After being reelected to Area 3 of the San Juan school board, Zima Creason says she is ready to focus on many issues facing the district, including campus violence and academic achievement gaps.

This was the first time San Juan elected board members by district. Creason defeated Alex Zamansky to represent southeastern Arden-Arcade and south Carmichael, an area that includes Rio Americano.

After her victory she was chosen by her colleagues to serve as board president during a Dec. 13 meeting. She said she looks forward to working with the board, district staff and community members to address concerns.

“I am proud to be in close communication with the group ‘Moms Demand Action’ who have done a lot of work to develop recommendations to keep campuses safe. The board recently adopted a resolution to implement one of their recommendations regarding gun safety notices,” Creason said. “Academic outcomes are also incredibly significant. Frankly, we are not where we need to be… [and] it is a nationwide problem.”

While she offered her opinion on many issues, Creason stressed that she was speaking as an individual board member and not on behalf of the district or the board as a whole. 

Speaking more to academic issues, Creason states her passion for teaching that will advance students beyond traditional education. She believes that schools should connect students with employers and teach them important life and work skills.

“While students are with us, they should be provided with education focused on life skills and other training opportunities that focus on real word success like how to manage your credit, how to live a healthy lifestyle, how to file taxes, how to vote, etc,” Creason said. “Some of this is already happening. It is a systemic issue that must be addressed at the federal and state levels.”

She uses her political connections through her job as Executive Director of the nonprofit California EDGE Coalition, whose website states it is dedicated to “the idea that post-secondary education and training is the doorway into economic mobility.” 

“I’m happy to share that in my day job I work on this issue, and I am able to bridge that work with my policy leadership role in the SJUSD,” Creason said.

She invites those who’d like to share ways to improve their school to email her and reach out.

Students’ voices matter, she said, because they “are the experts of your lived experience. Please, be in touch with your school administration when you have ideas to make your school better.”

You can reach Creason at [email protected].