Connecting on Education
In Support of San Mateo County Children and Youth
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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, September 16, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Board Retreat
Agenda and Board Packet
101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood Shores
Agenda Preview
Highlights from Previous Board Meeting
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Agenda and board packet. Recording of meeting.
We honored Employee of the Month Thashmika Singh, Administrative Assistant, Safe and Supportive Schools, Educational Services Division. I worked with Thashmika and always found her to be hard working, clever, and a joy to collaborate with.
We also were introduced to several new staff members, all of whom brought much experience and passion to their roles. Here's the list: Anne Childers, Program Manager, School Climate Technical Assistance Center, Educational Services Division; Dr. Vidrale Franklin-Kelly, Coordinator, P-3 Early Literacy, Educational Services Division; Carmen Ibarra, Supervisor, Behavioral Intervention Programs, Educational Services Division; Sara Luzon, Principal, Court and Community Schools, Educational Services Division; Carrie Maloney, Principal, Special Education, Educational Services Division; Elizabeth Nuñez, Coordinator, Literacy and Assessment, Educational Services Division; Jessica Ochoa, School Health Billing Coordinator, Research and Systems Planning, Educational Services Division; Robert Wachtel Pronovost, Coordinator, Instructional Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Educational Services Division; and Lingqi Zhang, Director, District Business Services, Business Services Division. Robert P and Lingqi had left and returned to SMCOE - lucky for SMCOE.
Opening of the School Year
We received a report on the opening of the school year for San Mateo County Office of Education student programs. All of the principals for the different programs were present, including new ones for Court and Community Schools and Educational Services. Although I had a few questions, I decided to skip those and just share how impressed I was with the group and all they are bringing to the school programs. It was the most impressive school leadership crew yet. I am hopeful for a wonderful year for our students, families, and school staff. Learn more here.
Foster Youth Services Update
We also received a Report and Updates on SMCOE's Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program. Although I was familiar with program, I still learned a lot and asked that they let us know how the Board can be supportive of their work and of the students in foster care. You can review their slides here.
Housing Action.
We adopted the Workforce Housing Practices and Preferences Agreement, which the housing subcommittee and staff worked on. Hopefully, our building will have SMCOE and school staff in it soon. Thanks to those who have been doing this work on behalf of the Board and SMCOE. Here is the agreement.
United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights
We adopted a Joint Resolution Affirming Support for the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the meeting. Now more than ever it is critical that students and residents understand the Constitution and that we all work to preserve the hard-fought rights it includes. Thanks to Trustee O'Neill for bringing this forward. The resolution can be read here.
Subcommittee Reports
I shared updates on progress the Policy Subcommittee has been making on updating policies and news from the Advocacy Subcommittee that the Legislative Analyst's Office has completed its study and we will review it shortly.
Other Updates
AI and Education
In 2025, I was appointed to the The California AI in Education Working Group. We have continued to meet to work on guidance, sample policy, and a report to the Legislature. Here is the guidance for schools we developed with the California Department of Education staff.
The California Public Schools: Artificial Intelligence Working Group, established under Senate Bill (SB) 1288 (2024), brings together educators, students, experts, and educational partners to develop guidance and model policy for the safe, equitable, and effective use of AI in schools.
We began meeting in August 2025. So far, we have completed guidance and a sample policy. We are currently working on the report to the Legislature.
You can learn more about the Working Group and State AI policies and resources here.
Here is an article (AI+Education) I wrote for the Daily Journal on AI and Education. The gist is that as schools explore how to integrate AI into the classroom, the focus should shift from the tools themselves to the essential skills students need — and how teachers can best be supported to cultivate them. Unsurprisingly, these skills are not new; they simply require re-emphasis.
Adequate School Funding
We have been working to address inequitable funding across counties and districts. Within counties there can be districts with twice as much money to spend on a per student basis than other districts. Across California, every district gets the same amount of money per student. Given the high cost of living, this doesn't make much sense. The cost of hiring a teacher in San Mateo County vs, say, Bakersfield is much higher. Yet, there is no regional cost adjustment to address this. Here is our funding task force report and webpage, and a fact sheet we produced on the issue.
Senator Josh Becker sent a letter to the Legislative Analyst's Office on our behalf asking for a study of school funding disparities. We are waiting for that report.
This excellent report, Excess Revenue, Unequal Opportunity: Revisiting Basic Aid in the LCFF Era, does a great job explaining the challenges of school funding.
The funding task force is an initiative of the San Mateo County Board of Education and the San Mateo County School Boards Association's Legislative Committee.
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. I am concerned that the committee only meets when there is a school boundary dispute. Thus, they may never meet. I would like to see the group meet more often to learn and examine how well our current boundaries are serving the needs of children and families.
At the group's meeting on November 3, 2026, 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.
Visits to County Office of Education School Programs
I look forward to resuming school visits this fall. Connecting with students and educators and learning first-hand about our school programs is rewarding and informs my thinking and work in my Board role.
Getting Down to Facts III
I have been trying to get up to speed on the impressive body of work that is Getting Down to Facts III, A Comprehensive Review of California’s PreK-12 System. The effort, organized by Stanford University, includes 55 technical reports and 22 research briefs document opportunities and gaps, and points to a need for alignment and accountability, balance, and coherence. I have been attending weekly meetings that address different parts of the research. The work identifies key roles for county offices of education and many other ideas for improving education for our state's students. I hope to find opportunities for county boards and SMCOE to learn from this work. Stay tuned. You can learn more about Getting Down to Facts III here.
County Office Report to the Community
The 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!
Kent Awards Recognizes Excellent Programs
The San Mateo County School Boards Association held its annual Kent Awards celebration on May 8. Several 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. I was especially proud of the Redwood City and San Carlos school districts as their programs were really impressive and are game changers for students. You can learn more here.
Speaking Up for Students and Public Education
Back to School
Students across San Mateo County have been making their way back to school this month. Getting 100,000 students to school, ready to learn and make friends, is quite a feat. Here’s a big thank you to the parents, educators and students who make this complex ritual a success every year. Gratitude is also due to our public agencies for their critical role in making this happen and community members for supporting students and schools. Please read this Guest Perspective in the Daily Journal.
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.
Learning Comes Alive in San Carlos
The sky’s the limit for engaged students supported by talented teachers and administrators and surrounded by respectful and kind peers. In San Mateo County, we are fortunate to have excellent public schools and educators who care deeply about their students and work hard to ensure every child succeeds. As negative education rhetoric swirls in the larger world, let’s appreciate all the good we have in San Mateo County, continue to invest in our schools and thank our educators. You can learn more about the great work happening in San Carlos schools in this Guest Perspective in The Daily Journal.
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.
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