Candidate for
Member, Board of Education; Alameda Unified School District

Are you concerned about the quality of Alameda schools? Do you care about who is teaching your kids? Do you want to know how district employees are evaluated? I am a candidate for the Alameda Board of Education because I am concerned about these issues. I believe in public schools, and I have the experience and the ability to make Alameda schools better.

The issues facing our District are significant. How do we attract and retain quality teachers? How do we establish and maintain safe, clean campuses? And, the highest priority for the School Board and for all Alamedans must be to work together to ensure the highest quality education for our kids in the face of changing educational mandates and budget constraints.

Quality education means that kids are in a stable environment, with enough teachers for each class and a facility that is not crumbling around them. It means that kids have enriching extra-curricular programs. Success in school requires attention to diversity, to ensure that all children are ready to learn - regardless of their economic status, country of birth or ability to speak English.

The Board of Education can't mandate a successful learning experience. Nor can the teachers, or the school's administrators. Only by working together, along with students and parents, can we take the often difficult steps needed restore the excellence in education that was once an essential part of the quality of life on this Island.

I attended Alameda schools myself. Edison, Lincoln and Alameda High schools gave me the tools I needed for a successful career in local, state and federal government positions. As the Senior Services Administrator in Oakland I now manage 5 senior centers serving more than 4,000 seniors.

Soon my son will be the 4th generation of his family to attend Alameda public schools. I am a candidate for the Alameda Board of Education because I want to make sure that Julian gets the education he needs to achieve success as an adult - just as his mother, his grandmother and both of his great-grandparents did after being educated in the Alameda School District.