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Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
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Friday, October 25, 2024 Volume 62, Issue 2
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Future of Palo Alto: PAUSD school board candidates outline their priorities, qualifications for November election Yael Gottesman Lifestyle editor
Nicole Chiu-Wang
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, five candidates will run in an election for PAUSD’s Board of Education. The board consists of five members elected by Palo Alto residents to serve four-year terms. Elections are held on even-numbered years and designed to be staggered to ensure that two to three seats are open at each election. This year, three positions will become available as the terms of Board President Jesse Ladomirak and Board Members Todd Collins and Jennifer DiBrienza expire — Board Members Shana Segal and Shounak Dharap will remain on board until 2026.
Following her previous school board candidacy in 2022, Nicole Chiu-Wang continued her education advocacy work for PAUSD through DreamCatchers — a nonprofit that supports socioeconomically disadvantaged middle school students in Palo Alto. Running for school board again, Chiu-Wang wants to focus on equity for all students and emphasizes the importance of community engagement. Chiu-Wang began advocating for education while tutoring middle school students at an Asian American community group in Fountain Valley. She continued to work in education by helping graduate students design a curriculum that is used by over 2000 students. “Seeing the opportunity gap firsthand motivated me to take action,” Chiu-Wang said. “With early childhood education, you can see the inequities there. It galvanized me to think about things like, ‘How can I try to close the gap?’” As a mother of two young children, Chiu-Wang believes it is critical to invest in early childhood education because it creates pathways for later success in high school. She also aims to improve on the highly stigmatized mental health services in schools. To tackle these goals, Chiu-Wang believes that smaller group discussions will give people more opportunities to participate and feel comfortable. “Whenever we roll something out, we need to think about the intended consequences and the unintended consequences. How do we — because we are a public school district — how do we serve all these students?” she said. Chiu-Wang has often observed a lack of trust and transparent communication between the district and parents. While she acknowledges that effective communication can be challenging due to the district’s size, she believes that equipping principals with better tools to connect with parents could help address this issue. “When we improve communication, we can diminish anxiety and foster a stronger community connection,” Chiu-Wang said. With experience working with students of all ages, Chiu-Wang is advocating for comprehensive solutions that prioritize the well-being and success of every student in the district. “We have the power to shape the future of our schools, and I want to ensure every voice is heard in that process.”
Rowena Chiu As the parent of four children in PAUSD, Rowena Chiu is running for a seat on the school board with a mission that, “every child must grow.” Previously serving as JLS Connections Board President and Parent Teacher Association president at Ohlone Elementary, Chiu is determined to reflect the needs of the communities that PAUSD represents. She has worked and volunteered in Palo Alto classrooms since 2009 and has taught disadvantaged youth across Africa, Asia, and inner-city London, where she taught filmmaking to high school dropouts at a media center. “The idea that you would bring diverse voices around the table … (and) actually genuinely try and weave in the concerns of people who are in many different places about an issue and try to find a solution that is best for the greatest good,” she said. “I also think something very basic has been lacking in terms of our consensus building (is) any basic negotiation and bargaining, you come to the table, but you’re not going to walk away from the table with everything you want.” Chiu aims to pr ior itize communication, education, and evidence-based problem-solving to enhance safety for students and teachers. Beyond academic achievement, Chiu prioritizes mental health support, believing that clear mental health is extremely complex and deep rooted because it stems from an individual’s background and experiences. “We need to equip high school teachers with much more training about identifying depression and mental health at an earlier stage, before suicide, and all sorts of stuff,” she said. “(Depression) is not a person going around openly crying. It could be a person who’s very quiet. It could be a person who’s acting out in anger. It could be a person who’s deeply anxious, and worried.” Chiu began her journey in local politics by advocating for the needs of the Special Education community, with a drive to de-stigmatize SpEd and ensuring that students and teachers receive and promote transparency in budget decisions. As the election approaches, Chiu is focused on creating a small divide of transparency and inclusivity within the district, advocating for a collaborative approach to decision-making that values all voices. “I would love to look at whether or not we can celebrate diversity, not everybody is going to be good at math and stem, so a broader approach to what one can thrive in would be a healthier approach,” she said.
Chris Colohan
Sof t ware engineer Chr is Colohan found inspiration to run for school board elections after five years of involvement in the Parent Teacher Association as treasurer and co-president. For many years, the stay-at-home dad also spent a lot of time with students in classrooms. Colohan substituted for various grade levels across all Palo Alto schools, including Gunn. “It is crazy to run for the board,” he said. “It is a circus. There’s all sorts of politics around it, but that’s okay because it’s incredibly important, and it really matters. It really has a large impact in the long term on all of our kids, and that’s what I really care about.” Candidates—p.2
AT A GLANCE: CANDIDATES SUMMARIZE PLATFORMS Rowena Chiu “I’m running on a platform of ‘Every Child Must Grow’, advocating that the district should meet the needs of all of its diverse learners. I also prioritize mental health and special education. Finally, I am calling for greater transparency in the district’s interactions with parents, students and teachers.” Nicole Chiu-Wang “(My) campaign is centered on (my) commitment to ensuring that all students thrive, drawing from(my) extensive experience in community service and advocacy for marg ina lized groups. (I) emphasiz(e)… creating an inclusive environment where every student can reach their full potential.” Chris Colohan “(I) am a subst it ute teacher, experienced manager, long-time PTA leader, and parent of two kids in the district. In addition to bringing strong governance skills and experience to the table, (I) will focus on improving elementary school math, rebuilding trust, and making the district’s budget accessible and clear to all.”
Alison Kamhi “I am the mom of two PAUSD children, a Stanford and Harvard Law graduate, a public interest attorney and an active volunteer. My c a mpa ig n pr ior it ie s a re ac adem ic opp or t u n it ie s for all, mental and physical safety and belonging, and trust and transparency.”
Josh Salcman “I’m running to be a Trustee of the Palo Alto School District because I believe every student deserves an opportunity to thrive. My priorities include promoting both excellence and equity, building a culture of trust and transparency, and making sure our students feel safe, supported and included.” —Compiled by Yael Gottesman Photos by Vin Bhat