With election day fast approaching, it’s not only the national level that has the possibility to change. Seats on the Pleasanton School Board are also up for election and there are new faces among the candidates. In Area 3, Donalyn Harris and Kelly Mokashi are vying for the seat. Over in Area 4, Jen Flynn and Charlie Jones are working to win the votes of the community.
Pleasanton is divided into five districts. In this election cycle, Areas 3 and 4 have seats on the ballot. If you are unsure of which district you live in, you can find an interactive map here.
Please note that the candidates are organized by area and then alphabetically.
Donalyn Harris (Area 3)
Donalyn Harris is a longtime Pleasanton resident, and PUSD alumni herself. Before joining the race for school board, Harris worked not only as a volunteer, but also as a substitute teacher.
“[Substituting] gave me a lot of insight into what a day in the life of a student is like. It really helped me understand how discussions that are very policy related in the district office have a significant day-to-day impact on a students’ life,” said Harris.
Harris’s priorities include hiring a new superintendent, maximizing the budget, and creating a welcoming community for students and teachers alike.
“My vision is very flexible, accommodating, but it’s an extremely supportive environment for every student, no matter what they need,” shared Harris.
With the endorsements of multiple current board members, Harris explains the role she would play in the district.
“I don’t really see the school board as being like a place where somebody goes to get power. I think it’s more of a place where people serve, it’s like servant leadership to empower others. And that’s what I really hope to achieve. I think that’s really what I really hope to achieve, is just, you know, being able to empower students,” said Harris.
Kelly Mokashi (Area 3)
Incumbent Kelly Mokashi is the current holder of the Area 3 school board seat. A member of the Fremont Unified School District as a Community School Coordinator, Mokashi works to bring change to those who need the most support, like students with disabilities and multilingual students.
“I want to make a difference, but most importantly, I know what needs to be done to represent our residents and families and students to really support the academic success and overall well-being of our children,” said Mokashi.
As a current school board member, Mokashi understands the inner workings of the board. She also understands its relationship with the rest of the PUSD community.
“[We need to] respect that each student is different. I think it’s really important that any elected official remember that that’s their most important job. That’s what they’re being elected to be: the stand-up for the voice of our students,” shared Mokashi.
Mokashi is especially passionate about implementing new or improving existing programs. She believes that just because something is working doesn’t mean that it cannot be made better.
“I do feel the district’s done a great job on some everyday work, but there’s a lot more work to be done, especially with our changing demographics and population and the representation of our community,” said Mokashi.
Jen Flynn (Area 4)
Jen Flynn is a PPIE board member, vice-chair of the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee, and has served on multiple PTAs. She’s also previously worked for the district and seen the student experience firsthand through her own children.
“I think it’s really important at the community level that we support you guys as students and teachers, the staff,” said Flynn. “It’s a big job. It’s not a part time job. So you need somebody that can really commit to doing that and I’ll do that for you guys.”
Flynn understands that not everything is perfect. However, she also believes that everything can be improved upon and fixed.
“Community and trust are the top two things that the community feels are kind of broken right now. So, I look forward to [repairing] that, and I’ll be really good at it. I don’t mind sitting and listening and taking that information and making a difference with it,” said Flynn.
Flynn cares deeply about hearing from students and making sure that they feel their voices are heard.
“Students should be able to email me and we’ll meet and have coffee or we can meet at the library or whatever they want, you know? I don’t want to be a board member just for the adults in this community. It’s really important that I’m a board member for [the students] as well,” shared Flynn.
Charlie Jones (Area 4)
Charlie Jones is a proud alumni of PUSD, having graduated from Vintage Hills Elementary School, Pleasanton Middle School, Amador Valley High School, and Las Positas College. Today, he’s a social studies teacher at Hayward’s Tennyson High School.
“I’m a firm believer of the idea of like, an injustice to one is an injustice to all. Everybody should be getting the same equal or equitable, really, form of education here,” said Jones.
Jones sees the budget issues and lack of community engagement as the biggest problems facing our district today.
“I’ve always really cared [about PUSD], but what really made me decide to run was I saw the direction the district was going with, like, the cuts that they were thinking about, the fact that I watched as my friends who are educators were almost going on strike two years in a row, seeing the budgetary issues that I was seeing from the district, I was like, I can’t just sit by and watch this go on anymore,” said Jones.
He continued, “And so I decided to run because I didn’t want to see the programs and the things that I cared about getting destroyed.”
Jones’ growing up in the PUSD community gives him the perspective of a student and an educator. This gives him a more in-depth understanding of what being a student and teacher in PUSD is like.
“I’d be the first queer, or at least gay person elected in PUSD’s 130 year history. I think representation is important because when other people in your community seem to do something, then they see that it’s possible and it’s more likely to happen more and continue more,” said Jones.
The Candidates’ Favorite Dairy Flavors, Just for Fun
The Meadowlark Dairy is a beloved Pleasanton staple with hundreds of years of history. Today, nearly everyone who lives in Pleasanton has a favorite flavor or flavor combination. Here are the candidate’s favorites:
Donalyn Harris: “Oh, Pineapple and vanilla.”
Kelly Mokashi: “I really like the orange, but I do like the specials.”
Jen Flynn: “Orange and vanilla, for sure. It’s like a creamsicle.”
Charlie Jones: “The pineapple one, I think, is probably my favorite.”
