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The race is set for Area 7 of the Alameda County Board of Education this June as Pleasanton incumbent Cheryl Cook-Kallio will look to maintain her seat while challenger Sangeetha “Sandi” Shanbhogue of Dublin seeks to bring a new perspective to the dais.
There are seven trustees on the board, each representing a specific area in the county. Area 7 covers Dublin, Pleasanton, Sunol and Livermore.
“I am honored that the people of the TriValley have trusted me to represent them in the past and I will be honored if they choose to do that again,” Cook-Kallio told the Weekly in an emailed statement.
This bid marks the second run for the county seat by the former Pleasanton City Council member and retired Fremont teacher, having won the election in 2022 following the departure of former Area 7 representative Yvonne Cerrato.
Shanbhogue, a Tri-Valley parent and homemaker, has been involved in the Dublin Unified School District for the past few years. She tried a write-in campaign for the California State Assembly District 20 seat in 2024 but lost.
“I am running for this seat to provide a voice for parents and students and to bring attention to these races,” Shanbhogue said. “Voters should elect me as a representative of students, taxpayers, parents, and caregivers.”
Cook-Kallio
A 40-year teacher who specialized in high school civics, Cook-Kallio served on the Pleasanton Partnership in Education Foundation board, the California Civic Learning Task Force Advisory Board and the Teacher Advisory Board for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics Foundation, according to her biography listed in the county office website. She also served on the Pleasanton City Council from 2006 to 2014.
When asked about the importance of the Alameda County position, Cook-Kallio explained how the county board differs from other school boards in that it mostly operates as an appeals board, which she said is an important role to undertake.
She said the board typically weighs in on disputes at a local level and holds hearings on interdistrict transfers appeals, expulsion appeals and accountability issues regarding charter schools.
When charter school renewals get denied, those cases can also get appealed to the county board.
She also noted how the county office of education has pathway programs for teacher credentialing, which addresses local issues like staff vacancies, paraeducators and students who are looking to enter certain trades.
“Making sure students are well served is at the very root of what we do,” Cook-Kallio said.
In light of these responsibilities, Cook-Kallio emphasized the importance for Tri-Valley voters to select the most qualified representative for the seat, a role she maintains she is best equipped to hold based on her experience in education and governance.
“I believe that I have the skills and the experience to understand the role of a trustee,” she said. “I understand how schools operate and the challenges they face when dealing with the uncertainty of funding year to year.”
“My long-time interest in government and public policy is an asset when making some very difficult decisions,” she added.
If reelected, Cook-Kallio said some of the things she would like to see happen are expanding the teacher residency program and the paraeducator certification programs, which would help students by filling staffing vacancies, lowering class sizes and supporting students with special needs.
She also said she would like to continue to make positive strides in alternative education, continue holding charter schools accountable and increase communication between school districts and their corresponding Board of Education trustees.
“That direct line of communication is very helpful especially when dealing with at-risk students,” Cook-Kallio said. “I want to continue our work in making schools a safe place for all students.”
Shanbhogue
Shanbhogue is a mother of two school-aged children and has lived in the Bay Area since 2022.
While she currently describes herself as a homemaker, Shanbhogue noted her master’s degree in computer applications and her past work as a software developer, data analyst, business analyst, and project manager as reasons why she would be qualified for the county board position.
“My professional experience helps me analyze complex issues and data effectively,” Shanbhogue told the Weekly in an emailed statement.
She also highlighted how active she has been within the Dublin school community and how over the past four years, she has been closely following developments in the school district on topics such as equity-based grading.
“I attended all equity grading committee meetings and budget meetings for two years, spoke at board meetings, and gave an interview to California Insider on the topic,” Shanbhogue said. “I also stay in regular contact with parents on issues affecting students and have submitted (California Public Records Act) requests to better understand district decisions and improve transparency.”
When asked about the importance of the county board seat, Shanbhogue noted how the race typically gets overshadowed even though the position itself is “impactful and shapes major decisions like curriculum standards, discipline rules, equity initiatives, approving budgets, superintendent oversight, school closures, charter schools, and responses to mental health, class sizes, teacher pay, and safety.”
As far as her priorities go, Shanbhogue said if she is elected she is committed to reducing spending and ensuring funds are used responsibly. She also said she supports teachers receiving fair salary increases and reducing spending on consultants.
“There should be accountability for how money is used and the outcomes it produces,” Shanbhogue said. “My goal is to bring common sense and pragmatism to decisions related to equity, education, mental health, and overall student welfare.”
Other priorities and commitments include finding common ground on polarizing issues, focusing on “improved outcomes and not performative empathy” for underserved populations and meeting with parents and educators in order to listen to their concerns so that they can develop policies that will truly help them.
She also noted how she is not seeking endorsements from unions or political parties.
“I am committed to keeping politics out of the classroom and ensuring that every student — regardless of ability — is respected and supported to succeed,” Shanbhogue said. “This combination of experience and involvement makes me well qualified for this role.”
