rosemary kamei - Santa Clara County Office of Education

Pattie Cortese  4221 Littleworth Way San Jose, California 95135 408-218-3963  PattieCortese@aol.com
April 19, 2015
Santa Clara County Board of Education
c/o Mr. Jon Gundry
Superintendent
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95131-2304
Greetings Honorable Board Members,
I am writing in support of the appointment of Rosemary Kamei to your board vacancy. When I
first met Rosemary, she was serving on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Trustees,
demonstrating her commitment to serving the community as well as her ability to engage voters
through a political campaign. Rosemary’s recent experience with the Silicon Valley Education
Foundation and the nonprofit Building Futures Now demonstrates her ability to form and
maintain collaborations within our educational systems.
Acting as a liaison to the community is primarily the role of a board member so her experience
as an elected official and her background in education gives her the perfect resume for this role.
But as you know, it’s not just about the resume. Rosemary is smart, energetic and collaborative.
Her personality combined with her experience will really help your board to achieve its goals. I
highly recommend her.
Sincerely,
Pattie Cortese
On Sunday, May 3, 2015 11:33 AM, Theresa Sage
<tsmhft@garlic.com<mailto:tsmhft@garlic.com>> wrote:
Dear SCCOE Board Members,
I am sending this email to urge you to appoint Rosemary Kamei as a SCCOE board member
when you take up this issue this Wednesday. Her qualifications, work experience and public
service will make her an excellent addition to your board. I am confident in her ability to think
independently and support all of our students and the educators that support them.
Respectfully,
Theresa Sage
Social Studies Department, Ann Sobrato High School
Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President
On Sunday, May 3, 2015 12:03 PM, Nancy Altman
<altmann@mhusd.org<mailto:altmann@mhusd.org>> wrote:
I am a teacher at Britton Middle School in the Morgan Hill Unified School district. I am writing
this letter in support of Rosemary Kamei’s appointment to the Santa Clara County Board of
Education (Area 3). Students in my district need a county board that will advocate
for underrepresented students and their families, early education and parent involvement,
and intra-agency cooperation to benefit our students. No one can deny that we have a diverse
population in Santa Clara County. Not only do we serve students of many backgrounds who
speak many languages, we also serve students from different economic backgrounds, students
with different diagnosed learning needs, and students with different passions and
goals. Rosemary Kamei’s work on Building Futures Now shows me that she understands what
students in my classroom need to succeed.
I know that your vote for Rosemary Kamei’s appointment is a vote for all students in Santa
Clara County.
Sincerely,
Nancy Altman
Britton Middle School
SAN JOSE REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTER
4810 Harwood Road, Suite 100, San Jose, CA 95124
phone 408.266.1321 // fax 408.266.7893
May 1, 2015
Trustee Grace Mah
SCCOE, Area 3
Via email
Dear Trustee Mah:
As you know, over 276,000 students in 31 school districts rely on the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) to
provide high-quality instructional and business services in the midst of a changing education landscape. Given the
complexity and scope of the SCCOE’s role, we believe that Ms. Rosemary Kamei’s background makes her the most
qualified candidate for appointment to the vacant Area 3 seat.
We arrived at our conclusion through careful review of the candidates, including in-person interviews on Tuesday, April
14, held in conjunction with other organizations representing educators and education support professionals in the county.
While several applicants possess backgrounds in public education, Ms. Kamei garnered our unanimous support.
Ms. Kamei’s experience as Executive Director of Building Futures Now has provided her with essential insight on the
opportunity gap facing many of our students and, most importantly, the type of intervention programs that make a
difference. Ms. Kamei’s role at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation has primed her to analyze the issues facing local
education agencies and the challenges of coordination between school districts.
It would be an understatement to say that Ms. Kamei is ready to hit the ground running. We believe the students, parents,
and teachers of Santa Clara County will benefit from her experience, ability, and passion. Your appointment of Ms.
Rosemary Kamei will ensure that the best interests of our children continue to be served by the SCCOE.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Rick Wathen at (510) 364-2811. We appreciate your time and
consideration in this matter of utmost importance to the students of Santa Clara County.
Sincerely,
SANTA CLARA COUNTY SERVICE CENTER COUNCIL/CTA
Teri Baldwin, Chapter President of Palo Alto EA
Janet Gillis, Chapter Co-President of Cambrian DTA
Marisa Hanson, Chapter President of East Side TA
Michael Hickey, Chapter President of UT of Santa Clara
Brian Lobue, Chapter President of Gilroy TA
Lynne Martinez, Chapter President of Oak Grove EA
Laurel McNeil, Chapter President of Los Altos TA
Jocelyn Merz, Chapter President of Alum Rock EA
Heather Mumy, Chapter President of Sunnyvale EA
Fadi Saba, Chapter President of Luther Burbank EA
Scott Shulimson, Chapter President of Franklin-McKinley EA
Jennifer Thomas, Chapter President of San Jose TA
Brian Wheatley, Chapter President of Evergreen TA
On Sunday, May 3, 2015 10:06 PM, Patricia Finck
<finckp@mhusd.org<mailto:finckp@mhusd.org>> wrote:
Dear Board members,
I am a teacher at Britton Middle School in the Morgan Hill Unified School district. I am writing
this letter in support of Rosemary Kamei’s appointment to the Santa Clara County Board of
Education (Area 3). Students in my district need a county board that will advocate for quality
programs, quality teachers, and respect of diversity. No one can deny that we have a diverse
population in Santa Clara County. Not only do we serve students of many backgrounds who
speak many languages, we also serve students from different economic backgrounds, students
with different diagnosed learning needs, and students with different passions and
goals. Rosemary Kamei’s previous involvement in education shows me that she understands
what students in my classroom need to succeed. Her focus has been on what is good for the
students rather than what is good for someone's pocket book.
I know that your vote for Rosemary Kamei’s appointment is a vote for all students in Santa
Clara County.
Sincerely,
Patricia Ann Finck
Britton Middle School<http://www.britton.mhu.k12.ca.us/subsites/Patricia-Finck/>
Mathematics
[https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0ByMOmZq17wbtX1NjdWpQNm5hUVU&r
evid=0ByMOmZq17wbtM2c2RG50S0M5d0h1V1hxUnM4WkNvb2hhYm1nPQ]
finckp@mhusd.org<mailto:finckp@mhusd.org>
From:"Melanie Kuntz" <makuntz@hotmail.com>
Date:Mon, May 4, 2015 at 7:57 PM
Subject:Appointment to Santa Clara Board of Education (Area 3)
Dear Ms. Mah,
I am a teacher at Millikin Elementary in the Santa Clara School district. I am writing
this letter in support of Rosemary Kamei’s appointment to the Santa Clara County
Board of Education (Area 3). Students in my district need a county board that will
advocate for our diverse student populations and all student service providers. No
one can deny that we have a diverse population in Santa Clara County. Not only do
we serve students of many backgrounds who speak many nationalities, we also serve
students from different economic background, students with different diagnosed
learning needs, and students with different passions and goals. Rosemary Kamei’s
work on STEM initiatives in Santa Clara County shows me that she understands what
students in my classroom need to succeed.
I know that your vote for Rosemary Kamei’s appointment is a vote for all students in
Santa Clara County.
Sincerely,
Melanie Kuntz
Andres Quintero
PO Box 731391
San Jose, CA 95173
May 1, 2015
Santa Clara County Board of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95131-2304
Esteemed Members of the Board,
I fully support Rosemary Kamei for an appointment to the Santa Clara County Office of
Education vacant seat in Trustee Area 3. She has been an advocate for students and
dedicated to help them succeed.
Rosemary has made a difference in the education of many students in her past capacity at
the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and currently at Building Futures Now. She has
made it possible for many children, who need it the most, to have the opportunity to
succeed and be on the college track.
Rosemary brings a wealth of experience and background to public service. She works
hard in all she does and would represent the community very well.
Sincerely,
Andres Quintero
Governing Board Member
Alum Rock School District
On Tuesday, May 5, 2015 4:04 PM, Teresa Colbert <tcolbert@mac.com> wrote:
I am a first grade teacher at Barrett Elementary in the Morgan Hill Unified
School district. I also have a seventh grader who attends Britton Middle
School in Morgan Hill. I am writing this letter in support of Rosemary
Kamei’s appointment to the Santa Clara County Board of Education (Area
3). I truly believe she is the most qualified candidate for this position!
We need a county board that will advocate for closing the achievement gap
for ALL students. All of Ms. Kamei’s work in education is focused on closing
this gap. She knows that, for every student to succeed, there must be a
collaboration of school, after-school programs, social services, community
services, and parent/adult support helping each student. Ms. Kamei
understands the challenges and strengths of education in Santa Clara
County today and is willing to explore all options to improve the quality of
education that every student receives.
Ms. Kamei has a record of working well with all education stakeholders and
can help the board not only strengthen their relationship with these
stakeholders, but become a force in creating collaborative relationships
between the various stakeholders, therefore improving education for all
students in Santa Clara County.
Rosemary Kamei’s own personal struggle as an English Language Learner
shows me that she understands what students in MY diverse classroom
need to succeed. I know that your vote for Rosemary Kamei’s appointment
is a vote for all students in Santa Clara County.
Sincerely,
Teresa Colbert