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Livermore High School teacher and Pleasanton resident Karen Fletcher said she is running for the Pleasanton Unified School District Trustee Area 5 board seat this November for one main reason: to keep Pleasanton an “excellent place to send children to public school”.
“As a teacher myself, I understand the importance of preparing all students for any career path they choose to follow,” Fletcher told the Pleasanton Weekly via email. “I plan to put the students and teachers first in our district. I will speak up to ask the hard questions in order to keep our school district in strong fiscal shape for our families and educators.”
She will be facing off against two other newcomers, Thomas Choi and Brett Martinez, for the Area 5 seat, which represents Vintage Hills and Hearst elementary schools, Pleasanton Middle School, and part of Foothill High’s attendance area. Current Trustee Justin Brown opted not to seek reelection this fall.
Fletcher, along with her husband and four kids, have called Pleasanton their home for the past 18 years. All of her children attended school at PUSD, with her youngest having graduated high school this past May.
She said through her volunteer work at their schools, she saw first-hand the “many excellent programs, teachers and administrators that support our students”.
Prior to teaching engineering and robotics at Livermore High School, Fletcher was an aerospace engineer who worked at the NASA Ames Research Center for nine years where she conducted research and project management for vertical lift aircraft which, according to NASA’s website, is vertical lift technology that aims to “improve safety and efficiency of future air transportation”.
She also said she co-coordinates and manages the budgets for Livermore High School’s Green Engineering Academy. According to its website, this is a “California Partnership Academy, which incorporates integrated academic and career technical education, business partnerships, mentoring, and internships”.
“With these experiences in our district and as a teacher in a neighboring district, I feel that I have a solid background to serve on the PUSD Board to represent the students, families and teachers in our district,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said her budget experience at NASA and Livermore High School will help her balance PUSD’s budgets while protecting student learning and programs from cuts.
“I am prepared to work with our educators, families, district staff and board to support our students, earning me the endorsement of the Association of Pleasanton Teachers and the majority of the current School Board,” Fletcher said.
One of her top campaign issues include maintaining the district’s overall excellence so that more families will want to move to Pleasanton, and so that teachers will want to continue working in the district. To do that, she said she wants to focus on strengthening the contract between the teacher’s union and the district in order to retain and attract talented employees.
Her second priority, if elected, would be to increase fiscal transparency in order to “improve trust and morale”.
“It’s important that Pleasanton Unified School District has a transparent and rigorous budget to pay the teachers appropriately and support programs each year,” Fletcher said. “I will hold the Superintendent and Executive Cabinet accountable in order to bring financial stability to our school district.”
If elected, Fletcher also said increasing “educational equity” across the district would be among her primary goals. She noted that this effort involves fostering greater inclusivity and ensuring a safe environment for every student and staff member.
Fletcher pointed to recent challenges within the district, stating, “There were a number of publicized incidents of racism and intolerance last year.”
Among these events were recurring instances of hateful graffiti discovered in bathrooms at Amador Valley High School.
“This negatively affects our students, families and staff,” Fletcher explained. “All students and staff deserve to feel safe at school. This is necessary for students to receive a good education and realize their full potential in life.”
Voters with questions can email Fletcher at karenfletcherforpusdboard@gmail.com. She said her website, karenfletcher.org, is still under construction but will be published soon.
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