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Birmingham Board of Education, District 6

 Leticia Watkins

 Age: 36

 Residence: Titusville

 Political experience: None

 Professional experience: Scientist, Pharmaceutical Product Development; assistant program director, UAB; director of children and youth, Sixth Avenue Baptist Church

 Civic experience: Launched free student center for BCS remote learners during pandemic; directed meal program that served over 40,000 meals to BCS students during pandemic; created school-based mentoring program in West End; partnered with Birmingham Talks to bring early literacy classes to District 6 families; president of Titusville Youth Sports Association; member of Birmingham Coalition for Student Mental Health and adviser of Solutions (youth conflict resolution initiative)

Education: Bachelor of science in biology, minor in chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University; master’s in medical science, UAB

Significant endorsements: N/A

 Top contributors: Next Generation Alabama PAC, $2,895; Sheila Tyson, $300; Vevelyn Wilson, $300.

Main Issues: With the Alabama Literacy Act requiring that third graders read at grade level to advance to the next grade and students losing roughly 18 months of traditional classroom instruction due to the pandemic, prioritizing literacy improvements is critical; the growing challenge of student mental health; educational inequity, with emphasis on literacy, improved school-based mental health, and dismantling of racial and educational disparities.

 Campaign: Website www.leticiawatkins.com ; Facebook @leticiaforschoolboard