Samo students campaign with their parents

The Nov. 6 election excited many Samo students, especially those who are children of candidates.According to previous Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board of Education member Kelly Pye, her daughter, Samo junior Suzanne Pye, campaigned among her friends at school and throughout the city.“Suzanne helped campaign for Measure BB by creating posters and encouraging her friends to talk to their parents about it,” Kelly Pye said. “This helped my publicity among parents and students, which was definitely an advantage over other candidates.”Samo junior Julio Escarce’s father, José Escarce, ran for school board in the Nov. 6 election and won the position, along with two other candidates, Ben Allen and Maria Leon-Vazquez. According to Julio Escarce, his father has held a position on the board for twelve years.According to Julio Escarce, his family members reacted differently prior to receiving the results of the election.“My mother became very anxious, while my father was pretty relaxed,” Julio Escarce said. “I get excited for the results, but do not feel defeated if my dad doesn’t win.”José Escarce said being involved in the school district where his children attend school gives him a unique perspective on his decisions.“By talking to my children and their friends, I am able to learn about schools from a student’s perspective,” José Escarce said.According to Suzanne Pye, Kelly Pye ran as a candidate for a position on the board in November of 2006. Although she did not run for the 2012 election, Kelly Pye was a member of the school board from 2006-10.“I didn’t know what to expect,” Suzanne Pye said. “My teachers at school would recognize my name from my mom. I was able to interact with teachers on a different level than some of my classmates.”Suzanne Pye believed that because her mother held such a high educational position, there was a lot of pressure on her from society to honor their name.“Once I was on my phone during class and I got my phone taken away,” Suzanne said. “I told the teacher ‘Hi, you probably know me; my mom’s the Vice President of the school board. I got my phone taken away and she has a school board meeting after school, so I can’t stay to come get it, so could I get it now please?’ They apparently called my mom and my mom got really mad at me because she said that I couldn’t use her authority as an excuse.”According to Suzanne Pye, she was under pressure to perform well in school because her mother was an advocate for the school board.“I needed to be a good student to help my mother and family have a good name,” Suzanne Pye said.Julio Escarce said he is also pressured by teachers, parents and other students because of his father’s position.“It’s hard because some teachers have high expectations of me,” Julio Escarce said. “Teachers will tell me ‘Your dad should change this,’ or ‘Don’t complain, your dad should be doing something about it.’ It’s very intense.”emebane@thesamohi.com