With a strong focus on student safety and mental health, Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education candidate Alison Kamhi wants to bring her experience to address the needs of the district.
Kamhi said her campaign focuses on enhancing student safety and mental health resources.
“I believe very strongly in investing in mental health services,” Kamhi said in a Sept. 5 interview with The Paly Voice. “I want to make sure that we have enough counselors on staff, that we are listening to students about what concerns are and to ensure that we’re providing services that are both needed and wanted by folks at all levels of our schools.”
According to Kamhi, she is a lawyer who has experience in child advocacy.
“I started out my career representing immigrant youth,” Kamhi said. “Being a child’s lawyer means you represent folks in family court, in immigration court, and IEPs (Individualized Education Program) in school. Coming to this from an advocacy perspective, I want to make sure that we are serving all of the needs of the children in our community.”
As the committee co-chair of Gun Violence Prevention for Palo Alto Council of PTA, Kamhi said she aims to improve gun violence prevention education and increase transparency between the board and families.
“I come to this [position] having done a lot of work in gun violence prevention at the district level, so I want to make that kind of education outreach a streamlined part of our parent education,” Kamhi said. “I also define safety to include anti-bullying and hate speech to make sure that we are really coming together as a community and supporting each other.”
According to Kamhi, her experience as a child advocate and lawyer allows her to understand students and ensure policies are effectively implemented and adjusted when necessary.
“My background allows me to understand the diverse needs of students and how to put into place a policy that can increase access to folks for services, including education and opportunities,” Kamhi said. “Also, equally important, how do we implement that policy? How do we make sure that it’s actually doing what we want it to do, and if it’s not, how do we course correct?”
According to Kamhi, she is also interested in improving trust and communication within the district.
“I want to make sure we’re listening to our teachers, students and families and making informed decisions based on their input,” Kamhi said. “I want to make sure that I’m accessible and able to do office hours with folks to be available and really listening. I’ve been doing listening sessions with students and family members and I want to continue to engage with our wonderful community on the board.”
As a parent with children in the district, Kamhi said she is dedicated to the community’s well-being.
“I’ve been in the district for more than six years,” Kamhi said. “My daughter’s in middle school. My son just started kindergarten so we’re looking at hopefully another 13 years. I’m very invested, and through that, I have been able to both participate from a personal level and witness as somebody who has participated, volunteered in the district in many ways and volunteered at many levels.”
Kamhi said her combination of professional experience and investment in the district makes her the right choice for the school board.
“If people don’t feel safe and don’t feel like they belong, then it’s hard to learn and it’s hard to thrive,” Kamhi said. “We need to make sure our policies are designed with the well-being of students in mind.”
Kamhi has received numerous prominent endorsements, such as organizations like the Palo Alto Education Association, Everytown for Gun Safety and Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley. Kamhi has also gained support from Palo Alto Mayor Greer Stone and current PAUSD board members Shana Segal and Jennifer Dibrienza, among many others.
Kamhi is one of five candidates running for three open seats on the school board. The other candidates are Rowena Chiu, Nicole Chiu-Wang, Chris Colohan and Josh Salcman.
