Meet The Pleasanton School Board Candidate: Karen Fletcher

PLEASANTON, CA — Patch reached out to three candidates running to represent Area 5 of the Pleasanton Unified School District Board of Trustees with questions we feel voters want to know.

We reprinted their answers verbatim.

Below, read the responses of Karen Fletcher, a physics and robotics teacher at Livermore High School.

What is your educational background?

I have a Bachelors Degree in Physics from Colgate University and a Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech. I also have a teaching credential in Physics and CTE Engineering.

What is your professional background?

I’m a teacher, and this is my 10th year teaching at Livermore High School. I teach engineering and robotics classes, and I’ve also taught physics there for many years. In my early career I worked as a NASA engineer for vertical lift aircraft where I honed my analytical and problem solving skills. I lead the Green Engineering Academy, a First Robotics team and the CTE Department at school.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

What are the top three issues facing PUSD right now?

The top issue facing PUSD is financial stability and transparency. The district must prioritize keeping our recurring costs within available recurring income. The district was able to reverse the negative certification received last year through budget reductions and new funding from the state. We are on track to receive positive certification this December.

Another issue is supporting the mental and physical health of our students. This includes eliminating intolerance and making sure students are supported with counselors and other support staff.

The last issue is getting a contract in place with the teachers. Negotiations are underway for both last year and this year. We need a contract in place to retain top talent and maintain our school excellence.

What is one specific action you would prioritize during your first year in office?

In my first year in office, I will prioritize fiscal constraint and stabilization. I will ask the hard questions of the executive council to demand a detailed accounting of the budget so that there are no surprises at the end of the year. It is imperative to annually perform a comprehensive evaluation across personnel, service and operations to align spending with direct student impact. It is important to keep budget reductions as far away from students and classroom learning as possible. Increasing steady income can be achieved through increasing enrollment and increased income from the sale of property, the leasing of unused buildings and expanding Kids Club.

Declining enrollment and rising costs have created continuing fiscal pressure in PUSD. What should the district protect, reduce or restructure to achieve long-term stability?

The district should protect the funding that supports students and classroom learning. That includes the programs such as our English and Language Arts curriculum and Math Curriculum. In addition, we need to make sure we keep the Literacy Program to support elementary school students. We also need to maintain the budget for teachers and supporting staff such as paraprofessionals, English learner leads, counselors and wellness staff. Areas to reduce are redundancies in operations across school sites. This will require an audit of all operations.

As enrollment changes leave some campuses with excess capacity, how should PUSD decide whether to repurpose, lease or dispose of school property?

Declining enrollment is a problem in districts across Alameda County driven by lower birth rates and high housing costs. Once students are enrolled in public schools, they tend to stay in public schools. One way to increase enrollment in public schools is to increase our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten numbers. This can be achieved through increasing space in our Kids Club after school care so that working families can afford to send their child to TK or Kindergarten with a longer workday. Unused classrooms from declining enrollment, could be converted to Kids Club space.

Some new housing is being planned in Pleasanton to comply with California mandates. I don’t advocate for the amount of housing built in Dublin, but some increase in housing for families would be helpful for district enrollment.

Why do you feel you're a better candidate than your opponents?

I’m a proud supporter of Pleasanton public schools with my 4 children going through our district schools over the last 18 years that I’ve lived in Pleasanton. I am very familiar with all grade levels at Vintage Hills Elementary, Pleasanton Middle and Amador Valley High Schools with my youngest graduating in May. I’lll work collaboratively with the board, families, labor partners and district to find solutions to our problems. My experience as a teacher and department chair in a neighboring district gives me a clear understanding of school budgets. I see how district-level budget decisions affect student learning, and I’lll be a strong advocate for students and staff bringing the practical discipline needed to keep our district on sound financial footing. I will increase budget transparency to rebuild trust and morale and will hold the Superintendent and Executive Cabinet accountable for maintaining a rigorous, balanced budget.