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Amy Koo is the parent of two Sequoia Union High School District students and is currently representing Area A, which includes Redwood Shores, Belmont, San Carlos and parts of Redwood City. She told The Almanac that she’s running for re-election to continue the work she started during her first term. She’s facing challenger Alon Shiran on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Koo said her priorities are similar to her first term: Improve communication, recruit and retain high-quality teachers, improve operational and fiscal responsibility, and create a safe and inclusive environment.
Koo’s background is in engineering but she currently works as a financial educator and planner. Her past experiences have given her analytical skills, allowing her to look at everything from a strategic standpoint, she said.
Over the last four years, Koo said the board has been able to conduct a communications audit, launch a new website, produce an internal newsletter for parents and staff and provide parents with a platform that tracks student achievements.
For her second term, Koo is looking forward to working on “things that are harder to implement … where the rubber meets the road.”
As other parents, including candidates for the school board, make it a priority to restore all ninth-grade advanced courses at district campuses, Koo is firmly against the idea. She explains that high school should be a place where students can figure out what they’re interested in by the time they graduate without having to feel stressed and anxious.
“Ninth grade is kind of a big melting pot,” she said. “The students are coming from many different places, so we want to free up time for them to explore different things.”
Koo said students should be challenged, but “not so much that they’re doing it for the wrong reasons,” due to the pressure of “checking all the boxes to get into a top college.” Rather, students should pursue advanced classes in subjects that interest them, she added.
The recent closure of TIDE Academy in Menlo Park, the increase in lawsuits against the district and growing discontent from parents about advanced courses has created a rift between the community and the school board. Koo said she thinks continuing to improve district communications and broadening methods of sharing information is one way to regain the community’s trust .
Koo said she is aware that the public is concerned that the board is “not listening” or “not engaging and taking their opinions.” She adds that not every decision the district makes will be supported by all groups, but as long as people understand the rationale behind it and can accept the decision, the board has done its job.
“I’m a pretty transparent person and that’s really what you’re voting for — someone who is open to listening and taking in different inputs, ” Koo said. “I do my research. I’m open-minded. I talk about change and I advocate for change.”
For more information on Koo’s campaign visit amykoo.org.
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