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

Palo Alto Unified School District

Rowena Chiu

https://www.voterowena.com/

Every Child Must Grow. I believe Palo Alto Unified School District should meet the needs of all PAUSD students, whether accelerated or struggling. Every child deserves appropriate academic placement; to feel safe - academically, emotionally and physically; and to thrive in their schools. Every family deserves a voice in decisions which impact them.

  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?

    (1) Differentiated Classrooms: There’s been a move to resist differentiation and teach to the middle and I believe this has been harmful to children at both ends of the academic and learning spectrum.
    (2) Mental Health: Palo Alto has experienced a mental health pandemic, with “suicide clusters”. Youth mental health is a matter of utter priority. We can do more to understand underlying reasons.
    (3) Special Education: The needs of our most vulnerable students are diminished and marginalized, because the SpEd community is small in number, but needs significant attention and resources, so that every child in the district can grow and thrive not just neurotypical students in mainstream education.

  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?

    All four of my children attended wonderful preschool programs on the Greendell School Campus. If elected I would bring back: (a) accessible and affordable preschool options for the entire community, but especially historically underserved communities; (b) inclusive classrooms for both neurodiverse and neurotypical students so that children can learn early on about all kinds of diversity (including but not limited to: economic status, race, and thought, etc.); increase funding, not only to equip classrooms and teachers with physical supplies, but also social-emotional supplies (e.g. training in anti-racism and latest in early childhood development research, etc.) to enable students to thrive.

  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?

    In my professional capacity, I work on poverty alleviation at the World Bank, so I care deeply about equity of opportunity. With regards to this school district, I would implement the following for historically under-represented students: (a) academic scarcity: offer free after-school homework clubs and free tutoring; (b) enrichment scarcity: offer vouchers for enrichment activities, such as after-school sports; (c) food scarcity: continue free breakfast and lunch options. Additionally, I would offer mandatory anti-racism and unconscious bias workshops for parents, students, and teachers, in order to create an inclusive culture, and implement anti-bullying tactics and pro-upstanding tactics.

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

    During my tenure as Ohlone PTA President, I joined with a small group of SpEd Parents to object to the sudden closure of our school’s moderate-to-severe learning center. Together, we created a petition, marched in protest, spoke at school board meetings, and wrote op-eds in local newspapers. Eventually, we enlisted the help of Stanford Law Pro Bono, and took our case to the Office Of Civil Rights, Washington DC. If elected, I would continue to champion the rights of the SpEd Community - especially as a SpEd Parent myself, to ensure we are in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and to make sure the voices of a small and vulnerable community are not diminished or marginalized.

  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?

    Due to my unique role as a Harvey Weinstein Survivor & #MeToo Activist & Advocate, I have direct lived experience as a sexual assault survivor and a suicide survivor. My story propelled into a global advocacy work on the topic of youth mental health. I understand that the underlying root causes of depression and suicide ideation are complex, nuanced, and take root in infancy and early childhood years if not before (e.g. with generational trauma). I would use my new role to focus on community dialog, starting with parent education in the early childhood years as well as bolstering support throughout middle and high school years. I would also support additional therapists and wellness centers.