Pair of retired teachers join Los Gatos-Saratoga high school district board

Teachers will now have a stronger voice on the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District board.

The district, which includes Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools, elected three new members to its board in the November general election. Former teachers Steve Chen and Alex Shultz, along with parent and project manager Misty Davies, will join Theresa Bond and Katherine Tseng on the board.

“Being a teacher gives a really good perspective because we're just that much more up to speed on what's going on in the district that we serve,” Chen said.

Tseng, the board president, said it's fairly rare for teachers to serve on the board, as only one teacher has run in the last decade.

Chen's and Shultz's candidacies, she added, could signal that past and present teachers want to be a part of the school district's decision-making process.

Chen spent 30 years as a high-tech sales executive before becoming a math teacher. He said he brings both a parent's and a teacher's perspective to the board.

“I was a parent first, so I came into teaching way after all my kids graduated,” Chen said. “It's a lot much more complicated than parents think it is, so I sort of applaud teachers and the job they do. It's much harder than parents can imagine until you try and teach.”

Shultz, a retired Los Gatos High School biology teacher, said his ideas for the district include introducing a computer coding curriculum, installing solar panels to save money and promote clean energy, and launching a teacher mentoring program to boost retention.

Davies said her top three priorities are to attract top teachers and staff, to provide well-rounded academics for students and to maintain transparent, strategic financial policies.

The three newly elected members beat out incumbent David Guidry for a spot on the board.