With five solid candidates for school board, Palo Altans are probably struggling to learn what sets the candidates apart from each other.
All five are all well versed in the issues and controversies associated with the district. They all agreed with the idea that Palo Alto should be able to afford to help struggling students and challenge advanced students at the same time. And they also showed some deference to teachers, saying they’re the experts and their opinions should be heard.
Josh Salcman and Chris Colohan stood out because of their strong interest in the budget. Colohan said he read the entire budget of the district even though it took a couple of weeks, and had some good questions about where the money goes.
Both Salcman and Colohan have served as treasurers in their PTAs. That might not sound like much except it’s a thankless job to manage the fundraising and spending of an all-volunteer nonprofit. You learn all the nuances of nonprofit finance. It’s an excellent training for the school board.
The state Education Code doesn’t give the board much leeway on many matters, but the budget is one of the few things the board has to do well if it wants the funds to carry out all of the endeavors wanted by parents, teachers and students.
When it comes to academics, Salcman is strongly in favor of allowing students to advance in math. He thinks there should be a lot of tests to tell teachers where their students are at, like a weightlifter constantly testing his maximum weight. He doesn’t want to limit the number of Advanced Placement classes a student can take, a position that sets him apart from previous school board members.
Salcman received a bachelor’s degree in ecology & evolutionary biology from Princeton and a master’s in industrial design from Pratt Institute in New York. He’s worked professionally in product strategy and design, was a startup founder and a consultant.
Colohan wants to focus on fifth grade math so there’s less variance between middle school students when it comes to math skills. He’s concerned about the 11% of students who retake algebra in ninth grade. Overall, he wants to expand options in high school.
He’s not against tutoring. He says kids are going to use private tutors to get ahead in math, like his son takes trombone lessons, and that’s OK. Colohan holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon, was an engineer and manager at Google for 10 years, and became a stay-at-home dad when his kids reached school age. He’s volunteered with the Duveneck and Greene PTAs, and even dressed up as Davy the Dragon at special events. Significantly, he’s worked as a substitute at all 12 elementary, three middle and both high schools in the district, giving him a unique perspective in this race.
Our third choice is Rowena Chiu, who is strongly in favor of advancement in math. She wants the “skip tests,” which students use to move up a grade, to be more transparent. She believes multivariable calculus should be offered for high school credit and for kids to be grouped based on their ability.
Chiu is also going to serve as a check-and-balance to superintendent Don Austin. She won’t be a board member who rubber stamps every proposal from the administration. And she’ll listen to parents who, in some cases, have been ignored in the past. Chiu has four kids in the school district, she’s served as JLS Connections board president and Ohlone PTA president. Her academic resume is impressive: A bachelor’s and master’s in English Literature, an MBA in corporate finance, a postgraduate diploma in law, legal practice course and a master of science in international management for China.
As for the two other candidates, we can’t disagree with Alison Kamhi’s stance on student safety issues like gun control. But that shouldn’t be the central focus of a candidate in a district where the community expects the district will provide exceptional academic programs.
Nicole Chiu-Wang is enthusiastic and a fast learner. We were concerned about her belief that offering advanced classes creates academic pressure and stress. We don’t think the district ought to limit choices based on a belief that the students who voluntarily choose more rigorous courses will somehow be harmed by the challenge. That said, Chiu-Wang would certainly be capable of being a contributing member of the school board.
The community has five good candidates in this race. It was a close call, but we’re pleased to recommend Josh Salcman, Chris Colohan and Rowena Chiu.