Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Dan Chang

Current job title: Public School Teacher

Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held:

City where you reside: Los Angeles

Campaign website or social media: https://www.chang4change.org/

1. As the second-largest school district in the nation, LAUSD serves a diverse community of staff, parents and students. What are your top priorities for the district, and how will you incorporate community voices? (Please limit to 250 words)

As the second-largest school district in the nation, LAUSD serves an incredibly diverse community of staff, parents, and students, each with unique needs and perspectives. My top priorities for the district are school safety, scaling successful programs, and cutting through the bureaucracy to get more resources back into Valley schools.

School safety is paramount because every child deserves to learn in an environment that is secure and supportive. We will focus on both physical safety measures and mental health resources to ensure every student feels safe and valued. This includes bringing police officers back to campuses, after my opponent in this race voted to defund school police. Scaling success means identifying programs that are working and expanding them to benefit more students. Lastly, cutting unnecessary bureaucracy will ensure that funds and resources go directly to students and teachers, rather than getting caught up in administrative red tape.

To ensure that these priorities reflect the needs of our community, our campaign is deeply committed to engaging every constituent in Board District 3. Whether through in-person meetings, online forums, or social media, I will meet parents, students, and educators where they are most comfortable to ensure their voices are heard. This ongoing dialogue will directly inform school board policy, so that we can create a district that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our community.

2. California is spending billions on its K-12 public school system and yet schools are seeing declining enrollment. How would you handle the financial impacts of declining enrollment? (Please limit to 250 words)

To address the financial impacts of declining enrollment, I will implement a multi-pronged strategy that maximizes resources while building renewed demand for our schools. First, we must pursue new opportunities for revenue. This includes actively exploring partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, and even higher education institutions that can help provide funding and support to enhance our educational offerings.

At the same time, we need to focus on building enrollment demand. By highlighting the successes and benefits of programs at successful district schools, we can show why LAUSD remains an attractive option for families. Whether it’s through academic achievements, extracurricular programs, or personalized support for students, we must clearly communicate what makes our district special and build enthusiasm around it. I also believe it’s crucial to engage all of our wonderful district staff and teachers in this effort. By working together to highlight successful programs and schools that are thriving, we can replicate these successes and share best practices across the district, attracting more students in the process.

Lastly, in order to remain financially responsible, we should assess and consider selling vacant district properties. Unused spaces not only drain resources but represent lost opportunities to bring in additional revenue that could be reinvested into our schools. This comprehensive approach will allow us to mitigate the financial impact of declining enrollment while ensuring our schools continue to serve the community effectively.

3. LAUSD lags behind other California school districts in reading and California has one of the lowest literacy rates in the U.S. What are your thoughts on the best way to increase literacy rates? (Please limit to 250 words)

Improving literacy rates in LAUSD requires a focused, research-backed approach. The most effective way to boost literacy is to scale the programs and schools that are already successfully implementing the science of reading. This involves promoting proven phonics-based programs that are grounded in extensive research and have a track record of helping students improve their reading skills.

The science of reading emphasizes foundational skills like phonemic awareness, decoding, and vocabulary development, which are essential for early readers. Schools that have embraced these methods are seeing results, and my priority is to ensure these successful practices are expanded across the district. We need to provide the necessary training and resources to all of our teachers so they can implement these proven strategies in their classrooms.

Additionally, it’s important that we engage parents in this effort. By empowering parents with the tools to support literacy development at home, we can create a strong, community-wide focus on reading. Together, by scaling what works and ensuring consistent implementation of research-backed approaches, we can close the literacy gap and give every student the opportunity to succeed academically.

4. Charter schools are prominent in Los Angeles, but the district’s relationship with L.A.’s more than 200 charters is tense. How do you think the district should handle the division of resources between charter and district-run schools? (Please limit to 250 words)

As a school board member, my priority will be to ensure that L.A. Unified treats charter schools, their families, and operators as equal partners in public education. Charter schools play an important role in serving our diverse community, and they are entitled to their fair share of resources. This means that the district must allocate funding and resources in a fair and equitable manner across all public schools, whether they are traditional district-run schools or charter schools.

Rather than focusing on the divisions, I believe we should concentrate on how all public schools can work together to improve educational outcomes for all students. This involves creating an open and transparent dialogue between district and charter schools, where best practices are shared and successful programs are scaled for the benefit of all students.

By fostering a spirit of collaboration and ensuring an equitable distribution of resources, we can create a system where every public school, whether it is a traditional public school or a charter school, has the tools it needs to thrive. Our goal should always be to put the needs of students first, and I will fight to ensure that every public school, regardless of its model, has the support it needs to provide a high-quality education.

5. The trauma and learning loss caused by COVID-19 will be felt  for years. How do you propose the district should continue to address these issues? (Please limit to 250 words)

The trauma and learning loss caused by COVID-19 will have lasting effects on students, and these challenges were only made worse by the extended school closures in LAUSD, which I believe were too long. As the last major urban school district to reopen, we owe a debt to our students and families for the instructional time they lost during that period. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive and sustained approach.

First, we must continue to use federal stimulus funds to expand both math and reading instruction. Targeted intervention programs will help students who are falling behind catch up to grade level, while tutoring programs provide individualized support that is critical for overcoming learning gaps. In addition, expanding after-school academic and enrichment programs will provide students with additional opportunities to engage with their peers and teachers in a supportive, low-pressure environment.

Beyond academics, we must also address the emotional and mental health impacts of the pandemic. This means ensuring schools have adequate counseling and mental health services to help students process their experiences and rebuild their sense of security. By combining academic support with emotional and social well-being efforts, we can begin to repair the damage caused by COVID-19 and give our students the tools they need to succeed.