This election shows that every vote is important so my family has always taken the time to research the issues and then vote. Jesse van Zee will add a new voice to the SRVUSD seat that will be welcome. That is a positive.

I believe Petersen's response is another ploy to politicize the other candidate- Do we really want a one party democracy? Isn't that exactly what we don't want! She had the gull to send out mailers with header "Vote Democrat"- I think this race will reward who didn't hit below the belt and rose above the far left 'noise' to threatening anti-gay, racism, book banning, etc. vanZee just wants to improve the district for the next decade- the finances needs a good review on why two CFOs have left the district in the last 2 years...and how can the district support 8% teacher raises every year + 'me too' raises for administration-- with enrollment declining and test scores falling.

I would have voted for Jesse VanZee, but SRVUSD Area 1 was not on my ballot, even though I live in Danville.???
Another mystery surrounds the length of time it takes to count the votes. Almost 2 weeks defies logic.

Friday’s (Nov. 18th’s) third ballot-count update shows Jesse vanZee still leading Michelle Petersen, now by 243 votes, with approximately 3,800 remaining ballots County-wide still to be processed.

So far, the SRVUSD Area 1 election has 14,191 total ballots counted, = 3.64% of the 389,718 ballots tallied in the County as a whole. Were 3.64% of the residual uncounted County ballots (i.e., 138 ballots) all to vote Petersen, Mr. vanZee would still prevail in the end.

Given vanZee’s “platform that heavily emphasized parental involvement, reduced spending, and the elimination of ‘woke education,’ ‘gender theory’ and ‘anti-American education,’” his victory would be highly beneficial for students and gratifying to parents and other taxpayers who want local schools focused on the teaching and learning of knowledge and skills, not usurping parental authority with crude indoctrination.

In contrast, Mrs. Petersen wants an SRVUSD school “community that is still very much in line with the direction of this district.” That direction includes heavy-duty critical race theory (i.e., overtly racist “anti-racism,” see Web Link ) — and what SRVUSD personnel have themselves characterized proudly as “queering the classroom” in their how-to discussion of “Affirming LGBTQ+ Identities in the Elementary Grades” for the National Council of Teachers of English (!). (See Web Link .)

Petersen also says she “shares a similar platform” with Jerome Pandell, the third Area 1 candidate, who is irretrievably far behind.

Pandell was endorsed and generously funded by the San Ramon Valley Education Association, the local teacher-union affiliate of the radical CTA and NEA state and national unions. If the 2011-2014 Pandell tweets revealed in a Matt Todd podcast ( Web Link ) are accurately reported, Petersen may wish to reconsider her “similar platform” alignment.

The quotes from Michelle Peterson just affirm that I made the right choice in voting for van Zee.
It is not gracious loser rhetoric when she says that her votes plus those of Pandell would have beaten the winner. That logic could also imply that Pandell would have won if she had not run.
I think that we have a successful educational system locally because of the parents and in spite of the current members of the School Board and the Union. I welcome a new voice that represents the parents and emphasizes core education. Just my opinion.

so this is considered factual and respectful from Mike Arata and my comments are not ?

In contrast, Mrs. Petersen wants an SRVUSD school “community that is still very much in line with the direction of this district.” That direction includes heavy-duty critical race theory (i.e., overtly racist “anti-racism,” see Web Link ) — and what SRVUSD personnel have themselves characterized proudly as “queering the classroom” in their how-to discussion of “Affirming LGBTQ+ Identities in the Elementary Grades” for the National Council of Teachers of English (!). (See Web Link .)

No wonder people think you are just a right wing promoting site . You try and hide your views as deftly as VanZee did but most people aren't fooled.

@tomdanville -- Nothing in Mike Arata's post is untrue. Petersen ran on the platform that the district should continue in its current direction.

The Cal High mascot incident last year clearly shows "racism" will be used by the administration to achieve its goals. Web Link

And it is a fact that two district instructors presented "Queering the classroom" at a conference.