Today we’d like to introduce you to Mari Barke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I ran for the Orange County Board of Education (OCBE) in 2018. It was the first time I had run for office and I walked the district every day for at least a couple of hours to meet with voters. I wound up walking to more than 14,000 houses in 12 cities and won.
I was elected Board President and worked very hard with other board members to increase education options for K-12 students and families in our district. We approved six new charter schools and expanded several others over the last five years. We also approved dozens of interdistrict transfers which did not happen in the past. It really changes the trajectory of a child’s life by giving a student the opportunity to attend a school that best meets their needs rather than being trapped in a school that they are arbitrarily assigned to by their zip code.
Public policy fascinates me. In my off time, I helped launch California Local Elected Officials (CLEO) at the California Policy Center. CLEO is a membership organization for local elected officials who are dedicated to financial sustainability, government transparency and personal liberty. We provide training for aspiring candidates and ongoing support for local officials throughout California. Our statewide CLEO network has grown to over 1,300 members.
For me, it’s been such a rewarding experience to run for office and serve the community. To then have the opportunity to help other office holders as the director of CLEO is just a dream come true. I get to work with so many incredible people who are fighting for a better future for their children and grandchildren every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Unfortunately, things have become a lot less civil over the last few years when it comes to public service. On OCBE, we are working hard to give students and families more education options, but the teachers’ unions don’t want any change to the status quo — even though California’s student test scores in reading and math are some of the worst in the nation. At the local level, teachers’ unions work against charter schools and, believe it or not, even against students transferring out of failing schools, so they haven’t always been too happy with me or OCBE. Some of the discourse — or lack of it — at school board meetings and on social media from union activists is disappointing. When it comes to education, we need to leave politics-as-usual at the door and come together as a community to do what’s best for students.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Two out of three California K-12 students don’t meet state math standards and less than half of students meet grade-level English Language Arts standards. There’s no excuse for the failure of our public schools when California is spending about $23,000 per student this year. So making sure that students and families have education options is very important to me. Every child deserves a high-quality education.
Likewise, making sure we have local elected leaders who are trained in the principles of good governance and can stand up to special interests, especially California’s powerful public sector unions, is critical to the growth and success of California cities and counties.
My passion has quickly become representing the voices of parents and taxpayers to make local government work better for them. And I feel really lucky to be able to get out there in the community and serve with really amazing people every day to that end.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love walking and I’m always listening to a variety of podcasts. I’m a big fan of Radio Free California for the latest on California politics, and Take Back Our Schools for information on education issues. I also enjoy Mel Robbins’ podcast and The Way I Heard it with Mike Rowe.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: calelecteds.org; californiapolicycenter.org
- Twitter: @maribarke
