Community Leader's Perspective on Barbara

“Barbara offers a fresh perspective, grounded in years of experience as an environmental attorney, a parent and a teacher. She knows how to listen to all sides, find the common ground and get the job done for our kids and our schools.”
— Joe Simitian, California State Senator

“Our community will benefit from her balanced, inclusive, and open-minded style of leadership.”
— Gary Fazzino, Former Mayor, Palo Alto

“Good teaching is the key to good schools.  Barbara is a good teacher. Her expertise will be invaluable as the School Board sets policies and determines priorities.  Barbara will represent us well.”
—Carolyn Tucher, former Palo Alto School Board Member

“As the only educator, Barbara will keep the focus on our students and their learning experience..”
— Liz Kniss, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors

“Barbara will be an outstanding Board Member - her integrity, willingness to listen, and understanding of how schools work will insure that everyone in our community can have a chance to be heard and can work together to make our schools even better places for kids and families.”
— Anne Campbell, Portola Valley Superintendent and former Palo Alto parent

“Barbara's intelligence, integrity, energy, and compassion will make her an excellent school board member. Her work at the school and program level for almost 10 years exemplifies her commitment to the students of the district as well as to public education. I enthusiastically support her candidacy.”
— Nancy Strausser, former President, Santa Clara County Board of Education and Palo Alto parent

“I met Barbara only recently, but am impressed by her depth of understanding of school district issues. Her knowledge and style will be an asset to PAUSD.”
— Julie Jerome, former President, Palo Alto School Board

“As a teacher, Barbara has demonstrated considerable versatility in developing curriculum for all levels of students. In the process, she has proven her ability to work with a variety of stakeholders with differing viewpoints. This experience makes her eminently well qualified to serve on the PAUSD Board.”
— Jack Hamilton, Community Leader and Professional Facilitator

“Barbara has a vision for our schools where all students are enriched and engaged.”
—Cindy Ziebelman, Community Leader

“Barbara’s intelligence and fair-mindedness are an asset to our school district.”
— Catherine Crystal Foster, Community Leader

“From serving with Barbara on the Palo Alto Girls' Softball League Board, I know firsthand that she has the qualities we need in a Palo Alto School Board Trustee:  She is smart, thoughtful, creative, effective, hard working, and sincerely dedicated to enriching the lives of the youth that are our future..”
— Mike Cobb, former Mayor

Educator's Perspective on Barbara

“Barbara is an ideal candidate for the school board. Her work with teachers, students, administrators, parents and district staff put her in a unique position to build communication and trust among all the various groups.”
— Julie Bagniefski, Palo Alto teacher

“Barbara is thoughtful, well-informed, and always rigorous in her approach to education. In a contentious curricular area such as math, Barbara has provided a much needed balanced perspective.”
— Pam Grossman, Professor of Education, Stanford University

“Barbara is a positive, energizing force — she is always working to benefit every child in our district. As a fellow teacher, I fully support her.”
— Marianne Chowning Dray, Former Palo Alto teacher

“I can’t think of a better person to thoughtfully and effectively serve on the school board. What a solid knowledge of curriculum she will bring to that team.”
— Halimah Van Tuyl, Palo Alto teacher

“Barbara Klausner is an inspirational teacher able to listen, to facilitate discussion, and to stimulate highest quality thinking. These qualities will greatly benefit our children when Barbara is elected to the school board!”
— Sylvia Sanders, Palo Alto teacher and parent

Parent's Perspective on Barbara

“For all of my exposure to mathematics, the class directed by Barbara Klausner was unique and an experience that I wish I could have had in my developing years. Barbara is particularly gifted at bringing out discussions from each of the kids in the class and in doing so helping to build their confidence in themselves. In our challenging world today where we must master so much information, she provided a very rare opportunity to focus on the process as much as the result. And with this approach, it was amazing to see that our understanding of the problem each week was far deeper than any one of us working on our ow. I would love to see this program continue for years to come so that my next daughter and many more children can also benefit from this masterful teaching.”
— Sharon Stanaway, Palo Alto parent, volunteer and aerospace engineer

“We, the undersigned, are all parents of 4th grade students at Nixon who have participated in the pull-out math class conceived and taught by Barbara Klausner…the program is a model of what math education can be. Barbara's class has been an invaluable supplement to the normal math curriculum for all of our children. For at least some of them, it has been the academic high point of each week. We are writing to urge the District to ensure the future of this program at Nixon, and consider expanding both within Nixon and in the PAUSD as a whole.”
— Excerpt from unsolicited group letter written by Palo Alto parents to the
former superintendent

“Barbara is one of the most impressive people I have ever met. Her intellect, good judgment, and people skills make her the ideal candidate for School Board. I trust her to make wise decisions that will benefit our whole community.”
— Deborah Ju, Palo Alto parent