As School Board Director, with a son in our public schools, I have a personal as well as a moral commitment to make sure that our schools are the best they can be – even in these difficult economic times. I have a proven track record of building bridges to unite our diverse school communities around academic success for all students, whether they are struggling, at grade level, or academically gifted. And, in a time of State takeaways, I have maintained core academic programs and student support systems through sound fiscal management and creative partnerships with the City, local colleges, and community groups.

During the past four years, I have:

■ Committed to academic excellence and the highest educational opportunities for our students by supporting the creation of International Baccalaureate and Green Academy programs at Berkeley High and the college-bound program at Berkeley Technical Academy (B-Tech); championed the 2020 Vision by leading the adoption of the first District-wide student achievement plan to close the opportunity gap through early and consistent intervention, 21^st Century curriculum and teacher training, use of data/evaluation, and the transformative belief that all students are born learners; and established a reputation as thoughtfully hearing all voices before making decisions.

If re-elected, my priorities for the next four years will be to:

■ Maintain core academic programs and student support services despite continued economic challenges; build upon our successes in bridging the achievement gap through use of data/evaluation and family/community partnerships; work with the City to combat truancy and alcohol/drug use among our secondary students; establish a District-wide disciplinary system that stresses prevention and restorative justice; develop strong math/science and technical programs to ready our students for the social and economic challenges of the 21^st Century.

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Partial List of Endorsers (individual affiliations listed for identification purposes only)

Organizations: Berkeley Federation of Teachers; Alameda County Central Labor Council; Green Party; John George Democratic Party; Wellstone Democratic Party

Individuals: State Senator Loni Hancock; State Assemblymember Nancy Skinner; Supervisor Keith Carson ; Mayor Tom Bates; Councilmembers: Max Anderson; Jesse Arreguin; Laurie Capitelli; Linda Maio; Susan Wengraf; Kris Worthington; and Gordon Wozniak; School Board Directors: Shirley Issel; Beatriz Levya-Cutler; Nancy Riddle; and John Selawsky; Community Members: Dan Lindheim, President: BSEP Planning and Oversight Committee; Judy Appel, Executive Director, Our Family Coalition; Father George Crespin; Carol Lashof, Michael Miller, and Irma Parker.