Candidate for
Board Member; Palo Alto Unified School District

Born and raised in California, I am a product of California's public schools from kindergarten through graduate school (UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University). I am also a proud parent of two children in PAUSD schools and I work part-time as a teacher and parent educator at Parents Place (an organization of Jewish Family & Children's Services), supporting both families and teachers with the most current child development research and best practices in the early learning community.

Like many families, we moved to Palo Alto because of the excellent reputation of its schools. I decided to volunteer in the community, first as PTA President and Chair of the School Site Council at Juana Briones Elementary School, then as a Board Member for Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE). I also broadened my perspective by joining citywide committees such as the Palo Alto Advisory Committee on Early Care and Education, and the Project Safety Net Collaborative.

As I serve this community in a variety of ways, I am impressed with the number of engaged, motivated students, remarkable teachers, and dedicated parents and community members I've met. Palo Alto truly values education, as evidenced by the widespread support for our bond measures, construction bonds, and local parcel taxes. We must ensure that our students are benefiting from the high standards we've set. With my unique skills and experience, I am prepared and energized to serve on the Palo Alto School Board; ready to collaborate as we build a strong educational foundation for every student in our district.

Related Experience:

Parenting Educator, Child Development Specialist, Parents Place, Jewish Family & Children's Services, and Connect for Children (http://www.connectforchildren.com)

Preschool Staff Development Workshops and Child Behavioral Observations in more than 46 preschools and early learning centers in the Bay Area

Popular workshop leader at many local, statewide, and national early childhood conferences

Palo Alto Advisory Committee on Early Care and Education (PAAC-ECE)

PTA President, Juana Briones Elementary School

Chair, School Site Council, Juana Briones Elementary School

Board Member, Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE)

Member, Project Safety Net Collaborative

Education Committee, Congregation Etz Chayim

Graduate, Palo Alto Ambassador Program

Volunteer Coordinator, Palo Alto Black & White Ball

Member, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

Advisory Board Member, Camp Galileo (Developed Teacher Trainer Program for Counselors of young campers)

Chair, Community Advisory Committee, First 5 San Mateo County

Advisory Committee Member, First 5 Santa Clara County

Social Issue Educational Documentary Filmmaker (http://www.spiritproductions.org)

Producer, Writer, Editor (Emmy-nominated) for 12 years

House Manager, Huckleberry House (the nation's premier runaway shelter for teens), Youth Advocates

Suicide Prevention Hotline Volunteer

Project Read Tutor

Education:

Master's in Education, San Francisco State University

Master's in Journalism, UC Berkeley

Bachelor of Arts in Language Studies, Spanish and French