Sausalito Marin City school board race draws 4 candidates

Voters in the Sausalito Marin City School District will select from four candidates to fill two board seats in the Nov. 5 election.

The candidates are: Sarah Canson, a Marin Housing Authority commissioner; Danielle Diego, an elementary school teacher; Rebecca Lytle, a retired educator; and Lester Parham, a nonprofit program coordinator.

The victors will fill seats vacated by incumbents Lisa Bennett and Alena Maunder, both of whom declined to seek reelection.

The district, which has an approximately $11.8 million annual budget, has 265 students at its K-8 school, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, in Sausalito. A total of 7,927 registered voters live in the district, according to the Marin elections department.

Also on Nov. 5, the district is asking voters to approve Measure G, its first parcel tax. If approved by two-thirds of voters, the measure would assess a tax of 15 cents per square foot on residential or commercial properties.

Also at issue in the race is the district’s consolidation of students at the Sausalito campus in order to pool resources and maintain more efficient operations. The issue was controversial because of the transfer of middle school students out of Marin City, leaving its school building there mostly vacant except for the district office and a preschool.

The district is building a new elementary school at the Sausalito campus. The building is expected to be ready for occupation at approximately this time next year.

Canson, 55, a Marin City resident, is a graduate of Tamalpais High School. In addition to being a housing authority commissioner, Canson is a board member of the Marin Interfaith Council.

She has about 25 years experience in human resources, finance and administrative roles in various positions in diverse settings. Those include posts at University of California at Berkeley and at Stacy and Witbeck Inc. in Alameda.

“I’m running because I think our children in this combined district deserve to have a school board that puts them first,” Canson said.  She said she is concerned about the impact of taking the middle school out of Marin City.

“The school in Marin City closing was particularly troubling for me,” Canson said. “And having our kids attend the school in Sausalito that is directly impacted by the construction of another school being built.”

“I want to bridge the gap between incorporated Sausalito and unincorporated Marin City,” she added. “Our children are suffering from poor test scores and overuse of IEPs.” The acronym stands for individual education plans that are given to children with special needs.

Canson also wants to take action to help teachers in the district.

“If the teachers are feeling supported they are more invested and happier to work with our children,” she said. “And make sure we foster a collaborative approach with Marin City that encourages the students and parental involvement.”

Diego, 41, a Marin City resident, has more than 15 years experience as a teacher in Title I schools, which are those that receive federal funding to support students from low-income families. She has also worked extensively with multilingual learners.

Diego has two children in the district.

“I believe the biggest issue facing our district is designing and refining an effective, welcoming, fiscally sound, high-performing TK-8 school,” Diego said.

“To make progress on this issue, I would collaborate with other board members, hold listening sessions with teachers and stakeholders and research how similar situations have been addressed and resolved in other districts,” Diego said.

Diego said she would also “prioritize strengthening the district’s partnerships,” in particular working with Tamalpais High School “to better prepare our students for the next phase of their educational journey.”

Lytle, 63, a Sausalito resident, grew up in Marin and attended Redwood High School and College of Marin. She and her husband recently moved back to the county and are living in the Sausalito houseboat community.

Lytle has spent more than 30 years in education, including roles in adapted physical education, inclusion and teacher training.

“Being a student advocate and having a strong belief in community service, I have been blessed to start many programs for individuals with disabilities,” she said.

Lytle has worked with the Chico State Autism Clinic, which provides diagnostic services, sensory motor evaluations, social skills training, sensory and motor programming, as well as summer theater, art, music and movement camps for people on the autism spectrum.

“In my academic career, I have dealt with educational outcomes, budgets, strategic planning, program reviews and assessment,” Lytle said. “I feel these experiences have given me the skills to be a productive and team-focused board member.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy can become a model school, Lytle added, but there has to be support for families during the current transition time.

“I feel that extensive family, student and teacher support in addition to community collaboration are key features for success as the district continues to grow and move forward,” Lytle said.

Parham, 48, of Marin City, is program coordinator for the Hannah Project, a nonprofit educational services organization in Marin City.

He has worked in the district as a subcontractor for the Hannah Project for several years.

“I have been an advocate for the youth of 94965 from the very start,” Parham said, referring to the ZIP code for the district. “I am running to bring transparency to the district and to help student of the 94965 grow.”

Parham said he sees the main issue as district spending.

“I believe if you are spending money, whatever it is you are spending the money on should have a direct connection back to the students,” he said.

“If you buy a coffee machine on a campus of 1,500 students then you better be serving 1,500 cups of Joe,” Parham said.