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Board President Kristin Speck is opting not to run for a second term, creating a wide-open race for the northwestern Trustee Area 2 as the Dublin Unified School District continues to heal from the teachers strike and budget cuts of last school year.
Speck expressed pride in the district’s accomplishments during her four years, including the Dublin Elementary School renovations and opening two new school campuses, but she told the Pleasanton Weekly that the “painful” experience of being a public target during the difficult contract negotiations weighed on her greatly.
“I expected disagreement, difficult conversations, and strong emotions as those are part of public service,” Speck said last week. “What I did not expect was how personal and hurtful some of the union’s attacks became.”
“The experience took a significant toll on me physically and emotionally,” she added. “During that time, I promised my family and friends that when the time came to consider re-election, I would be honest about what the role had cost me and would prioritize my well-being and my family. For that reason, I have decided not to run for another term on the school board.”
No prospective candidates have pulled papers yet for a bid to succeed Speck, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office. With the incumbent bowing out, the filing deadline will extend to Aug. 12.
Speck joined the board at the end of 2022 as an uncontested candidate for Area 2. A scientist and engineer by trade and a parent volunteer who gave her time at school sites and district committees, she had been motivated to become more involved with DUSD leadership to ensure Dublin Elementary renovations were prioritized.
“I already knew we had amazing staff at Dublin Elementary, and now the school has facilities that reflect the care and excellence happening inside its classrooms, with the final work on the kindergarten and first-grade spaces finishing at the end of this school year,” Speck said.
She also pointed with pride to the district opening Emerald High School three years ago to serve east side families and the new Shamrock Hills TK-8 School set to welcome its first students this month.
But Speck lamented the experience of being board president during the district’s tough negotiations with the Dublin Teachers Association in 2025-26, which reached its climax with a four-day strike in March – the first walkout in DUSD’s modern history.
“I believe deeply in the importance of teachers in our society, and I believe they should be respected, supported, and compensated appropriately for the incredible work they do each day,” she said. “That belief is part of why the months leading up to and during last spring’s teacher strike were so painful.”
Reflecting in the aftermath of the strike helped make her choice against reelection clear.
“While this is not an easy decision, it is the right one for me,” Speck said. “I remain fully committed to completing my term through mid-December and to serving as Board President with the same care, dedication, and integrity I have brought to this role from the beginning.”
She added, “I am looking forward to being more present for my senior during her final spring semester, and I will continue serving our community through my volunteer work in Frederiksen Math Olympiad, Wells MathCounts, the DHS Engineering program, and the DHS swim team.”
In addition to Speck’s Area 2, DUSD has two eastern zones on the Nov. 3 ballot. Trustee Dan Cherrier, who has served on the board since 2016, has pulled papers to run for reelection to Area 5. It is unclear whether Board Vice President Carolina Martinez plans to pursue the two-year term for Area 3, but resident Shalini Bhandari has pulled papers for the seat.
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