My Guiding Values

“I want all my decisions to be thoughtful, well-researched, data-driven and culturally responsive. I am always guided with a lens of equity, inclusion, excellence and innovation. It is a complex balancing act to make sure one is not lost to the other.”

- Heather Little

The AUSD Board of Education believes that our diverse community of students, given a rigorous academic program in an inclusive, safe and secure environment, will be prepared to be responsible citizens.*

* language adopted Aug. 2009

 

In 2015, AUSD launched an “Everyone Belongs Here” campaign. Conceived and designed by the district’s LGBTQ Round Table, the campaign centers on a poster with a rainbow-colored shield against a backdrop of statements such as "All Faiths," "All Gender Identities," "All LGBTQ," "All Nationalities," "All Families," and "All Ethnicities." As such, I am proud to support district policies, goals, and resources aimed at ensuring we maintain a community of belonging.

Today, AUSD serves the needs of some 9000 students from pre-school through high school. Those students reflect the diversity of our community and the San Francisco Bay Area region, with 22% being Asian, 28% white, 17% Hispanic, 6% Black/African American, and 20% of two or more races. About 38% of our students are low income and 7% are English learners.

Two Notable Accomplishments

 

Over the past four years, I am proud to have participated in many equity-centric board decisions that have directly improved student and staff educational experiences. Two critical decisions I participated in will have positive, essential, and long-term impacts for our staff, students, families, and the Alameda community.

Measure B: Passed by Alameda Voters July 2022

In July 2022, the community of Alameda (THANK YOU ALAMEDA!) voted to pass Measure B, a $298 million facilities bond that will fund much-needed repairs and upgrades to AUSD schools and campuses. The board unanimously voted to spend this funding on on projects including:

  • Wood Middle School modernization and campus redesign

  • Building new gymnasiums at Lincoln, Wood, and Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School

  • Upgrading Emma Hood Pool with a 12 lane pool suitable for swimming and deepwater sports

  • Replacing Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School’s athletic field with a new turf track and field stadium

  • Building a new track and field stadium for Alameda High

  • Replacing the main classroom building at Otis Elementary School

  • Improving Kofman Auditorium by replacing production lighting, installing new lighting controls, upgrading backstage dressing rooms, and replacing the proscenium curtain.

  • Replacing out-of-date plumbing to save water and improve water quality, and outdated heating/cooling systems for energy efficiency and safe air quality

  • Making essential upgrades to earthquake safety and school security 

Measure E: Passed by Alameda Voters March 2024

On April 5, 2024, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters certified the results of the March 5th primary election, declaring that AUSD’s Measure E had passed by a record 76.15%. This measure combines, replaces, and renews Measures B1 and A, which provides our district with roughly $24 million that supports essential programming and salaries.

The Board and I are incredibly thankful to the Alameda community for recognizing the importance of this funding that will keep the best teachers, staff, and academic programming in Alameda schools.

Successes and Wins for Students, Staff, and Families

 

Over the last four years, the AUSD board and district have made some foundational changes that are impacting our staff, schools, and students in positive ways. I am incredibly proud of this work. Some of our successes include:

  • Approved a Grading for Equity practice across secondary schools

  • Approved adoption of AP African-American History

  • Increased dual enrollment opportunities with our Peralta System partners

  • Increased mental health supports for staff and students to ensure access to support on all 15 school campuses

  • Extended our Kindergarten programming

  • Expanded Pre-K slots throughout the district

  • Redirected key monies towards focal students

  • Encouraged targeted interventions to successfully decrease chronic absenteeism

  • Approved an 8% wage increase for all district staff and 100% health care coverage for single employees