The Riverside County Office of Education this week swore in newly elected Area 1 Trustee Michael Martinez Scott.
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Martinez Scott was elected June 2 with 46% of the vote, beating out both Maliha Williamson, who received 32%, and Oliver Unaka, who received 22%. He chose to have his mother, Frances Tassin, administer his oath of office.
“When she was 5, she was denied the right to go to the school down the street from her, because she spoke Spanish and was one of the children from the citrus fields, and they had sent them across town to another school,” Martinez Scott said at the August 12 meeting. “Her mother, my grandmother Frances Martinez, changed that for Corona, and I picked up my desire for children and education through her, so this is a full circle event for me.”
Martinez Scott comes to the board with three decades of teaching experience, including 17 years at San Bernardino City Unified School District. He is also the founder and was the first executive director and superintendent of Irvine International Academy, a Mandarin immersion public charter school that opened in the fall of 2021.
“We look forward to collaborating with you, and congratulations on a well-run campaign,” Superintendent Edwin Gomez said. “I know your many years of experience are going to add value to our organization.”
At last month’s meeting, re-elected Area 2 Trustee Ben Johnson II and Area 6 Trustee Elizabeth F. Romero took their oaths of office. With 62% of the vote, Johnson beat challenger Janet Long, and Romero was unopposed.
Also at the July 8 meeting, Johnson was selected to serve as president of the board, and Area 3 Trustee Jamie Azpeitia-Sachs was selected to serve as vice president of the board.
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