Santa Clara County Voter's Guide On Children's Issues

City of Mountain View

Devon Conley

https://www.devonconley.com/

I am running for city council because I believe family-friendly city planning benefits not just families, but everyone. In the classroom and on the school board, I’ve spent the last 22 years working with children and families at the intersection of education and city policy. I know that investing in our kids today is an investment in our future.

  1. Over 80% of voters polled say they want elected officials to prioritize children and families. What are the top three issues affecting our children and families and how will you make our region a place where all families can thrive?

    I have loved serving on our public school board since 2018, but each day I see where the needs of our children extend beyond the classroom and are tied to our larger community’s well-being. My priorities are to: 1) create thriving neighborhoods by encouraging family-friendly housing, enhancing parks and open space, and expanding access to childcare; 2) prioritize public safety by supporting our emergency responders, improving bike and pedestrian safety, and adapting to climate change; and, 3) ensure a healthy community by revitalizing small businesses, rebuilding community connections through recreation programming and celebrations, and connecting everyone to the Internet.

  2. High quality childcare improves school readiness and parents' workforce participation. What will you do to improve access to high quality childcare and preschool programs in our diverse communities?

    Expanding access to childcare is a priority for me. Land and facilities are scarce, but we can form creative partnerships to increase childcare availability. I will advocate for the inclusion of childcare facilities in new developments, for example as the city has done at the 87 East Evelyn Avenue project. Currently, I am a school board Trustee. Our district runs a preschool program with partial state funding that we expanded this year to include prorated spots for staff and full day childcare slots. The District leased two preschool sites to Google for years, but Google recently closed the sites. The City and the District could partner to expand childcare access at these sites.

  3. Much of the student achievement gap has been linked to the opportunity gap that children in low-income families and children of color confront (e.g., lack of access to healthy food, preschool, tutors, and enrichment activities). If elected, what will you do to increase equity of opportunity?

    33% of MVWSD’s students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, which for a family of four means earning $55,500 or less. Mountain View’s Housing Element, adopted in 2023, calls for over 2,700 very low income housing units, which the school district’s families would qualify for. Building very low income housing units is challenging, but the most important part of our Housing Element. We need to creatively partner and pull down diverse funding streams to get this housing built. On the school board, I supported our Workforce Housing project that opens in 2025 with 123 affordable housing units. It is an example of a creative partnership between the district, the city, and the developer.

  4. What steps will you take to improve inclusion and outcomes for children with disabilities and their families in our community?

    When I served on our city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, I voted in support of building an inclusive “Magical Bridge” playground, which is now under construction. We can do more to ensure our community events, spaces, and programs are inclusive. Children with disabilities deserve the support and accommodations they need to participate in our broader community. Similar to our school district, our Human Relations Commission and our library could undertake ability awareness training and education for our broader community. We can also evaluate future development for inclusive design. A simple request I hear time and again from parents is the need to fence playgrounds, for example.

  5. If elected, how will you use the resources of your new role to improve children's well-being and access to mental and behavioral health services?

    I would love to bring an allcove center, serving youth 12-25, to Mountain View to offer mental and physical health services, peer and family support, and services around substance use. Santa Clara County currently supports an allcove Center in Palo Alto, but it is challenging for our young people to get there. The City has started to accept community oriented spaces as part of the community benefits package for new development. This provides an opportunity to build a space dedicated to youth and to work with the County to expand allcove programming to Mountain View.