(SACRAMENTO) – The trustee race for Sacramento County Board of Education in District 7 is heating up on the way to the June 7 Primary Election and educator Roy Grimes continues to distinguish himself as “the best prepared candidate.”
Grimes, who previously served on the Sacramento County and City school boards, is enthusiastic about the ground swell of support.
“I’m thankful for the support. I have endorsements from elected officials at every level, educators, parents and students. This campaign is about us and we’re ready to do the work,” he said.
Grimes’ work extends across more than three decades and includes his foundational work as an educator, PTA and School Site Council leader, and as a business leader with an master’s degree in Business and Public Policy. Not many candidates have earned those dual degrees and served as a classroom teacher in social science and tech literacy, a reading coach, a parent leader as well as a credentialed administrator.
That mix of experience — in the classroom, in business and as an administrator — is interesting for a County School Board District that oversees the implementation of education policy, for example the Local Control Funding Formula, as well as the fiduciary responsibility related to budgets and funding priorities. Grimes says his experience in education and business give him an edge and experience for the weighty responsibility for helping to set the direction for the district.
“Our schools need to be held in high esteem … and as a gateway to a better future. We can’t do that if we have those who consciously erect barriers by holding beliefs and viewpoints erroneously based on fear and hate,” he said.
Grimes was one of the many in the African American community who saw those erroneous beliefs in action when District 7 incumbent Harold Fong provided the sole vote against the Fortune Charter School expansion. Fortune School’s mandate is focused on serving the students in California that have the most challenges, many of those student happen to be African American. Grimes continues to be outspoken on the issue of equity and sees his campaign as a way to rally positive energy around solutions.
“The finger pointing has got to stop,” Grimes said.
“Parents, administrators, teachers, support staff, school board members — we can’t be afraid to try something new and we must all believe that every child can succeed academically and has a special talent. It’s our job to create the conditions for their success and we can’t be afraid to use every tool at our disposal,” he added.
One of the tools Grimes brings to the race is coalition building. His endorsement list is diverse and according to Grimes, “represents Sacramento’s vast diversity of race, talent and excellence.”
“I’ve had the support of teachers, Labor, and Business because of my commitment to the 3 Rs — Respect, Responsibility and Results. I tend to get the support of folks who share those values more than anything else,” he added.
Some of District 7’s communities include: Fruitridge, Greenhaven, Lemon Hill, Meadowview, Oak Park, North Laguna, Parkway, Pocket, Valley Hi, and a portion of South Land Park.