Candidate for
Board Member; Santa Cruz City High School District; Area 3

Issue: Leadership & Collaboration

Leadership counts. Our students, teachers and staff need school board trustees who will stand up for them. I believe collaboration and creative ideas are essential to creating progress.

• Co-founded the Budget Advisory Committee, which brings transparency to the budget process that did not exist before
• Established the Green Schools Committee, which includes the twin goals of greening both the District's footprint and student curriculum
• Led the effort to bring solar to Santa Cruz City Schools
• Co-founded the County School Boards Association
• Advocated for the Safe Schools Project and the Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County
• Partnered with the Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women to bring safety training to middle and high school students
• Co-authored and advocated for the District's 2013 gun control resolution, the first of its kind in CA, in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy
• Represented the District on the countywide task force (BASTA) to prevent gang influence at school; the joint City of Santa Cruz-School District Committee; and the CA School Boards Association

• Led the 2014 effort to reverse cuts and increase elementary teacher supply budgets
• Successfully advocated to end the unnecessary annual tradition of mass lay-offs for teachers
• Helped lead successful ballot measure campaigns to support teachers, librarians and small class sizes
• Voted for all teacher and classified salary increases since being elected
• Campaigned in favor of Prop 30 and supported a resolution in favor of teachers

• Initiated nutrition reform in Santa Cruz City Schools
• Established a partnership with Food What?! and UCSC Life Lab to support student empowerment and nutrition education
• Advocated for PlayWorks, a curriculum program that takes place during daily recess periods and acts as an early intervention gang abatement program and provides all students a chance to engage and learn conflict resolution skills while getting exercise and having fun
• Supported P.E. training for elementary teachers