Karen Sher
Candidate for County Superintendent of Schools, Ventura County
Karen Sher graduated from Westlake High School in Ventura County. She spent 30 years as a middle school English teacher in the Oxnard School District, including a decade as English-Language-Arts department chair at R.J. Frank Intermediate School (2002-2012), and has been a fellow with UC Santa Barbara's South Coast Writing Project since 2002. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and secondary education from Buffalo State University, a master's degree in developmental reading from the University at Albany, a master's degree in instructional leadership from National University, and a doctorate in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California. She was elected to the Oxnard Union High School District Governing Board in 2014 and has served three terms, holding the positions of clerk, vice president, and board president. She was a Library of Congress Teacher Leader Fellow and founded the Instructional Leadership Corps, and for the past three years has served as Director of Teacher Recruitment for the California Department of Education, in addition to serving as a member of a California Department of Education/State Superintendent of Public Instruction committee.
Positions in brief
Sher's platform centers on transparent, publicly tracked budgets and measurable goals for the county office of education, expanded educator recruitment and retention, and wraparound mental-health, nutrition, and family services for students. She also emphasizes timely special-education services and stronger career-pathway programs.
On accountability, Sher pledges clear, public-facing budgets with measurable goals tracked in real time by the VCOE Board of Trustees, televised board meetings, translation services so all families can engage, and clear ethics standards, including anti-fraternization policies. On the educator workforce, she wants to recruit and retain teachers through competitive pay, support for collective bargaining, mentoring, and pipeline programs into the profession. On whole-child and whole-family supports, she backs community schools and wraparound services, including mental-health and wellness support, and strong nutrition and farm-to-school programs. On equity and access, she wants timely special-education services and strong transition programs for students with disabilities. On student success, she prioritizes improving attendance, early literacy, career and technical education, and dual-enrollment pathways.
On the issues
- Government, Elections & Democracy
Pledges clear, public-facing budgets with measurable goals tracked in real time by the VCOE Board of Trustees, televised board meetings, translation services so all families can engage, and clear ethics standards including anti-fraternization policies.
Source → - Education & Schools
Wants to recruit and retain educators through competitive pay, support for collective bargaining, mentoring programs, and pipeline programs into teaching.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Backs community schools and wraparound services, including mental-health and wellness support for students.
Source → - Family & Social Services
Supports strong nutrition and farm-to-school programs for students.
Source → - Education & Schools
Wants timely special-education services and strong transition programs for students with disabilities.
Source → - Education & Schools
Prioritizes improved attendance, early literacy, career and technical education, and dual-enrollment pathways.
Source →
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