Dolly Adams has lived in Castro Valley for more than 30 years and has taught for Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) for 21 years. Dolly has a passion for CV schools and children. Her total teaching experience is upwards of 28 years. She has taught in both Hayward USD and San Ramon Valley USD as a general education teacher in science for 8th and 9th grade. She came on board CVUSD as an Independent study teacher serving students in grades 2 through 12. Currently, she teaches all subjects in the high school curriculum including Algebra and essay writing. 

Dolly holds a B.S. in Physical Science - Geology and an M.S. as an Education Specialist. She is an active board member with the CV Teacher's Association, as well as past president and current treasurer for the CV Democratic Club. Presently, she represents the 20th Assembly District for the state and is an associate member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. Dolly has worked as a political activist for more than 25 years, most ardently for issues in education, housing, and the environment. Dolly is a board member on the CV Municipal Advisory Council (MAC Board). 

Dolly's family and friends are so important to her successes in life. She has a son who graduated from Redwood Continuation High School and a daughter, Natalie Fazeli, who graduated with high honors from CVHS, and is her campaign manager. Her fiancé, Jason Carney, is the treasurer for the 2020 school board campaign.

Until there is a vaccine for coronavirus and the risk of infection becomes substantially lower, how classrooms will be partially opened is still in the preliminary stages. Staggering students and class schedules; modifications to assemblies, P.E. and recess; and then the issue of reversing regression in academic performance are some of the remedies that will be proposed to keep social distancing of students and staff. This will be particularly challenging with very young children. Having someone on the board that understands the demands put on teachers would be very helpful in this time of crisis.

​    As a CV MAC board member, I am working diligently on the safe routes to schools issue. I have made numerous calls, emails, zoom meetings with community leaders, SR2S county coordinator, and Alameda County Public Works officials. There are several proposed changes either completed or in the works. The top two intersections mentioned for change are Crow Canyon & Manter and Redwood & James, there are some state regulations preventing lowering of the speed limit on Crow Canyon Rd. I am setting up a meeting with Assemblyman Bill Quirk to address this issue.

    There are a few ways to give some graduating seniors a path to vocational education. First, is to set up apprenticeships with local trade shops, which is something I could help the district with since I know leaders in the unions. Secondly, perhaps a skilled trade’s class could be created at Redwood HS since the graduation requirements are different and this school is dismissed earlier to allow students to practice their trade.

    My expertise is in Special Education, thus I am uniquely qualified to handle the issue of Sp. Ed. attendance and graduation rates so that the whole district could have a higher average rate. My own class has an excellent graduation rate and I would like to pass this expertise on.  Also, I foresee the use of individual plans being helpful during our social distancing protocols.

My name is Lavender Lee Whitaker and I have lived in this wonderful community we all call home for nine years with my daughter Kylie. We moved to Castro Valley to make a home with my late husband Nicholas “Dubb” Whitaker.

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I was born in an intentional community near Santa Barbara with my parents, sister, and brother. There, we grew our own food and made our clothes. This is where I developed a passion for the conservation of our environment and the beauty of our collective shared value. Even though my family relocated when I was five, my parents continued to ingrain the importance of thinking about the effects of your actions on others. 

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When I started going to public school, I was shocked by the prejudice I saw other children displaying toward one another. I was always the kid that felt bad for the children who were left out. So I would find out more about them, and find connections of understanding between them and the other students. It was fun to make people smile and help them feel connected. I've always enjoyed being a bridge to help others build connections.

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My passion for helping others continued in high school. I volunteered hundreds of hours as a mediator at town hall meetings for a non-profit that helped bring the issues children faced to the attention of local leaders.  

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These observatory skills have helped me throughout my life to mediate conflict, help others, anticipate others' needs, and provide people with resources. I have learned to help groups work towards a common ground with a smile, build relationships with each other, laugh, and get work done efficiently and quickly with purpose.  

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In 2010, I obtained my Bachelor's degree from UC Davis in Environmental Policy with an emphasis in energy policy and a few years later received my Masters of Business Administration focusing on organizational development. I have over 16 years of experience in the utility and environmental sectors, with seven years at the U.S. Department of Energy, eight years at PG&E, and a little over one year at Genentech. 

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On November 8, 2016 I was elected to the Castro Valley School Board. Since being elected, I have helped establish more inclusive board policies that better address the needs of our diverse student body. I led the charge to ensure that our district is leveraging corporate and philanthropic funding which would otherwise go untapped. In December of 2019, I was appointed President of the Board by my fellow trustees.

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My daughter Kylie attended Palomares Elementary, Canyon Middle and Castro Valley High Schools, where she was active in several extracurricular activities. In elementary school, she swam in the Columbia Crocodiles and played soccer for the Castro Valley Soccer Club. Additionally, she played softball in the Castro Valley Girls Softball league. Today, she is a sophomore at Berkeley City College at the ripe old age of 17. She is one my proudest accomplishments and I absolutely love being her mom!

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My late husband, Nick "Dubb" Whitaker, was Castro Valley High School’s Student Activities Director. He believed strongly in our teachers and in our students, and like many teachers he put in countless hours to ensure his students received the best education possible. As his partner, I developed a unique and firsthand perspective about problems facing the district's students, teachers, and administrators. Shortly before his death he was pursuing an Administration Credential as a way to better serve the needs of teachers and students within Castro Valley. 

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Like Nick did throughout his life, I continuously strive to teach others and myself to learn and be better through empathy and understanding. Nick left a bold legacy within CVUSD. I am proud of his legacy and the opportunity to build upon it through my role on the Castro Valley School Board.

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As was Nick, I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful community. If re-elected I will continue to utilize the academic, professional, and personal skills that I have learned. I want to ensure that all students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community leaders have a seat at the table and that the lines of communication remain open and transparent. I would be honored to have your support on Election Day.

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I have a nearly 20-year career in public higher education policy at the University of California. I am the parent of two students in our Castro Valley public schools. I have participated in the life of our schools since my sixth grader began Transitional Kindergarten….as a volunteer in my kids’ classrooms, serving as a volunteer in the AP German classroom at Castro Valley High School, and even serving as the mascot at my kid’s elementary school.  

I brought the Castro Valley Stands United Against Hate poster campaign to Castro Valley. This anti-hate campaign inspired student activism and even art with a student-run art/poetry jam. A Castro Valley Stands United Against Hate poster was provided for every Castro Valley Unified classroom. You can learn more about my efforts with the United Against Hate campaign in my KQED Perspective.

I served as the campaign manager of the successful $123 million Measure G bond that brought needed infrastructure investment to our Castro Valley public schools.

I am a founding member of Castro Valley Matters, a community group that has encouraged civic engagement and governance reform in our unincorporated community. I learned how to be a community organizer who builds diverse coalitions in support of a common cause.

I work as a higher education research policy manager for the University of California, Office of the President. I work with federal science agencies and research administrators from across the UC system to develop policies that support the $7 billion UC research enterprise. This career has me directly involved in  policy development and legislative analysis, key skills to serve effectively in a school board.

I am a parent, an educational policy maker, and community organizer. In this moment where we face unimaginable budget cuts and disruption in how we educate our children, I am ready to serve my community on the Castro Valley Unified School District Governing Board to fight for the resiliency of our public schools.

I believe in our Castro Valley public schools and the power of public schools to transform lives.

The teachers that have impacted my life inspire me to serve on the Castro Valley School Board. I moved around a lot as a kid, and my family faced poverty and housing insecurity for a good portion of my childhood. School was my refuge amid the chaos. It was where I benefited from a free lunch when my mother struggled to pay rent or the electricity bill. As an adult, I appreciate how our schools are at the frontline in ensuring that our children and their families do not fall through the cracks.

My candidacy is about breaking this cycle of disinvestment in public education and organizing my community for this change.  Our federal and state leaders have failed us in providing adequate funding, particularly for special education and infrastructure. We must rally our CVUSD community for a better deal for how we fund our public schools and stop the disinvestment in public education.

I believe in community organizing. We need to build a stronger coalition of community members in support of the vital role of public schools in our community and democracy. While we must be realistic about the budget constraints our public schools face, we can’t stop from imagining what our public schools can be, whether it is fully funding special education or rebuilding our schools to be true community centers.

My name is Kristy (Dooman) Woerz. I began my career with the Castro Valley School District in 1989 and I retired in June 2020.  I’ve dedicated my professional life as a Special Education teacher, Program Specialist, and trainer to District staff.  This experience provides a unique perspective that will assist me in developing policy that affect how we teach our students and develop our teachers.

 I have lived in Castro Valley since 1991.  I was raised on the Peninsula, south of San Francisco. I had difficulty in reading and reading comprehension while in elementary school. I was very fortunate that my parents helped me and provided me with specialized instruction with trained teachers and tutors. Without that extra help I’m not sure where I would be today. The schools did not recognize students that were struggling during that period.  I’m glad to say that the schools are more focused on our students that struggle academically. I graduated high school as the Valedictorian at the age of 16. I attended Notre Dame de Namur University, in Belmont. I graduation with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting with honors. I went on to work in public accounting after graduation. I volunteered in a Special Education Class while working on my MBA. This is where I realized my passion for education and I have never looked back.  I received a General Education Credential from Notre Dame and a Specialist credential in Special Education from Cal State East Bay.

My son Gregory was born in Castro Valley where I raised him as a single parent. He attended Proctor Elementary and Creekside Middle School.  He went on to receive a degree in Biology from UC Merced. During his childhood, I was active in supporting his sports teams in Castro Valley, along with working in his Boy Scout Troop, 722 where I was the Hospitality Chair.  I am proud that he earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  His Eagle project was driven from his life long experience of working on a Palomares Hills Food Drive. I was a Board member of Christmas In April. This organization worked within Castro Valley and our surrounding communities to repair and refurbish seniors and low-income families’ homes.

I believe in life long learning and striving to improve in whatever area we choose. I am committed to making our District better for all our students and teachers. I am not a career politician and have no aspirations for higher political office.  We need people to step up and support our community in anyway they can, especially during these trying times. I may not have all the answers.  However, my experience will enable me to ask the correct questions. The Castro Valley School District has been an integral part of my professional career and know look forward to be on the School Board so that I may further contribute and enhance the education of our youth. Please support my candidacy and vote for me. 

Who better for the School Board than a teacher; program specialist; and, with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting. 

My years of experience have allowed me to work collaboratively with different groups to develop consensus to complex and politically sensitive problems. I may not always know the answer, but I know the questions to ask. I look forward to bringing my unique skill set to the School Board. 

I believe in embracing Best Practices developed by our District, as well as from other Districts. We have to come up with solutions to the challenges facing the District. Developing these solutions is not a top down process. It is important that the Board, District Administration and the CVTA work closely together to develop and implement the District's programs and policies. 

The District continues to need to look at how we can safely resume school and provide the necessary technology for our students and parents to learn during the pandemic. Our first priority is the safety of our staff and students. I have personally dealt with the Distance Learning and recognize the challenges teachers, staff, and parents face during remote learning. Our students, staff, and parents need adequate training and support from the District. 

The School Board is a vital part of the community and we need to share that with the general public, whether it is through daily meal programs for our students or reaching out to work with other organizations.