I am a proud product of public schools. Growing up in Los Angeles, I lived the achievement gap. Daily, my parents would drive half an hour each way so I could attend a high-quality elementary and middle school in an affluent neighborhood. This starkly contrasted with my experience attending a Title I high school near the border of Compton and Long Beach. These early experiences taught me the impact resources can make on the quality of a student's education.

I am running for Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 1 to support our most at-risk students and close the achievement gap. While working with students and community members in WCCUSD, and during my service in the military, I've seen the before and after effects the education system has on at-risk youth.

If elected to the county board, I want to create a pipeline of support and resources from the county to the district level to ensure our WCCUSD students have as much support as possible. For the students in county schools, I want to work diligently with the County Office of Education and WCCUSD to enhance our re-entry program. My top three priorities are community-based schools, college and career readiness, and teacher retention and growth.

County Board Area 1, encompassing Richmond, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, San Pablo, Pinole, and parts of Kensington, is more than a political territory for me. It's my home. My personal and professional experiences have uniquely positioned me to understand and address the needs of this community. Before my time in the Army, I actively registered students of WCCUSD to vote and educated them on civic engagement. I worked with organizations such as Healthy Richmond, the RYSE center, and Contra Costa Community College. We pushed for gun violence prevention, school safety, and an increase in support for our teachers.

Being married to a current 7-year teacher and former United Teachers of Richmond executive board member, I am familiar with many policy issues that are unique to teachers. I also serve as a Sergeant in the United States Army National Guard. During my time in Active Duty, from 2018 to 2022, I was stationed overseas in the Republic of Korea and Kuwait. My military experience is what taught me the meaning of a servant leader. I hope to bring my knowledge and skills to the County Board. With the support of the community and the resources of the Contra Costa County Office of Education, we can improve the quality of education we offer our students.

Anthony Caro is a member of the Army National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.