Testimonials
What sets Allison apart for me is her unique bond built over many years, with a community whose voices and perspectives are not often heard in our community’s halls of power.
In weighing the potential impact of any decision that comes before the Board, she will intuitively understand its implications for our District’s most vulnerable and marginalized students.
Navigating the challenges that the District faces in the next few years will require wisdom, compassion, flexibility, creativity and a keen eye for the impact that every decision has on the students – particularly the most vulnerable.
Allison’s role as a leader building a successful community organization required all of the above. Her track record demonstrates that she has the skills and the perspective to do an outstanding job as a Trustee representing North Sunnyvale.
Allison Joe immediately joined the Parents’ Association and started fundraising for it. Donations poured in as she personally hand delivered every letter of request and kept up with the donors. She worked so hard, even though she had never fundraised before, I would like to add that she did all this while carrying her baby on her back everywhere. She went on to found the PTA at San Miguel Elementary and kept it going almost by her will power for the first two years.
In the years I have known her, I have seen her transform into an amazing leader. She managed to build a closer community at our school, and she will probably say she did not do it alone, but she did. I saw her bring our community together.
Our school community is richer just because we have Allison, she is loved by parents and teachers. I can’t express how much admiration I hold for her. Her dedication to improve the lives of everyone she meets makes her the perfect candidate for such an important role as a trustee for FUHSD.
Quiero agradecer a Allison por el maravilloso trabajo y dedicación en la escuela San Miguel ella es puntual organiza todo perfectamente, en los eventos de la escuela nada es igual si ella no está presente, Allison es la primera persona que e conocido que tiene ese cariño que muchos necesitamos, ella siempre saluda con respeto nos hace sentir que si importamos entre otros más inteligente. Allison siempre me a animados a seguir adelante con su empeño y dedicación, yo puedo decir que sin ella ya no será lo mismo en nuestra escuela a la cual ella ayuda mucho. Lo mejor que pueden hacer es elegir a Allison para que forme parte de la mesa directiva de distrito, por que ella se lo merece por que ella es amable y brinda cariño a todos por igual, también respeta nuestras culturas, razas y religiones, amigos nunca debemos olvidar el lugar donde nacimos, pero también agradecer donde vivimos, California eres increíble te agradezco.
Tengo seis años conociendo Allison Joe y se que es una persona honesta en ayudar a nuestra comunidad hispana y a todos en general ella le gusta escuchar y aprender español Su frase de siempre dice “TODOS SON BIENVENIDOS”
I know Allison Joe has been really, really a tremendous force in the community. And I would really recommend her for the board as she is very willing to learn. She is really excited about it and as a member of the community, I would love Allison to be a member of the board.
My little granddaughter is in 2nd grade now and she will eventually become a high school student. And I would love for her to really have that cohesive drive and enthusiasm that Allison has. She is such a hard worker and she is so incredible.
Alison ciempre con una sonrisa dice buenos días como está realmente estoy segura que sin ella la escuela San Miguel no sería la mismo y se que la nesesitamos nos alluda en lo que preguntemos ella ciempre trata de alludarnos es una persona muy capaz para entender y comprender gracias por toda tu alluda este quiere mucho.
She manages to greet and get to know everyone personally and always makes herself available to help anyone in any way possible; if she is unsure she always seeks someone who will have an answer or solution. Allison is very involved in all of the school events such as the annual walk-a-thon and I never fail to see her missing at school events. I am grateful for all her efforts in how she is able to gather and create support for us parents and help advocate for us to make sure our concerns are heard. She also cares for the student’s well-being. Allison is an amazing individual who is inclusive of everyone in the community, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of everything she has done for the San Miguel community.
Fui viendo el cambio Alison es una persona que saluda y le habla a cada persona por su nombre wow creo que es la única persona que lo ase toda la escuela la conoces y eso a echo que la gente se motive en ayudar a la escuela ase como 5 años vi mucha gente ayudando en los eventos Grasias a Alison todos nos sentimos parte DE la comunidad ella a echo que todos se sienten parte de la escuela y ahora todos vienen a ayudar y eso es Grasias a ella que con su carisma y su esfuerzo en aprender español para comunicarse con la personas que no hablan inglés, Grasias a ella las clases de ZUMBA siguen, ella siempre pensando no solo en sus hijas sino piensa en todos los niños de la escuela ella es una gran persona que nos a enseñado que la unión a se la fuerza San Miguel ahora es una escuela con eventos exitosos y más cosas que puedan ayudar ala escuela hora viene mucha gente se mira la gran comunidad unida de la escuela San Miguel, ella es una gran Madre, amiga, persona es un gran ser humano que siempre piensa en los demás. damos Grasias por ser afortunados de tenerla en la escuela San Miguel.
Allison is clearly about service and wellbeing in her background and day to day practice. Like many, she has been heavily involved in volunteering and working with others and children. She has done a lot of personal, professional, and community work around equity.
The most clear thing to me, however, is that she has built those neural pathways, that mental muscle, that intuition and experience and instinct that only comes with repeated cycles of experimentation, innovation and practice, around collaboratively and creatively creating systems of empowerment and inclusion with dignity and respect with (and not for) underserved, underheard, underseen, at promise youth and families. She can make the FUHSD board team stronger for the work ahead immediately and long term.
In addition to her considerable personal skills, Allison Joe would provide a seat at the table for an entire community that has been neglected for far too long. Many individuals in that community spoke both to her professional and organizational skills as well as the personal connection she has with each and every one of them.
Allison is the type of individual we need to bring our community together. I hope you will vote to select Allison Joe as a Trustee. We have an opportunity to address many historical inequity issues in our community.
I am a parent in the Sunnyvale school district. I know Allison Joe from her time at Cupertino co-op nursery school which is also a part of the Fremont Union High School district adult education department. She was an invaluable member of that community. She brought the community together, she helped include everyone, and she felt like everyone’s friend there.
It’s been amazing to see what she’s gone on to do at San Miguel with the same skills building an even bigger community and making really big changes at that school. I think she would be excellent on the Fremont Union High School district board and I give her my support. Thank you.
I am a mother of two boys at Fairwood Explorer Elementary and I am also the board president of the Parent Alliance at Fairwood Elementary. I am here to say that the board supports Allison as your next teammate and candidate. We would like her to basically represent North Sunnyvale which is underserved at this time.
She has the knowledge, dedication, and the energy that is going to need to be put into getting North Sunnyvale where we need to be on the map. I feel that she also has the experience and everyone’s best interest in mind. She will act equitably in her perseverance in this position. Thank you.
I was initially very intrigued by Allison, and I was astounded at the effort she would make just to learn everyone’s name. I noticed how she would really engage with the Latinx population at our school, and how they would always seek her out with an array of questions. She has worked hard in different roles in our PTA, particularly with raising funds to create enrichment opportunities for our students.
As time went on, I began getting to know her better, and I also had ideas about how to engage with the families at San Miguel. I didn’t have any PTA experience, but Allison believed in my ideas, and she supported my initiative of starting a Mexican folklorico class at our school. The program was a huge success, and has really engaged our community. Allison gave me the tools, and confidence I needed to make it happen. She believed in me, and she planted the seed for me getting nominated and elected as PTA President at San Miguel, for which I am wrapping up the first year of my term.
Allison believes in empowering others to do good in our community. She talks to everyone; she hears every voice. If she ever feels like something was miscommunicated, she is eager to go to coffee and talk things out, to ensure that all voices are given the chance to be considered. Allison is very passionate about working with the Latinx community to understand their struggles and joys, and just make sure that their culture and values are represented at San Miguel. The Latinx community, and the overall community at San Miguel has grown to know and trust Allison as a person who advocates on their behalf.
I am confident that Allison can transfer the wonderful experiences she’s had at San Miguel and expand them to the wider community. She is absolutely capable of achieving even more, and she does everything with love, consideration, and enthusiasm. Rest assured, you would not regret selecting Allison Joe for the FUHSD role.
Hello, I’ve known Allison since Cupertino Co-op Nursery School. I became a mother when I was 21-years-old, when my son attended preschool I was by far the youngest parent there, she was one of the few parents who welcomed me with her warm smile and made me feel included. 10 years later I reflect on how important Co-op Preschool was for my son and how hard it was for me back then to feel like the “different parent”, if it wasn’t for people like Allison I would have probably unenrolled my son.
I am a Latina brown woman and my parents brought me to this country as a teenager since my mom was hired to be a high school teacher in Walnut Creek, CA. I am very thankful that they did, but it was very hard to feel NOT welcome.
After preschool Allison introduced me to San Miguel Elementary’s Spanish immersion program, at that time my son was attending a different elementary school and I did parent participation there too, but once again I wasn’t welcome, I was leading a “PE” class with all the students in my son’s class every week, only 1 family knew who I was, no moms would talk to me, even when I tried reaching out. When I moved to San Miguel Elementary because of Allison, I finally found a place where my family belonged, NOT because we are brown Latin people, but because she made EVERYONE feel welcome, no matter your age, status, class, gender, race. Allison started the PTA at San Miguel, I joined to help as treasurer, she started from 0 and figured it out magically, now San Miguel has a strong PTA that has been able to help the school, students, teachers and has made the elementary school experience family friendly and fun – full of community festivals that join all of us as a big team. I would have never been allowed or welcomed like I was at another school, that gave me the opportunity and motivation to be involved with my kids education, to understand how elementary school works (since I had NO idea), and it gave my children the opportunity to feel safe and understand the value of community and acceptance (It really takes a village to raise children).
As a brown woman, and I hope you guys hear me out, I was privileged enough to get an education, to arrive to the US already speaking English, to always have a roof over my head, to be able to dedicate time to do co-op preschool and school with my children, to have the time to invest, that was a privilege, and even THEN I wasn’t welcome and accepted. Imagine what people who didn’t come to the US with the privileges I had, what chances of inclusion do they have? Will they ever be heard? Will their children be noticed instead of ignored? Will we ever understand the importance of all children being treated equally? Will we understand that having a caring community and involved parents can affect children’s lives and futures permanently? Do you understand that a child that feels like they have the same opportunities regardless of their race will actually grow like any kid should, without resentment and fear?
It is time you realize that our children of color are as important as yours, they are your kids’ school mates and they will have an influence in your kid’s life, whether you want it or not. Our community needs Allison, she is ONE of US, she learned how to speak Spanish even with slang to be able to communicate with everyone, she cares, she has put in the work, she hasn’t waited until she made it in order to start talking to us and recognizing our issues, she stood by us, helped us, understood us and worked hard for everyone. Sometimes I wonder how she does everything she does, all that volunteer work and hours she puts in, the answer is that this is her calling and she does it from her heart.
I’m a parent of a 5th grade student at Fairwood Explorer in Sunnyvale School District who will be attending Columbia Middle next year and Fremont High School after. I am so happy that my daughter will be attending a high school district that values excellence and equity.
Allison strongly values inclusion, equity, and excellence and puts ideas into action. She has a track record to prove it. She has created a climate of inclusivity not only for families and staff members at her school but is welcoming to the general community as well. Allison will be a great candidate to represent not only Sunnyvale students, especially North Sunnyvale students where her children are educated, but all students belonging to FUHSD.
Allison and I are both occupational therapists. OTs are trained to be analytical and look at problems from all different angles and perspectives. Allison is open minded and knows that there can be two sides (or more) to an issue. Core values of occupational therapists are altruism, equality, freedom, justice, dignity, truth, and prudence. These are all values that are core to Allison and I believe are very important to this district.
Allison is a people person with a huge heart and dedication to all that she does. She wants to serve on the board to serve the students of FUHSD. I have no doubt she has their best interests at heart. I feel that having a perspective from someone that has school aged children on the board is essential. She knows firsthand the kinds of issues that are facing students and families. I believe Allison will work well with this team to guide policies that will affect all children in Sunnyvale. I fully support Allison and think you should too.
I’m a graduate of Fremont High School. I am also a parent of two children who attend the district. I’m here to support Allison Joe. I worked alongside her in the San Miguel PTA and saw her dynamic ways to unite the community. She is not only supportive of students, teachers, and administrators, but she looks outside of the community to bring everybody in. In the many, many hours that we spent volunteering together, I saw how well-versed she was, she’s multi-lingual, and she’s definitely the person that brings equity into every room and every aspect of her daily life. I have the pleasure and privilege to be here to support her and I hope you are able to support her too. Thank you.
I am a parent of two school-aged children at San Miguel. I have had the honor to work alongside Allison Joe for two to three years since my children started there. I also echo many comments about her as a leader, community builder, as a friend, as a passionate advocate, and warrior for equity and inclusion.
One thing that I did want to note, especially that has not been noted or highlighted as much as I like, is how much value she has for the strengths that every person brings. She sees and respects everybody, not as an end, but no matter where you are or what you are dealing with. Not someone who needs to be fixed or who needs to overcome certain situations. But she tries to create a space where people can bring whatever skill sets they have and really shine. That’s who I want on the leadership team that sets the policy for students: someone who sees the strength and potential of each and every one of our children. I believe that Allison does exactly that. She recognizes the value of diversity of all different types: social, racial, economic, gender, and neurodiversity.
At San Miguel one of the things she’s done in addition to many many other things is starting a book club where we talk about school integration and what that looks like. What segregation looks like in the past and what it looks like now. And in these challenging conversations she’s always had the idea of really wanting to see all children succeed. I think that’s a very valuable thing that she has and you can see how much trust she has built with this community. How much potential for feedback she has to reach different corners with voices that usually don’t get heard. I just want to continue to echo my support for Allison Joe.
I met Allison in the fall of 2016. We both had enrolled our daughters at the Sunnyvale San Miguel Juntos program (Spanish Immersion). Neither of us spoke much Spanish. We joined the Parents’ Association. Most of the school was Spanish speaking. This was where our kids went and currently go to school. This is our community. Allison became my inspiration and role model. Allison learned Spanish by speaking it at the school, with her kids, at her work, with neighbors, and her whole community. Her motto of when we care for the benefit of others, we will all do better is true. Allison has a Chinese-American background and lives by downtown Sunnyvale. Her husband’s family were Filipino immigrants. Her children reflect this mix and they also speak Spanish. Allison reflects the community that we all live in. She embraced the language, the culture and made connections in her community.
Allison was part of that PA, which became a PTA and led it to becoming a very successful organization. Allison helped implement successful programs that included all the students, faculty, and families.
She will embrace getting to know ALL of Sunnyvale whether they are in Sunnyvale, Cupertino or anywhere within OUR school district for FUHSD. She understands the benefit of learning languages, cultures and embracing your community and their needs.
Vote with your heart. Vote for ALL of our community because when we care for the benefit of others, we will all do better. Vote for Allison!
The FUHSD Board overall must represent the needs of the entire district, which requires extensive personal familiarity with each of the communities within the district. Allison would provide extensive personal familiarity with the north Sunnyvale area, which in fact would enhance the Board’s ability to represent the needs of the entire district. Allison would take her position seriously enough to also represent the rest of the district.
Allison’s extensive experience in the community makes her excellently qualified for this position. She built a strong, inclusive, and multicultural grass-roots community in a diverse Spanish-speaking neighborhood that within the last decade has gone from having no PTA at all to having one of the strongest and most successful within the district, offering culturally diverse after-school programs and even scholarships for families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate. The best way to make sure that every community is served by district policy is to ensure that every community has a voice within the FUHSD board.
I am a native of Sunnyvale, a graduate of Homestead High School. I have two children at Fremont High. I’m also a former mayor, the past president of the Sunnyvale Education Foundation and the current fundraiser chair of that organization. I’m concerned about representation.
Four board members are from the Cupertino school district and we only have one person from the Sunnyvale school district. Sunnyvale actually comprises more population than the rest of the district. We are over half the population yet we don’t even have half of the representation and that is concerning to me. We have a massive distribution problem where the schools are located versus where the students are located and there are hard choices that need to be made.
I think that we need to have somebody who has lived and experienced that area and knows that community. It’s the mistake that was not remedied when Sunnyvale High School closed and they didn’t take into account that community. I think it is very important to engage that community in every way you can and give them representation on the board now, so I support Allison Joe.
Estoy apoyando a Allison. Allison ha movido mucha gente porque puede entender para comunicar lo que esta pasando en nuestra comunidad. He tenido dos hijos anteriormente aqui en Fremont y realmente no he venido a una junta como esta porque no había una persona quien me ayudara a venir or decirme. Creo que realmente es muy importante lo que estamos haciendo. Realmente no sabia que podemos escoger nuestros lideres. Estoy lista porque viene otro niño este año. Creo que Allison nos puede ayudar como comunicarnos saber mas lo que está pasando. Después de otro niño viene otro niño en dos años. Así como ayudo al San Miguel involucrarnos también quisiera involucrarnos más aquí. Realmente lo que trae todo nos conocemos en la escuela. Somos una comunidad. Nos conocemos todos.
I support Allison Joe. I am a parent of two Fremont Union High School District students and I am the director of Cupertino Co-up Nursery School, which is where I had the pleasure of first meeting Allison Joe. I worked alongside her in my preschool classroom (If you ever have been in a preschool classroom, it’s no joke). I also worked alongside her with our board of directors for our school. All of that time together showed me her true spirit, her incredible dedication, her passion, and her ability to listen. Then after she left preschool life with her young children I got to watch and admire from a distance as she jumped into her San Miguel community and I have just watched in admiration as I’ve seen her cultivate community there and do so with love and attention to the community that is there. I know she always enters each situation with curiosity and questions and I know she would be a gift to this board of trustees. Thank you.
I’m from Leigh’s Favorite Books in downtown Sunnyvale. I’m a resident of downtown Sunnyvale and I have a son entering Fremont High next year. I’m here to endorse Allison Joe. I’ve worked with her in fundraising for San Miguel and I’ve never seen such a dedicated parent come in. I know she’s played various roles at the school and I’m always really impressed with the community-building she’s done. She orders books for book groups that further her education about education and diversity in California. And I hope to see her on this board. I think she’d be an excellent member.
I am a parent at Lynbrook High School. I share my support for Allison Joe. I know Allison through our mutual volunteer service in PTA and from this work I can confirm that she cares deeply about children and education. However the role of trustee is more than this because it also requires a person who can balance the requirements of all the stakeholders: children, parents, educators, and the community. Allison Joe is the right candidate because she can bring this impartiality. She is hard working, dedicated, and committed. She has already been actively meeting with members of the community. We know that many parents in our district are disconnected from this process and I believe that she is able to engage with them, amplify their voices, and bring this to the district which is needed. Allison Joe is the right candidate for the position. Thank you.
Many people talk about the importance of community. Only Allison has shown through her work in San Miguel, the PTA, and our community, her success in connecting with lower income families and Spanish speaking members. It’s true that there are mostly low income families and Spanish speaking families congregated in north Sunnyvale, but the fact is that there are low income families and Spanish speaking families throughout the entire FUHSD community. The board needs Allison and her success as a skilled community builder to fulfill its mission and truly support all FUHSD families. A vote for Allison is a vote for equity and inclusion at all of our campuses.
There is one candidate, Allison Joe, who rises above as someone who is special and uniquely qualified to be a trustee. I have had the pleasure of knowing Allison Joe for the past 7 years as our children attend San Miguel in North Sunnyvale together. She is extraordinary. What she’s been able to do and accomplish for our district is really beyond the imagination.
The success of our district is very important to me, not only is this district where I started my teaching career, teaching at Homestead High School and Fremont High School, but it is where I built my career as an administrator as well. I am still connected to the district in various capacities, but most importantly I’m a parent of four school-age children. I have two students currently at Fremont High School and two more on the way coming up to Fremont.
Allison is exactly who we need and want as a trustee. She doesn’t just talk about equity as something that is important, she really puts everything she has into building equity, building community, and bringing people together.
I’m a Sunnyvale School District board member. When I first started running for school board, one of the first things I did was I sat down for coffee with Rosa, Naomi, and Sylvia Leong from the Cupertino Union School District, Sylvia told me how she activated her network and got her campaign going by saying “ PTA mom’s get stuff done”. I just want to say that that is absolutely true. PTA moms do get stuff done and that almost minimizes what Allison Joe has been able to do for the San Miguel community. You can say she’s a PTA mom, but she started this community in this Title 1 school and was able to do what all of us talk about doing about family engagement, about activating historically marginalized communities, about getting representation from under-represented groups. She was able to do all these things while raising children and while being a PTA mom. The things they do at San Miguel, I wish I could clone her, I wish I could clone her and Elsa and drop them off at every school and one more in the district office. She is amazing, and she is a great person, and not to put too fine of a point on it but she’s from North Sunnyvale and the board is going to need someone up there pretty soon anyway because of trustee areas. Pick her now.
I live in Cupertino with my 11 and 13 year old children who both attend a Mandarin immersion program in Cupertino. I support Allison Joe, I believe that Allison is the right leader for us. And here are some reasons: Watching her at the YMCA, she’s a great communicator, she brings people together, and is a humble leader. She leads by example whether you watch how she carries herself going through her life challenges or to being inclusive to any new or existing members of the YMCA. She’s selflessly helping any newcomers and people who might be slightly intimidated by the environment so she’s great. Her PTA participation, her passion for our students and high quality education are some of the most relevant and direct examples I can think of what it means by on the ground getting her hands dirty making a difference to the school and her community. She’s a great listener and cooperator.
I used to go to San Miguel Elementary School but now I go to Columbia. And my years there were really fun because Miss Allison made them fun. She made us feel like we were meant to be there and I think you should vote for her for the bus thing, because my brother is autistic and I want him to feel safe on the bus and not be scared and not have to come home crying, and I want him to have a better bus.
No quiero pasar por lo que mi tía esta pasando. No deberíamos tener miedo de subir el bus y cosas así. Vamos a la escuela para aprender. Hay muchos niños que no reciben educación porque tienen miedo que les pase algo porque van solos en el autobus. Y yo no quiero ser uno de esos niños que no recibe educación porque tiene miedo a subirse el autobus.
I am a tech executive who lives in north Sunnyvale with two children in Sunnyvale schools. For me the choice is clear. This board needs diversity and we need representation for north Sunnyvale. I give my endorsement to Allison Joe. The reason I endorse Allison Joe is that not only does she ooze empathy, she turns this empathy into action. She connects with people at an individual level, but she doesn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. She’s able to take these opinions and figure out what is best for the community, what is best for the kids, and what is best for the families. People trust Allison. There are a lot of people out there that will listen, but not a lot of people that others will talk to. Allison gets my strongest recommendation for the board.
I just wanted to say that I think that you should vote for Allison Joe because she’s representing the north of Sunnyvale and it’s important because there’s not a lot of transportation there and when there is difficult weather that causes flooding, sometimes the bus is canceled. On May 5th there was an incident with a woman and a man who had dangerous weapons and they didn’t let the children go in the bus. My sister was affected by this and she couldn’t get to school, but luckily we were still in the house and we took her to school. But it seems like Ms. Joe is representing that part of us where we could feel safer in that part of the city and going to/from school.
I am a senior at Fremont high School. I wanted to give my input on transportation to school because it is important to get the perspective of those who are affected by this. So, going to a school that is over 20-25 minutes away, 5 days a week, it is quite difficult to find a ride to and from school.
I have been carpooling for my entire high school years and middle school, in which my sisters and I have to coordinate with a couple of friends, taking turns bringing each other to school which many of my friends can related because like myself, they don’t have access to a car or have a secure ride. And picking up and dropping off my little sister to school can be very difficult when all the adults are at work.
With this transportation, there would be less cars on the road making it safer for bikers and pedestrians. With VTA after school I am always seeing people crowding the bus, competing with each other to get on before it is full and in the mornings, hearing my peers say the bus came late when they have to explain why they didn’t come on time. Even though I’ll be graduating this year, I would not wish for future students to have to worry about the struggle I have had.
I am a student at Fremont High School. I live in Sunnyvale right on the border of Santa Clara, by Fairwood Elementary School. It takes us a minimum of 20 minutes to get to school on time. We try to leave before 8:00 am and get there before 8:30, when school starts. I have three sisters, and before our school starts we still have to drop my little sister to school at Fairwood and pick up our carpool.
If we had a SAFE school transportation for the Lakewood AND Fairwood neighborhoods it would help with a lot of families and lessen the amount of traffic of people rushing to get to work/school and decrease the amount of pollution.
It would be great if the kids my age that live around me can all get to Fremont on time without the hassle for us students finding a ride to get to school and back home. The bus afterschool also takes more than 40 minutes to get home since they also fill up rather quickly.