AZSW Endorses Barajas for Sunnyside Unified

My name is Magdalena Barajas from Tucson, Arizona. I am running for the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board. I have been serving on the Board since late January 2007, when I was selected by a community committee to fill a vacancy.

SUSD serves over 18,000 students in a 93 square mile area. Approximately 95 percent of our students identify as minorities (nearly 90 percent Hispanic), and over 80 percent of our students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Our graduation rate is an embarrassing 63 percent.

I grew up in Sunnyside, and I am a product of Sunnyside schools. After graduating from Sunnyside High School in 2001, I saw that very few of my classmates moved on to college and even fewer completed a degree.

A low high school graduation rate and an even lower post-secondary completion rate are indicative of where our community stands on the economic scale. Our neighborhoods are poor, and along with that challenge, come even more challenges: apathy, crime, and drug and alcohol addiction. Ultimately, these challenges lead to a poor economic outlook. Public education is the key to improving our community’s economic vitality, and, therefore, our quality of life.

It is because of these challenges that I am running to represent my neighbors on the SUSD Governing Board. Changing the future of our community is possible. I am committed toward working strategically to create long-term solutions with visible results along the way.

My main goal is to improve high school completion and post-secondary enrollment and completion. To accomplish this goal, I am supporting district-wide strategic and time bound solutions within the following initiatives:

• Curriculum Alignment to Rigorous and Relevant Standards
• Reading Literacy and Math Literacy
• English Language Development
• Parent and Community Engagement
• Safe and Orderly Campuses
• Balanced Budgeting
• Professional Development

Thank you for supporting my district and my campaign.

Malena Barajas

Barajas for Sunnyside
2423 East Calle Joya de Ventura
Tucson, AZ 85706

520-829-7488

Chair: Eva Dong – Treasurer: Robert Soltero