Why me

Every candidate in this race will tell you they support our schools. The difference is what we think the job is.

Some will say the district is doing well and needs a light touch. I think the district tests well, and that those are different things. A high score tells you a child can perform on a given day; it doesn't tell you whether they're curious, confident, resilient, or well. I want a board that asks that second question as seriously as the first.

Some will say parents should be more involved, and mean that our professional skills are a resource the district could tap. I mean something else: parents belong in the room when decisions are made about their own children, not consulted after the fact and not treated as a checkbook. Orinda families give generously. What we haven't been offered is a real seat at the table.

Some will run on experience and continuity. I respect that, and I'm not running against anyone's record. But the questions that matter most for our youngest kids, like what a screen-saturated childhood does to a developing brain, are questions the current approach hasn't answered clearly, and the research isn't waiting for us. Districts from Los Angeles to Sweden are already acting. I'd like Orinda to be a leader here, not a follower.

I'm offering a different set of priorities: transparency about how and why decisions get made, real two-way communication with families, and a commitment to protecting the early years for hands-on learning. That's it. And it's what I'll bring to every vote.