July 14, 2020:
I have been asked by several people for my position on the reopening of our schools. First, let me say I would like nothing more than to have all our students back in school full-time; however, we have to weigh all of the data and concerns from parents, teachers, students, and staff to make an informed decision. Since there is so much uncertainty, I believe starting the year with hybrid or full remote learning options is the best compromise to allow a review of student and staff performance along with ensuring that there is not an increase in cases. It’s important that we are flexible in returning to full-time once we have more information as we move forward. By the same token, we must be ready to move to fully remote if it is mandated.
July 14, 2020:
I have some concerns about today’s SRVUSD board meeting regarding how the decisions came about and what transpired during the meeting:
• It has come to my attention that a certain board member communicated to parents that the biggest obstacle to having five days of in-person instruction is the teacher’s union (SRVEA). This is highly inflammatory and politicizes the issue. Placing blame on the teacher’s union is not in the best interest of our community.
• It felt like the survey from the teachers’ union (SRVEA) was presented in the meeting almost as an afterthought. Their feelings and opinions about returning to school are extremely important and should weigh heavily in any decision. Some board members did not seem to remember that.
• Six hours is too long for this type of meeting and could have been handled more efficiently. It is up to the Board President to control the meeting and that did not happen.
• The manner and tone of questioning by President Marvel of the Superintendent in reference to remote learning versus full-time in-person learning were inappropriate and bullying.
July 19, 2020
It has been amazing seeing parents, teachers, and staff express their concerns and opinions via surveys, emails, and social media. It makes me proud to be a part of this community and even more excited to fight for those concerns and opinions when you elect me as a fresh voice on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (“SRVUSD”) School Board.
Now that the Governor has mandated full distance learning for counties on the watch list, it is time to buckle down and get to work. We must now collaborate and create a quality distance learning program for our students that lives up to our community's high expectations. I believe that such a program needs to address, among other things, equity, learning loss, social/emotional support, and high academic standards. My priority is the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff. My second priority is to return students to full-time in-class instruction as soon as deemed safe.
However, my campaign is not about one issue. There are so many other issues that I am passionate about. If you would like to learn more about these or ask me questions, please attend my next virtual Meet and Greet this Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Get to know me better so that we can talk about the important issues facing our district. Please help me spread the word by donating to my campaign. Let’s do this together!
July 24, 2020
The Meet and Greet was a great success! I posted some videos of my answers to various questions on my YouTube Channel. I'll be adding more soon. Please keep an eye out for my next Meet and Greet.
July 24, 2020
My campaign was announced on Daville Express and Danville Patch.
Local businesswoman and community leader Shelley Clark has announced her candidacy for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education, campaigning on a platform to bring transparency and trust back to the district. Local businesswoman Shelley Clark has announced her candidacy for the SRVUSD Board of Education, District 2. (Photo courtesy Shelley Clark).
In addition to rebuilding trust between the board and community-at-large, Clark said she will bring a fresh voice to a stagnant governing board while also prioritizing fiscal accountability.
Clark is seeking to represent her fellow residents in SRVUSD's District 2, which primarily encompasses central and eastern Danville including the San Ramon Valley High School and Monte Vista neighborhoods.
“It is time for new leadership," Clark said in a statement launching her campaign.
We need a fresh voice that will repair the trust of the community and bring everyone together to achieve our common goals, especially in this time of crisis. That is not happening now. My priority is increased fiscal accountability and transparency within the district and from the board,” Clark added. “If I am elected, I will do that.”
A resident of Danville for more than 30 years, Clark said after weighing the decision to run, she was inspired to throw her hat into the ring due to concerns over the “way the current school board was making financial and educational decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“As a proud resident of Danville, I am troubled by some of the recent decisions made by this board and the lack of transparency," she added. "I have a proven record of advocating for students, parents, and teachers. Community members and organizations trust me. If elected, I will continue to advocate for those voices.”
An active member of the SRVUSD community, Clark said over the past 12 years she has contributed to the district in a variety of ways including helping raise more than $400,000 a year, advocating for building more than 200 parking spaces at San Ramon Valley High, and advocating for the preservation the seventh (“A” or “Zero”) period for high schools.
She was also one of the founding members of the Challenge Success program at SRVHS, a program that supports student well-being and engagement with learning.
Serving the district in a variety of leadership levels, Clark has worked as a PTA and Booster Group president at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and has chaired a variety of committees in her children's schools -- she has had two children go through the SRVUSD -- including school registration and Grad Night at SRVHS.
She also served as chairperson on the SRVUSD Parcel Tax Oversight Committee and vice-chair of the Facilities Oversight Committee, which she says has given her great insight into the inner workings of district finances. In her professional career, she has worked for several years as a human resources/finance manager, giving her further financial insight.
Previously vetted by the board, Clark was one of four finalists for the board seat left vacated by Denise Jennison in 2018 -- an at-large seat that would eventually be won by sitting board member Susanna Ordway.
Nov. 3 will serve as SRVUSD's first district-based election, since transitioning from the previous method of at-large voting for board members last year. Clark will be competing against incumbent Greg Marvel, who is seeking a sixth term on the board.
July 26, 2020
As you may know, the campaign is now a race as the incumbent has confirmed he is running. The next three months are going to be critical if I am to win this election. I want to thank those of you who have already contributed to my campaign and those of you who are on my campaign team. I could not do this without you! Getting the word out takes money, and we are over a third of the way there to raising the $10,000 we need.
If you would like to support me, here’s how you can help:
-Share campaign posts on Facebook, social media and with family and friends
-Connect me with community organizations who I can meet with via Zoom
-Check out my website at www.shelleyforsrvusd.com
-Contribute $ to my campaign. Here is the link.
-Sign up to volunteer on the campaign. There will be lots to do soon!
Thank you for your support. Feel free to contact me with any questions or requests. Let’s do this together!
July 27, 2020
You are invited to a Lunchtime Meet and Greet.
When: Aug 5, 2020, 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckce6hqDIpG93IWAvfNDuAmwz8a7bGmIGV
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
August 6, 2020:
I was asked some questions on another page and I wanted to post my answers on this page as well.
Caroline Song, thank you for your questions. I have held several successful Virtual Meet and Greets that allowed stakeholders the opportunity to ask me questions like this directly. I will try to answer these as succinctly as possible, however, I hope that you and others will join me in my next Meet and Greet August 19th at 7:30 p.m. to discuss these and other questions. You can go to my website at https://www.shelleyforsrvusd.com/ or click https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZ0vdu... to register for the event and find out more about me.
(1) what has been your direct involvement with the schools in this district (outside of being a parent of course)?
Educational Volunteer Experience/Accomplishments:
-Chair (2009-2010-2011) Bid for Kids, Auction and Gala, John Baldwin Elementary (Raised over $400,000 over three years)
-President (2010) John Baldwin PTA, John Baldwin Elementary School
-President (2011-2012-2013) Charger Education Fund, Charlotte Wood Middle School
-Registration Chair (2012-2013), Charlotte Wood Middle School (Instituted the first online registration system at Charlotte Wood)
-President (2015-2016) PTSA, San Ramon Valley High School
-Registration Chair (2015-2016-2017-2018), San Ramon Valley High School (Instituted the first online registration system at SRVHS)
-Executive Vice President (2017-2018) PTSA, San Ramon Valley High School
-Vice President (2018) 21st Century Learning Foundation, San Ramon Valley High School
-Member at Large (2015-2016-2017-2018) Academic Boosters, San Ramon Valley High School
Other Positions Held at San Ramon Valley High School:
-Site Council Member (2016-2017-2018)
-Founding member of the Challenge Success Team (2016-2017-2018)
-Booster Council Member (2015-2016-2017-2018)
-Member of Parent Advisory Group (2016-2017)
-Graduation Seating Coordinator (2015-2016-2017)
-Grad Night Chair (2018)
-Grad Night Chair (2020)
San Ramon Valley Unified School District Service Positions:
-Committee Member (2016) SRVUSD Homework Committee
-Chairperson (2016-2017-2018) Parcel Tax Oversight Committee
-Member and Design Chair (2016-2017) Facilities Oversight Committee
-Vice Chair and Design Chair (2018) Facilities Oversight Committee
-Committee Member (2018) SRVUSD Community Action Group for Cultural Responsiveness
Awards:
-SRVEF Shining Star Awards:
---Charlotte Wood (C. George) 2014
---SRVHS (R. Steele) 2016
---SRVHS (J. Krolikowski) 2018
-PTSA Honorary Service Award (2016-2017)
-PTSA Golden Oak Service Award (2018)
(2) are you in favor of full back in person vs hybrid vs full remote in reopening our schools with the current Covid numbers, testing and tracing ability of the county, etc?
I want our children, teachers, and staff to be back in school as soon as safely possible, however, to date, we do not have the capabilities to fulfill the County and State-wide requirements imposed on our schools and school district. I believe it is imperative to be consistently working towards the goal of reopening our schools; but in the meantime, we need to continue to support our teachers and staff members so that they can provide safe quality education that our students deserve.
(3) did you or do you currently have a child in the public schools of this district?
My oldest, Alexandria, graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in 2007 and my son, Keagan, graduated from SRV in 2018. I have been active in this district for many years and have developed deep ties to the parent community, as well as teachers and administrators.
(4 a) if you did have children in our district in the past, when and for what grades and what was your biggest accomplishment demonstrating your support and advocacy for this public district/schools/teachers?
Here are a few I am most proud of in elementary, middle and high school:
Elementary School (John Baldwin)
-Raised over $400,000 as Auction Chair for the Cougar Education Foundation (2009-2010-2011), which provided funding for paras, as well as the art and science teachers.
-Middle School (Charlotte Wood)
-Successfully created the first online registration process that is still utilized today.
-Raised funds to put more technology into the hands of students and teachers.
High School (San Ramon Valley):
-Successfully created the first fully integrated online registration system that is still utilized today
-Graduate of Ed 100 (2018)
-Successfully advocated for over 200 additional parking spaces on the SRVHS campus (2016)
-Successfully advocated to preserve the 7th period for the high schools (2018)
-Worked to develop the new bell schedule at SRVHS to alleviate student stress
-Helped to develop the “Problem Solving Matrix” that helps parents navigate issues at school
(4 b) if you currently do have children in our district, what are your plans for your kids in the soon to be remote learning environment? Specifically, will you be supporting the districts remote curriculum, or will you be doing a homeschooling curriculum or will you be hiring “teachers” for pods, etc? Trying to gauge just how much actual in real life support each candidate has for the front-line teachers and schools of this public-school district.
I do not have children in school currently at SRVUSD. However, my son recently graduated from San Ramon Valley High School, and I have empathy for all parents who are faced with this unique and daunting task. I have proven a track record of supporting our students and teachers at every level and continue to do so in the development of remote learning strategies until we can safely return to school.
(5) in one sentence, what distinguishes you from the other candidates?
I am a parent and a proven leader experienced in ALL levels of public education.
August 12, 2020
SRVUSD, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
Join me Wednesday, August 26th for my first Virtual Town Hall Meeting. The first item on my Platform for Change for San Ramon Valley Unified School District ("SRVUSD") Board of Education is Increased Transparency and Communication.
Institutions thrive when there is a transparent and trusting relationship with the stakeholders who support that institution. It is clear that there is a need for increased transparency around the development of the educational priorities of the SRVUSD” and the way in which the SRVUSD Board of Education (“Board”) decisions are being made on behalf of our children. To improve this relationship and build trust, I believe that the Board members must take the following steps:
• Actively engage with all stakeholders and provide complete access to pertinent information when making important decisions;
• Increase communication, community engagement, and collaboration with stakeholders;
• Establish a transparent superintendent selection process that includes public forums, public interviews, and public comment;
• Live stream all Board meetings;
• Create programs to educate parents about the Board and increase awareness of Board decisions;
• Develop procedures to assess the effectiveness of leaders in the district office and our schools; and
• Establish a democratically elected student advisory council.
I will be sending a survey soon about your child's experience with week 1 of Remote Learning. Please fill out the survey and I will disclose the results at the Town Hall Meeting. Also, bring your questions and concerns and let your voice be heard!
August 20, 2020
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