Public education is the bedrock of our community, but somewhere along the line, our collective focus has drifted. As an Area 1 candidate for the Oceanside Unified School District Board of Education, I speak regularly with parents, neighbors and school staff.
The message I hear over and over is clear: It is time to move past the political noise and get back to the basics of teaching.
Getting back to the basics is not a backward step. It is a foundational one. It means prioritizing explicit, teacher-led instruction in reading, writing and mathematics while eliminating the digital distractions that hinder true learning.
It is telling that top executives and billionaires in Silicon Valley, who design these addictive algorithms, quietly send their own children to low-tech or no-tech private schools. They know the dangers of digital overexposure for developing minds.
When we remove screens from the center of the classroom and refocus on core academic pillars, we equip our children with the critical thinking, essential life skills and practical values they need to confidently step into the workforce, trade schools, higher education or the military. When we lose sight of these pillars, our children pay the price.
My commitment to this district is deeply personal and driven by what I have seen on the ground. I am a retired Navy lieutenant commander with master’s degrees in global leadership and postsecondary education. More importantly, I have stood on the front lines of this district. I have driven morning bus routes for OUSD and stepped into our classrooms as a substitute teacher. I know exactly what it looks like when a campus has the support it needs, and I know where the system is failing our families and staff.
True leadership requires understanding every level of an organization. This is why I am profoundly honored by the historic endorsement my campaign recently received from the California School Employees Association’s Oceanside Chapter 370.
The dedicated professionals in maintenance and operations, student transportation, food services, and instructional and administrative support literally keep the lights on and our campuses operating smoothly. For these essential professionals to break tradition and call for a new direction in leadership is a powerful signal. They are telling us that the current system is not working for the people on the ground.
School boards should not belong to well-funded political machines or the current leadership’s preferred candidates. They belong to the parents, the students and the local workforce.
As your school board member, my leadership style will be defined by accountability, proactive communication and an unwavering focus on a learning-first culture. Let’s support our frontline staff, empower our classroom teachers to do what they do best, and deliver the high-quality, foundational education that Oceanside’s children deserve.
Jerry Garcia Avila is a candidate for the Oceanside Unified School District Board of Education in Area 1. A retired Navy lieutenant commander, he has worked as an OUSD substitute teacher and currently drives a school bus for the district.
