LeAna,

I’m a proud Oakland native, mom, parent advocate, and community leader running for the Oakland School Board to represent District 6.

Born and raised in Oakland, my family has been in our town’s public schools for five generations. I have two children currently in Oakland Unified School District and one that graduated from high school. Oakland is home and the success of the district translates to success for my children and that of my extended family, friends, neighbors, and community, and so for me, this is very personal.

As a mother of three children, some experiencing disabilities, I understand firsthand the challenges families face navigating public education systems while advocating for our students’ success. One of my children graduated high school during the unprecedented and disruptive pandemic, which gave me direct experience with the academic, emotional, and social impacts families experienced, which continue to this day.

I am active in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at Burckhalter Elementary, where I have experienced deep collaboration between families, educators, school staff, and administration. This has taught me that advocacy and collaboration are not opposites: effective leadership requires both!

My professional experience includes budget and policy advocacy locally and at the California State Capitol; supporting and building capacity for education nonprofits that provide much needed resources to children and families; leading parent workshops related to children with special needs and behavioral health; engaging with public officials to ensure additional resources come to the community; and creating spaces to empower parents and strengthen community voices, among other experiences.