Mahjar Post interview with Kashif Wasim, candidate for New Haven Unified School District board, Trustee Area 4

Mahjar Post conducted this interview by email with Kashif Wasim, candidate for the New Haven Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 4 (Union City and South Hayward, California), in the November 3, 2026 nonpartisan election. His answers, received on October 20, 2026 (Pacific Time), are published here in full and verbatim.

1. Please introduce yourself and the office you seek.

I'm Kashif Wasim, and I'm running for the New Haven Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 4. I'm a software engineer with 20 years of experience, I hold a master's degree in computer science and economics, and I've worked as a lecturer. I'm also an NHUSD parent — my child attends school in this district, and my wife teaches in it. We live the board's decisions every day, and that's why I'm running.

2. Why did you decide to run, and what are your top three priorities if elected?

I'm running because every child deserves classrooms that prepare them for a changing world, and every teacher deserves the support to make that possible. My top three priorities: first, bring funding into our classrooms that the district can actually accept — through public and private partnerships and by clearing the hurdles that keep grant dollars from arriving. Second, safe, drug-free, hands-on campuses where students learn by doing. Third, a long-term push to raise enrollment and school ratings, so more families choose our schools and stay.

3. Which issues do you hear most about from Arab and Muslim voters in your district, and how would you respond to them?

What I hear most is that families want their children to feel safe, respected, and treated fairly at school — and they want a district that communicates with parents honestly and listens before problems grow. My response is simple: every family in this district, whatever their faith or background, should be able to trust that their child is safe and welcome at school, and that their voice counts with the board.

4. What is your position on civil rights and civil liberties protections, including religious freedom and protection from hate crimes?

Religious freedom is a constitutional right, and protecting it is not optional. Every student and family must be protected from discrimination and hate, in policy and in practice. When a hate incident happens, it has to be taken seriously — reported clearly, investigated, and followed through — so families know the district stands with them, not just in statements but in action.

5. What is your position on immigration policy and on the treatment of immigrants and refugees?

Immigration policy is set in Washington, not by a school board. But a school board does decide whether its schools are welcoming places for every child who lives here. Union City and South Hayward were built by immigrant families — they are the backbone of this district. Every child who walks into one of our classrooms deserves an education without fear, and every parent should be able to send their child to school trusting that the school is there to teach them. I support treating immigrants and refugees with fairness and dignity.

6. What role should the United States play in the Middle East, and what would you support or oppose?

I'm running for a local school board, and foreign policy is not part of this office — so I'll be honest about where my focus is: our classrooms here at home. Personally, I believe the United States should stand for human rights, protect civilians everywhere, and pursue peace through diplomacy.

7. What is your position on the cost of living, housing and health care for working families?

Working families in Union City and South Hayward feel the cost of living every day. A school board's part in that is real: strong public schools keep families rooted in a community instead of forcing them to move or pay for private school, and we should work so the teachers and staff who serve our kids can afford to live in the community they serve. Where the district can connect families with health and support services, we should — a child who isn't healthy isn't learning.

8. How would you represent constituents who do not share your views or background?

The same way I would represent anyone: listen first, decide on the evidence, and serve every family in Area 4. I won't agree with every constituent, and they won't always agree with me, but everyone deserves a board member who returns their call, explains his reasoning, and puts students first. That's the job.

9. Is there anything we did not ask that readers should know?

I come to this race as a parent, a teacher's husband, an educator, and an engineer who has built and run organizations. That mix — teaching, technology, and running things responsibly — is what I bring to the board. And I have a personal stake in getting this right: my own child is in these schools.

10. Is there another question you would like us to ask you in this interview? If so, what is it, and what is your answer?

"What will success look like after your first term?" Success is enrollment stabilizing and growing because families choose our schools, ratings rising, teachers who feel genuinely backed, and residents able to see the bond money voters approved turning into modern, safe classrooms. If I can't point to measurable progress on those, I haven't done the job.

Questions specific to your campaign

1. Which grants or partners do you have in mind for classroom funding, and how would you avoid conditions that distort priorities?

I'm thinking of career-technical education and STEM funding at the state and federal level, state facilities modernization money, our partnership with Mission Valley ROP, and East Bay employers who benefit when our graduates are ready for real jobs. The protection against distortion is process: funding is only accepted when it matches priorities the board has adopted publicly, the terms are reviewed in open session, and no partner — public or private — gets to set our curriculum or our agenda. If the conditions don't serve our students, we don't take the money.

2. Your site says you would spend that money on paid teacher training and modern classrooms through Mission Valley ROP. What would the first program look like?

The first program would be a paid training institute for our teachers through Mission Valley ROP: teachers train on modern, industry-standard equipment and teaching methods during paid time — not on their own evenings — starting with hands-on career and technology courses. Teachers come back with skills and lesson plans they can use immediately, and students get classrooms that feel like the world they'll graduate into.

3. Your site lists drug-free campuses and a long-term push to raise enrollment and school ratings. What specific measures would you use to track progress?

I'd publish the scorecard and be judged by it: enrollment counts year over year, school by school; the state dashboard indicators — test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism; student climate and safety survey results, including drug-related incidents; and teacher retention. The board should review these in public every year, and if a number isn't moving, we say so and change course.

4. Your site says you are an NHUSD parent and the husband of an NHUSD teacher. What do you hear most from teachers about what they need?

What I hear most is that teachers need to be backed, not just thanked: manageable class sizes, facilities and technology that actually work, time to prepare and collaborate, and a board that consults them before decisions land on their classrooms. Teachers know where the problems are before anyone else does. A board that listens to them will make better decisions — and keep good teachers in the district.

Thanks, Kashif Wasim Running for NHUSD Area 4