5C Parents Building Civic Power

Hello Contra Costa County Community,

I am thrilled to share with you Edith Saavedra’s leadership story. Edith is the very first parent I met with when I first began working in Richmond 12 years ago! I believed, as I still do, that there is no better guide than a parent when you are trying to understand a community’s education landscape.

My first impression of Edith was that she was full of heart and conviction. Her goal was simple: to give her children the best possible education. But what truly set Edith apart was her organizing spirit. She wasn’t just advocating for her children, she was advocating for her neighbor’s children too.

Twelve years later, Edith is steadfast in her resolve to make sure that every student in her community can attend a school that prepares them for college and beyond.

Maribel

Edith Saavedra knows what it's like to feel lost navigating a convoluted public school system. To not speak English as her first language while trying to decipher complicated education jargon and navigate complex levels of bureaucracy, all to make sure her kids could attend a good school.

Edith's children attended district schools, private schools, and charter schools. When she found out about a new school launching called Caliber Beta Academy, she signed her daughter up right away to participate in a summer pilot program. Soon after Edith was hired as a founding staff member as well. Ten years later, her daughter is a proud graduate who works as a software engineer and owns her own business, and Edith is still working at Caliber.

"I have seen the difference," Edith said of the schools her children attended. "As a parent, it's important for us to have options. Not every school setting is right for every kid, not all students learn the same way. It's my right to send my child to whatever public school I want to. As a parent, I benefited from choosing where I want to send my kids and understanding that is my right. All parents deserve that."

Edith is passionate about parents knowing their rights and using the power they may not even know they possess to benefit their children. In her decade working at Caliber it has always surprised her that some parents don’t know much about public charter schools, like how they can be closed based on political motivations by elected officials.

"It's so important that parents have awareness of the political landscape," Edith said. "The person sitting in that chair is making high-stakes decisions about our kids' education, their future, their lives!"

That's why Edith recently spent her Saturday talking to Caliber parents at the school’s Spring Festival about the importance of the upcoming school board elections this November when seats for both the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education and Contra Costa County Board of Education will be on the ballot.

Edith and other Caliber parents were tabling for 5C: the Contra Costa County Charter Coalition, spreading the word about a school board candidate forum 5C parent leaders are hosting on Thursday, October 3 at Making Waves Academy (4123 Lakeshore Drive in Richmond).

Caliber parent Gondica Nguyen sat at the table with Edith at the Spring Festival. Gondica said that when the parents she spoke with understood the stakes involved in the next election, they were eager to get involved.

"When I told them that the people who we vote for determine whether our school stays open or not, people immediately whipped out their phones (to RSVP for the forum)," she said.

Caliber parent and 5C parent leader Yamilet Chicas said parents couldn’t believe it when she shared with them what was at stake for charter schools in the next election. "Many parents were completely shocked to learn that a renewal process even existed for public charter schools and were eager to learn more," she said.

Yamilet, Gondica, and Edith all participated in 5C's Winter Leadership Institute, where 5C parent leaders facilitated sessions for other parents around civic engagement and orienting them around the school board races happening at the local and county levels this fall.

Gondica said she served as a facilitator during the Winter Leadership Institute because she believes in parent advocacy. "Not just for my kids, but for all kids," she said. She believes bringing other like-minded parents together will help them accomplish collective goals and build power together.

"The more people who are educated and informed, the more power we have," Gondica said.

Edith said that working together with 5C is the first time she has worked with parents from charter schools across the district in her decade of involvement with Caliber. Even though the election is still some months away, Edith said the candidate forum and making sure parents are informed about who is running for office is too important to wait to let people know.

"We need to talk to parents and start raising that awareness," Edith said. "It's like, 'What are we waiting for?' We have a lot of parents and staff who want to be involved. When I talk to them one-on-one and invite them face-to-face, they really want to be involved. They want to be a part of the parent movement we are building."

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