Desis On The Ballot: Ganesh Balamitran, Fremont Unified School Board (Area 4)

Who is Ganesh Balamitran?

Ganesh Balamitran was born in Kolkata, raised in Mumbai, and has lived in Fremont for over two decades. Now, the 51-year-old technology marketing professional aims to draw on his diverse professional experiences to overcome the challenges faced by the Fremont Unified School District today.

His priorities are to foster student wellness and to invest in high-quality educators, while being cognizant of the hefty budget deficit. In an email interview with India Currents, Balamitran shared his views about his campaign, and his vision for the FUSD in the near future.

His one-minute pitch to the voters

I am a Fremont parent running for the Fremont Unified School Board, to ensure that every child at FUSD succeeds, on their own terms, and regardless of their personal circumstances.

My focus will be on developing a nurturing environment where every child feels like they belong; investing in our classrooms to create the foundation for every child’s success, and bringing together our community to address our challenges.

My vision is that all our students get a well-rounded education at FUSD – math, science, languages, social sciences, arts, sports, and most important – the critical thinking skills to be engaged citizens of tomorrow.

His first order of business on Day One in office

My first order of business would be to work with the rest of the Board and the FUSD administration to balance the budget. The Alameda County Office of Education tells us that we are imminently facing a $38 million dollar shortfall. Hearing sessions are already underway across Fremont Unified to determine how we can make these cuts with minimal impact to student success, but there will be tough choices to make when we already have difficulties with ongoing funding for things as basic as elementary school libraries.

I encourage everyone to attend these sessions and make their voice heard. As a trustee, I will make sure there is equitable focus on the continued success of all students even as we go through this difficult process.

My MBA and professional experience enable me to understand complex problems, while upholding the district’s fiduciary responsibility over Public Money, Public Resources and Public Trust.

The major challenges Fremont Unified School District faces

Retaining High-Quality Educators: Fremont’s high cost, coupled with salaries that have not kept pace with local expenses, particularly affects younger teachers. Many of our educators struggle with the financial demands of living in this area, which can lead to high turnover and difficulty in attracting and retaining new talent. Investing in our educators means investing in our students.

Rebuilding Aging Facilities: We need to invest in upgrades to ensure that our students can learn in safe, effective environments. These investments need to be distributed with equity in mind, so that all students will benefit from enhanced facilities. This includes prioritizing upgrades based on the needs of each school, such as addressing outdated infrastructure, improving accessibility, and modernizing classrooms.

Student Wellness: I want to ensure student wellness, especially mental health, by reducing the stress and expectations that have now become normalized at schools. While we need more counselors, we also need to reduce the source of stress. I would advocate for providing our students with resources and support systems that address diverse needs (arts, sports, CTE) and expanding counseling services, offering peer support groups, and training staff to recognize and respond to mental health concerns.

If elected, his top 3 priorities will be…

My first priority is to develop a nurturing environment where every child feels like they belong. As a parent, I watched my child through Horner Middle School and Irvington High School, trying to fit himself into a rigid definition of success. Our children need to see diverse paths to achieving success. They should be able to develop their own interests and talents here, and succeed in their own unique way.

My second priority is to invest in our classrooms to create a foundation for every child’s success. This means ensuring that FUSD has modern, updated facilities that our students deserve to learn in. Our educators should not be spending their own dollars to get new rugs or be forced to teach in classrooms with inadequate cooling and heating. Studies have shown that when our community invests in our classrooms, students have higher success rates. We must give our students the tools they need to thrive.

My third priority is to bring together our community – students, educators, parents, administrators – to address our challenges. Public schooling is under attack all over the country, but our Fremont community can come together to actually strengthen Public Education – the bedrock of American Society.

What sets him apart from your competitors in the race

When it comes to overseeing an organization like Fremont Unified with over 3,000 employees and a budget of $500 million, I am the only candidate with 25 years of experience in the workforce including oversight of multi-million dollar budgets. I have also dedicated 20 years of service at Vibha (an education nonprofit operating in the US and India) including 12 years as treasurer. Lastly, I have the life experience to have perspectives on what challenges our graduates should be equipped to face in the professional world.

My opponent just graduated high school this year (2024), was classmates with one of my boys and their life experience is largely limited to being a student at elementary, middle and high school. I have, on the other hand, raised two young men who are currently at university – UC Berkeley and San Jose State University.

I am proudly supported by students, alumni, FUSD teachers and staff, and local leaders. Besides being endorsed by the teachers association, I am also personally endorsed by around 30 teachers. The most enjoyable part of my campaign has been canvassing in neighborhoods and speaking with constituents, and many students, teachers and community members have come together to walk neighborhoods and canvas with me.

The post Desis On The Ballot: Ganesh Balamitran, Fremont Unified School Board (Area 4) appeared first on India Currents .