When Michael Valdez visited Seguin Excessive College in 2018, he was in awe of the shiny state-of-the-art facility, the place he competed within the One Act Play competitors.
He was additionally dissatisfied when evaluating the Seguin amenities constructed within the mid-2000s to these he attended within the Edgewood Unbiased College District, which was initially constructed within the Nineteen Fifties.
He internalized the frustration and, as a senior in highschool, determined to throw his hat within the ring to serve on the board of trustees, the place he hoped he may make a distinction. He ran unopposed in 2022.
Two years later, Valdez, now 21, has turn out to be a frontrunner of kinds of a rising effort to upset the district’s establishment, clashing brazenly with fellow board members and administration, plus supporting a slate of candidates — together with another younger individuals — who challenged incumbents this yr.
Of the 2 races by which incumbents ran, one challenger succeeded, foreshadowing doable divisions on a board nonetheless rattled from being positioned underneath state management from 2016 to 2018 for infighting.
Valdez concedes he hasn’t made any allies on the board.
His sample of pulling issues from the consent agenda, slowing down conferences, and peppering district workers with questions has left him with “no relationship” along with his colleagues, he mentioned, though his relationship with the superintendent has improved.
After the remainder of the board members voted to sanction him for “disruptive and disrespectful conduct” in January, he mentioned it’s “actually arduous to attempt to construct a relationship with somebody.”
Throughout that January assembly, trustees chided Valdez.
“I’ve by no means, ever, ever been disrespected in my life as you’ve disrespected me,” board president Martha Castilla mentioned on the time.
Castilla additionally bristled on the prices in time and money spent on a district investigation into his habits following worker complaints, which “may have paid for an additional instructor.”
But fellow neighborhood members and native officers have additionally been keen to advertise the brand new younger chief, citing his broad and constant neighborhood involvement and his full-throated advocacy on behalf of constituents on particular points, like pushing again in opposition to faculty closures and advocating for bodily library books on the College of Advantageous Arts, his alma mater.
At a February Metropolis Council assembly, the place members mentioned adopting a code of conduct, Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5) invoked the sanctions.
“We’ve seen Edgewood ISD faculty board member Michael Valdez [sanctioned] for quote, unquote decorum,” she mentioned. “So once I see these examples and the way it’s up for interpretation, it’s usually minorities and girls of coloration who’re reprimanded for not going to get alongside.”
Household ties
Amongst his most constant supporters and vocal critics of the district is his mom, Melody Herrera, a fixture at district board conferences — commonly advocating for extra neighborhood involvement, larger transparency and accountability from a district with persistent educational points.
Valdez mentioned his spirit of advocacy is available in half from the instance set by his mom.
“She was an actual advocate for me throughout my academic journey,” he mentioned, including that she attended neighborhood faculty and UTSA just like his journey. “I wish to say I’m following in her footsteps, however I need to form of beat that and get a grasp’s diploma.”
Herrera mentioned she inspired Valdez to attempt new issues, which led to a various academic profession that included robotics, theater and cross nation. He was additionally on the EISD Teen Board and represented District 6 on the San Antonio Youth Fee as chair, amongst different positions.
She mentioned she was supportive when she discovered Valdez was contemplating becoming a member of the board his senior yr.
However as Valdez got here to the tip of his highschool profession, he got here to the belief that he wasn’t totally ready to enter increased schooling. Regardless of getting good grades and graduating within the high 5 in his class he didn’t rating properly on his SAT or different faculty readiness checks.
“I needed to take remedial math and English programs,” he mentioned, including that he was pissed off that regardless of his efforts, he and lots of of his friends remained solely “a number of factors off” from being deemed college-ready.
He was nonetheless capable of go to varsity by way of the Alamo Promise program, which gives tuition and fee-free faculty for all Bexar County highschool graduates. After a number of semesters, he discovered his groove and commenced to excel.
Now, he’s transferring on to get a Public Administration diploma from the College of Texas, San Antonio, the place he holds the weird insights of an elected official learning authorities in his undergraduate programs. He’s additionally taking part in a coaching program by way of the Texas Affiliation of College Boards to earn the designation “Grasp Trustee.”
Transferring ahead
As he nears the midway level of his time period, Valdez mentioned he’s nonetheless on the lookout for methods to assist enhance amenities, together with the opportunity of bringing forth a bond situation, like different space districts have in current elections.
With one in every of his harshest critics on the board, Richard Santoyo, being ousted within the November election and two new faces becoming a member of, he mentioned he’s hoping for a extra collaborative and productive path ahead.
Santoyo, who was first appointed to the board of managers by the state in 2016 and later elected as a trustee in 2020, was defeated by Sergio Delgado, an Edgewood alum who ran on a platform of accelerating enrollment, growing instructor pay and overhauling the district’s diet program, which he mentioned was unacceptable.
The outgoing trustee mentioned he was involved that Valdez and others he supported have been exhibiting habits just like former board members that landed the district underneath state oversight.
In one other seat vacated by Joseph M. Guerra, who opted to not run for reelection, Rudy Lopez, who retired from a profession in regulation enforcement, beat Jubilee Pena, a 19-year-old who was impressed to run by Valdez.
Whereas he hasn’t had a relationship with Valdez previously, he mentioned Wednesday that he’s prepared to work with all board members.
“If there may be animosity between of us which might be serving on the board proper now, I’m prepared to work with anyone that’s prepared to place within the time and the sweat for it,” he mentioned.
“I actually don’t know Michael that properly,” he added. “But it surely’s crucial that all of us work collectively to achieve a typical trigger and be sure that we observe by way of with it.”
Emerald Alaniz, who labored with Valdez on the Metropolis’s youth fee, mentioned she sees the pushback in opposition to Valdez as a chapter created by the previous guard on the Edgewood board.
“There’s no change with the occasions in any respect,” she mentioned. “And I really feel like he’s very a lot pushing that boundary, and folks really feel discomfort from it.”
Wanting ahead, Valdez mentioned he’ll doubtless run for reelection in 2026 and aspires to maneuver on in his academic journey to get a grasp’s diploma and, in the end, a doctorate.
Regardless of the popularity he developed within the first two years of his time period, Valdez has excessive hopes for the longer term.
“As a public faculty district, all of us are in the identical mission to coach and help the scholars that we’re educating,” he mentioned. “As a result of on the finish, we need to see everybody graduate faculty, profession and army prepared. That’s nonetheless our major purpose and focus.”
