Orange County’s “Eagle Forum” invited Tracy Schroeder, a candidate for State Assembly District 46, to speak to community residents on August 9 about her experience and why she decided to run for state assembly after teaching for over 20 years.
Schroeder graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in Communication Studies and obtained a Master’s degree in Psychology from the Phillips Graduate Institute. She mentioned, “During college, I wasn’t sure what I would do in the future, but many people told me ‘you should be a teacher.’ It turned out to be a right choice as I love teaching.”
Having served as an elementary school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the United States, for over 20 years, Schroeder has extensive experience in teaching and counseling special needs students. However, everything changed with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking back to August 2021, LAUSD mandated all staff to be vaccinated, with deadlines set for the first and second doses on October 18 and November 15, respectively. At the time, over 2,000 employees had not applied or received exemptions. By mid-October, those who remained unvaccinated were put on leave.
Subsequently, LAUSD reviewed the medical and religious exemption applications of the unvaccinated. By mid-December, the school board voted 7-0 to terminate nearly 500 employees, including many non-teaching staff. Despite submitting a religious exemption, Schroeder still received a notice of dismissal. She expressed, “I have been teaching for 24 years and had a contract, this was completely against the normal procedure.”
“We were first asked to test, wear masks, and one day received an email warning of disciplinary action if we didn’t get vaccinated,” Schroeder recalled. “We thought we could apply for religious exemptions, so we earnestly wrote about our religious beliefs; some even saw it as an opportunity to share their faith. The district accepted the applications but in reality didn’t change the countdown to eject us from campus.”
During that challenging time, Schroeder and friends prayed together, studied the U.S. Constitution, and became a Constitutional counselor in her group. She noted, “We discussed that since the school board had made mistakes, we had the right to replace officials.”
In 2022, Schroeder ran for the school board for the first time. She shared, “To discredit me, my opponents sent letters to neighbors claiming I was dangerous and unsuitable for interacting with children.” Despite not winning that time, she considered it a valuable learning experience. For the election, her team collected approximately 4,000 signatures to get her on the ballot, with each candidate needing at least 500 signatures.
Schroeder emphasized the challenges of running for public office, facing backlash and having her voice ignored. She highlighted the importance of standing up and facing risks for the greater good, as she sought to change California’s unjust laws.
Looking ahead to the upcoming November election, Schroeder is challenging Democratic incumbent Jesse Gabriel for the State Assembly District 46 seat. Gabriel, who won in 2022 and 2024, currently serves as Chairman of the State Assembly Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the Legislative Budget Committee.
Schroeder’s message is clear – active participation in the electoral process is crucial, especially with the high number of registered Democratic voters in Los Angeles County. She encourages individuals to elevate the voting rate and actively engage in shaping the community’s future.