San Mateo-Foster City School District appoints trustee

Ho is currently the director of College Counseling and Academic Advising at Pacific Bay Christian School in Pacifica. Her experience in academia has been in both the public and private school sectors. 

“It is one of my life’s calling to promote access and equity in any space that I enter,” Ho said at the board meeting Dec. 12. 

Superintendent Diego Ochoa welcomed the new trustee and looks forward to having Ho on board.

“We are thrilled to have a full board ready to take action and continue our strategic vision in achievement, equity and wellness across our schools,” Ochoa said in a statement. 

A major focus for the rest of the board — tasked with selecting one of three candidates — was to select someone with experience in education. 

“Everyone has really important professional and personal qualifications,” Trustee Maggie Trinh said. “I would love someone who has spent time in a classroom and understands how administrations work from that perspective — that’s the most important to me.” 

Working in college counseling for the majority of her career, Ho said she is closely familiar with how equitable access to resources can affect someone’s eligibility for college, and said the district’s diversity is its strength. 

“People look from afar and think San Mateo-Foster City schools are fantastic, and we are, but they don’t pull back the curtain and realize we still don’t have students who can’t read in the second grade, can’t access algebra in middle school, and are experiencing insecurity around food, housing and basic everyday living expenses,” she said. 

Ho worries over the impact of the incoming presidential administration on the immigrant population. 

Trustee Alison Proctor asked each of the three candidates why they didn’t run a campaign for the seat. Ho said the feat of campaigning was daunting, but the presidential election results have since moved her to action. 

“I want them to sit in their classrooms and have their biggest worry be is if they’re going to be able to turn in their homework,” Ho said. 

Although Ho works in private education, her two children go to North Shoreview Montessori and is a big advocate for public education. She said her role in the private sector actually gives her a close understanding as to why people leave their public school districts. 

Ho said she would be supportive of making Algebra I available at all the district’s middle schools — something she said is a “small but major improvement that could change futures.” 

Trustee Area 3 seat was previously occupied by Shara Watkins, who Trustee Gene Kim noted as a major champion for equity in all decision making, and ultimately felt Ho would fill the shoes well. 

“In a vacuum, there is a lot our district is doing right,” Kim said. “When the storm hits, I’m very concerned about how our community and our board will come together to solve those issues.”

Many public commenters shared their support for another candidate, Diana Harris, and Ho said she appreciated hearing what the community said about her opponent. 

“I feel really honored to have been selected from a really wonderful group of applicants,” Ho said.