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ISSUES
Kelly Wilkerson believes that education is opportunity. Learn about the issues she will work to address as community college trustee.
1
Ensure every high school senior has a plan for the future
Kelly Wilkerson will collaborate with our area high schools to make sure every student leaves with a concrete plan, whether they are aiming for a college degree or training for the workforce. Kelly has already started meeting with principals and attending K-12 board of education meetings to spread the message.
2
Expand and support career education
We need to make sure every young adult in Trustee Area 4 knows about the opportunities to train for a well-paying, meaningful job. Kelly will make sure union apprenticeship programs and career certificate programs that lead to jobs like air traffic controllers and paramedics are widely publicized. Students who enroll in these programs need the same kind of support that students in college transfer classes receive.
3
Improve remote learning
With remote learning continuing through spring, it’s time to give professors the resources to improve their online classes. This is no longer a temporary state of affairs; students need online classes that are engaging. At the same time, some of our students are still struggling with poor Internet service and we need to get hotspots in the hands of every student who needs one.
4
Bring back students whose education was interrupted
Too many students withdrew from their classes when remote learning started in the spring, many of them Black and Latino students. We cannot just write these students off; we need to find them and bring them back to resume their education. Kelly is also concerned about career certificate classes that require in-person instruction, and will look closely at how we can bring them back to campus safely and as soon as possible.
5
Expand dual enrollment opportunities
Students who take community college classes in high school save time and money. Kelly will encourage the expansion of dual enrollment programs at high schools in Davis, West Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Clarksburg so that all our students think of themselves as “college material.”
6
Reform police training
Eighty percent of California police officers receive at least some of their training at a community college. Kelly wants to work with faculty to require training in de-escalation and cross-cultural communication. Kelly joins community members who are concerned about police misconduct and believes the community colleges can be part of the solution.
7
End the school-to-prison pipeline
Too many of our young people are ending up in the criminal justice system. Community colleges can be part of the solution. First, we can make sure that we provide a path to opportunity for ALL our students, not just those aiming for a college degree. That’s why Kelly wants information about career training given to every high school senior. Second, community colleges need to maintain services to assist students with disabilities or who are struggling with poverty; statistics show that lack of support leads to withdrawal from school which is a risk factor for criminal offenses. And finally, Kelly will seek more community support for the programs Los Rios already has in place: college classes offered in prison and a support program for formerly incarcerated students on our campuses.
Is there an issue you care about?
Let Kelly know!
Contact Kelly and tell her what issues are important to you.
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