Meet Kelly Mokashi, Candidate For Pleasanton School Board

PLEASANTON, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the PUSD Board of Trustees with identical questions about their background and their vision for Pleasanton schools. Here are the responses from Kelly Mokashi, the incumbent candidate for Area 3.

Responses have not been altered.

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

I am a mother of 3 Pleasanton students (MS, and High School). Educator for 29 years, including as a teacher, consultant, PD trainer, curriculum writer/eLearning facilitator, content developer. Employed currently at Fremont USD as a Community School Coordinator to implement a 5 year education grant at an elementary school. Former Executive Director for a non-profit and former President of Board of Directors for another non-profit.

2. How long have you lived in Pleasanton?

Seven years since Fall 2017.

3. What brought you here?

Children's fathers employment in the Bio-Tech Industry (Roche, Thermo Fisher)

4. How have you been involved in the community?

Advocate for Pleasanton residents for conservative building (Downtown Specific Plan), former Adult member of the Pleasanton Youth Commission, volunteer for Troop 911

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

Deficit spending /budget cuts up to 13 M for 2025/2026 year needed to balance the budget, disproportionately of our students of color and Hispanic students, under-served students (students with disabilities and multilingual learners), labor union negotiations, special education services, and long-term effects of Covid pandemis (SEL of our students), and hiring a full time, experienced superintendent to meet the future needs of our PUSD community.

6. What are your plans for addressing them?

Tighter fiscal and BOND oversight, increase collaboration with all educational partners (teachers, classified staff, community, families, unions), continue to lobby at the local and state level for local/state policy changes, improve transparency across all departments within all departments and with the community, partner with district personnel and community partners to identify redundancies and improve overall efficiency of operations to serve our students.

7. What makes you the best candidate?

I have the educational experience and 4 years of experience as an incumbent- elected trustee. For example, I have served on many district committees (i.e. curriculum, policy, special education, city-district liaison committee, Economic Vitality and facilities) to improve district practices for the benefit of our PUSD students. I understand the long-term needs for PUSD and how to support collaborative/shared leadership to make long-term strategic changes and how to make the policy changes (i.e. I helped lobby for the state bill for dyslexia screener for our struggling readers, as I am an elected trustee leader at the state school board level). Experience matters and my leadership capacity has shown that I work to hold the district accountable for strategic-data informed decisions, which is essential moving forward. I have extensive experience working with superintendents and other educational leaders, both professionally and as an elected trustee. My proven track record has demonstrated my expertise to serve in my role as a trustee with a solid commitment to continue to serve in the best interest of our students and our PUSD community.

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

I love to travel and spend time with my children.

9. Any other comments?

I would be honored to be re-elected to serve our Pleasanton students and school community and take my role and responisiblities very seriously!

Community Endorsements:

• Pleasanton Teachers Endorse Charlie Jones and Kelly Mokashi