I’ve gotten to know Jody because she’s the chair of the Chabot PTA’s Long-Range Planning Committee, and I’ve been going to those meetings for the past two years as we gear up for the new Chabot Elementary School construction project to replace the old portable classrooms. She’s smart, hard-working and determined, and she has a great sense of humor. I’ve been continually impressed by her ability to run an effective meeting and keep all of us moving forward despite disagreements and setbacks. She knows who to talk to and how to get things done. She’s a great listener, communicator, and negotiator, and she’s the best candidate imaginable for Oakland’s School Board.

Jody says she has met several people in her canvassing who say, “I don’t have kids in the public schools so I don’t vote for School Board seats.” But EVERYONE is affected by the quality of our local public schools — it affects property values, the local economy, and, as we all know, the quality of daily life on our own street! Some (though not nearly enough!) of our tax money goes to support the public schools, so it’s important for all of us to have a strong person on the School Board to represent North Oakland (District 1.)

Here’s a link to Jody’s website if you’d like to learn more about her experience and platform.

http://votejody.com/

Thanks for reading,

Jen Vetter
mother of a 1st grader at Chabot, and a Fall ’08 Chabot kindergartner