Candidate for
Board Member; West Contra Costa Unified School District

About Valerie

A third-generation Californian, Valerie Cuevas is the oldest of six kids raised in a hardworking union family. She grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood just like the Richmond community she calls home. From early learning in Head Start -- the federally funded program for low-income preschoolers -- to testing into the state's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, Valerie is a proud product of California's public education system.

Great expectations and a strong determination to succeed paved a solid pathway for Valerie. She became the first in her immediate family to graduate from college and now serves as the interim executive director of The Education Trust + West, a prominent statewide education policy, research and advocacy organization that works for the high academic achievement of all students in California.

With an expertise in educational equity, state legislative policy and K-12 governance, Valerie is a well-known leader and advocate. Recently, she brought additional education dollars to West Contra Costa Unified by leading state advocacy for the successful passage of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), the most significant change in education funding for K-12 schools in four decades. A staunch advocate for kids, she is frequently featured in the media for her respected expertise and advocacy.

Valerie has a wide range of national, state and local education experience. She is a former director with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), where she worked with hundreds of elected officials across the country on advancing student success. She previously served as an aide to the chair of the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education and as chief of staff to a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. As an education practitioner, Valerie held student affairs positions at various 2- and 4-year colleges and universities across the state where she was a member of the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU).

A long-time volunteer, Valerie was recently named Board President of the California Latino Environmental Advocacy Network, a non-profit community based organization that advocates for clean air, clean water, and neighborhoods to be free of toxics and pollution. She holds dual bachelor's degrees from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in Educational Psychology, Administration and Counseling from California State University, Long Beach.