Written by Isha Sinha
As the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education faces more criticism from the community than ever before, local community members turn to the new board candidates as a source of change. The newest election will determine the future of PAUSD and the fate of many controversial issues in recent years — from multivariable calculus to mental health and transparency within the district. Three of the candidates- Rowena Chiu, Josh Salcman and Alison Kamhi- are endorsed by the Palo Alto Teachers Union (PAEA) and represent the strongest hope for change regarding teacher pay and salary. Their priorities include incorporating student voices within board decisions, strengthening bullying prevention resources, and increasing support for neurodivergent students.
A key focus of the election revolves around how to better support students within Palo Alto’s high-pressure environment. Despite recent mental health implementations- such as increasing the number of therapists at school and creating campus spaces dedicated to providing students a break- data from the 2023-2024 Student Healthy Kids Survey for Secondary Schools highlights that 7 percent of students have contemplated a suicide plan in the past 12 months. With student mental health still being one of the most pressing issues in the PAUSD district, the new board members must continue to push for an agenda that prioritizes healthier student wellness.
In regards to mental health, Chiu said she believes there’s a prevailing myth in the district that depression is caused by academic acceleration, "Before we think about practical solutions, I think we need to understand that the path to depression and suicide is more complex than our current understanding," Chiu said. “My first priority would be to move away from the simplistic idea that mental health, or rather the propensity to suicide is hinged entirely on academic acceleration”
Salcman has publicly expressed wanting to involve community organizations to holistically improve student well-being. "I think what I have is an openness and a commitment to partnering with the city, community groups and religious organizations," he said. "But to me, the overarching goal is a few things. Number one is to start early. Waiting until middle or high school before we start offering services is too late. I think at that point it's basically a band aid.”
Kamhi hopes to advance the current board’s mental health initiatives, and further build flexibility for students to take mental health breaks within the school day. "There have been great strides made by the current and previous boards in addressing mental health," Kamhi said. "I want to push those further, and normalize that it is okay to feel stressed and get help."
In addition to mental health, the election is significantly influenced by the topic of math lane removal in secondary high schools. The removal of Multivariable Calculus last year sparked outrage from the public, and the PAUSD board justified the decision based on principles of racial equity and reducing pressure to take Multivariable Calculus (MVC) solely for college admission appeal. The five candidates have varying viewpoints on the MVC situation, however the JAR candidates hope for the class to be reinstated.
Chiu believes students should be offered as much autonomy as possible regarding their math lane, and provided better educational support for students in lower laned classes. "If you want to take multivariable calculus, and you are the kind of student that has a propensity and the aptitude to take multivariable calculus, I don't think it the purview of the school district to stop that from happening, and therefore I think it's a class that should be offered on campus,“ Chiu said.
Salcman wants Multivariable Calculus to be offered on the high school campuses, and advocates for greater transparency regarding lane options. “I think I need to understand better how we got to the place that we're at now,” Salcman said. “There still seems to be a lack of clarity around what the current options are. I don't feel comfortable with options that require students to make decisions like having to give up their extracurricular activities. So I think we need to find some sort of solution that doesn't involve that kind of difficult choice for students."
One concern surrounding MVC´s removal is the excessive number of math lanes in PAUSD high schools, which splits school resources and often leaves students in lower math lanes behind. As for how to better support students in lower math lanes, Chiu hopes to revert the question back to the students and families of the students. "I think one of the mistakes the district has made thus far, and the reason why a large number of parents and students and teachers feel disenfranchised is that, often the district imposes a solution without proper consultation with the community," she said.
Alongside the general topics the public emphasizes, each of the candidates has particular focuses within various aspects of student life. Kamhi pushes for a greater emphasis on cell phone usage and student safety on campus. "What I would want to do is make a real data driven decision about how to think purposefully about the use of screens during schools, " she said.
Regarding bullying prevention, Kamhi wants the board to better prioritize student safety. “This (implementing student voice in discussing bullying prevention) can be done through surveys,” she said. “It could be done through listening sessions. It can be done through talking with folks who have experienced bullying themselves, as well as people who have been labeled a bully.”
For Salcman, a major priority is to increase support for neurodivergent students. "I think what we need to do is make sure that we're prioritizing things like attracting and retaining the best possible classroom aides, especially aides that work with our special ED students,” he said.
Salcman believes that the board should put more focus on individual student academic careers, rather than holistically. "To me, what's really important is making sure we understand our students and that we meet them where they're at," Salcman said.
Ultimately, each candidate in the upcoming election has their own priorities and viewpoints on controversial issues. Kamhi believes that her past as a Legal Program Director distinguishes her from the other candidates. "I'm talking about safety and broadly defined, and I think I'm the only one talking about it,” she said. “I also represented kids, so know what it's like to fight for kids in court,”
All three of the PAEA-endorsed candidates are recognized for their strong commitment towards driving change within the PAUSD district, and Rowena takes pride in her contribution. "I am probably the most pro-change and pro-merit of all the current PAEA-endorsed candidates," Chiu said.
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