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The three-person race for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Area 1 trustee seat features a familiar name from a previous district election, Jerome Pandell, competing against two political newcomers this year.
An Alamo resident and attorney with a practice in Walnut Creek, Pandell is seeking election to the SRVUSD board for the second time, following a 2014 campaign and several years of volunteer service with the district.
“As an attorney practicing primarily working with businesses, I possess deep understanding of budgetary issues our District faces to provide a safe, supportive learning environment for parents, teachers, and students at all SRVUSD schools,” Pandell said on his campaign page.
“With this experience, I will know how to support educational needs of teachers and students as well as collaborate with parents and the community to ensure all schools maintain longtime traditions of excellence as well as build on that excellence,” he continued.
Pandell and his wife Emlyn Struthers — both SRVUSD alumni — expect their young son to be a student in the district through at least 2038. Pandell attended Rancho Romero Elementary School and Stone Valley Middle School, before graduating from San Ramon Valley High School in 2001.
He went on to graduate from Northwestern University in 2005, then from law school at UC Hastings in 2008, before establishing his Walnut Creek law firm.
Pandell, who previously sat on the SRVUSD Facilities Oversight and Advisory Committee, said on his campaign page that he will be seeking to hear from parents, students, teachers, and other community members about their priorities as he campaigns ahead of the November general election.
“Initially, though, there are three areas I’m focusing my campaign on and would aim to improve as a trustee — the three “O’s” (or objectives) that will help our district maintain the long tradition of excellence that remains a hallmark of our schools,” Pandell said.
These are “output, outlets and outside engagement,” according to Pandell.
For “output”, Pandell said he would seek to “continue our district’s outstanding record of success on exceeding state-mandated educational goals as measured by graduation rates, college placement and standardized tests, especially as our teachers and staff implement the Common Core curriculum.”
“Maintain outstanding relationships with our teachers and staff so they can focus on what they do well every day — teach and mentor our district’s students,” Pandell said on his campaign page. “Continue to ensure that the District spends tax dollars — especially those collected from parcel taxes and bonds — wisely, efficiently, and maximally.”
For “outlets”, Pandell said he means ways of softening the toll that a high-performing district can inadvertently take on ambitious students.
“Our students face enormous pressures these days; I recall hearing when I was in high school that college admissions couldn’t become any harder,” Pandell said. “Yet, today our students apply to an ever-increasing number of colleges and take on an increasing number of academic and extracurricular activities just to ensure that they remain competitive. I want our District — through supportive partnerships with local businesses — to provide our students with more and better outlets to relieve some of that pressure outside of school.”
Pandell said that this could include a number of enrichment activities, such as movie screenings or events, or even pet therapy. But the need for outlets is important, according to Pandell, in order to maintain and support the work of ambitious students and alumni in the district.
Pandell’s third “O”, outside engagement, is focused on bolstering the district’s finances by finding support through grants, tax measures, and through engaging “business and corporate leaders in our community to find more opportunities — outside of the classroom that do not require expenditure of tax dollars — for our students to learn new skills that equip them for college as well as a career.”
Competing against Pandell for the Area 1 position are Alamo parent and school volunteer Michelle Petersen and Danville parent and school volunteer Jesse vanZee. The race is wide open as incumbent Ken Mintz is not seeking re-election.
In addition to his unsuccessful run for the board in the 2014 election, Pandell was an applicant during the selection and appointment process for the board seat vacated by former trustee Denise Jennison in 2018. That seat, then at-large, ultimately went to Susanna Ordway, who is running unopposed in Area 4 this year.
More information on Pandell’s campaign is available at jeromepandell.com.
As noted here, Mr. Pandell has been rejected from this job twice already. Once by election in 2014 and again when he tried for an appointment. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge here that he lost (twice) then and it would seem nothing has changed in is platform over the past eight years to be a better candidate now. A broken clock is still right twice a day and Mr. Pandell seems to be desperately looking for his time to finally come.
are they any candidates that pass your ‘approval’?
Scott Hale – I’m just posting facts. You should worry less about me and more about Mr. Pandell. One example is Mr. Pandell advocated high schools be turned into vaccination sites and that parental approval should be removed for vaccinations. You can take that however you like but it is a fact that this was a position of his that is controversial.
Sounds like Jerome has a plan and ideas on how to work towards implementing it to enhance and build off things- not just a vision for his platform. Anyone can have bullet points of what they stand for, but tell us how you are going to act on it with a district wide lens while speaking with all stakeholders- even those that don’t agree with you. Looking forward to hearing more.
JesseT – While Mr. Pandell has a plan, it’s the same plan he had when he was rejected from this job twice since 2014. If his plans haven’t changed, why would he expect voters to do anything but reject him for a third time?
Hey, H- I’m concerned with the hear and now. Talking about and living in the past isn’t real productive, but you do you! It’s your vote, H.
JesseT – If someone wasn’t good enough twice what would make them good enough now? I don’t understand supporting losers.
H,
LBJ, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama lost elections, but used the lessons to score future victories. Sounds like this person is in good company! It’s easy to be negative, takes little effort to cast names and insults on someone, it takes work to do something and be a productive member of our community– which, seat or not, sounds like this guy has been for years.
JesseT – First, your comparison is absurd. Second, they all CHANGED when they lost. Third, none of anyone you mentioned was ever also denied appointment. Mr. Pandell has lost this position in every conceivable way and obstinately refused to adjust anything – heck, even is website is 100% the same just with 2022 replacing 2014! The guy is a loser. His opponent Ms. Pettersen at least has the support of people in the actual schools!
H,
Not sure how much more support of people in the actual schools you can get when you have San Ramon Valley teachers big announcement yesterday stating they are endorsing Jerome. Michele is a great PTA leader. Two good candidates for sure.
JesseT – Pandell’s Political Pandering is apparent. Not sure why teachers would back a loser like Pandell when Ms. Pettersen has actually done the work that Pandell Pretends.