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Reminder: Your City Council District Area map is not the same as your School Board Trustee Area, double check your location.
Reminder: Your City Council District Area map is not the same as your School Board Trustee Area, double check your location.
Patty Holohan
Patty Holohan
Trustee Area 1
Not up for reelection
Michelle Rendler
Michelle Rendler
Trustee Area 2
Not up for reelection
Melissa Ayala-Quintero
Melissa Ayala-Quintero
Trustee Area 3
Up for reelection
Alex Vara
Alex Vara
Trustee Area 4
Up for reelection
Jim O'Niel
Jim O'Niel
Trustee Area 5
Seat is up for grabs, not seeking reelection
What's at stake
What's at stake
Caption: Cover of Los Angeles Times article featuring Redlands teen, Milo Easley and Right-wing activists opposed to LGBTQ+-inclusive education policies who are barnstorming across Southern California, with backing from others at the state and national levels.
Over the last two years we've personally seen how the school board meeting in SoCal has become the forefront of the culture wars. We're seeing communities such as Temecula and Chino ripped apart by hateful rhetoric and lawsuits when their school boards have been taken over by far-right extremists who are attempting to enact Christian Nationalist policies within their schools. Now Redlands is at risk for this happening too, as there are three seats up for reelection at Redlands Unified School District's Board of Education, making it flippable. We can learn about the blueprints for what candidates such as Candy, Lawrence, and Jeannette would enact here just by looking at what their copatriots have done in other communities.
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 3
Up for Re-Election
Up for Re-Election
Melissa
Melissa
Ayala-Quintero
For area 3
Ayala-Quintero
For area 3
Summary
Local mother and former PTA President Melissa Ayala-Quintero joined the Redlands School Board in 2021, making her the newest member to the board. Melissa has set priorities for her campaign such as equity and safety for all students. Representing the parent's voice on the board, Melissa has also been a fierce defender of students, teachers, and parent's rights. Area 3 is a diverse portion of our community comprised of areas of Loma Linda, North Redlands, San Bernardino, and Highland.
Extremist Candidate Looking to Unseat Melissa
Lawrence Hebron
Lawrence Hebron
Summary
Lawrence Hebron is a local right wing author and preacher with accelerationist views who has used his pen and pulpit to promote islamophobia and advocate for a Christian Nationalist ruling class. In 2016 Lawrence created a ministry called American Christian Patriot Church. More recently he started a new group with staff from the Ark church in Redlands called Guardians of God and Country. Some of the more notable books Hebron wrote are Islam Exposed: What You Need to Know About the World’s Most Dangerous Religion, and AR2: Handbook for the Second American Revolution.
Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 4
Up for Re-Election
Up for Re-Election
Alex Vara
Area 4's Trusted Progressive
Alex Vara
Area 4's Trusted Progressive
Summary
Current board member Alex Vara, is local parent and unwavering supporter of equity in education. He represents Area 4 which is comprised of parts of North Redlands, East Highland, and a sliver of Mentone. Alex Vara has placed an emphasis on equity and inclusion throughout his 30 year long career in education. Because of his steadfast support of all students, he was threatened and doxxed in late 2021 by Awaken Redlands member, Jared Gustafson.
Conservative Candidate Looking to Unseat Alex
JEANNETTE WILSON
JEANNETTE WILSON
Summary
Jeannette Wilson is the event coordinator for local extremist Jared Gustafson's Inland Empire Liberty Coalition. While in this role, Jeannette could be seen advocating and organizing signatures for School Choice. School choice is a common dog whistle for defunding public education. In the past year Jeannette has sought purpose as the secretary for Awaken Redlands, continuing her mission to defund public education through “school choice” advocacy. Jeannette is a retired social worker with no educational experience, with no children in the district.
Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 5
Up for Re-Election
Up for Re-Election
Candidates
Looking to fill open Area 5 seat
Candy Olson
Candy Olson
A campaign of intimidation & conspiracy theories
A campaign of intimidation & conspiracy theories
Summary
Candy Olson is a local anti-vax nurse who has spent the last three years tormenting Redlands public meetings and elected officials who don’t agree with her bigoted and transphobic world view. When failed school board candidate Erin Stepien ran a campaign of anti-lgbtq+ rhetoritic, Candy Olson was her campaign manager. While Candy claims interest in getting a “back to basics” education program going, she has never offered any curriculum suggestions nor commentary on what that would actually entail. Instead, Candy's biggest contribution to Redlands School Board meetings is arguably the influx of hate groups such as the Proud Boys, Lexit, Gays Against Groomers, Mom Army, and now LUCA.
Carolyn Williams
Carolyn Williams
A mormon lady who will steal votes from candy
A mormon lady who will steal votes from candy
Summary
A seemingly more "tame" conservative who will likely be sympathetic to the extremists of her party.
Priorities
Priorities
Nothing really except cliche promises to "be a unifying voice between parents and teachers to make academic excellence and our schools safer."
Valerie Taber
Area 5's Progressive alternative
Valerie Taber
Area 5's Progressive alternative
Summary
As a Redlands native, mother of a child attending RUSD schools, active PTA member, and a child therapist, Valerie Taber represents a truly comprehensive parent's voice to the existing Redlands School board. Valerie is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, protecting public education, and providing safety for all students within Redlands Unified. Valerie has been a fierce supporter of equity within Redlands Unified.
Redlands is pushing Back
Redlands is pushing Back
While it's discouraging to learn that there are those in our community who are attempting to push kids back into the closet, it's important to know that there are those who are having none of it.
This site was made by the local, grassroots group, Safe Redlands Schools.
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