Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.
Name: Annemarie Randle-Trejo
Age: 64
Current job title: Governing Board Member, Anaheim Union High School District
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Board of Trustee for Greater Anaheim Special Ed Local Plan Area,Board of Trustee for North Orange County reaterROP, Delegate for California School Board Association
City where you reside: Anaheim
Campaign website or social media: trusteeannemarierandle-trejo.com
What are the top two needs of your school district, and how are you prepared to address them? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
Every school district faces budget challenges, and much of our funding is determined by state and federal decisions. As a board member, I believe our responsibility is to plan ahead, prepare for uncertainty, and make thoughtful decisions that protect our students and workforce.
Our district budgets four years into the future and has developed a strategic plan to guide our priorities. We continually look for ways to control costs without sacrificing essential programs and services.
We have an Insurance Committee that meets regularly to help manage rising medical costs. We established a Benefits Bridge program to help eligible employees transition into retirement with health benefits until other coverage begins. We also use cooperative and piggyback purchasing agreements to obtain competitive pricing and save taxpayer dollars.
When positions become vacant through retirement or attrition, we carefully evaluate whether they need to be filled.
Balancing a district budget requires difficult choices, but it is possible to be fiscally responsible while investing in our students, supporting our employees, and maintaining the quality of education our community expects.
To you, what is the role of a school board in education? Is it driving policy, being involved in curriculum, something else entirely? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
As trustees, we have a responsibility to make sure our community’s values and beliefs are reflected in the priorities we set for our district. After 14 years as a trustee, I understand that good governance means keeping students and families at the center of every decision.
Our job is to listen to our community, ask questions, provide direction, and hold the superintendent accountable while also working together to move the district forward. We may not always agree, but we must be able to have respectful conversations, find common ground, and make decisions based on what is best for our students.
I also believe trustees must understand the difference between governance and running the day-to-day operations of the district. Our responsibility is to set the direction, provide oversight, and ensure the superintendent and district leadership are carrying out the goals established by the board.
That is the kind of experienced, collaborative leadership I will continue to bring to our district.
How do you feel artificial intelligence is, or isn’t, safe in the classroom? In what instances should it be expanded in the classroom? What about when it should be limited? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
AI should be limited, and we should proceed with caution and use AI responsibly. As a secondary district, we took the role of AI seriously. We researched it, explored its possibilities, and slowly integrated a well-designed AI tool specifically created for our students.
This work was developed with our highly educated teachers and staff working alongside experts in this new field. Our superintendent at the time visited other districts and attended conferences, but quickly realized there were no educational conferences focused specifically on AI.
So, our district took the initiative and held one of the first small educational AI conferences about six years ago. Since then, it has grown, and other organizations have joined in sponsoring it. We now bring together educational leaders from across the country and internationally to learn from one another, share ideas, and collaborate on how to use AI responsibly in education.
Most importantly, we must remember that technology should support education, not replace the human connection. We must never take the human out of AI. Our teachers, relationships, judgment, and understanding of our students must always remain at the center.
How do you believe schools can better teach or engage students in civil discourse? How would you like to see your district tackle this issue? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
One of the things I am most proud to talk about when I speak about AUHSD is our commitment to democracy and student voice. Every school in our district is a Democracy School, and AUHSD was recognized as California’s first Democracy School District.
What makes me especially proud is that this is not just a title. Our students are given opportunities to have their voices heard, participate in civic learning, identify issues they care about, and take action in their communities.
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Our individual students can also earn the California State Seal of Civic Engagement, recognizing their commitment to civic learning and participation. More than 3,000 AUHSD students have earned this honor.
Our schools have also received California Civic Learning Awards of Excellence, the highest civic learning honor in California. These honors have been presented by the California Chief Justice and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, recognizing the outstanding civic work happening in our schools.
After years as a trustee, I believe this is one of the most important things we can give our students—the knowledge, confidence, and opportunity to become engaged citizens and leaders in their communities.
Some school districts around California are recruiting teachers by building subsidized housing. How would you suggest your district could better attract — and retain — educators? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
Remarkably, we have a high level of attraction to our district. Many teachers tell us they believe in our drivers of democracy, our 5 Cs—collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and most of all, character, which teaches compassion.
We have good salaries and great benefits, but I believe one of the biggest reasons teachers want to work in AUHSD is that we are not a top-down district. Teachers are a huge part of the collaborative effort to move our district forward, and their voices matter.
The challenge is the high cost of living in Orange County. Our beginning average salary is about $70,000, while the median home price is around $800,000. Many teachers also have student loan debt. California also has some of the most demanding requirements for becoming a teacher, and new teachers face additional requirements through induction programs.
This is an issue we must address if we want to continue attracting and retaining excellent teachers. I am currently serving on the National School Boards Association Policy Cohort, working with others to find solutions. We will present our recommendations to federal legislators in February.
What experiences and priorities do you bring to this role? What have you learned in prior leadership roles that makes you the person for the job? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
Years of hands-on experience on the board have given me deep insight into effective decision-making, where putting students first remains my top priority.
Before being appointed and subsequently elected, I was actively involved at every level of our district. My service includes roles on the PTA Council, School Site Council, Athletic Boosters, and as a Band Parent, as well as serving on the Secondary PTA Level, Parent Advisory, and Student Discipline Task Force. Beyond our district, I served on the Kennedy Center Performing Arts Council and represented our schools on the Bias and Sensitivity Committee for the High School Exit Exam.
When the district sought a school bond, I co-coordinated campaign efforts on the east side. Following its successful passage, I served on the Citizens’ Oversight Committee to ensure taxpayer dollars were spent responsibly. My unique perspective as both a parent and a classified employee allows me to understand our schools from the ground up. Navigating the district budget alongside seven different superintendents has equipped me with the practical skills needed to advocate effectively for our students, families, employees and staff.
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be and why? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
If I had to choose an animal, I would choose the elephant—not for any political reason, but because elephants are noble, compassionate, and deeply community-minded. They navigate treacherous terrain together and fiercely protect their families, especially their young.
That same protective, family-centered spirit drives our work in the Anaheim Union High School District. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we stepped up to feed our families and helped establish the district’s first testing and vaccination sites. We are a district built on kindness and action: We instituted an annual MLK Day of Service, bringing students and staff together for local service projects, and launched our Community Schools initiative to meet student needs directly inside and outside the classroom.
They say an elephant never forgets. I have never forgotten my ‘why’ as a candidate and trustee: to help every student become their absolute best self.
Bonus question: What is the best book you’ve read this year? Explain why you found it compelling.
I re-read “Roots,” the magnificent Alex Haley’s creation that astounded the world.
As a child, I read it, but as an adult, the book moved me in ways I had never experienced before. I would literally get taken into the story and forget time and space. I had to remember to come up for air; it was that compelling. Yes, the movie series was spectacular; however, the book is more powerful, and the stories were intriguing. Just knowing all the research and effort put into the book felt as if he was telling my family’s story.
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Thank you for allowing me to participate in this guide.