Trustee Area 3: Michelle Nelson

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By Michelle Nelson

Michelle Nelson

I am running for the Gilroy Unified School District board because I believe I can improve the educational experience for all our children. I want to attract and retain the best talent available and evaluate existing and prospective programs to ensure we are being fiscally responsible with your taxpayer dollars.

I am a retired educator, having worked for Gilroy Unified for 39 years. I began my career teaching science in 1980, first at South Valley, then Brownell, and ultimately at Christopher High School. While I had several leadership positions at the site level, including department chair, it was my experience as a negotiator and President of the Gilroy Teachers Association that gave me the insight into how the district works that makes me uniquely qualified to serve.

As a negotiator for 24 years, and as president, (for 12), I learned about contracts, the challenge of reaching an agreement and the difficulty in representing a diverse constituency. I learned about school finance, the Education Code, and Special Education. I served on several district-level committees, including those dealing with health benefits, bond money, professional development programs, and the prioritization of programs during lean financial times.

In addition to representing over 550 certificated staff, I also worked with every site administrator, as well as those in leadership positions at the district office, including Human Resources, Educational Services, Business, and Student Services.

I believe it is a testament to my collaborative approach that I have endorsements not only from all three employee groups, (which no other candidate enjoys), but also from past administrators, past and current board members, and respected community leaders.

We all recognize that the next few years will be difficult for our schools and our community. Now more than ever, we need people with the necessary background and experience that will be required to navigate through the myriad challenges that are ahead of us. I have that experience and as a retiree, I also have the time.

I humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 3. If you would like more information, please visit vote4michellenelson.com.