Reflecting On Covering the 2022 VUSD Board Elections

By Ayla Ozturk

The American Press Insitute states:

“Though it may be interesting or even entertaining, the foremost value of news is as a utility to empower the informed.”

I strongly believe that students deserve to know what happens in the Visalia Unified School District [VUSD] boardroom. The decisions that these seven adults make impact them the most.

Students can’t vote. They don’t have a say in who sits on the board. They can give their input by going to board meetings, making public comments, or emailing their representative, but most students don’t know how.

Since my sophomore year, I’ve attended board meetings, interviewed several members, and written countless articles informing students of what happens in that boardroom.

Students deserve to know who makes these decisions. So last Fall, I decided to cover the board elections.

As you can expect, there were definitely challenges. I couldn’t get responses from a few candidates, and it was hard to get information.

I spent hours researching to understand what exactly I was covering. Thankfully, I was also taking a class called “Federal, State, and Local Government” at the College of the Sequoias [COS].

Looking back, I should have delegated the work. There were some stories that I wanted to write but didn’t have the time for because I was working on everything else.

Despite the challenges, I learned so much from the experience. I learned how the electoral process worked. My journalistic skills were strengthened. I realized that I need to trust others to help.

In addition to all of that, I came to fully understand why I do what I do. I do it for students. I do it so they have the information to use their voice, and when they do, I’ll be the first person to ask them, “Why?”

In a school district, the most important voice is that of the students. The more students know, the louder it can be.

Tags: ayla ozturk, opinion, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, visalia ca, vusd board elections 2022