Episode #4
What Does a School Board Actually Do?
What does a school board actually do, and why should it matter to you? I sit down with East Side Union High School District candidate Mer Curry Nuñez to find out. This week I'm digging into something a lot of us think we understand until we're actually asked to explain it: what a school board does, and where their power starts and stops. Mer Curry Nuñez joins me for the conversation. She's spent years in college and career access work and is now running for her first elected office as a candidate for the East Side Union High School District board. We talk through the difference between governing and managing, why board seats are structured in a way that can actually shrink who gets to run, and how she's come to believe that tracking outcomes instead of just intentions truly ripple out into something bigger than any one classroom. After our conversation, I sit with what stuck with me most: that a board's job is to advise and set vision, not to do the day to day work, and that the vision should actually show up in the budget if you know where to look. I also get personal about something Mer and I both circled during the interview, the way board pay (or the lack of it) can quietly narrow who's even able to run. For Community Spotlight, I'm highlighting Californians for Justice, the youth led San Jose organization behind the AI workshop Mer mentioned during our talk. This is the first of two conversations with Mer, the second digs into college and career readiness. Stay tuned for another great conversation with Mer next week. What I'm Learning Sources: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, Look Up Your District tool List of Candidates (find "Unofficial List of Local Candidates") East Side Union High School District, By-District Trustee Elections Community Spotlight: Californians for Justice, San Jose Guest Information: Meredith "Mer" Curry Nuñez is a dedicated community leader advancing college and career access and equity through coalition building and youth centered programs. This year she is running for office for the first time to serve as a board member for the East Side Union High School District. A 2023 East Side Hall of Famer, Mer grew up in the Philippines and East San Jose, graduated from Piedmont Hills High School, and is a product of the CA Community Colleges, California State University, and the University of California. Website - meredithcurry.com Advanced Consulting - advancedconsulting.org Mer for Eastside - merforeastside.com LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Mentioned in the Episode: California School Boards Association, "What It Takes to Lead" San José Spotlight, "Editorial: South Bay school district boards should move to term limits," April 2026 Melissa Got-Lopez, Trustee, Mount Pleasant Elementary School District, credited by Mer for helping her understand how school boards work Patrice Berry, Board Director, Oakland Unified School District, referenced by Mer as a model for keeping the public informed through regular updates Ballotpedia Take Action: Look up your own trustee area and see who's running near you: vote.santaclaracounty.gov/look-your-district Attend or livestream your local school board meeting Look up your district's official vision statement and compare it to the budget to see if they actually match Election Day is November 3, 2026. East Side Union High School and San Jose Unified both have trustee area seats on the ballot
