Why Daeja for School Board?
My name is Daeja Baker, and I am running for school board director in Shaler Area, Region 1. I was born and raised in the North Side of Pittsburgh by a single mom. One of four children, I know what it’s like to not have enough, and as a North Sider, I know what it’s like to be forgotten about by the rest of the city. Now I am your neighbor in Millvale, and I feel like we in these Allegheny River Towns, townships, and boroughs are often forgotten about by our representatives. As school board director, I would be dedicated to working with students, parents, stakeholders, community leaders, and politicians at all levels to make decisions together on what is best for the children of our district.
Why is a 34 year old, disabled, queer, Black girl running for school board? I’m sure many are wondering.
Shaler Area School District is over 25% students of color. Students with parents who are people of color, with grandparents, and other extended family as well. There is no representation of a person of color on Shaler Area’s school board. I want us to have representation that actually represents the district as a whole. It is not enough to do DEI initiatives and programming, we have to show our children that it is possible to be a teacher, a principal, a social worker, or even a school board director. And I know that when I have children I want to be able to send my children to Shaler Area School District and know that they will be safe, well cared for, and given an education that will prepare them for the world.
I know that in our district we all know at least one person who identifies as queer, it may even be someone we call a loved one. I also know that we know someone in this community who identifies as mentally ill, even if it is someone who has just struggled with depression or anxiety, or maybe you have or know a neurodivergent child who is autistic or who has ADHD. I also want to represent and stand with these voices in our community. I believe that my lived experience is just what is needed to add some extra advocacy for students who may be struggling the most in this school district.
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A little more about me: I hold a bachelor’s of fine arts and a master’s of fine arts in creative writing from Chatham University.
I worked in tech for 8 years. I was a barista for ten years, simultaneously. I decided to leave corporations in 2020 where I began looking for work as a social services worker. As I was transitioning out I became a certified peer support specialist and an integrative community therapist. After months of looking for a job during the pandemic I finally landed a job here in Pittsburgh working for Gwen’s Girls, an organization that works with young Black girls ages 8-18. I was a divergent specialist, meaning that it was my role to keep the children that we serve out of the juvenile justice system or to help them recover their lives if they have already been in the system. I learned so much in that time. That job changed the trajectory of my life. I realized what these children really need is not help once they have already had a brush with the system but for someone who can listen to them and really help them through the traumatic times that they were experiencing in their young lives. I decided to apply to graduate school to get my Master’s in Social Work.
I am nearly halfway through a Master’s of Social Work at The University of Pittsburgh where I hope to continue my education through to an LCSW and practice as a licensed clinical social worker. My primary goal is to become a therapist and work with youth, focusing on persons of color, queer youth, and those who do not easily have access to mental healthcare. Who knows, I may end up working with your kids one day!
As someone who was a child, a teenager, a young adult, struggling with mental illness, I know how isolating it can be to not feel like anyone understands or wants to help you. I want to fight for more social workers and support staff for our students who have a myriad of needs in our schools. I also want to make sure that our facilities are up to standard so that our children are comfortable and not distracted while they’re learning. And I want to make sure that we protect our queer youth. I want our schools to be safe for every single child who walks through those doors.
