Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Lee
Monica , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a mom, a painter, a teacher, and a newly elected Trustee to the Encinitas Union School Board. I moved to San Diego over 20 years ago after earning my Masters degree in Education from UCSB. I have taught at Carmel Valley Middle School, San Ysidro High School, and most recently I taught art at the elementary school where my children attend in the Encinitas Union School District.
My path through all the grade levels was an enlightening one. As a high school art teacher I learned that by the time children reached high school, some were confident and creative, while others struggled with a fear of failure. As a mom I learned that all children are born with an innate sense of creativity and our job as parents is to embrace it and foster it. As an elementary art teacher I worked hard to keep that creative spark alive in children by incorporating as many open-ended process based art projects as possible.
While teaching Art at every grade level I had been given an inside view into the issues our schools were facing. Through my time working and volunteering in the classroom, I had gotten to know the teachers, parents, children and issues in the district. After attending school board meetings and seeing the challenges our children face in the classroom, I decided to run for office.
I feel blessed to have had the privilege to be an art teacher to so many creative souls over the last 17+ years of teaching, and now I look forward to my new role in the community as Trustee to the Encinitas Union School Board.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being elected to the school board has been a rough ride to say the least. Politics turned out to be every bit as brutal as they say it is.
School Boards are often overlooked. Finding qualified candidates can be a challenge. Being a Trustee is basically a volunteer position that requires campaigning and then once elected, sitting on a board for four years. It is a commitment that most people would never consider taking on. Our district had growing class sizes, shrinking enrollment and many parents feeling that their voices were not being heard. I was concerned that our current board was not steering our district in the right direction. I had been in the classroom, I had been deeply engaged with both the children and the parents, and I knew I could do better.
After much consideration, I decided to run for office. Being the only teacher running, I assumed the union would at least consider endorsing me, but I quickly learned that they had already picked another candidate. One with no experience in education, but one that was of their party line and would most likely go along with what they wanted. The union’s job is to ensure the best working conditions for its people, with the highest pay. The school board’s job is to ensure the best learning outcomes for children. There is disconnect here. One does not beget the other.
In this election I learned that if you are not the union endorsed candidate you will be going up against a machine. Imagine a union calling teachers to a meeting during school hours and advising them that two people are out to get them, this is essentially what happened to my running mate and I. There were lies, mudslinging, and name calling. This is the biggest tragedy of politics, the lies and the hateful rhetoric.
We went into full campaign mode, we fundraised, knocked on doors, spoke with the people, and took strong positions on divisive topics. There were times when I could have slung mud back, but I knew that pouring gas on the fire would only make it grow bigger. There were other times when I wanted to give up and call it quits, but I stayed focused, I remained positive and in the end I did it! I received the most votes of all the candidates.
The hardest part for me was the fact that many of my friends, including some teacher friends refused to show outward support for me. Going against the union was scary and they instead choose to remain silent. I wish that more people had been brave enough to outwardly show their support for us, and I hope that in the future teachers and parents will feel confident in supporting any candidate of their choice. The union may seem big and powerful, but the reality is that it is only run by a few, and the whole of its members have more diversity of thought than the few leaders.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an artist and an art teacher. I love portraiture and landscapes. I am a member of the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild. You can check out my blog and paintings at: https://www.artfulmommy.com
I am most proud of my time spent teaching art to children of all grade levels. As an art teacher I have always focused on process art, you will never see cookie cutter art in my classroom! The most important aspect of teaching art to children is allowing them room to experiment and be creative. Young children are creative geniuses, only a few remain this way through to adulthood. I so proud of all the children I have taught over the years!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I first moved to San Diego over 20 years ago when I was a young single girl and I quickly fell in love with city living. To me, downtown San Diego was one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. I loved how it felt small, yet big at the same time. I could go for a run on the dirt trails through Balboa Park in the morning, followed by lunch in Little Italy and a night out in the Gaslight District. There were hidden gems everywhere and so much to do.
When I met my husband, I moved to Point Loma and we fell in love with the Sunset Cliffs area. We loved it because it was out of the city, but still close to the beach, great restaurants and cultural attractions. This is where my children were born, and we have so many good memories there! Like many families do, we continued to migrate north and settled in Encinitas four years ago.
We love Encinitas because of the small town vibe, and the family friendly environment. We live in an area called Olivenhain. It has a country feel, with lots of horse trails and untouched space. Now that we live in North County we don’t make the trek to San Diego as often as we used to, but when we do my favorite places are Balboa Park and Liberty Station.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artfulmommy.com
