The Alameda Post and League of Women Voters (LWV) of Alameda jointly hosted an Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Governors candidate forum on Monday, October 14, ahead of the upcoming November election. The forum was moderated by Anne McKereghan of LWV of Alameda, and was presented on Zoom. Get more information about the November election from the Alameda Post’s election page.
McKereghan asked the candidates questions that had been solicited ahead of time from the Alameda community. The candidates did not know what the questions would be.
Voters are being asked to choose three candidates from the four who are running:
- Joyce Boyd: CPA, Chairperson of the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee, Board Member of the Alameda PTA Council, Board Member of the Alameda High School PTSA.
- Meleah Hall: Educator with 20 years of experience.
- Heather Little: Incumbent Board of Governors trustee running for reelection, Director of Operations for Alameda Family Services.
- Jennifer Williams: Incumbent Board of Governors President running for reelection, lawyer and Administrative Law Judge for the San Francisco Human Services Agency.
Following are the candidates’ responses on four topics.
School funding and resource allocation
When asked how they would prioritize spending to ensure all students have access to resources including technology, arts, and extracurricular activities, Hall referenced her MA in Information Systems and Technology and talked about using open software and internally designed tech platforms to save money. She also called for advocating for special education services by trying to obtain more state and federal funding.
Little and Williams each spoke about how they brought transparency to School Board budgets and have used data and feedback from the community to make decisions, such as the choice to close Bay Farm Middle School. Little said that AUSD refunneled the money to fund the current full-day kindergarten program. Williams added that the funding also covered the hiring of Shamar Edwards, Program Director of Equity and African American Achievement, as well as a scholar program.
Boyd strongly disagreed with the closing of Bay Farm’s only middle school and said, “One of the promises of our parcel tax is to have neighborhood schools.”
Mental health and school safety
McKereghan asked the candidates what specific policies or programs they would implement to support students’ emotional well-being and ensure safe learning environments. Boyd praised AUSD’s current partnership with nonprofit Alameda Family Services (AFS), their use of federal COVID funding to address mental health issues, and their use of bond money to build fencing around schools.
Hall talked about a school shooting at her high school and referenced her successful 2015 petition to Cal/OSHA to bring workplace violence prevention standards to schools. She added that student engagement is important, as well as safeguarding against the availability and use of fentanyl.
Little emphasized her work with AFS and its partnership with AUSD. She stated that she was “incredibly honored that this Board has continued to demonstrate its dedication to mental health.” Williams added that AUSD updated their anti-bullying policy this year with “better resources in place for victims of bullying and stronger accountability for perpetrators.” She again emphasized the challenges the Board has to make with funding and defended the decision to close Bay Farm Middle School.
Diversity and inclusion in schools
Candidates were then asked what initiatives they would champion to ensure greater diversity among teachers and staff, as well as a more inclusive curriculum. Williams pointed out achievements during her tenure on the Board, such as adding ethnic studies, AP African American studies, and a scholar program to reach struggling kids of color.
Boyd criticized the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), saying it was a for-profit out-of-state program that was failing to provide after school support for students and that many parents were unhappy with the program. She said it was “a miss for the district.”
Hall talked about the importance of retaining BIPOC teachers and hiring teachers who are multilingual. Little emphasized that diversity includes LGBTQ+ students and discussed the Board’s work with an LGBTQ+ liaison to get information and feedback from the community.
She also defended ELOP by acknowledging that there had been “some bumps in the road in the beginning” but that she had received positive feedback and that it was important to offer a free and subsidized after-school learning program.
Voting under age 18, faculty recruitment and retention
McKereghan asked the candidates if they would support a measure to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for members of the school board. All of the candidates resoundingly answered “yes” with the exception of Boyd, who was against it due to the fiscal impact of altering the voting system.
When asked what AUSD could do to provide affordable housing for teachers so they can live in the community, all the candidates pointed to working with the City of Alameda and developers to continue programs like Below Market Rate housing and to create workforce housing. Hall added that she would like to address bias against BIPOC and LGBTQ+ teachers.
Overall, Hall talked about her diverse past teaching experience and success in petitioning for workplace safety, while Williams and Little put up a united front and touted the work they did as incumbent Board members while defending the closing of Bay Farm Middle School. Boyd emphasized fiscal responsibility and criticized ELOP and the closing of Bay Farm Middle School.
Jean Chen is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jean-Chen.
