By K.D. Norris
Following appointment by the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Board of Education on Nov. 13, Jackie Hernandez is ready to move from work on the district’s Parent Teacher Organization to work as a trustee on the board of education.
Hernandez replaces Katie Brumley on the board for a 6-year term seat which will now come up for a special election in November 2018 for the remaining four years of the term.
With her appointment, Hernandez hopes to bring a more ethnically diverse presence to the board. The Godfrey-Lee district has a majority Hispanic/Latino in population but, until Hernandez’s appointment, did not have a Hispanic/Latino member.
“There are great benefits in having a diverse board and I wanted the school board to reflect the community it serves,” Hernandez said in an interview with WKTV Journal. “Our district is about 75 percent Latino and our board should reflect that. As a Latina, community advocate and a parent I will bring a different perspective to the table.”
Making the board more diverse was also an factor in her appointment, along with her work as president of the PTO, her being a parent of children in the district, and her community involvement and professional background.
Hernandez works as community liaison for LINC UP, a “community development organization that provides services to Kent County, and are involved in a host of projects and services that reach families, houses, businesses and neighborhoods at large,” according to its website.
The board interviewed three candidates to fill the position, and board president Eric Mockerman said in supplied material that Hernandez was selected because of her “commitment to the students and families of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.”
“My work on the PTO was a great starter to working on the board,” Hernandez said. “It gave me a better understanding of what the schools are doing and why they are doing the work they do and how much work is still to be done yet. It also helped to establish and grow relationships with the parents and teachers at each school.
“I have learned that we all — parents, teachers and school administrators —want to help our children succeed in life and we all have different ways to contribute to that success. Many want to feel a part of the process and know that their voices are being heard and that their contributions matter, no matter how small.”
Hernandez said she not only plans to run for re-election to the remainder of the term next year, but she has some issues she is particularly interested in.
“One of the issues I want to focus on will be the resources that we have in place for our students and staff at East Lee (campus),” she said. “I also want our parents and students to know that we (the school board) are accessible to them and that we want to hear from them. Many Latino parents struggle with this because up until now there was not a board member who spoke Spanish or who looked like them. I hope to be able to erase that barrier and have parents know that they can speak to someone who will understand them.
“I believe that my view point or perspective of things will enhance the great work already being done by our school administrators and staff because at the end of the day its about what is best for our students.”
The Board of Education meets monthly at the Godfrey-Lee Administration Office,1324 Burton Street, SW. Its next meeting will be Dec. 11. For more information visit godfrey-lee.org .
