Meet Jessica

Jessica was born to an alcoholic, often drug addicted, rarely employed single mother, who brought abusive men home. Her father died when she was six years old.

But Jessica always felt safe at school. With the academic and emotional support of the teachers, counselors and staff of her public school, along with her own hard work, she got early admission to Wellesley College, went to law school at the University of California, San Francisco, and started a career dedicated to giving back to the community.

Jessica started giving back the same way many of us do, by organizing events for her oldest kid’s school. When Henry was in first grade in 2011, she organized a walkathon to raise funds for the school.

In 2012, she joined her local PTA and was elected Vice President. Two years later she was elected PTA president. In 2016 she ran for Los Altos School Board, while also chairing a parcel tax campaign that brought in tens of millions of dollars for local schools.

Once on the board, Jessica started writing “Notes on LASD,” a blog to keep the community informed and to explain what would be on the agenda at upcoming board meetings. She knew that the board reports were too dense for busy parents to unpack, so she made it a priority to clearly explain the work she did.

As Board President, Jessica carefully navigated charter school negotiations, prioritizing opportunities for those least advantaged while preserving diverse educational opportunities. Under her leadership, the district acquired land worth $150 million at a fraction of the cost. She also spearheaded the adoption of a districtwide non-discriminatory, gender-neutral dress code.

In 2020, Jessica’s record was so strong that no one challenged her for re-election. She went on to become President of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association, working to strengthen collaboration between the county and local school districts.

Now, Jessica is running for county school board to bring a fresh perspective.