Meet our Board of Trustees

 

The San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees is responsible for the following:

 

 

 

 

The best way to engage with the Board is to attend a Board meeting and share your thoughts during Public Comment. The Governing Board has been elected by the community to provide leadership and citizen oversight to the district. Any member of the public can email us via the contacts on the website (below). For issues for concerns that we receive regarding a specific school, staff, or student issue, please know that a Board member has no individual authority to resolve a problem. These matters are referred to the Superintendent or designee to address.

 

 

Mark Becker, ([email protected]) Board President, is an environmental consultant specializing in management of soil and groundwater cleanup projects and regulatory agency negotiations. He attended Humboldt State University and earned a B.S. degree in Soil Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He and his wife Laurie, have one son that attended BCE, SLVMS, SLVUSD Charter Homeschool, and will graduate from Coast Redwoods High School in 2017. His experience as an active parent in the district includes volunteer work in the classroom and theater, and serving on the BCE and SLVMS Site Councils, the Measure O Bond Oversight Committee, and as Treasurer of the Charter Family Boosters. Mark is an avid champion of public education and the wide range of programs and opportunities that our district provides its students. Term 2022-2026 Area 2 (5018A)

 

 

Gail Levine, ([email protected]) Board Clerk, retired as Superintendent/Principal of Bonny Doon Elementary School District in 2009 following a 42-year career in public education. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from Hunter College, Bronx, NY, and a Master of Science in Health Education from Lehman College, Bronx, NY. Gail is passionate and works tirelessly to provide safe schools for all students. She serves on the Santa Cruz County Safe Schools Project working toward achieving this goal. Gail strongly believes in public schools. She feels with her knowledge of education and the extended relationships with families in SLV that she can be an asset to the District as a member of the Board of Trustees. She plans to work toward continuous improvement of the quality of education given to SLV students. Gail has lived for 25 years with her life partner, Emily and their current dog Cocoa. They all enjoy frequent walks in Henry Cowell State Park. Gail’s daughter and grandsons live in New York. Term 2022-2026 Area 4 (5004)

 

 

Stacy Newsom Kerr ([email protected]) Board Trustee, has been a public school teacher since 2006 and holds a BA in History from Southern Oregon University, a MA in History from the University of Southern California, and a MA in Educational Leadership from Santa Clara University. During her teaching years, she has had the opportunity to learn a great deal about how educational funding, California Educational Code, and district contractual obligations work. She has also served as her site educational Technology Coach since 2012.

 

Stacy is a parent of two children who have attended SLV schools. One is currently in second grade and one has moved on to middle school. She believes that our schools are one of our greatest public goods and it is our responsibility to make student success and educational equity central to our vision for the future. Term 2022-2026, Area 1 (5017B)

 

 

Grace Pollak, ([email protected]) Board Trustee, is a parent of three small children, two of which currently attend SLVE. She is also a small business owner and a former teacher with six years of experience teaching bilingual kindergarten through third grade in California public schools.

 

She received a BA in Sociology with a minor in Education from UCSC and went on to earn a Master's degree and a bilingual certified elementary teaching credential also from UCSC.

 

Grace cares deeply for public education, supporting teaching and families of the San Lorenzo Valley Community and is honored by, and excited for, the opportunity to serve. Term 2020-2024 Area 3 (5013A)

 

 

For the past 30 years, Jacqui Rice, ([email protected]) Board Trustee, has had the privilege of participating in a variety of groups that are beneficial for children of all ages. These include School Site Councils, School Parent Clubs, SLV Foundation for Education, Bond Oversight Committee, Local and County 4H, SV/SLV Soccer Club, School Sports, Gymkhana Clubs, Santa Cruz County Fair, County Science Fair, and County Office of Ed groups to name a few.

She attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Jose State, graduating with a BS in Biological Science/Chemistry minor from SJSU. Her four children are graduates of SLVUSD. Jacqui strongly supports diverse educational programs that address the learning strengths of all our students. The addition of extracurricular activities and clubs also help children connect with a smaller set of friends that share common interests. She believes children’s success is achieved with a combination of these activities, allowing them to gain confidence, perspective and develop resilience. Term 2020-2024, Area 5 (5027A)