You have to always be a few steps ahead of the game to accomplish things that are important to you, according to Shawnee Barton Merriman, one of four candidates running for two seats on the Coronado Unified School District school board. It’s a trick she learned from her years as a professional poker player, and a talent that helped her earn a second place title in the Ladies World Series of Poker in 2006.
But she says it’s her skills as an empathetic listener, a humanizer, and a mental health advocate that will make her a great addition to the CUSD school board.
“I’m invested in this community, I care, and I know that I have a good heart and a good radar,” said Merriman. “I’m very principled, and I know that I will advocate for and make decisions that are, in every instance, child-focused.”
A fifth generation Texan (the fourth generation born in Amarillo), she says she and her husband moved to Coronado for the great education the district offers. While Merriman still occasionally plays poker for fun, these days she’s busy raising her four children who all attend schools in CUSD.
She also works part-time as a faculty member in the arts for California State University Long Beach, where she serves as a wellness advocate. Mental health is a big priority for Merriman, who helps support college students suffering from complex emotional health issues while often miles from home.
She said she would love for CUSD to be known as a place that prioritizes and cares for kids’ mental health.
“When I saw that some of the first district cuts were counselors, it broke my heart because of my job, I know how different the mental health climate is for kids these days,” said Merriman. “I just think that there’s a need on the board for people both in a professional and a parental capacity to understand that this is a different world in terms of what our kids are emotionally dealing with and what they need.”
Merriman also feels strongly that trustees serving on the school board should have children of their own currently attending district schools. Currently, four out of the five trustees have kids attending CUSD schools.
“I think we feel things acutely, whereas other people who don’t have kids in the district do not,” said Merriman.
She says that this is very important when it comes to staffing. She says that changes in staffing occur, it really affects the kids.
“When staffing decisions are made, that matters, and I think you need parents on the school board to remind them that they [administrators and teachers] are human beings and not numbers in a budget. They’re not chess pieces that can be moved around without having a deep impact on the children who depend on them,” she said.
Merriman says she’s seen a series of decisions made by the district that she believes could be more child-focused. And she worries that the district doesn’t necessarily appreciate the people who are caring for the district’s most important assets: the children.
An example, according to Merriman, is the administrative shake-up at Village Elementary, whereby former assistant principal Tanya White was shifted to a position as teacher on special assignment at district offices, and Julia Braga was named the new Village assistant principal. Merriman launched a petition to keep White as assistant principal, which garnered 150 signatures.
While White wasn’t moved back to Village, Merriman says that the petition accomplished a goal: it provided the public an opportunity to show White how much they appreciated her eight years of service as assistant principal.
“She left an incredible legacy at Village Elementary, and it gave people the opportunity to show how much they cared for her and how exceptional she is at her job,” said Merriman. “One of the travesties was how quickly someone else was brought in, that the people who care about her didn’t get a chance to say thank you, and for the incredible work she did for our kids …it’s basic human decency.”
Another realm where Merriman feels like her skills could serve the district is teacher negotiations. As a union member herself, she knows that it’s challenging to come to a satisfactory agreement. She believes that the board is in urgent need of an empathetic listener that will make it a priority to treat teachers, administrators and staff with respect and appreciation.
“I think it’s a big challenge that our teachers started the school year without a contract. And I think that has to be on every board member’s mind,” she said. “But I think it goes back to the humanizing…how you negotiate matters. I think the community and district leaders need to listen and the district representatives need to try.”
Merriman says she’s a big fan of some of the things going on at CUSD, including the dual language learning program, which she hopes to see expand. She’s happy with the variety of pathways for students at Coronado High School, and gives Silver Strand Elementary props for academic success.
While Merriman says she’s a “stay in your lane” type of person, she’s not afraid to stand up for something she believes is right, whether that be diversity, teacher input or transparency.
“I believe people are quick to have opinions and slow to want to invest in human beings, and I’m not afraid of doing that,” she said.
When it comes down to it, she says she’s not afraid of putting in the time and energy to make good things happen for CUSD.
“In poker, we have a saying,” she said. “You have to work hard enough to get lucky.”
