Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why Lakshmi?

2. Why Lakshmi (40 Second Pitch)

3. Who Can Vote for the School Board?

4. How Can I Vote for the School Board?

5. What are my opinions on Public Education?

6. What is my stance on equity grading?

7. What is the endorsement process?

8. How do I plan to approach cyberbullying?

Why Lakshmi?

Learn about me and why I am running for the CUSD School Board!

Why Lakshmi? (40 Second Pitch)

View my 40 second pitch here!

Who Can Vote for the School Board?

Anyone with a CUSD Address is eligible to vote for the CUSD School Board election, including parents who no longer have kids in CUSD or parents of students who are going to private school. We appreciate your voices and votes and would appreciate your consideration of us in November!

Please reference the attached video for more information.

How Can I Vote for the School Board?

You can vote for the CUSD School Board Election through your general ballot, which will arrive at your house on October 7th and needs to be completed by Election Day on November 5th. The CUSD Board Election will be a few pages into your ballot, and you will be able to pick 2 candidates to vote for.

Please reference the attached video for more information.

What are my Opinions on Public Education?

As a lifelong public education student as well as parent, I believe personally and systemically in the power of a public school education when all stakeholders are empowered and included.

Please reference the attached video for more information.

What is my stance on equity grading?

After some reading, I found that the definition of Equity Grading is not clear since the practice used to implement equity grading is not clear.

One point that I believe is important to stress. I am not supportive of using different grading methods for students from different backgrounds. I support grading all students using same standards of grading, regardless of the background, while recognizing that students progress at different levels so grading system might include achievements and efforts, such as turning in their work.

Good behavior should be instilled to shape responsible future citizens. Schools should definitely offer support to students needing extra help to achieve basic grade-level standards, while also challenge more advanced students where they are to support their advanced learning levels.

What is the Endorsement Process?

In this video, I elaborate on the endorsement process and its 3 steps: questionnaire, interview, and outcome. As a first-time candidate, this process was completely new to me, and I can empathize with voters who want more transparency on the meaning of an endorsement. I believe in transparency and open communication, and elaborate on this in the interview.

As a candidate, I strive to give objective, data-driven answers that speak for parents, educators, and students and represent my objectives of holistic education, total safety, and fiscal stewardship. I am grateful to the organizations and individuals who align with my vision and support me through endorsements.

Please reference the attached video for more information.

How do I plan to approach cyberbullying?

Here is my 5-step approach to addressing cyberbullying:

1. Define Cyberbullying for students: Starts from defining what ‘Cyberbullying is” and sharing to make students, staff, and parents aware of that in students’ onboarding, new parents introduction, and/or back to school nights. Sometimes students who are doing it or are subjected to it, may not know what they are doing, or what they are experiencing respectively, is CyberBullying.

2. Recognize (offer tools and training to recognize): Based on the definition established, identify that an incident of cyberbullying is taking place.

3. Report (where and how to report): Have a safe resource to report it, likely online. Example- I have heard of students who could not even share the issue with their parents until it was already very late and had impacted their mental health in a jarring way.

4. Take An Action: This resource should have a real person on the backend who is trained to handle these situations. If the issue happens on devices that are not controlled or managed by school (firewall/software), then have some policy to ask students/staff/those visiting the campus to download such a software that controls the internet access.

5. Analyze the trend, raise awareness, and stop it: follow the processes built and established to address the situation and prevent future incidents.