On the Record: Dr. Rocío Rivas on Promises, Progress, and What’s Next

“Our kids deserve a school system funded with dignity, not leftovers.”

- Dr. Rocío Rivas

In 2026, the three Los Angeles Unified School District Board Members from the even-numbered board districts will ask the voters to re-elect them. Nick Melvoin, Kelly Gonez, and Dr. Rocío Rivas were each sent four questions that would allow them to let voters know how they felt about their work so far.

Thus far, only Dr. Rivas has responded. Her unedited answers are provided below:

Q. If you were grading yourself on follow-through with your campaign promises from the last election, where would you mark yourself as "incomplete"? If re-elected, how would you address these issues?

If I had to grade myself, I’d call it a work in progress. The truth is, several of the challenges facing LAUSD are deeply systemic — decades in the making and worsened by crises that no one term can resolve. We are still dealing with the anxiety and trauma caused by Trump-era immigration crackdowns that created fear in our classrooms, the long road of COVID recovery, ongoing economic instability, and even wildfires and climate-related disruptions that have impacted our most vulnerable communities.

But I’m proud that despite those conditions, we’ve made real, measurable progress: our students achieved the highest academic scores in years; we passed Measure US, a $9 billion bond — the largest in LAUSD’s history — to modernize aging schools and create thousands of good union jobs; and we strengthened protections for workers, families, and community schools across the district.

I remain committed to the long-range work of fully transforming how our public schools are funded. California’s school finance structure — shaped by Prop 13’s racialized legacy — still starves public education of the resources our students deserve. If re-elected, here is how I plan to address these “incomplete” issues:

• Push aggressively for new and fair revenue — partnering with labor and statewide allies to focus the conversation on fixing the structural underfunding at the root of so many challenges.
• Scale up the programs, systems, and partnerships we’ve built — from dual enrollment, to community schools, to worker-rights education, to equity, greening, and climate-resilience initiatives like school greening and bus electrification. These efforts shouldn’t be isolated successes; they should be districtwide standards.
• Integrate climate resilience and greening more deeply with district planning — ensuring campuses are safe, sustainable places to learn, and that this work creates union jobs while improving student well-being.
• Continue and deepen the collaborative approach our office has modeled — working hand-in-hand with district staff, labor partners, community colleges, foundations, and families, and strengthening partnerships with the entire workforce — principals, teachers, campus aides, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, counselors, and the skilled trades. Every worker contributes to student success, and we govern best when labor is a full partner. Together, we can cut through bureaucracy and turn good ideas into real, districtwide implementation.

In three years, we’ve built momentum and delivered tangible wins — but the long-term work is ongoing. I’m fully committed to finishing what we started and ensuring our students and workers move forward together.

Q. What issue that arose during your current term surprised you the most, whether positively or negatively?

What surprised me most was how much this board was able to accomplish even when we didn’t always agree. Every board member came in with different priorities and different constituencies, but despite that, we worked through hard issues together: budget stability, student enrollment, equity and academic achievement, and the constant pressure of politicization around public education.

What I didn’t expect was the level of shared commitment to getting things done for students and workers, even among people who don’t vote together on everything. That gives me a sense of great hope, because LAUSD is facing enormous pressures: immigration enforcement creating fear in our communities, dramatic swings in state revenue, lingering academic and emotional recovery after COVID, and the constant threat of privatization.

But what I saw is when the stakes are high, we can truly govern with determination and purpose. That spirit of collaboration is something I want to expand in my next term, because our students, families, and workers deserve a board that takes on tough issues and stays focused on important solutions.

Q. Is there an issue you wish the public paid more attention to? How has this issue impacted you or your constituents personally?

The issue I wish the public understood more deeply is how structurally underfunded California’s public schools are — and why. For decades, Californians have lived with the harmful consequences of Proposition 13, a racialized and systemic policy choice that deliberately starved public education and shifted the tax burden away from corporations and wealthy property owners. Its long-term effect has been to divide communities, pit groups and organizations against each other for inadequate resources, and force school districts to operate in a constant state of scarcity.

People often see the symptoms — budget cuts, staffing shortages, outdated facilities — but not the root cause. And when you combine that structural underfunding with the instability caused by extremists in Washington, who would rather shut down the government than govern, it creates enormous anxiety for our immigrant families, our workers, and our students. LAUSD then becomes ground zero for every national crisis, even though we’re just trying to educate kids.

Personally, I see how this affects families in my district every day — parents juggling multiple jobs, public schools serving as food banks and mental health centers, and educators stretched thin. It’s why I fight so hard for revenue reform and long-term solutions. Our kids deserve a school system funded with dignity, not leftovers.

Q. What accomplishment during the past term are you most proud of, and how do you see it impacting the district in the future?

In just three years, I’m proud of the work we’ve led — and the impact we’ve made — across so many critical areas: the highest student achievement scores in years, Measure US, a $9 billion investment to modernize aging schools and create good union jobs; stronger protections for community schools; integrating worker-rights education into classrooms; and real progress on equity, safety, and infrastructure.

But the accomplishment that best reflects our approach to building a stronger learning environment is how we elevated dual enrollment across LAUSD — not just as a program, but as a strategy for college readiness, career access, and academic achievement.

Dual enrollment allows high school students to take college-level courses and earn college credit while completing their diploma.

Early in my first term, our office embraced the importance of dual enrollment and took a hands-on approach. We collaborated with partners to host webinars for families and students, brought in region superintendents, district staff, and community college leaders, and worked to make the process clear and accessible. Most importantly, our office directly engaged students who faced barriers — and they became leaders themselves: co-hosting webinars, sharing their stories, and helping shape long-lasting solutions.

This work led to the first districtwide Dual Enrollment Resolution, expanded partnerships with additional community colleges and foundations, and a model that other districts can now look to as they develop or scale their own programs.

Dual enrollment connects everything we care about: academic achievement, equity, college access, and pathways to good careers. And this is just the beginning — the foundation is built, and we’re ready to work with district leadership and community partners to ensure every LAUSD student has multiple, meaningful pathways to the future.”

Information from the Re-Elect Dr. Rocío Rivas for LAUSD School Board, District 2 campaign can be found on its website.

Recognized as “a valiant fighter for public schools,” Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board. Shaped by raising two daughters with severe autism, he is a passionate voice for special education. Recently, he relocated to the State of Washington to embrace the role of “Poppy” to two grandsons. Explore more at TheDifrntDrmr.