Statement of Qualification: Allan Maris, Board of Education

This school board candidate statement would have appeared in election materials this fall. But with just three candidates filing for three open seats, Albany Unified School District will not have to hold an election and Maris will be seated along with Jonathan Knight and incumbent Paul Black.

The Albany Unified School District is facing very difficult financial times for the next several years. As a member of the school board, I hope to offer guidance and help to make the difficult decisions that will allow our schools to maintain the high quality education our families have traditionally received. My children benefited from Albany schools, and now my granddaughters are about to do the same.

Since retirement in 1996 from a 30-year career in engineering, I have been a substitute teacher and volunteer tutor in the Albany schools. This teaching included a full semester of the Opportunity Class and six weeks period of math classes at the high school. I have been a volunteer tutor and instructor at MacGregor High School for 14 years. I was co-chair of the committee that helped passed the AUSD Parcel Tax Measure of 1998. As a member of the Berkeley-Albany Mental Health Commission, I have worked to add mental health services to our schools, and I am currently a member of the AUSD Wellness Committee. I have previously served the Albany community as mayor and a member of the City Council from 1998 to 2006.

Allan Maris

Aug. 5, 2010