to a college education, Susan learned early on the importance of a quality education as kids only get one shot at their education. Growing up in a city with only 2 high performing public elementary, middle and high schools, Susan saw many of her peers fall behind and subsequently have a lot fewer options in life as adults. This experience has shaped Susan into the family organizer she is today and drives her passion for fighting for quality education for all children. Susan leads the Lit 4 Literacy campaign at FIA which currently serves 13 school sites across Oakland toward making sure more students are on grade level.
