Jaime Rodriguez, a member of the Portland Community College Federation of Faculty and Academic Professionals Local 2277, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is running for the Hillsboro School Board, Position 2.
Hillsboro School District serves 23,000 students at four high schools, four junior high schools, 25 elementary schools, an alternate school, and an online charter school.
Rodriguez works as an employment specialist at Portland Community College’s Workforce Development Department, where he has helped hundreds of job seekers and students since 1999.
He serves as vice president of political action for Local 2277, and represents the local as a delegate to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council (NOLC), which endorsed his candidacy.
This is Rodriguez’ first foray into elected office.
Rodriguez is a graduate of the first class (2012) of the Oregon Labor Candidates School. OLCS trains, prepares, and empowers rank-and-file union members representing all sectors of the economy to run for elected office. Participants learn practical skills for running for office — from fundraising, to communications, to campaign planning. [Four other graduates are running for office this year.]
“I got a lot out of it,” Rodriguez said. “I think I’m a better candidate for it.”
Rodriguez, who has a bachelor’s degree in public administration/political science from Fresno City College in California, is active in the Democratic Party in Washington County.
As a founding member of the Oregon chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, a constituency group of the AFL-CIO and Change to Win labor federation, Rodriguez volunteered to do outreach to the Latino community for Suzanne Bonamici in her January 2012 special election victory for Congress.
Later in 2012 he was elected a delegate from Oregon (and a labor delegate) to the National Democratic Convention in Charlotte, N.C..
“The speeches at the convention were highly motivating,” he said. “I listened to President Obama and it really inspired me. I came back (to Oregon) and the opportunity to run for school board came up.”
Rodriguez has lived in the Hillsboro School District for 15 years. His daughter is a junior at Century High School. He has served on the Hillsboro School District Citizen’s Advisory Curriculum Committee and the Ladd Acres Elementary site council.
Rodriguez is one of three candidates seeking the open seat for Position 2. The other candidates are businessman Glenn Miller and internet consultant and charter school board president Miklosch Sander.
In addition to NOLC, Rodriguez has endorsements from Local 2477; the Hillsboro Classified Employees Association; Hillsboro Education Association; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48; and Painters and Tapers Local 10.
For more information about Rodriguez, or to donate to his campaign, go to his Facebook page.
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Please confirm his “bachelor’s degree in public administration/political science from Fresno City College in California.” My quick check of their website showed only Associate degrees and not any Bachelor’s.
I attend Fresno City College. It is a community college and, as such, does not offer any bachelor’s degrees.
this site suggests that Jaime received his BA at Fresno State, CSU:
http://www.elhispanicnews.com/2013/04/04/latino-candidates-seek-to-increase-diversity-on-oregon-school-boards/
Correction, Jaime Rodriguez recieved an Associates of Arts – Liberal Arts from Fresno City Collge in 1985, later earned his Bachelor’s in Public Administration from Calfornia State University at Fresno with a minor in Political Science.
Yeah for Jamie! As your fellow classmate from the OLCS I couldn’t think of a better person to serve our community! If I could I would cast my vote for you! Good luck and thanks for being willing to serve!