When Bobbie Simpson decided to run for her local school board in Gateway Unified School District, in the far northern county of Shasta, she knew it might be difficult to win as a transgender woman. More than half the voters in Shasta County are registered Republican. A conservative Christian church that promotes LGBTQ conversion therapy and “believes in the ever-increasing government of God,” according to its website, is very influential in local politics.But Bobbie ran anyway because she cares about schools. She pledged to bring the focus back to education and preserve the district’s social emotional learning programs, which had benefited her own kids.And she won, with 57 percent of the vote, becoming the first transgender person known to be elected to a California school board.For the most part, she says she's found acceptance and respect on the board and in her community.Guests:Bobbie Simpson, school board member, Gateway Unified School DistrictThomas Peele, investigative reporter, EdSourceRead more from EdSource: The journey of Bobbie Simpson: Transgender woman making strides on school board in deep red Shasta CountyEducation Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube