The Story of Karen Sakata

By Karen Sakata

As with most of you, my story begins with my mom.... But my mom's story may be a little bit different than most + and that's part of the reason that I've been so influenced and inspired by her. The fact that she was a brilliant student, who graduated from high school at 16, graduated from USC with a degree in Pharmacy at 21, and was one of the first women (let alone, Japanese/American women) to get a pharmacy license in the US + is inspiration enough. But beyond that, both of my parents as second generation Japanese/American "Nisei" were among those taken from their homes and sent to internment camps in 1942. My mother, unlike her siblings, had finished her college education and therefore, was able to return to her profession after being released. From the time that I was very young, my mom told me over and over how having her education is what allowed her to carry on with her life in a way that others could not. Therefore, she insisted that my education be my number one priority. And waving that license, which she kept up-to-date until she was near her 80's, she would say "no matter what else they take from you + they can never take away your education."

So, I always knew that my "job" was to get an education. My mom planned for me to be a pharmacist since I was always good at math and science.

When I got to Cal, I first majored in biology, but knowing that I never wanted to be a pharmacist, I switched to a psychology major in my junior year (without ever ever telling my parents). I had no idea what I wanted to do until I took a class that allowed me to tutor students in reading and math at an elementary school. That's when I knew I wanted to work with kids, and along side other adults who cared passionately about kids.

I found the ideal marriage of my love for science and my passion for education when I became a speech language pathologist and worked in the area of Special Education. During the first 16 years of my career as an educator, I worked both in three county offices (Solano, Santa Clara and Contra Costa) and a large Contra Costa School district, teaching students, training teachers, training parents, and collaborating with medical staff as a Speech & Language Pathologist, diagnostic specialist, Special Education teacher, regional Program Specialist, Program Administrator and an Early Childhood Specialist.

Working for many years in Special Education prepared me very well for expanding my leadership to general education because I had the mindset that the goal of public education is to find and build upon the strengths of every student, and to find ways to support every child's individual learning goal.

My foundational belief is that every child needs and deserves to have adults advocating for him or her. And since not everyone gets to have my mom in her corner, we as educators, need to step up and provide that encouragement and support, and hold the vision for that child + a vision of endless possibilities.

Serving for 14 years as a principal was the best professional training possible, to prepare me for becoming a superintendent for a variety of reasons. I became very skilled at implementing a shared leadership model with staff representatives selected by their peers, so that even as a relatively young principal with a seasoned staff, I was able to create a highly collaborative, and high-functioning school culture. I learned about the value of each individual - whether a teacher, support staff, custodian, office manager, secretary, parent, or lunchroom supervisor + each had an important role to play in the school community. And I learned that modeling (rather than just talking about) my belief in the potential of each and every student could have an impact on our shared learning environment.

I also learned that not all situations are appropriate for "shared" decision-making ---when the phone rang at 6 am on a Sunday morning, and I arrived at the school to find the whole office, nurses office, and teachers lounge burned down, and an entire wing of classrooms damaged by smoke... I learned that a leader sometimes needs to make quick decisions for the greater good/good of the whole. In this case, we managed to move four classrooms, create an office in the MUR and be ready to greet students on Monday morning. I also learned that the "stuff" was not important... but the relationships that we had built meant everything.

Since joining the CCCOE in 2008, as Associate Superintendent and then becoming the Deputy Superintendent my experience has broadened (beyond special education and general education) to include Career Technical Education CTE, Regional Occupational Programs ROP, Court & Community Schools, Adult Education, services for Foster Youth, and everything related to Personnel, including recruiting, hiring and retaining high quality staff, and employee relations and negotiations.

However, of all the educational jobs and responsibilities I've had, none has ever been more important to me than the role I have had as a parent... like you, as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors ( all members of the "village" )+ I want for every child what I wanted for my children, my boys. And it's not just about being good at math and science (although that is important).

See my mom, who was really smart, and really intent on my becoming a pharmacist taught me to value formal education and learning + being a "good" student + --------but my dad taught me the importance of being a well-rounded individual with multiple interests, and the importance of engaging with others in a community + which is probably why I ended up being a 5'2" college basketball player at Cal Berkeley!

You and I want our youth to have choices, to be ready for work, ready for college, and able to compete. We also want them to have work that is meaningful that they love engaging in every day, and to find something they are passionate about... to be allowed to emphasize and express their talents, to successfully work as part of a team, and become good citizens.

And that brings us to the opportunity that we have right now in California and locally, to engage in reform that truly creates an educational system that impacts teaching and learning, and improves outcomes for ALL students........................ a system that provides every child with the skills and disposition to succeed and have a happy future.

Those opportunities are presenting themselves to us in the form of the new:

• Common Core State Standards with a focus on problem-solving, critical thinking, hands-on application of concepts, and relevance that engages students,

• Smarter-balanced and formative assessments which go beyond multiple choice answers, to measure deeper understanding rather than just memorization of facts and recall, and provide information teachers can use to improve their teaching

• A newly designed accountability system + that will include multiple, meaningful ways of measuring progress beyond test scores + holding schools and districts accountable for attendance, college and career readiness, and allocation of resources

• and new ways of funding our schools + providing local control AND accountability for improving outcomes for underserved groups of students.

• maintaining important alternative programs (like court and community schools, special education, career technical education/ROP and youth development services ) that serve district students,
• As your next county superintendent I will continue to grow our professional development services for districts on critical topics such as Common Core State Standards, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education, technology implementation, Transitional Kindergarten, and Early Childhood education.
• As your county superintendent I will provide ongoing resources related to Personnel issues, funding, and policy implementation.
• As your county superintendent I will ensure that the county office continues to maintain strong partnerships with districts, higher education, business and industry partners, professional organizations and our legislators.
• As your county superintendent I will l continue fiscally responsible practices, and continue to provide support and oversight for districts.

I see the opportunity for new ideas and innovation 1) As your county superintendent I will support Early Learning from preschool through third grade; 2) As your county superintendent I will increase partnerships with industry and higher education so we can improve access to college and career pathways; 3) As your county superintendent I will expand the use of technology to support 21st Century Learning; and 4) As your county superintendent I will offer resources and support to ensure school safety, including support for students with social-emotional and behavioral needs.

I've devoted most of my life to education and I know that my work is not yet done.

I will create a renowned County Office of Education which will become the very best number one provider in

• Fiscal oversight
• Human Resource Consultation
• Curriculum Development and Training
• Technology Implementation Contra Costa County Office of Education will become the foremost provider for the 18 school districts in Contra Costa County under my leadership as your next Superintendent of Schools.