Connecting on Education
Sharing about 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 3. 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 you thinking about with respect to education? Do you have any questions or concerns? I will share what I am hearing on the site's Discussion page and address questions and comments I receive. I am happy to connect individually as well. Please use this form to share your ideas, questions, or concerns with me.
Finally, I love to post positive education stories and notices about upcoming events. So, please send those along as well.
Next County Board of Education Meeting
Wednesday June 25, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
County Office of Education
Board agenda and materials to be posted before the meeting.
June 25: Agenda Preview
To be posted a couple days before the meeting.
We had another busy meeting; this one addressing several of the Board's key responsibilities.
LCAP and Budget
First, we received and held hearings on the County Office of Education's 2025-2026 Proposed Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget. We will act on these fundamental documents at our next meeting. I was curious about how well the budget reflected the priorities of the strategic plan as opposed to just maintaining the status quo. We heard that more funding was directed at early learning, which is a priority. I think we should continue to hear about how the plan is directing the budget. Here are the slides for each presentation - LCAP and budget.
History and Social Science and Science Curricula
We also reviewed and adopted the proposed History and Social Science and Science Curricula for the Court and Community School Programs. It looks like this curricula takes a hands-on approach (learning by doing) and can be modified to reflect the reading and language levels of students, ensuring that all students get the grade-level content they need.
Interdistrict Transfer Appeal
A key role of the County Board of Education is to serve as an appellate body for interdistrict transfer, expulsion, and charter school appeals. At this meeting, we heard and acted on an interdistrict attendance appeal filed on behalf of a student currently residing in the Hayward Unified School District, but requesting to attend school in the Menlo Park City School District. The hearing and discussion of the appeal takes place in closed and executive sessions. The Board approved the appeal for a limit of one year with a vote of 5-1 (one Board member was absent). You can learn more about this process here.
Read more of my Board reports here.
Other Updates
Court and Community School Graduation
On May 28, I was honored to participate in the graduation of students from the County Office of Education's Court School. The graduates, with the support of the school's education staff, their peers, and their families, have been working hard to put their lives on a track for success and happiness. Three of the participants graduated from community college and are on their way to a four-year degree university program. The high school graduates are also on the the path to higher-level learning and are excited about their futures. What a joyful event.
Advocacy Subcommittee Hosted Second Funding Adequacy Task Force Meeting
Our work on understanding and addressing funding inadequacies in the county continued on May 19th at an in-person meeting at the County Office of Education school site in San Bruno. The focus of the meeting was on identifying and sharing the impacts of inadequate funding on state-funded school districts in the county and further building the team working on this effort. We heard how schools continue to lose staff to higher-paying districts, how students experience more teacher turnover and limited access to new curriculum and resources, and how facilities upgrades are often put off, all resulting in different student and educator experiences across the county. We also learned that San Mateo County receives the lowest per-student funding in the state. Next month, we will begin to identify possible solutions. Read more here.
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 11t 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
Learning Comes Alive in San Carlos
Guest Perspective in The Daily Journal
By Patricia Love
April 28, 2025
Spotlight
News and Updates from the San Mateo County Office of Education, May 1, 2025
Includes some great (short) articles on environmental literacy and the Green Ribbon Award.
Recent SMCOE Media Releases
San Mateo County Office of Education Wins Top Honor from California Green Ribbon Schools, April 22, 2025. The California Department of Education named the San Mateo County Office of Education as a 2025 Green Achiever, the highest level California Green Ribbon Schools recognition. The County Office received this prestigious honor for its groundbreaking leadership in environmental literacy and sustainable and climate-ready practices. Read more.
Kris Shouse Wins Administrator of the Year Award for Career Technical Education, April 17, 2025. The San Mateo County Office of Education today announced that Associate Superintendent, Educational Services, Kris Shouse has received an Administrator of the Year Award. Read more.
San Mateo County Superintendent Nancy Magee Will Not Seek Re-Election, April 14, 2025. San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee announced she will not run for re-election next year. Read more.
Schools Receive a 2025 California Distinguished Schools Award, April 7, 2025.
Twelve elementary schools from eight school districts in San Mateo County received a 2025 California Distinguished School Award from the California Department of Education. Read more.
Public Events of Interest
Almost Mother's Day Kids' Concert
Saturday, May 10, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Red Morton Park
Music, art, and play for children and families.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Mural, "Blossoms ~ International Friendship"
Thursday, May 15th, 4:00 pm
Sister City Lane, 1225 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos
This collaborative masterpiece symbolizes hope, unity, and the blossoming global friendship between the sister cities of San Carlos and Ōmura, Japan. Exactly what we need more of right now. Open to all.
San Carlos Hometown Days
May 16-18
San Carlos students will be performing and there will be many activities for children and families. Open to all.
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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