Dublin school board heads into election with east-west tension
Two seats up for grabs, and candidates speak of closing the gap
DUBLIN >> It’s been quite the past two years for Dublin Unified: Two superintendents have left, two school board members quit, and the tension among board members is palpable — even during virtual meetings.
This year’s school board election also will feature a slight shakeup, as incumbent Amy Miller doesn’t plan on seeking reelection.
The disagreements on the school board often fall along geographic lines. Miller and board VicePresidentMeganRouse,who both represent districts in the west side, have usually voted similarly — sometimes splitting from the board members on the east side: board President Dan Cherrier, Trustee Catherine Kuo, and Trustee Gabi Blackman, who is seeking reelection this year.
New board candidates themselves speak about the rift between eastside and westside residents.
“There’s been too much of the east-west area divide. We need to make sure we are supporting all the kids in the city,” said candidate Kristin Pelham, seeking a seat on the board for Area 1.
The tension could be from years of a lack of representation on the board from the east side. The location of the second high school also was a point of contention in recent years. Dublin High is on the west side; Emerald High, the new school, will be built on the eastside.
The district is still reeling from the unexpected resignation this summer of well-liked Superintendent Dave Marken. He returned from retirement to bring stability to the district after the former superintendent, Leslie Boozer, left following a “mutually agreed”upon separation in March 2019. Her departure was preceded by the resignation of longtime board member Dan Cunningham in March 2019 and Trustee Joe Giannini, who left in October 2018 halfway into a four-year term.
Two candidates are vying for Miller’s spot on the board for Trustee Area 1 — physician Dawn Nwamuo, who has two sons, and
special education teacher Pelham, also a parent of two. The district covers the area around Dougherty Road and Dublin Boulevard.
Nwamuo said her reasons for wanting to run are twofold: She wants to bring her insight as a doctor to the district during the pandemic, and her two sons. After the death of George Floyd, she and her 11-yearold son spoke about racist encounters he had experienced at school. She said she wants to be proactive about such situations.
In an interview, Nwamuo said she believes the school board needs a unified approach. “I think the westeast divide that has developed needs to be addressed head on,” she said.
She said that as a newcomer, she could be the unifying voice, as she hasn’t been involved in past meetings and doesn’t have a special interest.
Pelham is a special education teacher in San Ramon and the parent of a sixthgrader and a high-schooler. She has been involved in school committees in recent years.
Regarding the east-west divide, Pelham said that as a special ed teacher, she’s worked with a lot of teams and knows how to bring people together. She said healing will begin by getting a permanent superintendent to bring stability to the district, and the board working together to focus on the bigger picture, becoming student-focused.
The school year will be trying as it is, without the distraction of divisiveness, Pelham said. The district also will need to focus on the mental health of students, as “this year has not been a normal year in any way, shape or form.”
Blackman is seeking reelection in Trustee Area 4, which includes Amador Elementary and the K-8 Cottonwood Creek schools. She is being challenged by Michael Utsumi, a fundraiser event coordinator who worked at the nonprofit Dublin Partners in Education.
Utsumi has served on various school site councils and committees, and was a school tutor. He won the district’s outstanding volunteer recognition award in 2009 and the superintendent’s
award in 2017.
In an interview, Utsumi said the board is lacking governance. The board’s role is to guide the “what,” and the staff does the “how,” he said. The board should rely on the staff for their expertise, he added.
“One of the easiest things an individual can do is lead by example,” he said.
He hopes the new board can foster an era of collaboration, and as his role as a potential board member, he says he can bring trust and stability.
His top priorities include the health of students and staff in the next year, both physically and mentally. Next are facilities, as the district navigates not only construction of Emerald High, but also projects such as more classrooms at Murray Elementary and the Frederiksen Elementary remodeling.
Blackman, who has three children in the district, was an advocate of bringing the second high school to the district on the east side, but she called out the district in 2016 for not first planning what type of school it would be.
In an interview, Blackman said there always has been tension on the board. Now, the board is adjusting to district-area elections, with all areas of the city represented. The disagreements are normal, she said, and it’s democracy — board members do not have to vote the same way every time.
Blackman said she is seeking reelection because there’s a lot still to be done, especially with online learning.
She said she knew in January “that this pandemic might take hold” and messaged district leadership that schools might have to be closed, and encouraged them to purchase Chromebooks for students. When asked how she knew of the impending pandemic, she said that as an architect she works in science and has worked in the medical industry.
“I know how viruses work,” she said. “You don’t get that in your average trustee.”
Blackman unsuccessfully ran in 2016 for a spot on the board, and then won in 2019 during a special election, after appointed board member Niranjana “Nini” Natarajan was forced to step down following a petition to force an election.