Connecting on Education
In Support of San Mateo County Children and Youth
Connecting on Education
In Support of San Mateo County Children and Youth
Welcome to the Connecting on Education website! I am Patricia Love, San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee representing Area 6. This site provides space for me to share information about the work of the Board of Education, my work as Trustee, and other education news. I am often asked, what does the County Board of Education do? I hope this site will answer that question.
I also want to hear from you - what are your thoughts on education in San Mateo County? Do you have any questions or concerns? I will share and address questions and comments I receive on this site's Discussion page. I am happy to connect individually as well. Please use this form to share your ideas, questions, or concerns with me.
2025 Annual Report
Please read more in my 2025 Trustee Impact Report: My First Year.
Next County Board of Education Meeting
Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood Shores
Agenda and board packet. Link to attend virtually.
February 4: Agenda Preview
This week's meeting is packed with a lot of important items that reflect the breadth of the County Board's work.
We honor teacher George Rehmet as employee of the month in person and recent retirees through resolutions.
We will receive a report on the 2025 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and California School Dashboard. These are the standardized tests that public school students take. The test results and multi-year progress on them is reflected on the dashboard.
We will receive the 2025-2026 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Mid-Year Budget Expenditure Report, which aligns with the LCAP report presented in January. We will also review and act on the Comprehensive School Safety Plans for San Mateo County Office of Education Student Programs.
We will also conduct a hearing and act on the ratification of a power purchasing agreement between the County Office of Education and Peninsula Clean Energy.
At one point in the meeting, we will move into closed session for two Interdistrict Attendence Appeals for students residing in the Cabrillo Unified School District, but requesting to attend school in the San Mateo Union High School District. When a school district denies an IAA request, the parents can appeal to the County Board of Education.
Highlights from Previous Board Meeting
Special Meeting - Board Governance Retreat
Sunday, January 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
Half Moon Bay
The Board worked on team building and planning for 2026. We have some work to do, but we made progress. Thanks to Association of California County Boards of Education leaders Dave Patterson and Debbie Maus for facilitating the meeting.
Other Updates
CTE Event
On January 12, I attended an excellent presentation on Career and Technical Education organized by the San Mateo County School Boards Association. San Mateo County Office of Education Associate Superintendent Kris Shouse presented. She did a wonderful job explaining how CTE has been a great program for keeping students engaged in their education - we have seen that in the Court and Community Schools. Also, she shared how it is important to have at least two classes in a pathway as that allows students to be considered "completers" and results in funding for school districts. Having just one class is not nearly as beneficial. She also provided tools districts could use to assess and plan for CTE. Here is a link to her slides.
Inaugural Prevention in Action: Schools, Communities, and Youth Voices Conference
On January 7, I attended a conference focused on preventing students from entering the juvenile justice system and, if they are system-impacted, supporting them in achieving the best possible outcomes. I appreciated that so many people came together for this important event and appreciated learning from presenters - there is a lot of good working going on. The highlight was hearing from students both in the general meetings and in the breakouts. I was a bit confused about why the County Office of Education was not a co-organizer or at least a presenter. The Office does both prevention work and serves the students in Hillcrest. So, their absense was a missed opportunity. I will explore that with the organizers and can report back if anyone reading is interested.
Hearing from Former Court and Community School Students
I attended an Association of California County Boards of Education meeting with former court and community school students. Much of what we heard, we already knew was true, but hearing it directly from the students made it more powerful. Before they got into trouble, some found school boring and adults did not engage much or have high expectations for them. What made a difference in their education - all have gone on to post-secondary education - were the adults who made an effort to get to know them. One student said a teacher asked her every day about how she was doing, which she had never experienced and it made her feel great. They said being given choices helps show their voice matters. This is not rocket science, but why is this hard to do?
Learning and Advocating at the California School Boards Association's Annual Meeting
On December 3rd and 4th, I attended the California School Board Association's Annual Education Conference in Sacramento. The session kicked off with a panel of candidates for Governor. I attended sessions addressing interdistrict transfer appeals, funding, policy, and other issues related to the work of the County Board of Education. I asked the Legislative Analysts Office presenter about whether we might see a change in the excess property tax sweep from county offices of education - currently San Mateo County pays more than $40 million to the State in property taxes paid in San Mateo County and designated for education. These "excess" property taxes support the trial courts. The response I received was county offices don't have use for the money. I picked up some information that may be useful as we update our interdistrict transfer appeals process. I attended an inspiring presentation on an app designed to support youth in foster care - it was designed by students who are or have recently been in the foster care system. I also heard a nice presentation on funding inequities, including possible solutions and connected with colleagues from San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
Momentum Gathering for Work on School Funding
Since we released the School Funding Task Force report, I have had meetings with the authors of the report, Excess Revenue, Unequal Opportunity: Revisiting Basic Aid in the LCFF Era. The report is excellent and does a great job explaining the challenges of school funding. The authors then connected me with Todd Collins who has been leading efforts on this issue in Santa Clara County. We found much to align on, and I look forward to further collaboration. On November 5, members of our Task Force held a meeting with staff from Senator Josh Becker's office to discuss options for moving forward with legislation that begins to tackle the funding challenge. Our team will work on a fact sheet to share with the Senator later this month. We are meeting with Santa Clara County Board of Education trustees to explore how we might collaborate with them.
Meanwhile, the San Mateo County School Boards Association's Legislative Committee is actively organizing itself under the skilled leadership of David Li. David has been active on the Funding Task Force and participated in the meetings with Todd Collins and Senator Becker's staff.
Opportunity for County Committee on School District Organization?
One of my roles on the Board is to serve as the Board's Governing Board Representative to the County Committee on School District Organization. We meet once a year to elect members of the committee. This meeting was held on November 3 and we elected five individuals to serve on the committee. I inquired at the meeting as to whether the group spent time assessing how well our current school district boundaries serve students across the county. The answer was no. This body is more reactive then proactive. Given that we have all of these talented people on this committee, which did not meet even once this year, I think this is a missed opportunity. I will explore this more as I am not sure whether and how they might do this type of long-term visioning and planning.
California AI in Education Task Force Moves forward on Draft Guidance
I attended the second meeting of the state's AI and Education Task Force meeting. We spent time reviewing and suggesting edits to a draft shared by California Department of Education staff. I was a bit underwhelmed by the report as its recommendations for the State were things like provide a resource library and training. There was nothing about leadership or visioning about how we might use AI to transform education so it better serves students and makes teaching a more rewarding and less stressful profession. I was shut down a bit after asking about this. The CDE doesn't provide leadership; local school districts are independent and lead their own way. I was disappointed by that response. Here is a page with information about the task force.
Visit to Canyon Oaks School
On October 10, I had the opportunity to visit our students and educators at Canyon Oaks, a co-ed residential treatment center for students ages 12-17. Canyon Oaks provides students with a therapeutic environment that helps them regain emotional and mental stability. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from the students about their studies and what they planned to wear for Halloween. They were going to have a party later in the day to send off one of their classmates who is leaving Canyon Oaks to return to their high school. A goal of the school is to have students return to their community within the shortest time possible. You can learn more about Canyon Oaks and Gateway, the County Office of Education's alternative community schools here.
County Board of Education Approves School Funding Task Force Report and Work
At the Board meeting on Ocotber 8, I provided an update on the School Funding Task Force's work and its report that highlights findings from four task force meetings, research by interns in Senator Becker's office, and other school funding work. The Board adopted the report and gave the task force the green light to continue this work. Here are three potential areas for legislation the task force proposed: Cost of Living Adjustment – adjust LCFF funding to reflect the high cost of living in counties like San Mateo; Excess Property Taxes – allow County Offices of Education to redistribute excess property tax revenue back to local schools; and Housing Solutions – align affordable housing requirements with educator salaries in high-cost regions.
The Task Force will continue to work with local legislators, with the goal of introducing a bill in the 2026 legislative session. More information can be found on the County Office of Education website.
New Report Explains How Funding Disparities Are Reinforced
Policy Analysis for California Education, Stanford University (PACE) and Bellwether researchers released a report, Excess Revenue, Unequal Opportunity: Revisiting Basic Aid in the LCFF Era in October that addresses the concerns raised by the School Funding Task Force. The report includes excellent data and analysis and serves as a good companion to the task force's report, also released in October. I also highly recommend the report as it provides an excellent overview of how schools are funded and why this has led to disparities.
Funding Adequacy Task Force Completes Initial Report
We shared an initial report on our work and recommendations with the Task Force, received input from Capitol Advisors, and discussed our options and next steps at a hybrid meeting on August 25. We're taking the report to our Board in October, though a copy was shared with them at our meeting on September 3. We have begun reaching out to other county boards of education and the legislative delegation to build support and for the work. Trustee David Lee from the Redwood City School District will join our team and help build support at the San Mateo County School Boards Association.
California AI in Education Task Force Launches
I attended the first meeting of the state's AI and Education Task Force meeting. I was joined by educators from around the state to begin developing a policy and guidelines for California schools. Many folks were excited about the process and really leaning in to consider how AI might impact our world and how students can be ready. My hope is that AI also allows teachers to find more joy in their work as they have more time for their students and themselves as AI takes over other tasks that are less impactful. I hope that the people in the room are willing to think big and long about this. Here is a page with information about the task force.
Appointed to California AI in Education Task Force
I was just appointed to the State's AI in Education Task Force. I had applied because I don't think you can overestimate the impact AI will have on our lives, our students, and our education system. When I worked at the County Office of Education, I was a strong proponent of focusing on AI and helping our organization and school districts do the same. I co-chaired our AI committee and gave several presentations to districts on AI, building our shared knowledge and continuing to explore new issues. I hope this task force will be open to new ideas - not just layering on old ones - and impactful. Our students are counting on us.
Read more updates here and on my Advocacy page.
San Mateo County Office of Education Named County Office of the Year
The San Mateo County Office of Education was named “Medium County Office of the Year” by the California County Superintendents. The County Office received this award for its statewide leadership in behavioral health, environmental literacy, and school safety. Those who nominated the County Office for this award specifically called out the exceptional leadership of Superintendent Nancy Magee in each of these areas. Read more here.
Congratulations and a well-deserved honor for the County Office of Education and Superintendent!
County Office Releases Report to the Community
This annual report highlights the County Office of Education's progress in implementing its strategic plan, including supporting whole-child student outcomes, building the education workforce, strengthening advocacy and partnerships, and helping every staff member to embody our vision and values.
There is also a lot of great data in the report addressing academic outcomes, college and career readiness, enrollment, funding, demographics, absenteeism, and suspensions.
Congratulations and thank you to the Communications Team for putting out an excellence resources. It is definitely worth a read!
Support for Schools Is More Important than Ever
I have been in office for six months now. My tenure has overlapped with a period of chaotic policy and program changes and threats coming out of Washington. It has put tremendous pressure on schools. Our school and district leaders have been doing an excellent job creating a safe and supportive place for students to learn amidst all of this commotion. However, they need our support. You can learn more about work underway and ideas for how you can support our schools in this Guest Perspective in The Daily Journal on June 27, 2025.
Kent Awards Recognizes Excellent Programs
The San Mateo County School Boards Association held its annual Kent Awards celebration on May 2. Ten innovative and replicable programs from districts across the county received this special recognition at an event filled with joy, inspiring student performances, and time to connect and celebrate. Here are some highlights for me - hearing from students about what a music program in their school meant to them and their high school experiences, connecting with school district board members and school leaders and learning more about their programs, and listening to Carlmont's amazing Jazz Choir. I hope that next year we can hear more from students as hearing from them about the impact of these programs was powerful.
County Office of Education Hosts California Green Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony
On April 30, I was thrilled to attend the Green Ribbon Schools Award Ceremony at the County Office of Education. California Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond was there to honor the schools and districts making strides to make their campuses and communities more climate ready and focused on sustainability.
The County Office of Education was selected to host the event since it received the greatest number of points of all of the applicants. It is also the first county office of education to receive the Green Achiever Award, the highest level available.
When I worked at the County Office, the environmental literacy program was part of my team, so I am especially proud of this award. Julie Hilborn, Environmental Literacy Coordinator, led the effort and was supported by many others across the organization. It really was a team effort, with so many in the organization committed to this work, including Superintendent Magee who has made climate-ready schools a priority.
Read more in Ana Mata's article in The Daily Journal and in this media release.
Advocacy Subcommittee Hosts First Funding Adequacy Task Force Meeting
More than 30 school district board members and staff leaders joined the Board and Superintendent's Advocacy Subcommittee on April 21 to learn more about school funding. San Mateo County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Kevin Bultema provided a detailed overview of the history of school funding, efforts to change it over time, and where we stand today. This review was informative and helped everyone on the call arrive at a shared understanding of how funding works and possible levers for change. Executive Director Ian Bain provided an updated on pending legislation aimed at addressing funding inadequacies. These offer a starting point. The group will reconvene on May 19 to hear from districts impacted by inadequate funding. Read more here.
Visit to Mariposa and Arroyo Schools in San Carlos
On April 15th, I visited the fourth graders at Mariposa School. I attended their history classes where they were busy working on the design of a museum they will create to highlight their learnings about California history. The students were working together to identify their priorities for the museum. Later, two classes merged seamlessly to check in on whether they were with addressing guiding questions they developed for this project. Like at Arroyo School, the teachers were facilitators of learning - not simply transmitters of knowledge and rules. The students responded well as they were engaged in and excited about their learning. Thank you Principal Fox for arranging this visit.
I had the opportunity to visit the fourth graders at Arroyo School on April 14th as they shared their work from their Project Based Learning initiative with others from their grade. All were engaged and excited to share. I heard some creative stories addressing natural disasters that built on their learning over the last several months. Principal Shelton had a wonderful rapport with the students. Another great example of high-quality education in San Mateo County.
Please read my Guest Perspective from The Daily Journal highlighting this visit and the excellent work being done in our schools.
County Boards Governance Workshop
I spent Friday, April 11th in Sacramento learning alongside and connecting with other county board members from across the state. We addressed budget development, board dynamics, legislation, advocacy, and community engagement. I especially appreciated my conversations with two new board members from Santa Clara County and an experienced board member from Sacramento County. I look forward to working with them in the future, especially as we address returning excess property taxes to our counties. I also received some great input on ways to bring on a youth trustee.
County Office of Education School Site Visits
I had the opportunity to visit County Office of Education school sites in March. These visits are so important to our understanding of the work of the County Office of Education. Plus, they give us the chance to connect with students and staff. Read more here.
Additional Reads and News
(SMCOE redid its website, so the links to their content may not be easy to access. Stay tuned while I figure it out!)
Spotlight (newsletter of the County Office of Education)
News and Updates from the San Mateo County Office of Education
Shares highlights from the Report to the Community.
Support for Schools Is More Important than Ever
Guest Perspective in The Daily Journal
By Patricia Love
June 27, 2025
Learning Comes Alive in San Carlos
Guest Perspective in The Daily Journal
By Patricia Love
April 28, 2025
Thank you for visiting
Patricia Love, Trustee
San Mateo County Board of Education
The views expressed on this website are those of Patricia Love and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Education as a whole or its individual members.