Who I Am
I am an experienced community leader and former high tech executive. I hold AB and MBA degrees from Dartmouth and spent 14 years as an executive in finance, marketing, and strategy.  I have a deep, longstanding commitment to education.  My volunteer work has included:

• President, Palo Alto PTA Council, 2005-07
• Executive Vice President, Palo Alto PTA Council
• President, Duveneck PTA 
• Founding Board Member, Youth Community Service
• Campaign Cabinet, Palo Alto Art Center Foundation 
• Member, Two Mayoral Task Forces
• Ambassador, Family Resources
• Leader, award-winning Hurricane Katrina relief program 
• Parent Advisory Board, Downtown Children's Center Preschool
• Troop Leader, Girl Scouts 
• Parent volunteer, AYSO, CYSA, YMCA, and Little League teams

My husband, Lee Caswell, and I have lived in Palo Alto since 1990.   We have two children: Lainie, 12, and Cas, 8.

Why I'm Running
Palo Alto Unified is a distinguished school district.  Now more than ever, we need to work together to ensure that all PAUSD students graduate with the academic and social skills they will need to succeed in a changing world.  As an advocate for schools and families, I have seen what a difference our Board can make.  I stand ready to bring my full range of business and civic leadership skills to the job.

Here are my top priorities for our District:


The Board must take the lead in developing our new, comprehensive strategic plan.
 I will insist on:
A focused vision for PAUSD’s future. These are challenging times for our district.   We have a growing population, but uncertain public funding; and our stakeholders hold widely differing views on many key issues.  If we are to sustain excellence, we will need clear guiding principles that will set our direction and keep us on track. If elected, I will help our Board work with our Superintendent, schools and community to hone our practical, long-term vision for this district.
Specific, measurable goals and clear timelines. While district-wide vision is crucial, it cannot serve us properly without a clear, rigorous, and measurable strategic plan. Our current plan is due for renewal this year.  Representatives from our entire school community must collaborate effectively so that the new plan can guide the district reliably. Timelines and metrics will be critical for accurately tracking the district’s progress over time.
The highest standards of fiscal stewardship.  District spending must align with our vision and strategic plan. As an MBA with 14 years of professional experience in business management, I will bring skills in finance and strategic planning to the Board.  Managing our district’s finances clearly, transparently, and judiciously will help ensure that we can achieve the goals outlined in our plan.


We cannot sustain excellence without cooperation and trust at all levels.

 I will push for a:
Climate of inclusiveness, respect and pride for all.  Last year, our Board took the important step of commissioning a full report on our district’s professional working climate. If elected, I will ensure that the Board works closely with our new superintendent to take our evaluators’ work to its crucial next stage: specific, tangible systems and agreements which ensure that all stakeholders — administrators, teachers, school staff, families, and above all, kids — feel welcomed, respected, and appropriately included.
Strong, supportive culture that encourages new ideas and the sharing of best practices.  Teaching and learning are both hard work. Kids come with a multitude of learning styles; parents bring a wide range of concerns; and knowledge itself advances. As our district works to sustain excellence, staff at all levels of experience can bring powerful insight and assistance to one another’s work.  I will encourage a strong culture of collaboration, both within schools and across the district, which includes exploration of new ways of teaching and the sharing of current best practices as well.
District that attracts and retains outstanding staff.  PAUSD includes some of the most talented teachers and administrators in the Bay Area. We need to keep them in this district, and ensure that they grow and thrive in their professional expertise over the long haul. In addition to pursuing strategies to enhance collaboration, I will push for clear pathways for professional advancement at all levels of the organization.



I want all kids to be curious and excited about learning for the rest of their lives.
 I will support:
A first-rate educational environment that includes both academic and social support. As a business professional, I recognize that limited finances have sometimes forced trade-offs in this area. But, having spent the last six years focused closely on our schools, I have become convinced: in order to do their best, our children need both intellectual challenge and effective emotional and academic guidance. I will advocate that our district do everything possible to provide both challenge and support for every child at every academic level.
Rigorous curriculum that engages and challenges all learners. Powerful teaching and learning lie at the heart of everything we do in our schools. We need to prepare all of our students for success in the global 21st century economy. Whether it’s kindergarten or in high school, I will push for strong, well-sequenced, standards-based curriculum taught in creative and effective ways. 
A commitment to reducing the achievement gap.  All children enrolled in PAUSD deserve a top-quality education to develop their full academic and social potential. Our students’ uneven scores continue to show, however, that we have work to do. No child should feel pushed to the margins in our school system, and every student should be helped to succeed. I will push for practical, specific, and measurable strategies to address this serious issue.
Want to learn more?  Plan to attend one of my upcoming events!  Here is a link to my campaign calendar.
 
Paid for by the Melissa Baten Caswell for School Board Committee (ID #1298752)