Who I am
I am the proud parent of two AUSD students - a high school freshman and a 7th grader. My husband and I moved to Alameda in 2005 and have always enjoyed the small-town feel of our community. By profession, I am an attorney and have been practicing for over 20 years. My passion, though, is kids and education. I strive to do as much as possible in this community so that all kids get a quality public education and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to be successful in life, whatever path they choose.
I am running for Alameda School Board in this November 2020 election.
My Service
My service as a community volunteer and education advocate began when I served as PTA President for two terms at our neighborhood elementary school. As PTA President, I accomplished the following::
- Worked collaboratively with school staff, parents, and teachers to provide greater social-emotional learning support for students, with additional training and education for teachers and families;
- Started the first Equity & Inclusion Committee at any AUSD school, with recognition as a "No Place For Hate" school by the Anti-Defamation League;
- Launched a STEAM lab so students have hands-on access to 21st Century learning opportunities;
- Enhanced the Safety Patrol program to provide safer access routes to the school for students, and educated families about safe driving, drop-off, and parking practices around the school;
- Managed a large budget, worked with parents, teachers and staff in deciding how to best use those funds for the benefit of all students, and was accountable to the school community.
- Worked tirelessly to create community and partnerships with all families so that students had the best educational experience possible.
- Let me continue working for you so we have really great public education in Alameda.
My Community
In addition to my PTA work, from November 2019 through March 2020, I was the Co-Chair of the Measure A (Strong Schools for Alameda) campaign. Measure A, which was approved by voters in the March 2020 election, raises funds that will only be used to increase teacher and staff salaries up to the Alameda County average so we can attract and retain quality teachers and staff at our public and charter schools, and stop losing amazing talent to neighboring school districts who can pay more. I am thankful to our teachers, staff and community for working with me to support and pass Measure A. By supporting teaches and staff, we also support our students, which makes for a stronger community.
I am now in my second term as PTA Council President where I work with all PTAs in Alameda to facilitate collaboration and sharing of ideas and resources among our public schools. In that role, I also work closely with district staff to identify areas of community concern that demand discussion and attention, and provide engagement and support opportunities for our families.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been serving on several working groups under the AUSD Redeisgn Task Force, working with community partners and PTA leaders to support students and families during this unprecedented and uncertain time. This work focuses on providing childcare to essential workers, teachers and working parents when "normal" school and childcare options are not available. I am also working with PTA groups and community partners to find creative ways to not only support student learning and social engagement in the remote learning environment but also foster community among our families because community is a cornerstone in our relationships with each other.
My Mission
My mission is to ensure equitable access to a strong and robust public education system. I believe we we must strive for excellence in educational programming on all levels so students - whether they attend school on the East End or West End of town - have the knowledge and skills necessary to be independent and successful in life. By working collaboratively with other School Board members, engaging the community, partnering with teachers and staff, and having some hard conversations, I know we can do it. I would be honored to earn your vote so we can work together to achieve these goals.
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