Serving with a Smile—and a Strong Backbone

There are four candidates running for three spots on the Redwood City School District school board: , , , and . Patch will run profiles of each candidate. Be sure to vote by Nov. 8, Election Day!

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As the president of the board, Alisa MacAvoy has taken a strong leadership position but also collaborated with her fellow board members to tackle tough budgetary issues while also reap the rewards of a dedicated district.

The board isn’t just five individuals making autonomous decisions by the board. They must abide by multiple county, state and federal laws and still produce the best, innovative solutions for 9,200 students under tight budget constraints.

“[MacAvoy] has such humility and servitude with a gazillion loads of experience,” said Tara Weissman a fellow member of the 2009 parcel tax campaign. “She’s a visionary amongst broad range thinkers, exceptionally detailed when she needs to be but understands the big picture.”

MacAvoy and other board members have sought Masters in Governance certification from the California School Boards Association from the state, which requires a rigorous nine-day training course, just to understand the nuances of the complex state laws.

But despite the often-complicated nature of how the state runs education, MacAvoy said this shouldn’t detract from the tenet that every child should have access to quality public education.

“The cornerstone of democracy is public education,” MacAvoy said. “We must have an educated public to have a strong democracy.”

Making a Direct Impact at Home

Though MacAvoy meets regularly with state assemblymembers and senators, she decided to champion education issues at the local level so she could see the direct impact of hers and the board’s decisions.

At the state level, she might have been able to fight for more education funding, but at the local level, she can pick up the slack for where the state has left funding holes.

MacAvoy has been an active seeker of partnerships at various levels: foundations, non-profits, businesses, parent groups.

“It’s all been saved because of our partnerships," MacAvoy said.

"To put it simply, she is amazing," said Jo-Ann Sockolov, the president of the Redwood City Education Foundation, a large partner to the district. "She has boundless energy and laser focus."

She’s also been a vocal advocate for the in June. All the current school board members have frequently criticized the that all eventually feed into the same .

“When I tell our story, people are appalled,” MacAvoy said.

Educating the Whole Child

But despite the funding woes of the district, MacAvoy never loses sight of the ultimate goal: to teach the whole child and prepare each one for the competitive 21st century.

There’s so much more than textbook learning, she said, and schools should be focused on written and oral communication, teamwork, technology and critical thinking.

MacAvoy showed her Civil Engineering background when she began to list off the numerous technologies that the district has implemented in schools, including fiber-optic communication and wi-fi on several school sites.

“She always effectively manages multiple high priority issues,” Sockolov said. “But at the same always has in her heart and mind, the kids!”

A Can-Do Attitude

Attending any one of the school district board meetings and learning of further financial constraints is enough to make many want to throw their hands up and forfeit to the state’s restrictive funding.

But MacAvoy has maintained a positive demeanor throughout her past term, and often with a smile.

“She’s an amazing optimist,” Weissman said. “She’s not Pollyanna, but she’ll look at a situation at a higher level and problem solve appropriately.”

MacAvoy added that she prides herself on being completely accessible to any parent, and (almost) any time of the day.

Assemblyman Rich Gordon added, “She’s connected so well with parents and been a good advocate for the children.”

“People in positions of power are completely ego-motivated,” Weissman said. “But she’s motivated by servitude and passion.”

She added, "My children and Redwood City are so lucky to have Alisa MacAvoy at the helm of their education."

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