Richard Barrera turned a school district in crisis into a national model of success.
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In 2008, Richard Barrera was elected to the Board of the San Diego Unified, California’s second largest school District.
Richard’s Vision
As President of the San Diego Unified School Board, Richard Barrera spent the last 20 years uniting teachers, parents, and community leaders behind a shared vision that prepares kids for success no matter the career path they pursue.
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Proven Results
For the more than 100,000 students within San Diego Unified, the results of Richard’s reforms have been an unqualified success:
✓ Test scores have gone up.
✓ Graduation rates have increased.
✓ Under Richard’s leadership, the achievement gap has significantly narrowed.
✓ San Diego Unified has emerged as one of the top performing school Districts in the nation ranking #1 in literacy and #2 in math among the top 80 urban school districts in the nation.
Richard is ensuring
every child learns in a safe, modern &
well-equipped school.
He led the charge to secure $11 billion in new investments to upgrade San Diego’s schools by fixing aging buildings, improving campus safety and removing hazardous materials like lead in drinking water.
At the same time, Richard defused a long simmering, bitter conflict between the District at the region’s Charter Schools when he arranged for local Charter Schools to share, on a pro rata basis, in the proceeds of any local educational facilities bond measures. Thus, the nearly 15% of San Diego students who attend Charter Schools have enjoyed the benefits of modernized, 21st century classrooms and facilities.
It’s time to put a real champion for students, educators, and working families in charge.
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“ Richard’s efforts were truly transformative. He believed teachers, parents and students, working together from the community up instead of the central office down, would create the learning conditions worthy of our students' goals and dreams.”
Cindy Marten
Former Deputy Secretary of Education, Biden Administration
Former San Diego Superintendent of Schools