“My entire professional career with Seneca Family Agencies and First 5 Association, complimented by serving on the Girls Inc. Island City board, has been focused on improving the well-being of children, ensuring they have the strongest start in life and getting the support they need to thrive physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially.”

• Undergraduate in Psychology and Communications with a minor in Sociology
• Masters of Special Education, with a focus on Moderate/Severe
• 16 years with Seneca Family of Agencies
• 4 years Special Education teacher • Seneca NPS High School • San Francisco
• 5 years Quality Assurance Assistant Director, Seneca Family of Agencies
• 3 years Special Education Consultant • Hawaii Public School System
• 4 years Systems Director at First 5 Association OF California
• 3 years on Girls Inc of the Island City Board
• 2 years chairing the GIIC Board Governance Committee 
• 2 years on the GIIC Strategic Planning Committee
• 4 years as Member of the Alameda Open Government Commission
• Co-Founder of PLAN! Alameda
• Founder of the Alameda Slow Down in Town Campaign for Safer Streets
• 9 years Managing Alameda Islanders Soccer team
• Lives in Alameda with husband of 17 years and two children in 11th and 9th grades at Encinal High School

“I want all my decisions to be thoughtful, well-researched, data-driven and culturally responsive. Guided always with a lens of equity, inclusion, excellence and innovation. It is a complex balancing act to make sure one is not lost to the other.”

When it comes down to it, I want a school district that builds confident leaders and that uplifts students who are furthest from their educational goals in safe, welcoming educational environments. I want AUSD to live up to its motto of “Everybody Belongs Here” by championing policies and procedures that truly reflect these words, not just as a motto but as a culture. A culture where students and families of all structures, races, ethnicities and abilities have a voice, where they feel included and where they have access to the same technology, classes, resources and innovations no matter which end of the island they live on or which school they attend.

I am a lifelong educator with experience as a teacher, school administrator, district administrator, and consultant at the district, county, and state level. I have a doctoral degree in educational leadership, with a focus on education finance and managing change in educational settings. I am passionate about transforming our education system into one that is inclusive, equitable, and supportive to all--students, families, and educators alike. 

I believe in supporting representation of voices that have not been equitably included in our society, including those that identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender; immigrants; and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

I am the proud parent of two AUSD students - a high school freshman and a 7th grader.  My husband and I moved to Alameda in 2005 and have always enjoyed the small-town feel of our community. By profession, I am a litigation attorney and have been practicing for over 20 years. My passion, though, is kids and education. I strive to do as much as possible in this community so that all kids get a quality public education and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to be successful in life, whatever path they choose.  

My service as a community volunteer and education advocate began when I served as PTA President for two terms at Otis. As PTA President, I accomplished the following, among many other things:

• Worked collaboratively with school staff, parents, and teachers to provide greater social-emotional learning support for students, with additional training and education for teachers and families;
• Started the first Equity & Inclusion Committee at any AUSD school, with recognition as a "No Place For Hate" school by the Anti-Defamation League;
• Launched a STEAM lab so students have hands-on access to 21st Century learning opportunities;
• Enhanced the Safety Patrol program to provide safer access routes to the school for students, and educated families about safe driving, drop-off, and parking practices around the school;
• Managed a large budget and was accountable to parents, teachers and staff in how those funds were spent, and;
• Worked tirelessly to create community and partnerships with all families so that students had the best educational experience possible.

I am currently in my second term as PTA Council President where I work with all PTA presidents at public schools in Alameda. Equity issues have been on the forefront of the work we have done over the past few years. These days, however, we are grappling with how to support families and students while we are in the distance learning mode, whether students are enrolled in the flexible or remote program. Finding equitable ways to engage kids and provide learning opportunities for all students during asynchronous learning time is especially important. I also serve on the PTA Equity Project committee, a group dedicated to determining (1) what, if any, inequities actually exist in PTA fundraising and spending at all school sites; and (2) what, if any, interventions can effectively address any inequities uncovered. This work has become even more important in the time of remote learning.

In addition to my PTA work, I was the Co-Chair of the Measure A (Strong Schools for Alameda) campaign. Measure A raises funds that will only be used to increase teacher and staff salaries by 9% up to the Alameda County average so we can attract and retain quality teachers and staff at our public and charter schools, and stop losing amazing talent to neighboring school districts who can pay more. By supporting our teachers and staff, we also support our students, which makes for a stronger community.

My mission is to ensure equitable access to a strong and robust public education system. I believe we we must strive for excellence in educational programming on all levels so students, regardless of address, have the knowledge and skills necessary to be independent and successful in life. By working collaboratively with other School Board members, engaging the community, partnering with teachers and staff, and having some hard conversations, I know we can do it. I would be honored to earn your vote so we can work together to achieve these goals.

My name is Verna Castro, I go by she, hers and hers, and I am honored to be running for Alameda Unified School District School Board. If elected, I will be the first Pacific Islander, LGBQT board member in Alameda.

I was educated at the University of San Francisco, UC Berkeley and Stanford University with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts, and Master’s Degree in Urban Education, as well as a Teaching and Administrative Credential. I have been dedicated to my work of over 34 years as a lifelong public school teacher, Coach, Athletic Director, Physical Educator, Central Office Administrator and District Leader, while working intentionally to successfully support our marginalized student populations.

I am a fifty-nine year old female who grew up in the SF Bay Area with four siblings. I am the proud mother of a multiracial daughter who is a community based Marriage and Family Therapist in Alameda. My daughter attended public schools K-12 and I am blessed to be a grandparent of two grandsons who inspire me to give my best; working for educational opportunities for current and future generations.

My parents arrived in Alameda in 1960 from Guam (Chamorro natives) and my father was stationed at the Alameda Naval Shipyard. He was a Firefighter and passed away when I was 10 years old. I am extremely grateful and forever indebted to my mother, a teacher who dedicated her life to her five children valuing education as the primary path to success. My parents instilled the importance of family, active community service and an unwavering work ethic. I am grateful for my parents, my lineage, and those individuals and communities I have come to admire that have maintained visions of hope and doing the right thing by our children.

In the past, I accepted a position as an urban city Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach, at a school that had high needs and a team that did not have eligibility of 7 boys to make a team. Through this resilient community effort of study hall, mentoring, wellness supports, family and teacher involvement, school and community partnerships, we succeeded together in many ways.

At the district level, I have collaborated across departments and with the authors of Fitness for Life text to design a physical and health literacy course (Fit 4 Life 2) to shift from athletics based to a much needed fitness and wellness model focused on improving youth health disparities and in particular with our brown and black students. Then, I advocated successfully for this course to be approved as a UC "G" course under Physical Education, and thereby opening the door for other districts to adopt our course.

In 2019, I co-founded a Pacific Islander Roots Program in partnership with the Samoan Community Development Center in San Francisco and focused on 1st grade reading intervention and wellness.

I am excited to return to Alameda where I strongly and passionately believe our diversely abundant community can work together to accomplish goals in the best interest of our children in these changing times. I believe deeply in quality education and I believe that all schools should be schools of excellence. I believe in rigor, that each and every child should graduate with the global skills and dispositions in the ever changing world but first they must have their basic needs met. I believe that authentic partnerships with the community and city agencies can be linked with the schools to provide best comprehensive intentional wellness supports to students. My equity platform includes inclusion bringing ethnic studies K-12 to our school district as well as creating college and career pathways for students. I am endorsed by the Alameda County Democratic Party, CSEA, Alameda Labor Council, Alameda Firefighters IAFF Local 689, Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County, two School Board Presidents, President Aimee Eng from Oakland and President Mia Bonta from Alameda and School Board member Gary Lym; two sitting Superintendents, one from SFUSD and the other from Berkeley Unified; and Assemblymember Rob Bonta and many other educators in the City of Alameda and throughout the region.

I am a lifelong Democrat, as were my mother and my father, going all the way back to our ancestors. I believe in the values of democracy for the people. I believe in the middle class, our working class families. I have worked in public education for 34 years, 27 year as a teacher and in the union. Our democratic platform aligns with my beliefs in affordable health care options and health centers so families and students can access health care. The shared belief continues in my belief in striving for excellence in our school systems and working towards the availability of affordable homes for our teachers and young families to work in their own cities, like Measure Z to bring back diversity, they live, I believe in, K-12 education investments such as universal childcare for 3-4 years of age and a robust educational funding for debt free community colleges, doubling Pell grants for the marginalized communities who need it most to make college affordable. I believe in the Biden-Harris platform of ensuring that our environment is livable for future generations through mandates of net zero emissions by 2050, clean air, clean water and environment free of pollution. Climate change is the most important issue of our time, it must be addressed. I believe that what’s needed is representation of leaders matching the community they teach. They understand what it takes to move their community and will bring a diversity of thought to the table. I’ve taught for 27 years at the policy level. I would represent all students, educators and their families with  a lens of marginalized communities. My political platform is about taking care of all people ensuring that students get the resources and support they need to succeed.  If this means politically leveraging, working with communities, inter-agencies, the city for policies and laws to provide basic needs and all that is needed for student success, that’s what I will do. 

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UC Riverside in 1990 and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law in 1993.  She has practiced law since 1993.  She has dedicated her 27-year legal career to public service, working primarily with families in the foster care system and indigent adults.  She spent 12 years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, becoming General Counsel to the San Francisco Human Services Agency, and working under the Honorable Katherine Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris, and former San Francisco Public Defender Kimiko Burton.  In 2011, Jennifer became an Administrative Law Judge for the San Francisco Human Services Agency, overseeing hearings involving public benefits.  She continues to oversee the hearing division regarding the administration of public benefits administered by the San Francisco County Adult Assistance Program.  Jennifer has been a contributing author to “Seiser and Kumli on California Juvenile Courts, Practice and Procedure,” since 2007.  She has argued before the California Supreme Court and has numerous published appellate decisions. 

Jennifer has been an active volunteer in the Alameda community.  She served on the Social Service Human Relations Board from 2012-2016.  From 2012-2106, she was a member of the Alameda Unified School District’s (AUSD) LGBTQ Roundtable, and from 2015-2016 she was a member of the AUSD Measure A Oversight Committee.  From 2013-2015 she was the PTA President at Bay Farm School, where her daughter still attends school.

In 2015 and in 2016, Jennifer was recognized by the California Legislature for her volunteer efforts on behalf of AUSD students.  Jennifer has lived in Alameda since 2001 with her husband and their two children. 

Jennifer has been a life-long Democrat and has devoted her life to public service.  Her 27-year legal career has been devoted to public service and helping disenfranchised populations become self-sufficient.  She has fought hard for vulnerable populations and her legal career has been devoted to serving her community. During her time in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Jennifer worked on the Family and Children’s Services Team, and was a member of the Service Delivery Team for the Mayor’s Child Sexual Trauma Advisory Committee, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Worker’s Children’s Fund.  She became General Counsel to the San Francisco Human Services Agency in 2001 and provided legal advice to that Agency for all public assistance programs, including Child Welfare, General Assistance, Food Stamps, CalWORKS, Medi-Cal, the In-Home Supportive Services Program, Adult Protective Services, & the Housing & Homeless Program.  Since 2011, Jennifer has been an Administrative Law Judge for the San Francisco Human Services Agency, overseeing hearings involving public benefits.  She continues to oversee the hearing division regarding the administration of public benefits administered by the San Francisco County Adult Assistance Program. 

In 2016, Jennifer ran a successful campaign for a seat on the Alameda Board of Education and continues to serve her community.  Her work has focused on improving outcomes for the District’s most vulnerable students. She has been a member of the Wellness Subcommittee since 2016, and supported the District’s first Mental and Emotional Wellness Needs Assessment survey that identified student behavioral health needs, conducted an inventory of existing school and community-based services, and created a more coordinated, integrated, and accessible behavioral health service system for all students.   She Worked collaboratively with community partners to support the mental health needs of students by securing $100,000.00 annually in mental health support from the City of Alameda and $300,000.00 worth of free programming from Girls Inc. of the Island City to run elementary literacy, a STEM program, and the GEMS (“Girls Empowerment Mentoring Support”) Program.  During her time on the Board she also worked on the District’s first suicide prevention policy, bias incident reporting policy, and anti-bullying efforts, and worked with staff to create an anti-bias webpage with resources for students, families, and staff on culturally responsive materials.  She has also been a member of the City of Alameda/AUSD Subcommittee since 2016, working closely with her colleagues on the Alameda City Council to ensure equitable access to City sports facilities and to make necessary upgrades to Emma Hood Pool for student and community use. 

In 2016 she worked with District staff to secure grant funding from the 1Million Project Foundation and provided free computer access to hundreds of AUSD students in need.  The foundation of Jennifer’s political philosophy is service to others; she has maintained open and frequent communication with staff, community partners, labor partners, students, and families, and is proud to have the endorsement of the Alameda teachers in her re-election effort.