Don’t forget to vote by November 8!

The COVID pandemic has made one thing clear: more than ever, we need public education to live up to its promise of excellence and opportunity for every child.

Here in Berkeley, in 2021, nearly 1 out of every 3 students at 6th grade are below reading benchmark. 40% between 3rd and 11th grade are below math benchmark.

Students who are ineligible to apply to a UC or CSU nearly doubled from 21% in 2019 to 40% in 2021.

This is unacceptable. Some families are able to supplement their way out of the gaps. But many can’t.

Student outcomes should not depend on disposable income.

I am running because education is social justice. We can and must do better for our kids.

 
 

 A champion for students. A proven track record.

  • It started with public education.

    Thanks to my K-12 public education, I learned how to speak English, dissected a cow’s eye, tested gravity by dropping an egg off a roof, attended my first dance and got into college.

    I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Economics and Political Science, and received a J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law. I wouldn’t be here today, running for office, if it were not for my public education.

  • I'm a youth advocate.

    As a former lawyer representing children as young as one day old to 21 years old in the foster care system in Alameda County, I fought for their safety, permanence, reunification with family, educational opportunity, and physical and mental well-being.

    This included advocating for their needs in IEP/special education meetings, truancy proceedings, and suspension and expulsion hearings.

    I have seen firsthand the lifelong consequences and generational harm of racial and socio-economic disparities within systems that are meant to protect but end up doing more harm.

  • I'm an educator committed to excellence and opportunity.

    As the former Director of Academic Achievement and Associate Dean of Online Education at Golden Gate University School of Law, I have over 15 years of experience working directly with students to improve their academic outcomes and help different types of learners leverage their learning strengths.

    I designed a hybrid online degree program completely from scratch that featured the country’s first online legal Social Justice Career Track.

    I am a national speaker on the topics of academic achievement and educational innovation, and am a recipient of the Association of Academic Support Educators Excellence Award.

  • I co-founded a language immersion district school.

    I believe every child should have the opportunity to learn multiple languages.

    One of my proudest efforts was leading a parent group that founded the West County Mandarin School in Pinole, a diverse language immersion district school where 50% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch, are English learners, and/or are foster youth. Latinx and Black students account for over 30% of the student population.

  • I'm a parent advocate for equity.

    As the former chair of the School Site Council at Rosa Parks Elementary, our council led recruitment efforts to expand representation at the decision-making table and ensured our spending priorities aligned with our stated goals. Today, I am thrilled to support the work of the BUSD AAPI Group and our school site’s Anti-Racism Steering Committee.

  • I'm a community organizer for peace and justice.

    I serve as a Commissioner on the City of Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission, promoting public education on a wide range of social justice issues, such as immigration reform and climate literacy.

    I organized the #StopAsianHate march in Taipei, Taiwan, bringing together the overseas community in solidarity against hate and violence experienced by AAPIs worldwide.

  • I believe children are our teachers.

    They hold a mirror up to us, challenging us to face our discomforts and do better. When we advocate for them, we advocate for the best in ourselves. Their voices and needs should serve as our guide.

Join our grassroots campaign:

 

Kids over politics.

I am a mom of a 6th and 4th grader in BUSD. I believe a world-class city like Berkeley, home to one of the top public universities in the country, should have the best public schools in the nation.

But politics and adults have gotten in the way. The status quo resulting from decades of the same entrenched power structure has kept us from reaching our best.

Every scholar deserves to be challenged to their maximum potential.

Whether a student needs individualized support to catch up or advanced coursework to remain engaged, our job is to meet them where they are.

Enrollment is continuing to drop. We need to give families a reason to stay.

We have lost more than 871 students since pre-pandemic. Enrollment is anticipated to go down further. We can’t ignore this.

I am committed to leveraging the abundance of talent and resources we have in Berkeley to give families the confidence that our public schools are poised to meet the demands of the 21st century.

But status quo won’t get us there. We need independent thinkers with fresh ideas who will push politics aside and put students first.

As a longtime youth advocate, I am prepared to do just that. My priorities will be:

  • High Achievement and Outcomes for Every Scholar, with Emphasis on Literacy and Math
    I will advocate giving students what they need to catch up, heal, thrive and excel, with emphasis on strong math and literacy skills and more individualized support.

    I will advocate for small class sizes, high quality curricula and paid time for teacher collaboration and communication with families.

    I will advocate for more clarity and specificity around our children’s academic progress, including when they need support, how to access support and whether those supports are working.

  • Universal and Enriching Afterschool Care
    Everyone should get in to afterschool care if they need it. It is also the perfect place for academic support and enrichment, such as language learning, math and coding, art and science, and college and career preparation.

  • Physical and Mental Wellness for a Healthy Adulthood
    As an educator and fitness coach, I know our students can’t learn if they’re not well, inside and out. I will advocate for PE, swim, mindfulness, counseling and peer to peer mentorship to ensure our scholars grow up to be healthy and productive adults.

“What is best for kids?” will be at the center of all of my decisions. They deserve nothing less.

Will you join me?

Sign up for my newsletter and stay connected with my campaign.

I will champion:

  • Families with children with special needs and learning differences have historically been invisible, their struggle a private one. As a school board member, I will prioritize meeting the needs of these students, including ensuring that BUSD is proactive in communication and collaboration with all caregivers, both through central staff, school site teachers and IEP team.

  • All families want their children to have strong math skills. Math is a universal language all students need to be literate in. But most of us can’t support math learning at home. As a school board member, I will work with BUSD to expand math learning opportunities, like coding, and ensure that every child who needs math support receives it.

  • Physical and mental wellness go hand in hand. PE is a must. Swim is an equity issue. Mental health should be a priority. A feather in our district’s cap is the Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE), a critical link between families, school and supportive services. As a school board member, I will work with the district to expand wraparound services for families and children, including mental health support, and ensure there is dedicated OFEE staff at each BUSD school site.

  • Our everyday teachers and staff are our heroes – they are on the frontlines with our kids. They know our kids’ dreams and fears. They love our kids.

    Students first is not anti-teacher. This is an old, divisive narrative that stifles progress. What’s good for students – more school funding, classroom aides, smaller class sizes, excellent curricula, more prep and collaboration time – are good for teachers. By pitting us against each other, we all lose.

  • There is huge demand for language learning. As 21st century citizens, every child should have the opportunity to be bilingual or trilingual, beginning at a young age. As a school board member, I will work with BUSD to build upon its existing Spanish immersion know-how and expand multilingual opportunities for all students.

  • School hours do not work for modern lives. Enriching afterschool care, which can help close the opportunity gap, is a must. As a school board member, I will support afterschool for all, including increasing pay for afterschool care providers.

  • The future of education is here. As a school board member, I will support investment in flexible delivery methods that can expand access and personalize the learning experience, and digital literacy and infrastructure for central staff and school sites.