Carla Hernández

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Carla Hernández

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Oak Grove School District Trustee Area 4

Successor: Frances Herbert

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Education

Bachelor's

University of Pennsylvania, 2015

Graduate

Loyola Marymount University, 2017

Personal

Profession

Special Education Teacher

Contact

Campaign website

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Carla Hernández was a member of the Oak Grove School District board of trustees in California, representing Area 4. She assumed office on December 11, 2020. She left office on December 13, 2024.

Hernández ran for election to the Oak Grove School District board of trustees to represent Area 4 in California. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Hernández completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Hernández was born on April 23, 1993, in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in cognitive neuroscience in 2015. She went on to obtain her master's in education degree from Loyola Marymount University in special education in 2017. Hernandez's professional experience includes working as a special educator and student advisor.

Elections

2020

See also: Oak Grove School District, California, elections (2020)

General election

General election for Oak Grove School District Trustee Area 4

Carla Hernández defeated incumbent John Mackey in the general election for Oak Grove School District Trustee Area 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carla Hernández (Nonpartisan)	74.0	6,527
		John Mackey (Nonpartisan)	26.0	2,293

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,820
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Hernandez's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carla Hernández completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hernández's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Carla Hernández is a passionate special education teacher and student advisor that has taught classes that range from biology, study skills, and integrated science in the special education and general education setting. Carla has implemented chronic absenteeism interventions like a mentorship and attendance intervention program she created at her school site that focuses on goal setting, social emotional learning, and building relationships.

Carla is dedicated to addressing the opportunity gap in her communities and has served on her school and district teams for social emotional learning, school site council, multi-tiered support systems (MTSS/PBIS), and a special education department chair. Carla is committed to equitable policy and advocacy and has participated in fellowships such as Urban Leaders Fellowship, New Leaders Council, and Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley's Latino Board Leadership Academy and has worked with organizations like Oakland Promise and First5 California. Carla is motivated by building community, learning from others, and her experience as a first-generation Latina growing up in a low-income household.

Carla holds a B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.Ed in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Provide quality access to mental health and physical health resources to support the whole child and promote safety
• Address chronic absenteeism by investing in school culture that is founded on restorative practices, reflection, and relationships with students, families, and staff
• Diversify staff and innovate curriculum, including literacy programs, to affirm all students' identities, languages, learning styles, and goals

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about quality public education (including early childhood education) that is equitable for all students, access to quality health services and goods that are fundamental for the development of healthy individuals and communities, and equitable financial opportunity (including housing and childcare) for all families.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think it's important that an elected official be a listening leader who is collaborative, empathetic, and available to all constituents in a variety of ways. Besides the traits I mentioned, I'm especially proud of my communication, transparency, authenticity, and respect for others since they reflect my own leadership style and who I am. Through my leadership style and commitment to these values, I hope to build strong relationships with my neighbors, especially with those might not feel connected to our community, to support the overall growth of Oak Grove School District.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

I believe the primary job of a school board member is to advocate for and communicate with teachers, students, families, and all stakeholders of the education community. They should be available and open to listening to the concerns, goals, and values of their community. They should also be able to long-term plan, organize a fiscally sound budget, and support the community in delivering the best educational experience for our students, teachers, and staff. A school board member is key in the oversight and accountability of a school district so that we can responsibly continue to invest in the young learners of our community.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I believe that staff, students, and faculty deserve space and time to dedicate to their own specific and diverse needs. I would support these needs by listening and providing the necessary tools and time for our staff and community to accomplish tasks and goals they believe can transform the educational experience of our schools. I also want to prioritize hiring and retaining diverse staff and investing in culturally responsive teaching with an understanding of diverse learning styles.

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

It is among my top priorities to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying our staff, administration, and faculty. I would strengthen relationships with community colleges and local teacher training programs to be able to recruit and retain local and diverse teachers. I believe that our students should be able to see leaders that reflect their own cultures, languages, and identities, especially in our school sites, so I will ensure that our hiring policies and efforts are transparent, supportive of diverse candidates, and that our vacancies are communicated intentionally, while also ensuring we support our current diverse teachers.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

In high school I was introduced to debate, which was a pivotal experience for me as a young adult that inspired my voice as a citizen and as a woman of color. In a similar way, I would like to expand our literacy programs and civics education, along with supporting the implementation of ethnic studies, to promote the collaborative responsibility and public service we all have as citizens. I believe that when young people have the information to make their own intellectual views and are encouraged to share knowledge, they develop into better informed people who help strengthen our communities.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Supporting the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff means investing in tools, time, and direct service providers like social workers at our school sites. I have been trained in mindfulness through my district and it was an incredible experience that reshaped what my day as a teacher can look like. I would be excited to continue to advocate, provide, and make space and time for our staff/faculty/students to learn of social emotional practices, trauma-informed teaching, and mindfulness that our students then learn from us. I also believe that schools are in an important position to discuss, teach, and model critical topics like anti-bullying, safe spaces, and what respect looks like.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Oak Grove School District Trustee Area 4

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