Lizette Lucha Arévalo

District: Compton USD
Position Seeking: Governing Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up.

I come from a family of artist. In college I learned that my family are considered rasquache artist– we are people who make something, out of nothing. When you enter my parents home you won’t see a wall untouched with murals, my mothers flowers growing out of anything you can imagine, sculptures made from my father’s hands, paintings done by my sisters, and finally my degrees on their walls. Being surrounded by a house full of life, color, and creativity made me into who I am, someone able to imagine alternative possibilities for myself and my community.

Question 2: What kind of creative solutions would you suggest to support student outcomes such as English language development, closing the achievement gap, and preparation for college and/or meaningful careers?

We must pave new pathways for students to enter during and after high school. Pathways that explore different languages, arts, and science could be an entry way for students to learn that there are various type of careers. Every student should graduate high school prepared for a college education, but more importantly, every student should graduate high school with a sense of knowledge about where their interest are, what skills they want to develop, and what fuels their passion for learning. We need to make learning fun again and bringing creativity back into the classroom is how to do it.

Question 3: What do you think should be the role of the School Board in ensuring that students have access to a broad range of study?

School Board members should not only be advocates for diversity, they should also be role models that demonstrate what that looks like in their community. If elected I will be that for my community. I have been part of a larger movement in Southern California to bring forth Ethnic Studies courses as a high school requirement. School Board members should not only advocate for social justice, representation, and diversity to be taught in the classroom– they should be involved in local efforts for justice in their community. Ensuring that students have a diverse curriculum is a starting point.

Question 4: In light of the Local Control Funding Formula and development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), what are your creative solutions for achieving goals in the eight priority areas?

The best way to achieve goals in each of the eight priority areas is to create an independent oversight committee of parents, educators, students, and concerned residents. This oversight committee will be there to propose new strategies and to make amendments when needed. The committee will serve as a bridge between the community and the board. The committee and board will collectively bring the community together in town hall meetings for discussions. We cannot reach the goals each area without consulting the stakeholders in each step along the way.