Knowledge - the Commodity of the Future

By Erica "Riki" Sorenson

Candidate's statement for the Orinda School Board election

A home-grown Lamorindan, I have reaped the benefits of a quality public education. I trained as an engineer (Stanford '88) and educator (UCLA '91), and have thrived by actively volunteering and serving in the schools while my husband and I raise our three children.

With Orinda's longstanding commitment to education, it is not surprising that the Orinda Union School District is among California's top performing districts. That it has IMPROVED, however, in the last five years, compared to other high performing districts, is REMARKABLE. That improvement reflects years of strategic, targeted efforts by the Board, administrators, and most importantly, faculty and staff. These efforts have been supported and enabled by parents and community members. As a board member I am both proud of OUSD's progress, and invested in its ongoing improvement.

It is a significant challenge to continue strategic improvement without overtaxing our teachers and students. Though we want our students to meet the rigorous state standards, we must collaborate with all of the stakeholders: teachers, parents, students, and community members, to achieve balance in instruction and assessment. Because a collaborative culture has been institutionalized, OUSD is well positioned to tackle such challenges.

In a rapidly changing, globally competitive world, I feel confident that Orinda children can be the leaders of the next generation. As a member of the Board of Trustees I will continue to contribute to an organization that will provide them the foundation to do so.