Board Member — Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District

I am currently serving on the High School Board in my 20th year. I also served on Saratoga Union School District Board from '94 to '98 prior to serving on the High School Board. As a CPA with extensive financial knowledge and experiences, I am a strong advocate of Fiscal Responsibiltiy. I have lived in Saratoga for 34 years and have been very much involved with the community/school activities as a leader and volunteer and below is a partial list:

BSA Troop 508 Committee Chair of 6 years, Key Organizer of the Building Bridges Project of Saratoga Rotary Club, Co-Chair of Saratoga Memorial Day Observance event for 3 years.

Region 20 Delegte, California School Board Association, Board Prepresentative of District Budget Advisory Committee and District Audit Committee.

What people said about me:

Cindy Ranii, Former Superintendent of LGSUJHSD and Trustee of Santa Cruz City Schools:

"In my years working with Cynthia she was always a thoughtful and thorough board member who kept the focus of doing what was best for studenrts. She sets high standards for all and is admirably dedicated to public service."

Michele van Zuiden, former Trustee of LGSJUHSD

"After eight years of working closely on the board of LGSJUHSD, I have gotten to know Cynthia Chang well and have observed firsthand how committed she is to the students and taxpayers of the district. I have been impressed with Cynthia's thoroughness of reviewing and research board issues and options as well as her commitment to improving transparency and communication between the district and the community."

Cathie Thermond, former Trustee of Saratoga Union School District, Community Leader

"I have known and worked with Cynthia for over 20 years. She continues to be a passionate advocate for the success of all students in our districgt> Cynthia has outstanding analytical, leadership and communication skils: she is a respectful listener, asks informed questions and is committed to public engagement with our schools. Please join me in voting to re-elect Cynthia!"

Jill Hunter, former Trustee of Saratoga Union School District and former Mayor of city of Saratoga

"Cynthia is a hard working school board member representing both Los Gatos and Saratoga with distinction. She loves the students and has tirelessly worked to give them an excellent education. I am confident she will continue to serve the students well in the future. Vote for Cynthia Chang November 6th"

Vicki Wyant, Former Music Director, Saratoga Union School District

"It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse Cynthia Chang for the High School District Board once again! Cynthia has worked tirelessly year after year to be sure our students get the highest level of a Balanced Education possible. We are so fortunate to have someone like Cynthia who really cares about the education of our community.

Dave Wilder

"I have worked with Cynthia on the high school district Budget Advisory Committee for several years. During this time, I have consistently seen Cynthia work hard to understand and meet the needs of students, teachers and the district, while alwyas supporting strong fiscal responsibility."

Having lived in Silicon Valley for over 30 years, I choose this district to raise my children as it's one of the best in the country. My youngest is still at Saratoga High School and I am very actively involved, currently serving as President of the Saratoga High School Foundation and Parent Chaperone Lead for the Saratoga Marching Band.

My work background in high tech has spanned over 30 years, first as an engineer and then in Marketing. I have a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the London Business School. My strengths have been in solving technical problems, working with people to understand their needs, and creating, defining, and launching new ideas. This has led to great success both for the companies I worked at and for the people around me.

I believe that education is the key to being successful in life and I have always been a strong supporter of our schools. It would be a great honor to serve on the school board and will do so with a commitment to excellence and creating the best learning environment for our children.

Thank you for your support and vote.

In 1959 our family relocated from Buffalo, NY to the “Valley of Hearts Delight”. We attended public schools in the Franklin-McKinley School District and the East Side Union High School District. Our beloved parents led by example and encouraged their four sons and three daughters to excel in academics, sports, and the arts. I chose to attend Heald College, two of the notable alumni is A.P. Giannini cofounder of Bank of America and Michael H. de Young newspaper publisher and museum founder.

I married my husband George in 1978 in San Jose, we were stationed at the United States Naval Base Subic Bay Philippines for two years. He served at Naval Air Station Cubi Point as a Second Class Petty Officer Air Traffic Control. I was a member of the Navy Wives Club, we served the community and welcomed the “Boat People” from Vietnam. I was co-director of the dance team of students who attended Binictican School. 

Our son Joseph was born overseas and is a graduate of Los Gatos High School class of 1997. Our daughter Christine is also a graduate of Los Gatos High School class of 2003. They are successful at their careers due to the district’s strong academic and supportive programs. Joseph is a Professional Air Traffic Controller and Christine is the Outreach Director at Los Gatos Ballet. 

My professional career in public school business began in 1980 at the Lemoore Union High School District. My husband was stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore as a First Class Petty Officer Air Traffic Control. I was the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Business Official and we managed a budget of $4M. From 1982 to 2015 I was employed at the Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD). 

The accomplishments of LGUSD during my tenure are many; the establishment of the Foundation, the implementation of the collection of Developer Fees, the successful elections of Parcel Tax and General Obligation Bonds, Imagine LGUSD 2022 (a 10-year district-wide facilities master plan), Sustainability Plan for Educational Technology for Student Devices, community summits, including Safe Routes to School, the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) at all five schools, and the modernization of schools including the complete rebuild of Lexington Elementary School. The District prospered because of the strong leadership of the administration team, teachers, and staff. I happily retired on December 1, 2015 as the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Trustees.

Workshops and Conferences attended:

Association of California of School Administrators (ASCA) Workshop – Classified Educational Leaders

California School Boards Association Workshops (CSBA) – Governance, Brown Act, Board Policies and Administrative Regulations

California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) Workshops – Measuring School Risks 7.25.18, Chief Business Official Boot Camp 2.1.18-2.3.18, Annual Conference 4.5.18-4.7.18, Professional Development Institute, The Role of Ethics in School Business

Capitol Advisors – Budget Perspectives Workshops: May Revision 2018-19, Budget Act 2018-19

Keenan & Associates – Workers’ Compensation Symposium and Legal Panel Discussion

Kelling, Northcross & Nobriga – School Finance Conference 

Lozano Smith Law Firm Workshops – Janus v. AFSCME and SB 866 7.11.18, Facilities and Business Consortium, Purchasing, Bidding, Developer Fees, Construction, Contractors, Contracts (drafting and negotiating), Use of Facilities

Miller Brown & Dannis Workshops – Charter School Consortium, Developer Fees, School Construction: Prequalification, Bidding, Construction Contracts, Architect and Consultant Contracts, CEQA Compliance, Lease-Leaseback, Construction Claims, Terminating Construction Contracts

Santa Clara County Schools’ Insurance Group – Sexual Harassment Prevention 

Santa Clara County Office of Education – Revenue Limit Workshop

School Innovations & Achievement Workshops – Budget Perspectives, Governor’s Budget Act

School Services of California Inc. Workshops – Budget, Facilities, Funding, May Revision, School Construction, School Finance & Management Conference

Stanford University School of Education – Financing California Schools

I served as one of the campaign leaders for the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Measure A - Parcel Tax 2016 renewal. I am a member of the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) and continue my professional development through seminars, conferences, boot camps, onsite training and online learning on the topics of educational leadership in all K-14 business disciplines. CASBO aggressively advocates for sound policy in the areas of school business and finance for the benefit of public education. I serve as an elected official on the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization -Supervisorial District 1.

I am very involved in the community and school district; Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, Los Gatos Ballet Foundation, Los Gatos Music in the Park Leadership Team, Los Gatos Lions Club, The History Club of Los Gatos, and serve on three Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Oversight Committees. I am a recent graduate of Leadership Los Gatos. I would be honored by your vote on November 6, 2018.

After serving in an administrative role for California public schools for 35 years, I decided to run for school board because I am passionate about giving back to my community. I moved to the mountain community so my children Joseph and Christine could attend quality schools.

As a public school advocate and community leader I am committed to continue the excellent academic and innovative programs the district offers, while representing the diverse interests of all students. 

While future school funding remains uncertain, I will do the utmost to maintain a quality education for all students, high achieving and special needs, alike.

I bring the experience, knowledge, training, and commitment to serve on the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Governing Board and would be honored by your vote. ·