Susanne Marie PenaSusanne Marie Pena

The Network for Public Education Action proudly endorses Susanne Peña for Orange County’s School Board District 3. Orange County public schools deserve a school board member who understands education from the inside out — and that is exactly what Susanne Peña brings to this race. Susanne Peña is an experienced educator and tireless advocate for public schools, with a career rooted in serving students in Title I schools. She has spent years working alongside teachers, families, and community organizations to support public education, and her commitment to students has never wavered. As Chair of the Research Institute SIG within the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) and President of the Florida Association for Bilingual Education (FABE), she brings recognized leadership and deep policy expertise to this race. This is not Susanne’s first campaign for this seat. She has already built a strong grassroots coalition in Orange County, demonstrating the kind of sustained community engagement that effective school board leadership requires. She is endorsed by the Orange County CTA, Ruth’s List, EQFL, and DMOF — a broad coalition that reflects her commitment to students, educators, and families. Susanne believes that every child deserves a safe classroom, a well-supported teacher, and access to the resources they need to thrive. She supports increased teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and expanded access to bilingual education, STEM, and mental health programs. She understands that teachers are professionals who deserve to be treated as such — with competitive salaries, manageable workloads, and freedom from punitive, test-score-based evaluations. On the critical issue of public school funding, Susanne is unequivocal. She opposes vouchers and Education Savings Accounts that siphon public dollars away from public schools, and she supports pausing charter school expansion until existing charter schools are fully transparent, accountable, and demonstrably not harming public school budgets. In her view, public money demands public accountability — no exceptions. Susanne Peña is the student-centered, policy-driven leader Orange County schools need. We are proud to endorse her and urge voters to cast their ballot for Susanne Peña for Orange County School Board District 3 in the primary election on August 18, 2026.