District Trustee Carrie Du Bois stepped down this January after 14 years of service. Throughout her time on the board, Du Bois focused on building community, supporting teachers, and advocating for at-risk students. She represented Area B, which includes parts of Belmont, San Carlos, and Redwood City. She also served as Board president from 2017 to 2021.
Before joining the District Board of Trustees, Du Bois served two terms on the San Carlos Elementary School District Board, where her son attended school. She held both member and president positions during her tenure. She was also president of the San Mateo School Boards Association and the elected delegate to the California School Boards Association assembly.
While volunteering with the Parent Teacher Association at SCESD in 2005, Du Bois noticed the stark funding disparities between San Carlos and other school districts. “At the time, the San Carlos Educational Foundation didn’t raise very much money,” she said. “Menlo Park City School District was raising probably $2 million, whereas San Carlos was just raising $15,000. I was surprised there was such a difference.” As a board member, Du Bois advocated for equitable funding, mental health support, and elective options.
In response, Du Bois began working with the East Palo Alto Rosalie Rendu Center, a project focused on supporting immigrant moms, which allowed her to grow meaningful relationships with communities in East Palo Alto. At the time, high school students living in EPA were being bussed to Carlmont. “I knew that was a really rocky transition for East Palo Alto families, so as a volunteer, I tried to get involved in making the transition easier,” Du Bois said. “That made me shift my focus to the high school district because I was really passionate about blending communities, so I ran for a position on the Board.”
When joining the Board, Du Bois aimed to advocate for struggling students as well as homeless and foster youth.
One of Du Bois’ most notable achievements has been her advocacy for trauma-informed learning throughout the district. “Kids who have been through a lot of trauma sometimes will have behavior problems or challenges in the classroom. Our whole district now is very trauma-informed,” she explained. “Student Services has really been reworked, and I believe we are working hard to get the right support to kids. Now, if a kid really acts out, rather than thinking ‘That’s a bad kid, let’s get him out,’ it’s ‘What can we do to support this kid?’”
Du Bois also played a critical role in reviving Redwood High School, a high school that serves primarily socio-economically disadvantaged youth. “When I first joined the Board, I remember it was an empty school and kids were just not attending. There was a concerted effort to put teachers who are highly skilled with kids who are challenged. I’m just so proud of the transformation of that school,” she said. During her tenure, the school became Green School certified and won a model continuation school award for the State of California, which rewards exemplary instruction to at-risk-youth.
Given the last decade’s tumultuousness for the District, Du Bois’ tenure was not without its challenges. During the pandemic, community members clashed over returning to school. As board president at the time, Du Bois played an essential role in the transition back to in-person learning.
“Sequoia was not able to open easily. We had some community groups demanding that we reopen, but there were other communities that didn’t want to reopen,” she said. “At that time during COVID, there were a lot of people in low-income communities who did not want to go back, and a lot of teachers did not want to go back. A lot of our teachers have very young kids or babies, and during the lockdown daycares were not operating. Teachers’ children were not in school.”
“There was more friction. The distrust, not working together, it’s hard. It’s really not great for kids and teachers. At times, it felt like it was parents against teachers at some of the board meetings. That was hard to experience, because I would rather be one community,” she added.
After the pandemic, the debate over detracking surged in prominence. As a trustee, Du Bois presided over countless late-night board meetings filled with shouting students and parents. “I changed my thinking on it after talking to a lot of educators,” she explained. “Educators that I highly regard believe that when you segregate kids, kids do not do as well. I trust them because I believe teachers don’t do things that are bad for kids.”
“It was a very rewarding experience to be a school board member. It wasn’t easy. Thinking of all the volunteer work I’ve done over 30 years, serving as a school board member has been one of the most difficult jobs, if not the most difficult job,” Du Bois said.
Du Bois explained the limitations of her role as a trustee. “As a school board member, you can’t say, ‘Hey, school, you need to do this.’ You can throw out ideas and hope somebody will maybe catch it.” Throughout her time, she proposed many school-sponsored events for incoming freshmen to build community before starting high school, including a summer musical and summer trip to important Civil Rights historical sites. None of these came to fruition, however, the discord generated has spurred increased community-building activities.
Du Bois voiced her concerns about the teacher shortage in California and the lack of support offered to teachers. “A lot of teachers don’t last in the profession, and now we have a problem with people not going into the profession of teaching,” she said. “I believe that it’s best for kids when teachers are really well supported.”
This emphasis on communication with teachers led her to endorse Mary Beth Thompson, an educator now taking Du Bois’ seat, in the recent Board election. “One of the things I heard is that often teachers work so hard, they often don’t even have time for lunch. That’s why, for the person taking my board seat, I was really hoping for an educator, and that’s what I got with Mary Beth Thompson.”
As Du Bois’ journey as a trustee comes to an end, she hopes M-A’s community continues to grow and support teachers. “I think it’s important to support our schools rather than criticizing them. I think across our country, if we want to have educators, it works better when you go and you ask what they need,” she explained. “Like, ‘what does the principal need? What do teachers need? What would make their life easier?’ and get it to them.”
