Educational Equity
A quality education should not be dependent on a child’s neighborhood or zip code. Every child deserves a quality education, no matter their background, gender, race or how much money their parents make. On the Santa Clara County Board of Education, I have strived to address inequality in our schools and took action to ensure underserved students have access to individualized education that helps them succeed. I stood behind schools with innovative school models, designed to support underserved students. Many schooIs I supported are among the Top Bay Area Public Schools for Underserved Students. I also worked to advance early learning and pre-K access, so that every single student can have the chance to have the best possible start to their education. This has been shown to be a key leverage point in closing the achievement and opportunity gap. In addition, I partnered with Silicon Valley Social Ventures, a philanthropic foundation which grants funds to nonprofit organizations making social impact in the Community. With your vote, I’ll continue to make educational equity a focus on the Board of Education and ensure that during these challenging times, students in need can access the technology and individualized instruction they need to succeed.
Early Learning/Pre-Kindergarten
The research is clear. When students get a strong start to their education by enrolling in a quality preschool program, they are more likely to succeed throughout their elementary, middle and high school years. That’s why I have been a champion for universal pre-K programs. I co-founded the Strong Start Initiative, a countywide organization committed to expanding early learning and Pre-K access for every child in Santa Clara County. High-quality early learning programs are an essential part of educational development and social emotional growth. Not every family, however, can afford to enroll their little one in an early learning program which is why we needed a community organization to bring partners together to fund quality preschool programs for all students, regardless of their background. I am proud that the Strong Start coalition has grown to now include dozens of partners including community organizations, faith-based organizations, and many local school districts, all working collaboratively to ensure students get access to quality preschool programs.
The Early Learning Master Plan was a collaboration of Strong Start Coalition members with county office of education staff to put together an executable plan, addressing challenges in six major areas of the Early Childhood Education system that serves 141,000 children in Santa Clara County. These are the results of the year long process that engaged nearly 100 community stakeholders.
Working with the Santa Clara County Budget Office, I initiated and helped develop the first Santa Clara County Children's Budget, that will be published annually. By focusing on the investments the county has made in children and youth programs, we can see where there are gaps and needs to further increase funding directed to our children’s future, which is our future.
Student Health
Student health issues look much different today than they did just 10 years ago. With the rise of flavored tobacco and vaping, teens are becoming addicted to nicotine at alarming rates. I have worked to tackle this issue head on. I co-lead an anti-vaping campaign supported by a resolution by the Board of Education, served as the PTSA Advocacy Chair at Gunn High School, and spoke out in favor of local ordinances banning the sale of flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes at City Council and Board of Supervisor meetings across the Bay Area. If we act swiftly, we can ensure that vaping remains limited and save lives and health of students in our community.
Smart Spending
The Board of Education has a responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently. I have taken this role to heart and understand that parents, students and teachers are counting on the Board to ensure spending is used wisely — on helping students learn in the classroom NOT on administrative expenses. That’s why I recently voted against a pay raise for the Superintendent. I also worked to reduce administrative expenses at the district level by ensuring those offices receive the support they need, so their dollars can be spent on student needs instead. As a member of the Budget Committee, I worked to pass a balanced budget every single year and reviewed the audit to address any inconsistencies. Over the past several years, the County Office of Education has kept our indirect cost rates low, to save money for the 31 school districts that we serve.
Our schools are deeply underfunded. That’s why we must be efficient with the taxpayer dollars we already have. I have advocated for increased funding for our schools at the state level, leading advocacy efforts with Educators at the Capitol and I will continue to remain outspoken about the need for increased school funding. I support the Schools and Communities First ballot initiative, Prop 15, to restore $12 billion to schools, to bring our schools out of the bottom half of state-funding per student in the nation.
Access to Technology
As a former engineer, I understand how access to quality technology can change students’ lives and career interests — especially when students are expected to learn remotely. Technology can and should be used as an aid in the classroom to enhance students’ educational experience. Right now, thousands of students lack access to the technology they need to learn remotely, and it is unacceptable. I have continually advocated at the state and local level for collaboration to ensure we address this critical technology gap. Furthermore, students should have the opportunity to learn about technology whenever possible, which is why I served as a MOUSE Squad volunteer to teach computer technology to middle school students in Mountain View.
Technology advances in data access and sharing, with confidentiality and security of the highest concern, has been realized by the DataZone. As a member of the Silicon Valley Regional Data Trust Leadership Working Group, I contributed toward the policy decisions, security considerations, and technology features, along with advocacy for state legislation and funding. With DataZone, school districts and social service agencies are able to view comprehensive data to coordinate student achievement, human service needs, and attendance, among many other data sources.
