Lee Perry interviews Susanne Peña, candidate for Orange County School Board District 3.

From growing up on a military base in Puerto Rico to navigating NYC public schools as a teacher and district administrator, Suzanne brings a wealth of hands-on expertise to the table.

They discuss the urgent need to expand AP/IB programs, the emotional toll of school closures on our Central Florida neighborhoods, and why local down-ballot elections matter immensely for our community's future.

Episode Timestamps
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - Growing up in Puerto Rico & Career Journey
4:50 - Juggling a Campaign, teaching, and a PhD Dissertation
8:26 - How Mom & Grandma Instilled the Value of Education
11:06 - Navigating Florida's Culture Wars, Union Attacks, and Living Wages
12:46 - What Led Suzanne to Run for School Board
15:15 - Facing the New Wave of Defunding, Vouchers, and Book Censorship
19:30 - Campaign Priorities: Expanding Access to AP, IB, STEM, and Multilingual Programs
26:29 - The Disintegration of Federal Language Access and ESE Safety Nets
31:57 - Why Local August Down-Ballot Elections Matter Just as Much as November
37:09 - The Traumatic Impact of Immigration Raids and School Closures on Kids & Teachers
50:12 - How to Volunteer and Support the Campaign

Connect & Support Suzanne’s Campaign:

This is a true grassroots movement fueled by families, students, and community members. Help Suzanne cross the finish line:

Website, Newsletters & Volunteer: vote4pena.com

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For more resources on how we're actively organizing around the issues that matter most this year, visit us at organizingvictory.com.