Meet Yarma
mom - Neighbor - EDucator
Why I'm running
No matter what we look like, where we live, or what’s in our wallets, most of us want our neighborhood public schools to inspire imagination, cultivate critical thinking, and ensure our children can live fulfilling lives. The challenges of isolation and fear brought on by the Covid 19 Pandemic made it all too clear that to achieve high-quality education, we must come together as a community. Students, teachers, parents, staff, and our school board leadership all benefit when we work together.
l'm running for school board because we need proactive leadership that is responsive to our community, leadership that fights for education equity and leadership that ensures the safety of students and teachers.
My Values
Integrity - In order to ensure trust in our schools we need to have trust in our leaders. You can count on me to always make decisions that put children first and to always let you know where I stand.
Equity & Inclusion - Every child has the right to a quality education, no matter their background, color, or zip code. If we’re serious about making sure every child can pursue their dreams, let’s get serious about doing what works and ensure every school has the engaging materials, up-to-date approaches, healthy meals and an environment welcoming to all cultures to set kids up to be all that they dream.
Community - Students, teachers and families must be at the center of District decision-making. To do that, I will strive to increase teacher and parent engagement by making the district more accessible.
Biography
Dr. Yarma Velázquez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Yarma is a third-generation teacher who understands education's power in changing ones circumstances. Her grandmother became a teacher once she became an empty nester. Her mother became a teacher as a single mother, eventually getting one Ph.D. as a mother of two and a second Ph.D. as a mother of three. Her father is also a professor. His talent is converting complex mathematical concepts into everyday situations making the impossible approachable. He learned this skill by living it; being a first-generation high school graduate and college student in New York, he was often the first black Puerto Rican in the classroom.
Yarma received her Ph.D. from the Florida State University in Communication Studies. She is a published author, a scout leader, a room parent and engaged mother of two Jonathan, grade 5 and Anaya, grade 3. Yarma can often be seen walking her children to school at San Rafael Elementary where her children have been enrolled since Pre-K.
