Sarah Nguyen, Brynnda Collins, Susan Donaldson Win School Board Race

School Board Election Breaks for 

RULE Candidates

RULE Backed Incumbent Council Members
Dianne Martinez & Scott Donahue Also Win

With all five precincts reporting tonight but the election results not final, the hotly contested Emery School Board race appears to have swung for two change agent candidates Sarah Nguyen and Susan Donaldson with 1149 and 781 votes respectively or 29% and 19% of the total vote.  Incumbent Brynnda Collins who also can claim victory,  garnered 1123 votes or 28%.  Losers Katy Brown and Ken Bukowski are taking up the rear at 654 and 225 votes representing 16% and 5% respectively.  The three winners are all endorsed by the resident activist group Residents United for a Livable Emeryville (RULE) as well as the Democratic Party of Alameda County.

The City Council race is breaking as expected tonight with RULE backed incumbents Dianne Martinez and Scott Donahue winning with 1471 and 1191 votes reflecting 49% and 39%.  Ken Bukowski came in at 319 votes or 10 %.

Letter to the Tattler: Ken Bukowski

Teachers Union Snubs Ken Bukowski and Their Own Democratic Process

As Emeryville's election period begins, the Emery Teachers Association president, Ericka Castillo has drawn fire from community members.  When she recently announced her union had used a democratic process in the selection for their School Board candidate endorsements, it was learned one candidate had been snubbed; Ken Bukowski.  Mr Bukowski is now rightly asking how can the teachers union know not to vote for him if they didn't even hear his ideas for the District.  The snubbing of Mr Bukowski and the democratic process represents an unfortunate soiling of the ETA's reputation as well as a disservice to Emeryville voters.  
Mr Bukowski reached out to the Tattler to help the community hear his ideas for our schools the Emery Teachers Association isn't interested in hearing.
Here is School Board candidate Ken Bukowski's letter-  


Regarding the recent School Board endorsements, I would like to say the president of the Emery Teachers Association (the teachers union) is misguided about the election process.  Of course, the ETA has the right to endorse whomever they wish and I was not endorsed this time.  However, I take issue with a recent misleading statement about the School Board endorsements made by the president of the ETA,  Ericka Castillo.  She told the E’ville Eye blog her union’s candidate vetting process was fair; "the process was extensive and democratic” she said.
Her comment is an insult.  This misleading response makes you believe all the candidates were "extensively" considered, and apparently those not chosen were rejected.  What she’s not admitting though is the ETA did not reach out to all the candidates for School Board.
We were not asked to complete a questionnaire and not every candidate was interviewed.  This in mind, I have to ask, what information was provided to the teachers to make the their ranked choice decisions?
This highlights the ongoing problems the District has had with a lack of transparency.

I'm running for the School Board because I'm concerned about the kids.  I've seen this District go bankrupt twice.  And now, we are on the same road again.
The first time the state ordered the District to sell the Middle School, but (we) the City refused to re-zone the property to accommodate the buyer.  Instead the school was leased and that money helped turn the District around.
The second time it went bankrupt is when the District decided to operate three schools again.  The City ultimately ended up bailing out the District.  The City recognized the District could not afford to operate three schools so we combined all the children in one building so the City could help share the costs.
The resultant ECCL was thus planned to help make the District solvent. However, at the last minute, the full $95 million bond issued to pay for the ECCL could not be sold in the bad market of the Great Recession.  The project was consequently scaled back to reflect the new fiscal realities.  But the necessary elements for the District to be solvent, formerly elucidated by a chaste School Board were simply eliminated.
As you can see, we have a big problem.

The Emery School District is top heavy with administration.  The cost of operating a separate district takes away funds which could be used for the kids education.  But there is a real opportunity for the District to develop teacher housing on the surplus sites (the former elementary and middle schools) thanks to a bill by Assemblyman Tony Thurmond created for this purpose.  I talked with Tony about it for Emery and he said he would love to see his bill help leverage State money to supply teacher housing here.
Having teachers in the community full time would be a great advantage.

It's important for me to put these ideas on the table and I think it sets a bad example when you don't have a fair process from the ETA.
I’m running for the Board to help the district avoid bankruptcy for a third time.  Misleading information put out from those who are supposed to help is not appropriate.  I  sincerely hope the ETA can have a fair endorsement process in the future and show appreciation for every candidate.

-Ken Bukowski
Candidate for Emery School Board

New Mangled Screed From 'Emery Teachers' Released

Mystery Surrounding Mistake Riddled Teacher Attributed 'Door Hanger' Elevated by New Mistake Riddled "Press Release"

Teachers Association President Announces
Childless Citizens Have "No Business" With School Doings

The president of the Emery Teachers Association issued a School Board candidate endorsement statement she called a "press release" Saturday containing grammatical errors that at least two teachers claimed to have no specific knowledge of today.  The president, Ericka Castillo told the Tattler she wrote the mistake riddled "press release" for Tuesday's election but she insisted neither she nor the ETA had anything to do with an earlier printed election endorsement flyer placed on hundreds of Emeryville doors last week that also contained many errors.
Ms Castillo's claim increases the mystery as reported in the Tattler as to the author of the earlier door hanger piece which in addition to the numerous grammatical errors, also claimed support of the endorsed candidates by what has turned out to be a phony election committee, 'Emery Families'.
Emery's current School Board president Brynnda Collins, one of the two ETA endorsed candidates, told the Tattler that the ETA had authored the earlier 'door hanger' flyer, a claim denied today by the president of the ETA, Ms Castillo.  In addition to that denial, Ms Castillo expressed the opinion that childless citizens have "no business" with Emery school doings in response to the Tattler's questioning.

Saturday's error filled "press release" was not actually released to the press but rather simply forwarded to Rob Arias, the editor of Emeryville's conservative pro-business blog the E'Ville Eye who posted it, errors and all.  Teachers were made aware that their vote for their choices for School Board endorsement were going to be made public but apparently some if not all of them were not shown the actual document before it was presented to Mr Arias.  Presumably teachers would have caught the errors if they had been given the chance to see how they're being characterized by their president, ahead of time.

While denying authorship of last week's door hanger, Ms Castillo also took it upon herself to announce to the Tattler that citizens who don't have children enrolled at Emery schools have "no business" with the official proceedings at the public schools, a false statement.  Public schools are public; paid for by the public and administered by the public.  Emery schools especially have gone out of their way to encourage the public to take part in the running of the schools: the whole concept of the Center of Community Life is supposed to be dedicated to this democratic notion.

California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), a five member independent non partisan state sanctioned commission has no record of any registered election committee named 'Emeryville Families' as the earlier door hanger piece announces and that false claim could constitute a violation of the California Political Reform Act of 1974 according to the FPPC.

'Our District Need People... With Increase Enrollment'
ETA's "Press Release"
Teachers weren't given a chance to read their own
would be press release before it was released.

RULE Endorses Three for Emery School Board

Emeryville's longstanding progressive resident advocacy group Residents United for a Livable Emeryville today announced their endorsement of Sarah Nguyen, Susan Donaldson and Brynnda Collins for Emery School Board in the November 6th election.

With the School Board endorsement, RULE now fills out their picks for Emeryville for the 2018 campaign season having endorsed Dianne Martinez and Scott Donahue for City Council earlier.
The three School Board candidates have also garnered the endorsement of the Democratic Party of Alameda County as well as the entire Emeryville City Council.  Ms Collins , the only incumbent of the three, is currently president of the Emery School Board having been selected by the Board in 2017 to fill in for a vacating member.
The three School Board candidates are not running as an official slate but campaign watchers have noted they appear to be collegial among themselves and have been appearing together at campaign events in town.
RULE vetted and selected the candidates in an interview process conducted at their posted meeting on Saturday.

Candidates Statements for Emery School Board

Five school board candidates are running in November for three seats making for an historically rare strongly contested Emery Unified School Board of Trustees election, despite their anodyne candidate's statements (presented below).  Although some candidates filed statements with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters for the soon to be printed official Voter's Guide, some did not, presumably owing to the $800 printing fee.  With an eye towards expanding the franchise and informing voters, the Tattler here presents each candidate a chance to present a statement for your consideration.  

Unlike another blog in town, who in presenting the school board statements, held some candidates to a word count standard while relaxing it for others and allowed the embellishment of at least one candidate's statement with a CV, here each candidate is held to the Alameda County standards.  Only up to 200 words are permitted and no other information about candidates are allowed excepting their designation and any website associated with the candidate's election campaign.  Additionally, the Tattler commits to spelling each candidate's names correctly.  
The name order was selected randomly. 

Please note- We could not get ahold of candidate Katy Brown.  She did not file a statement with Alameda County, and apparently does not have a website and so her statement (less than 200 words) is here re-printed from the E'Ville Eye blog, the editor of which presumably she has connection with.  As such the Tattler is not responsible for any possible inaccuracies or problems with this statement and it is posted here only insofar as it can help increase the franchise through voter awareness. 

Brynnda Collins

Emery School Board (Appointed member)

As the current Emery Unified School District School Board President I find myself answering a call for continued change in our district. Appointed to the position of School Board Trustee in 2017, in just a few short months, I have been elected Vice President and now hold the seat of the Presidency.  Currently, I am developing a strong communications structure between staff and community to inform and engage both internal and external stakeholders. My character and leadership – both, courageous and strong has insured a positive impact on the Emery Unified School District family and will continue to do so.

As a proud Emery USD parent of an alumni and past employee, I served as PTO President, School Site Council Chairperson, Youth Development Coordinator, College Career Coach, member on the Instructional Leadership Team, and in the redesign efforts that have built the Center for Community Life. 

Under the direction of new leadership, I am left enthusiastic about continuing to serve. With a strong vision and high expectations for student achievement, quality instruction and teacher retention, I am asking for your support by casting your vote for me to retain my seat on the board.

Susan Donaldson

Mother/Business Owner

I am an Emeryville home owner and parent of an Anna Yates student about to enter 5th grade. She has been at Anna Yates since kindergarten and was at ECDC before that – raised in and by Emeryville! I have been the Vice President and most recently the Secretary of the Anna Yates Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for the past 3 years. I have been an advocate for the teachers and students of Emery Unified over the last 6 years – attending board meetings, meeting with administration, volunteering and fundraising in and out of the classroom.

I have served as a board member on the nonprofit Bay Area Girls Rock Camp for the past 6 years and work with communities and stakeholders to develop programs that empower youth through music. I also have my MBA in Sustainable Business and run an event rental and workshop company.

I would be honored to serve on the Emery School Board to continue to support and fight for the public education all our students deserve.

https://www.facebook.com/susan4emeryschoolboard/

Sarah Nguyen

Teacher/Mother

As a teacher and a mom, I feel a deep sense of concern and responsibility for children. For the past 23 years, I’ve supported student success one classroom at a time. Now I am ready to work towards students and families in our community having access to engaging, equitable, and socially just experiences at Emery Unified.

I have more than two decades of experience partnering with families, caregivers, teachers, school staff, and community-based organizations towards our common goal of increasing positive student outcomes. Lasting educational change requires the knowledge, experience, and effort that I can contribute as a member of the school board.

I believe every child can succeed and every family should feel welcome and included in Emery schools. That is why I have been endorsed by Emeryville Mayor Bauters, Vice Mayor Medina, Council Members Martinez and Patz, and Emery School Board Member Inch. Please vote for Sarah Nguyen for Emery Unified School Board. Strong schools create strong communities!

https://www.facebook.com/sarah4schools/

Katy Brown

Parent/Tax Accountant

We have lived in Emeryville since before my daughter started Kindergarten, and she attended Anna Yates for K-4. Given some frustrations we had, we explored every non-private school option for Emeryville residents, and none were workable. We’re returning to Anna Yates this year, and I would like to make it the first-choice for all Emeryville families instead of the only option.

I believe public schools can provide our kids with a safe, high quality education that will prepare them for success after graduation, but we need to focus on hiring and retaining great teachers and providing the resources they need to teach our kids effectively. I believe my professional experience can help with fiscal management and decision making, and as a parent, I’m dedicated to making our school the best it can be.

Ken Bukowski

Former Emeryville City Councilman/Videographer

I have demonstrated a long commitment to the kids of Emeryville including helping approve the Emeryville Child Development Center during my time on Council. Two of my nephews attended Emery High, one of whom I had custody of at the time. I was heavily involved with the ECCL project and want to help carry out the vision the community had for it.

This District is lacking the transparency it needs on school issues. When I was on Council, I successfully pushed the city to video record school board. For years, I personally posted these meetings on YouTube to make them available to the public. This district needs to have open and live discussions about the school issues. The practice has been to keep the problems quiet. I don't agree with that approach. If we are not aware of the problems, we can't work together to solve them.

I think it’s very important for the district to accomplish teacher housing on one of the school owned properties that could help improve teacher retention.

I think Emeryville has a unique opportunity to bring this community together which could be a real benefit for our schools.

Emery School Board Member Donn Merriam, Announces Re-Election Bid

Audacious Donn Merriam Throws Hat in Ring

Running For Re-Election on Record of Support of 

Superintendent Rubio

November's election season has begun early for Emery School Board, the opening salvo initiated by Board member Donn Merriam in what promises to be the District's first truly contentious board election.

School Board member Donn Merriam has launched a campaign to be selected an Alameda County delegate for a statewide association of school board members, a two year position that would run concurrent with his Emery Board position, putting to rest questions about a possible re-election bid for Emery School Board in November when his term is up.

School Board Member Donn Merriam
Running for re-election as a strong
supporter of Superintendent Rubio.
Notably, Mr Merriam's support
 has never wavered despite the 
Superintendent's terrible record 
that has driven Emery down.

The announcement of Mr Merriam's campaign is a portentous development in a looming and contentious Board election season for the struggling Emery Unified School District pitting Mr Merriam and his existing status quo Board majority supportive of schools Superintendent John Rubio against a probable field of energized opposition candidates seeking to turn the dysfunctional district around.

   

Mr Merriam has been a controversial Board member, having voted in December 2016 to renew the District’s employment contract with embattled and pugnacious Emery Schools Superintendent John Rubio despite Mr Rubio’s lamentable three year record at Emery frequently splashed all over the pages of the Tattler and the East Bay Times.  It has been widely rumored that Mr Merriam would not seek re-election after the drubbing Mr Rubio has received having so definitively dragged the District down during his tenure.  The beleaguered Mr Merriam is closely associated with the Superintendent serving as the Board’s most ardent supporter regardless of Mr Rubio’s bad record at Emery.

Board member Merriam has stood by Superintendent Rubio even as the Superintendent has led the District into the cellar among Bay Area school districts in academic achievement, dropping its ranking to last place in the East Bay under Mr Rubio’s watch.  Additionally, Superintendent Rubio has earned the notorious distinction of the worst teacher retention of any Bay Area school superintendent, a common metric used by educators to evaluate the efficacy of superintendents.  Mr Merriam infamously threw his unconditional support behind Superintendent Rubio during a 2015 contentious fight when the Tattler and the East Bay Times exposed Mr Rubio after he conducted an illegal and secret Board meeting behind closed doors, the beset Superintendent only admitting culpability and apologizing later, Mr Merriam following suit.

Mr Merriam is hoping to be among the four selected by Alameda County school board members to represent the County among 270 delegates representing nearly 1000 school districts statewide. Such a status would likely bolster his chances for re-election in November, a fact probably not lost on Mr Merriam.  The Emery School Board will vote for four (out of seven) representatives for the august seat on the California School Board Association Wednesday night and among his colleagues Mr Merriam is a likely shoo-in (4-1?) however he is less likely to receive enough votes among the other Alameda County school boards owing to Mr Merriam’s thin resume, lacking in educational bona fides as it is.