COVINA, Calif. — The Covina Valley Unified School District board will have some holes to fill this Election Day. It already has a new superintendent as of June because the former superintendent agreed to resign. The ex-district leader is under investigation for alleged misconduct involving three people including current and former students.
In November, the school board has a few open seats for voters to elect someone to. In two of the areas, incumbents are running. But one area has no incumbent and a millennial stepping into the race. The millennial is 24-year-old Denaee Amaya. She is a 2013 graduate of Northview High School in the Covina Valley Unified School District. “I’ve walked the same halls as our students. I’ve been in their same shoes. I’ve sat in the same classrooms. I’ve been taught by the same teachers," Amaya said.
Amaya claims that she is the only person to go to school in the district from kindergarten through high school that is running for a school board seat in Area 5. She said that she is running because she’s hoping to shape the experience of current students.
She also uses her phone to campaign — via social media. But Amaya and volunteers, which also includes student interns, have also been heading out and knocking on doors in her neighborhood in Area 5 of the district.
Engaging with the community is something Amaya said she’ll continue doing if she’s elected. In addition to more transparency she would like to bring resources she wishes she had as a student, including, “Some kind of program that allows our alumni to become mentors to our students to expose them to additional resources and professions.”
Two other people are running for the same seat.
Maria Caceres is the only teacher running in Area 5. She said she’s been working in education for 16 years including teaching elementary and middle school kids, as well as being a school counselor. She also started an educational nonprofit. Caceres is the candidate endorsed by the incumbent, who is not running.
The other candidate is Cicero Salmon III who identifies himself as a business owner. According to his campaign website he has two daughters in the public-school system. He’s also the president of the Covina Sunrise Rotary, which is an organization that supports the district.
Salmon III and Amaya are both members of the Covina Valley Parks and Recreation Commission. “I’m serving the youth that attend our schools, and this will allow me to serve them on a larger capacity," Amaya said.
But she said her youth is her biggest strength since she can relate to the students. She believes now is not the time to wait to get involved. “Too many people are being impacted by this pandemic by policy changes made at the local level. And this is how we create change, is through local elections.”
Amaya said, as a millennial running for political office, she hopes to inspire more young people to get involved in their communities.