Parent who is critical of Rowena Chiu enters school board race

BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer

A parent and teacher’s aide who has criticized board member Rowena Chiu and organized volunteers to watch out for student suicides has filed papers to run for Palo Alto school board.

Linda Henigin, 56, enters the race against two of Chiu’s allies: John Craig and Avery Wang.

Henigin accused Chiu of running a “permanent campaign” at a board meeting on April 22, 2025, because Chiu’s supporters wore campaign t-shirts and brought signs into the boardroom after she was elected in November 2024.

“I hope that this does not become normalized behavior. I hope this board trustee stops campaigning,” Henigin said.

Ethnic studies

Henigin and Chiu disagreed on whether the district should require students to take Ethnic Studies at a contentious board meeting on Jan. 21, 2025.

“As uncomfortable as folks here feel talking about power, our children are hungry for this conversation,” Henigin said.

After the board meeting, Chiu reposted a social media account, Asians Against Wokeness, that called out a Black administrator, who saw racist replies to the post.

Henigin said Chiu’s repost “shredded years of equity work.”

“Failing to condemn it has allowed it to be seen as acceptable behavior,” Henigin said at a meeting on March 11, 2025.

Academics

Henigin encouraged the board to focus on students who aren’t reaching their potential, not parents complaining that academics should be more rigorous. 

She said general education classrooms should be the “default placement” for all students at a meeting on May 13, 2025.

That’s a different philosophy than Henigin’s opponents in the race. Both Craig and Wang have urged the board to allow more advancement by reinstating Multivariable Calculus, a high-level math course.

Henigin said in an email Friday that she’ll do an interview when she officially launches her campaign.

After Gunn High School student Emily Fiedel, 17, died by suicide on the Caltrain tracks on Aug. 9, Henigin helped organize over 100 volunteers to watch crossings.

Volunteers were replaced with security guards after another student — Summer Devi Mehta, 17 — died by suicide at Churchill Avenue on Feb. 3. 

Since then, Henigin has advocated for closing the Churchill crossing. “The train is the loaded gun that goes off 104 times a day,” she told City Council on Wednesday.

Henigin was born in the Bay Area and grew up in Brazil and Hawaii. She received a master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education in New York and taught elementary school in New Jersey from 2003 to 2007, according to her social media.

Two students in district

Henigin has a middle school and high school student in the district and works as an aide at Duveneck Elementary School.

Henigin campaigned for parent Nicole Chiu-Wang, an unsuccessful board candidate in 2022 and 2024.

Henigin is also a board member for Pathwise (formerly DreamCatchers), a nonprofit that offers free after-school programs to middle school students. Chiu-Wang is the executive director.

Henigin is on a nominating committee at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto and the executive board of the Palo Alto Council of PTAs, according to their websites.

Henigin has pushed the city to allow denser housing. She is involved with Indivisible Palo Alto Plus, a group that has marched for immigrant rights and against President Trump.

Related stories

• April 15 — Advanced math advocate jumps into school board race

• March 17 — School board won’t force schools to offer advanced math

• March 5 — Two advocates of advanced math, Leor Melamedov and Avery Wang, considering run for school board

• Dec. 18, 2025 — Advanced math class approved despite opposition from teachers

• Dec. 8, 2025 — Teachers oppose advanced math course

• March 25, 2023 — Lawsuit sparks debate over placement of math students in Palo Alto schools

• Feb. 16, 2023 — Judge faults PAUSD’s policy on math placement