EVERY VOTE MATTERS this election season. Getting involved in your local’s campaigns for school board seats, initiatives and other races is the best way to help us win on Election Day. Maxey and Heid share their thoughts and experiences from the Temecula campaign and tips for making a difference for public education in the coming election.

Steve Maxey

What was it like walking precincts and talking to your neighbors about the election?
STEVE MAXEY: “It was interesting to get outside and see the Temecula community. It was amazing the different personalities across Temecula and how they felt about the recall, but ultimately, they all wanted to stop the craziness and get back to prioritizing education.”

DEREK HEID: “You get so deep into it as a teacher and as someone who is involved that you forget a lot of people in your community simply don’t know what’s going on. Much of the time we spent walking, there was a lot of education happening and it was sometimes difficult because we had to contend with the falsehoods that had been put out for the past year and a half. We were dealing with a group of people who were deliberately misinformed.”

Derek Heid

What does it mean to you to be a part of this inspiring victory for Temecula?
MAXEY: “It brings tears to my eyes because we worked really hard for this. This was a grassroots effort, with us figuring it out as we went along. I’m so excited to bring it back to what matters, focusing on our students and schools.”

HEID: “I’ve only known Temecula as my home. When I saw the results come in and maintain, it was a relief. I remember thinking ‘thank goodness,’ because I don’t know how I would react if my home community told me ‘no, we don’t trust you.’ This is a huge moment for us. Now, it feels like so much more is possible — we did this, what more can we do?”

Words for fellow members about getting involved this election season?
MAXEY: “Pay attention. We weren’t paying attention and before we knew it, we had three new school board members who had an extreme agenda and nobody knew what was going on. Make sure the community is informed about why these elections matter. Even at the end when we were knocking on doors, it was shocking how little people knew about the issue.”

HEID: “It is crucial. We need to get ourselves out there to really drive home to folks that this is real — if you’re not involved now, you need to be. We need to engage if we hold any of what we do worth doing.”

Any election activism pro tips?
MAXEY: “Have conversations in your community about what matters. It’s the little conversations with people who don’t want to get involved that made the difference in this election. It’s not about how much you can do, it’s about what you’re willing to do. There are all sorts of ways to get involved —counting support numbers, writing thank you cards to petition signers — it’s just finding your comfort level in what you’re willing to do.”

For more information and updates, see our Election 2024 webpage at cta.org/election.

For a personalized list of CTA’s recommended candidates appearing on your ballot, visit cta.yourvoter.guide.