Candidate for
Board Member; Santa Barbara High School District

Biograpy of Laura Malakoff

I am the mother of three sons. Josh (age 12) attends La Colina Jr. High, David (age 16) is a junior at Dos Pueblos High School and Zach (age 19) graduated from Dos Pueblos and is in his second year at UC Berkeley. I have been married for 24 years to Michael S. Brown.

Since 2000, I have taught pyschology at Santa Barbara City College. My work experience includes conducting survey research for UCSB's Office of Budget and Planning, teaching at Lesley College in Massachusetts, providing housing services to the elderly, and evaluating federal programs. I am the author of Housing Options for the Elderly, a book exploring innovative alternatives to nursing homes along with other publications on housing and evaluations of social service programs.

In addition to my work experience, I have been active in a wide range of school and community activities. Elected to the Board of Trustees of the Hope School District, I served a one year term as president leading the District's strategic planning initiative. As a Board member, I was a leading advocate for creating the conditions for success such that all schools in the district achieved equivalent test scores. Active in the PTAs at my son's schools, I've also served on School Site Councils and volunteered in classrooms. I served as Treasurer of the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corporation, which provides affordable housing for low-income and disabled residents. Co-founder and member of the Community Housing Action Group, I helped organize a landmark lecture series on the need for affordable housing in the South Coast.