Meet Amanda Pepper, Candidate For Livermore School Board

LIVERMORE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the LVJUSD Board of Education with identical questions. Here are the responses from Amanda Pepper, an LVJUSD parent, PTA member, Site Council president, and community volunteer.

Responses have not been altered.

1. What is your personal, educational, and professional background?

I have an undergraduate degree in Media Studies (Communication) from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Arts in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College. I've worked on film sets and in textbook publishing, including working on Houghton Mifflin's California Math and California Reading series and customized books for West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and ITT.

I also used to teach at a summer camp in Massachusetts called "College for Kids." My Shakespeare class was very popular!

2. How long have you lived in Livermore?

We moved here in May 2012.

3. What brought you here?

My husband got a job with Genentech in South San Francisco. After looking at many communities in the Bay Area, we chose Livermore. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up (the Texas Hill Country).

4. How have you been involved in the community?

We have three children, so I've been very involved with the schools: classroom volunteer, library aide, guest lecturer, PTA officer, Site Council President, member of the committee deciding how and when to reopen schools during the pandemic, and now I'm Vice-Chair of the Community Bond Oversight Committee. Outside of the schools I'm also active in a local book club, have been activing in writing groups, and our family are members of the Tri-Valley Stargazers club.

5. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing LVJUSD?

Math scores are lower than we'd like, and there are concerns about budget (though I haven't seen the numbers for myself). Our community is growing, and needs grow with it, so prioritizing programs is key. Tough decisions will need to be made.

6. What are your plans for addressing them?

I think we have a solid foundation upon which to build. We have good schools, good teachers, and also good families. Together, we can work to meet needs. It won't be all at once; patience is required. I want to listen and learn and make objective decisions based on facts and data, but I do understand the passion people feel when it comes to education--the passion parents feel about their kids and the passion teachers and administrators feel about their jobs--because we're really talking about people's futures, and that's not something to take lightly.

7. What makes you the best candidate?

I'm experienced when it comes to working with the schools on behalf of my own kids, and I'd like to help other families achieve similarly successful outcomes. I'm rational, reasonable, and believe in common decency, common ground, and common sense.

8. Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing?

I don't enjoy "politics" so much as I enjoy helping people and being of service. I also like reading, jigsaw puzzles, stargazing, karaoke, and movie nights with my family. I enjoy going to the farmer's market and just being downtown in general, chatting with people, so if you see me around, feel free to say hi!

9. Any other comments?

I've been a band mom, a theatre mom, a choir mom, an Model UN mom, a track-and-field mom, a Science Olympiad mom... My kids have done AP, IB, speech therapy, they've had 504s... I've done a lot, so I have the experience and empathy to extend to fellow parents and also to the teachers and administrators who work hard to meet such a wide variety of needs. It can be done!

I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/amandapepper4livermoreschools and reached via email at pepper4livermore@gmail.com