Larkspur-Corte Madera school board race draws 2 prospects

An open seat on the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District board has drawn two first-time candidates into the Nov. 8 election.

Beth Blair and Emily Charley, both residents of Corte Madera, hope to succeed trustee Jill Sellers, who stepped down with two years left on her term.

The winner will join a board that oversees a district of about 1,250 students, two elementary schools, a middle school and annual expenditures of more than $23 million.

Blair, a 40-year-old educator, is a senior manager at the New Teacher Project, a nationwide organization that works to improve teacher quality in public schools. Blair’s work involves the San Francisco Unified School District.

Blair’s list of credentials includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pitzer College in Claremont and a master’s degree in education from National Louis University in Chicago. Her prior career history includes mentoring, teaching and administrative positions in Chicago. She moved to San Francisco in 2017 and then to Corte Madera in 2019, and she has a child in preschool and a child at Neil Cummins Elementary School.

Blair said she is running for the board to serve the district generally rather than to advance a particular cause.

“I believe my experiences as an educator would provide a unique perspective on the board and allow me to join the work the board is doing to ensure all students are successful and supported,” she said. “I have no specific agenda or platform except to do all I can do as a board member to support the district.”

She said the biggest problem the district faces is “continuing to work to close the gap in achievement across racial groups to ensure equitable outcomes for all our students.”

“I would like to see the district continue to keep this as a priority within the LCAP, examine the impact of instructional and professional development choices on student outcomes and ensure we are keeping all students at the forefront of difficult budget decisions,” she said, referring to the local control accountability plan.

Charley, a 45-year-old lawyer, moved from Kansas to the Bay Area in 1997 and then to Corte Madera in 2017. She has a child at the Cove School.

Charley’s list of credentials includes a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Mills College in Oakland and a law degree from the University of San Francisco. She is a partner at the Hanson Bridgett LLP law firm, a member of the Corte Madera Parks and Recreation Commission and a board member for the Marin County Bar Association.

Charley also said she did not run for the seat because of a specific issue. “Education is critically important to all aspects of society, and because I have the skill-set to effectively advocate for the children in the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District, volunteering on the board is a good fit,” she said.

She did not identify a particular problem as the district’s biggest concern, but she cited “four areas that deserve attention.” They are the achievement gap and intervention programs, employee compensation, declining enrollment and the budget.

“The district spends more than it receives,” she said. “I’ve heard many in the community express their view that the district simply jumps from budget issues to Band-Aids. I am not yet sure if this is a fair criticism, but thoughtful and strategic budgeting is the district’s obligation so it can offer stability. No one wants to repeat the deep cuts of 2019.”

The relatively small school district gained widespread notoriety last year after the family of a Neil Cummins Elementary School student knowingly sent the child to school with a COVID-19 infection. Eight children caught the virus and 75 were quarantined.

In a recent interview with the Independent Journal editorial board, Charley was unequivocal on the subject of mandatory coronavirus immunizations for school children, as well as traditional inoculations such as polio and smallpox.

“The law provides for exceptions, and so if one of those exceptions is met, that’s one thing,” she said. “I unapologetically support vaccinations and don’t mind saying so. I follow the science, and if that’s what the science says, that’s my position.”

Blair’s response was fuzzier.

“I am not a health and science expert,” she said. “I like to lean towards those experts to make those decisions. I believe that there has been a reason for those mandates to exist historically and if that’s what professionals in that field believe is best for our students and families in our community, then I would work with the board and with our leaders to determine what is best for the district.”

“I don’t believe that from the seat that I sit I’m in the position to make that decision for others,” she said. “I would be working alongside the board to decide what is best for all students given our situation.”

She added that if the county and the district superintendent say a particular policy is “appropriate,” then she “could be persuaded to agree.”

Four district trustees have terms expiring this year. Amir Movafaghi and Eric Schmautz ran unopposed for new terms, while Monica Cañas and Sarah Mueller did not seek new terms. Natalie Medved ran unopposed for a four-year seat.

The term of Annie Sherman, the board president, expires in 2024.