Mariela Hernandez, candidate for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education

Voters who live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district will fill four open seats on the Board of Education in November.

Incumbent board members Rani Dasi, Deon Temne and Ashton Powell are running against 11 challengers — Meredith Ballew, Vickie Feaster Fornville, Barbara Fedders, Jane Gabin, Solomon Gibson III, Mariela Hernandez, Honoria Middough, Renee Peet, Michelle Rissling, Taylor Tally, and Allison Willis — in the Nov. 7 general election.

It may be one of the largest group of candidates to ever run in a Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board election. Five other candidates who filed in July withdrew before the November ballots were printed.

School Board member Jillian La Serna is not running for re-election.

Early voting in the nonpartisan Nov. 7 election starts Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 4..

To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit co.orange.nc.us/1720/Elections or contact the Board of Elections at 919-245-2350 or vote@orangecountync.gov.

Name: Mariela Hernandez

Age: 43

Occupation: Rapid Rehousing case manager

Education: high school graduate; community health worker

Political or civic experience: I have been a community organizer and community activist for my community.

Campaign website: marielaforchccs.com

Why are you running for school board and what makes you the right candidate? Current board members: Please also explain the delay in announcing your re-election campaign this year.

I want to give back to the community. As a parent of four children, I have seen firsthand the opportunity gap that exists in our district. I have years of experience working in anti-poverty activism and as a community health worker and have served on numerous boards: PHS Board of Directors for over four years, IFC board, SKJAJA board, Orange County Food Council (co-chair), Affordable Housing Advisory Board, CHCCS PTA, SIT and Parent Ambassador. I also worked for eight years as a family navigator for the Family Success Alliance Program, working to expand family engagement, family advocacy and resource connections to empower the community.

What are the three top challenges facing the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools? Choose one and explain how you would address it.

▪ School staffing

▪ Equity and inclusion

▪ Pre K readiness and mental health services

What do you think about the state’s 2021 Science of Reading law and Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training, and how both initiatives are being implemented in the district? What would you do to improve student reading and literacy outcomes?

I am not an educator, so I would really have not much input in this, but I am willing to listen to educators to make an educated decision and to take proper steps with the board.

What do you think about the district’s work to close the achievement gap? What would you do if elected?

We have checked boxes for our students, and some students don’t fall in any of those boxes. We need to work on meeting them where they are. We need funding to put this into practice. That does not mean we lower the standards. It does mean we deal with the barriers for our kids, whether economic, support, learning differences or the structures that keep this gap in place.

How can the school district bring people with different viewpoints together to find common ground and workable solutions?

Humility and willingness to listen to all community and students.

Tammy Grubb

The News & Observer

919-829-8926

Tammy Grubb has written about Orange County’s politics, people and government since 2010. She is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna and has lived and worked in the Triangle for over 30 years.