Meet Moe
Public Education Is Personal to Me
My commitment to public education didn’t begin with a campaign. It comes from raising five children, watching them learn and grow, listening to their teachers and seeing firsthand how much a great school can influence a child’s future.
Education also runs deeply through my family. My brother served as a school superintendent. My siblings have served as school principals and teachers. And today, one of my own daughters is a first-grade teacher.
I’ve experienced education as a father and public-school parent while also learning from educators and school leaders within my own family.
There is no substitute for excellent teachers, engaged parents, strong school leadership and a community committed to its children.
That is the perspective I will bring to the San Juan Unified Board of Education.
Service Above Self
A Rotarian’s Approach to Public Service
I am proud to be a Rotarian, and the principle of Service Above Self has special meaning to me.
Rotary’s Four-Way Test asks: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Those principles reflect the kind of public service I believe our community deserves. School boards will have disagreements, but disagreement doesn’t have to become division.
I will listen before reaching conclusions, treat people respectfully, work with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints, and remain focused on serving students and our community.
Service Above Self isn’t just a Rotary principle I admire. It’s the standard I seek to bring to public service.
Rooted in Citrus Heights
This Is Home
My family and I have called Citrus Heights home for more than 25 years. This is where we’ve raised our family, built relationships and invested in our community.
I previously served on a San Juan Unified facilities committee, giving me firsthand exposure to the difficult decisions involved in maintaining, improving and investing in school facilities.
I earned a Bachelor of Science from Sacramento State and a master’s degree in public administration.
I understand that decisions made by a school board aren’t theoretical. They affect children, families, employees, neighborhoods and taxpayers. I want Area 7 to have a trustee who is accessible, listens and stays connected to the community.
Professional Leadership
Transformation.
Change Management.
Results.
My professional career focuses on transformation, change management and operations. My work involves helping organizations navigate major change, bringing people together, solving complex operational problems and turning plans into results.
San Juan Unified is navigating significant challenges and opportunities: declining enrollment, student achievement, special education needs, staffing challenges, aging facilities, changing technology and budget pressures.
Successful transformation requires listening to the people closest to the work, understanding the data, developing a clear plan, supporting implementation and measuring whether the plan actually works. That is the perspective I will bring to the board.
Listen
Engage students, parents, teachers, classified employees, administrators and the community.
Understand
Use reliable data to identify problems rather than making decisions based on assumptions.
Plan
Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and measurable goals.
Support
Give employees the staffing, training, resources and tools necessary to succeed.
Measure
Regularly evaluate results and communicate progress clearly to the public.
Improve
When something isn’t producing the intended result, understand why and adjust.
Transformation isn’t change for the sake of change. It’s bringing people together around a clear purpose and making change work for the people we serve.
Election Information
Contest: 3459 - San Juan Unified School District Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 7
Murad “Moe” Sarama
Ballot designation: Businessman/Parent
Father of five
Longtime Citrus Heights resident
Public-school parent
Business and operations leader
Transformation and change-management professional
Former SJUSD facilities committee member
Rotarian
Bachelor’s degree — Sacramento State
Master’s degree — Public Administration
Manuel I. Perez
Incumbent Trustee, Area 7
Elected in the 2023 special election