Ester Adut (San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6, California, candidate 2024)

Ester Adut

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Occidental College, 1983

Personal

Profession

Attorney at law

Contact

Campaign website

Ester Adut ran for election to the San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6 in California. Adut was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Adut completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ester Adut provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 13, 2024:

• Bachelor's: Occidental College, 1983
• Graduate: Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 1986
• J.D.: School of Law, Santa Clara University, 1999
• Profession: Attorney at Law
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Your voice on the Board
• Campaign website

Elections

General election

General election for San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6

Ester Adut and Patricia Love ran in the general election for San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Ester Adut (Nonpartisan)
		Patricia Love (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Adut in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ester Adut completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Adut's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the only candidate who is not part of the current system that is delivering such poor results for our children. My advocacy is for families, and my voice on the board will be independent, not part of the current ineffective system.

I am an attorney and a single mother of triplets. I have navigated IEPs and advocated for my children’s educational needs when they were not being met in the public schools. As president of the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), I developed partnerships between parents, students, and educators, and I helped to establish the school library.

As a first-generation American, I worked my way through high school, college, and graduate school. I graduated with a degree in psychology, with honors, from Occidental College and with an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

My career in business management spanned 15 years in some of America’s largest corporations, working in long-range planning, financial analysis, and accountability. While caring for my very young children and working, I completed law school. For over a decade since then, I have provided pro-bono legal services to low-income individuals, most often in cases affecting the lives of children.

As a skilled advocate, analyst, and investigator, I have the skills and insight to represent you as a trustee for the Board of Education. I will stand up for your children’s rights and give voice to the concerns and needs of all of our children.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Children of all abilities deserve access to courses that appropriately challenge them. We must expand class offerings to meet their needs and advance their learning.
• Public funds and spaces are being misused to advance political agendas. Children’s education is being harmed by this. I will exert every effort to ensure that resources are spent only to improve the well-being and academic accomplishment of students.
• Existing programs instill division and prejudices in students. As a result, hatred and violence are on the increase at schools, making children feel anxious and unsafe. The existing strategy is not working: last year, violent incidents went up by more than 50%. I will promote changes in strategy and program implementation to address these issues.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to two of my friends, who have passed away. Helen and George Habeeb were dedicated to their family, and to the community. They weren't talkers. They were doers. Even without being asked, they rolled up their sleeves and helped, in ways small and large, through community organizations and individually. Their integrity and moral values illuminated darkness in difficult times. They embraced and enjoyed life, and made life better for others and for posterity.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Stand and Deliver (Film)

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Selflessness, compassion, foresight, justice, and integrity.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I take on challenges, I ask questions, I examine things from many angles. I am committed to making things better and contributing to the betterment of our society.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listening to and serving the community, adopting policies to ensure safe and appropriate education for all students, prioritizing student achievement and well-being, representing the community's diverse beliefs and values, and facilitating cooperative relationships with school districts, boards, and communities.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a waitress. I had it for two years, from the ages of 14 to 16. I used to take the bus after school, then walk about a mile, put my book bag down, tie on an apron, and work until evening.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Adopting and monitoring budgets is a key function of the Board. The Board is also responsible for approving the Local Control Accountability Plans. Financial transparency and accountability are legal requirements and are essential for fairness and justice in any government agency, including the Office of Education.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Area 6

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