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This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

This profile is part of “Meet the LAUSD school board candidates,” a series focusing on the candidates running for three open seats on the seven-member school board. LAUSD is the largest school district in the country with an elected school board. The primary is June 7. Read all the pieces in the series as they are published here. Profiles have been edited for length and clarity. 

Name: Tracey Schroeder

District: 4

Background/profession: LAUSD teacher

Why are you running? 

I am running to help guide our district through an Academic Crisis that this district has ever seen. I am a boots on the ground, front-line, eyes-on-student-needs-educator… I have dedicated the past 24 years of my life in service to the students and families of Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher….”

How are you different from other candidates? 

I know what LAUSD needs to do to get kids back on track and it starts with reading.

What’s the most important issue in your district? 

LAUSD needs to prioritize reading and activate our best practices…LAUSD has students who have never set foot in a classroom, who may or may not return in the fall. This is a learning emergency… 

What should be Superintendent Carvalho’s top priority? 

We need to financially incentivize our highly-qualified teachers to stay with LAUSD…. brand-new freshly-hired teachers need a lot of support. Add to that the severe learning deficits, the emotional issues, behavioral issues, testing season and report cards. We need all hands on deck to help stabilize our teaching staff. 

What skills or past experiences have prepared you to serve as a board member? 

I am a UCLA Communication Studies graduate with a masters degree in psychology. I am a BRAVO Award/Music Center finalist for integrating the arts within subject areas.. I’ve taught every grade, K-3… I’ve helped students with special needs get just the right support.

If you win, what do you hope to achieve for the LAUSD?

I have seen a lot of good over the years as well as an amazing amount of waste…Parents deserve a voice in their child’s education. Students deserve to attend stable schools where they learn to read and apply their skills. Taxpayers deserve to know that these future adults are getting a productive education. Teachers deserve support to help kids do their best work, and need to be able to trust their contract, and the decisions made between the union and school board…. The current school board lacks the classroom experience to know where or how to get started.

• Read all the candidate profiles here.

Destiny Torres is a graduate student at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism pursuing a master of science degree in journalism. She earned her bachelor’s degree at CSU Dominguez Hills. She is passionate about culture and social justice issues. 

Veronica Sierra is a sophomore pursuing a journalism degree at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She was born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela; and moved to California in 2015 where she continued high school, graduating in 2020. 

Rebecca Katz is a recent graduate of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and a Los Angeles native with a Masters in Journalism and a Bachelors in English and Political Science. She is passionate about mental health and education reform.