Candidate for
School Board Director; City of Berkeley

Dear Berkeley Voter,

Public education advocate, community board leader, experienced chief financial officer in the bioscience industry and former CPA, I am a 26-year resident of Berkeley and the proud parent of two Berkeley High graduates.

My expertise in financial management coupled with my volunteer experience in school governance, in the classroom, and in community organizations will provide additional strength and a fresh perspective to the School Board. I improved fiscal systems in a community organization that helps homeless families and youth. I helped establish a nonprofit that brought a successful writing coach program to Berkeley secondary school students. These experiences convinced me of the urgent need to address the achievement gap in a sustained, thoughtful and systematic way.

As School Board Director, I will:

• Achievement: make significant gains in closing the achievement gap by supporting and strengthening programs that work in raising literacy and math proficiency levels for all students.

• Facilities: make construction of adequate classrooms (especially at Berkeley High) and school facilities throughout the District a top priority to enable a quality educational experience.

• Teachers: ensure that teachers have the tools and support to fulfill their educational mission.

• Community: encourage and use input from the community to better target educational solutions, and increase board responsiveness to community concerns.

• Fiscal transparency: improve school board accountability for spending decisions and fiscal management. Ensure that scarce resources are allocated effectively and efficiently.

Let's make sure that school resources deliver the greatest educational benefit for all our students.

Sincerely,