Sequoia Union High School District

Meet the Candidates for Sequoia Union High School District's School Board

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Innovate Public Schools is a nonprofit community organization that builds the leadership and capacity of parents and educators across California and nationwide to realize the excellent, equitable public school systems that our children deserve.

We created this voter guide to help you make your vote count for kids this election.

As a nonprofit 501c3, Innovate Public Schools cannot and does not endorse candidates.

Sequoia Union High School District School Board

The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees oversees five public high schools in the region serving 9,700 students in 9-12th grade. The board consists of five members elected by district to four-year terms.

Three seats are up for election. Two candidates are running unopposed. In Area C, voters can choose one of three candidates.

What does a school board do?

School boards will decide when and how schools reopen. Their top responsibilities include setting the vision and goals of the district, adopting policies in line with those goals, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, approving the annual budget, approving or denying new charter schools and deciding whether existing charter schools can stay open, and being accountable to the public for providing a great public education for all students.

Area B

Carrie B. Du Bois

Carrie has served as a school board trustee since 2005, when she was elected to the San Carlos Elementary School District board. In 2011, she ran for and won a seat on the Sequoia Union High School District board to advocate for high-risk youth, blend communities and continue her work to improve outcomes for ALL students. Her passion for education issues comes from 12 years of advocacy for foster youth, her two decades of involvement with the Rosalie Rendu Center of East Palo Alto, and many other community projects related to children and youth. More recently, Carrie has helped to stimulate community conversations about mental health and trauma that affect student learning.

Area C

Georgia Solkov Jack

In my first term on the SUHSD board, I prioritized ensuring every student receives an academically challenging and supportive educational experience; addressing and correcting systematic inequalities; and providing health, mental health, and special education services.

If reelected, I will collaborate with fellow trustees, teachers, parents, and staff to address the unprecedented challenge we face with COVID-19: how to educate and support students in the face of mandated physical distancing. In particular I will focus on ensuring students have what they need – including devices and internet connections – to learn off campus.

I will prioritize working with the full SUHSD community to maintain instructional and operational continuity, and to transition to on-campus learning quickly and efficiently, once it is safe to do so. Georgiajack2020.org

Shamar Edwards

I am the proud mother of two middle schoolers and a transformational school leader with 20 years of experience in public education. I grew up in Los Angeles (but I cheer for the Warriors too). I have served as a teacher in Los Angeles and Oakland, and as an administrator in Castro Valley, San Bruno and Menlo Park. I am currently a public school principal in Sunnyvale where I am proud to be leading trauma informed restorative justice programs. I have a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from USC, a Masters in Education Administration with an emphasis in Social Justice from Berkeley, and a Masters in Negotiation Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding, from CSU Dominguez Hills.

Rich Ginn

I was elected to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District governing board in 2010 while my children were enrolled there and served for eight years, including two years as board president.

My son is currently enrolled at Menlo-Atherton High School. I’m a public elementary and high school graduate - then I earned a BA in Economics and an MS in Engineering at Stanford and my MBA at UCLA. I will bring my years of school board experience along with my training as an engineer and as an MBA to the tough issues facing the Sequoia Union High School District.

I’d be honored to earn your vote. With your support, I’ll work tirelessly to help improve our local public schools.

Area E

Shawneece Stevenson

As a proud parent of three Ravenswood School District graduates, two of whom currently attend Menlo-Atherton, I am passionate about quality education for all students. I believe in equity and supporting diverse learners, especially those with learning differences and special needs. Over the years, I have taken an active role in the district, including serving on the Menlo-Atherton Foundation Board, and working closely with Black Student Union clubs at Menlo-Atherton and Sequoia High Schools helping students use their voice for advocacy. I also recently served on the district’s school re-opening taskforce. As a social worker serving our community, I value multiple perspectives to find solutions to complex problems such as those facing our district.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawneece-stevenson-msw-54b57b6/

www.Shawneece.com