BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto school board candidate Josh Salcman says there’s a pattern in the district where parents don’t feel involved in decisions, and they get upset at Superintendent Don Austin.
“The topics are changing, but we’re still getting the same sort of cycle,” said Salcman, one of five candidates running for three spots on the school board.
Controversies in the district have popped up regarding what after-school programs should be offered, what school special education students should attend, third-grade reading curriculum, math advancement and most recently, whether girls and boys should have separate bathrooms at Hoover Elementary School’s new campus.
Board members could take some of the heat off Austin by making themselves available, Salcman said.
“Helping people understand the way the district makes decisions — that has to be something we can do a better job of … So if people want to provide input on topics of concern, they know how to do that, they feel free to do that, they feel like their input is being welcomed,” Salcman said in an interview.
Austin has been effective as a manager around the operations and finances of the district, and principals feel supported by him, Salcman said. “He’s doing a pretty good job,” Salcman said. “It’s a difficult position. He’s a lightning rod for people who are upset about all sorts of things.”
Austin can improve his demeanor by presenting an engaged, warm and thoughtful face, Salcman said.
“It’s sort of a vibes issue,” he said.
Salcman, 48, said his experience raising his 9-year-old son with autism helps him understand why people might be upset.
“Having been through this experience has made me very attuned to how every person is different in terms of the way see the world, what’s important to them, the way they think, the way they express themselves,” Salcman said.
Salcman has kids at Gunn High School, Nixon Elementary School and Synapse School in Menlo Park. He’s started a couple of companies and worked as a product designer before becoming a full-time dad six years ago.
Salcman said he doesn’t want to limit access to advanced classes, and he hasn’t seen evidence that having them would hurt student’s mental health. Some students are “actual geniuses” and can take on an absurd amount of AP courses, he said.
At the same time, a lot of students feel stressed because they’re being held to unrealistic standards around grades and college admissions. It’s common for students to ask each other what score they got on a test, Salcman said.
“If we can make changes at the community culture level, and the student interaction level, I suspect that will have at least as much impact on students’ mental health and level of anxiety in high school as something like limiting how many AP classes they can take,” Salcman said.
To address students who are struggling, Salcman wants the district to provide more nutritious meals, transportation and spaces to do homework.
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