Alum Shanthi Gonzalez Runs for Oakland School Board

OAKLAND TRIBUNE -- The District 6 race features two candidates to replace Christopher Dobbins, who ran unopposed in 2010 and who is not running this year. Renato Almanzor, 51, a program director at LeaderSpring, a consulting firm for leadership training, is running against Shanthi Gonzales, 36, a membership coordinator at the Women Donors Network. Gonzales, who said she grew up in the labor and social justice movement, wants to invest in Oakland’s teachers with training and development and organize parents. “We need to make sure teachers have time to prepare their lessons, that principals have enough time to do classroom observation,” Gonzales said. “Right now they only get 20 minutes two times a year to do that.” Shanthi Gonzales Occupation: Membership and program coordinator for Women Donors Network Education: Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from California State University East Bay; Master’s degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University