Laura Bratt

Laura Bratt is a member of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board in California, representing Trustee Area 3. She assumed office on December 11, 2020. Her current term ends on December 8, 2028.

Bratt ran for re-election to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board to represent Trustee Area 3 in California. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Laura Bratt was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. She earned a high school diploma from Chippewa Falls High School, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1993.^[1] Bratt's professional experience includes being a creative director; a business owner; a marketing, communications, and creative services consultant; and an online instructor at Academy of Art University.^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Laura Bratt defeated Sukriti Sehgal in the general election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Laura Bratt (Nonpartisan)	51.2	6,062
	Sukriti Sehgal (Nonpartisan)	48.8	5,772

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,834
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Bratt's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bratt in this election.

2020

General election

General election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3

Laura Bratt defeated Scott Roberts and Kumar Nallusamy in the general election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laura Bratt (Nonpartisan)	39.4	5,930
	Submit photo	Scott Roberts (Nonpartisan)	37.1	5,593
	Submit photo	Kumar Nallusamy (Nonpartisan)	23.5	3,543

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,066
= 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.
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Endorsements

To view Bratt's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Laura Bratt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bratt'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.

As President for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education, I see leadership as an opportunity to empower others, striving to bring empathy and non-judgment into every situation.

Growing up in a multi-racial family, I've seen the impact racism and implicit bias has on those I love. I learned early that speaking up and out for the marginalized impacts an individual’s understanding of themselves and those around them. I strive to help myself and others build the tools needed to build a truly inclusive world.

With a professional background in creative services, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in art. I am currently working as a Marketing and Communications Manager at UC Berkeley.

For the last 17 years, I have been volunteering and serving leadership roles in public schools. I currently serve on the TRAFFIX Board of Directors and as a Board Liaison for SRVUSD’s Equity Steering, Strategic Arts, Parcel Tax Oversight, LCAP Stakeholder, and Special Education Community Advisory Committees. I am a former President of the Mandarin immerson program education foundation in Capistrano USD.

My husband, Shawn, and I are raising four insightful, independent-minded teenagers in the Dougherty Valley after moving them from Martinez, to Grenoble, France, to Delaware, to SoCal and back to the Bay Area, grateful to have put down roots in the San Ramon Valley, near family and friends.

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?

Keeping students at the center Our educational community is built for our students. I believe it is important to center students, their needs, and their voice in the questions asked, the insight and perspectives gathered, and ultimately, the policy and decisions made.
Supporting SRVUSD’s Strategic Directions Having been an active participant in its development, I will focus on continued implementation and accountability around SRVUSD’s Strategic Directions, a comprehensive plan rooted in Deep Learning & Innovation, Social Emotional Well-being, and Equity.
Ensuring strong governance As this year's President, I am proud to lead a strong governance team as we work together to build better policy, responsibly stewarding our limited resources, and ensuring strong District leadership as we transition to a new Superintendent. I will leverage my strong understanding of public education funding and my experience to help SRVUSD navigate the future shifts in revenue and expenditures.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about advocating for and supporting our students and their educational experience. This means creating policies that are grounded in Deep Learning, Social Emotional Well-Being, and Equity.

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

I worked for my parents small quick printing business, first emptying garbage and cleaning bathrooms, eventually moving on to customer service and graphic design while in high school.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

We need to create additional pathways for College and Career Readiness - more CTE partnerships and deep learning opportunities as we expand our curriculum to reflect our learner profile competencies of critical thinking, adaptable learning, effecting communication, intentional collaboration, and creative contributors.

We also must diversify our curriculum to better reflect our students and the world we live in.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

We need to fully fund public education and I believe raising the LCFF Base Grant is the way to set a solid foundation for local control funding. We need to ensure that that base grant covers the cost of a school district providing well-rounded, high quality education that is safe and supportive for each and every student. We need to make sure that our Special Education programs are fully funded, including the IDEA funding promises made at the Federal level.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Children feel safe when they are included and supported. Building and supporting community spaces for our diverse student population to build understanding and breakdown stereotypes is key.

We also work hard to ensure physical safety on our sites with perimeter fencing, fast and transparent communication when threats occur, a see something, say something attitude, and a strong partnership with our local police and first responders.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

If re-elected, I will continue to support our wellness centers at our 4 high schools, elementary school counseling, and work to reinstate funding for our MTSS Liaisons. We need to continue to partner with our parents and caregivers, to ensure that our students have access to the mental health supports they need.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, California State Assembly Member, District 16

Sridhar Verose, City Council Member, City of San Ramon District 3

Andy Li, Vice President, Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board

Candace Andersen, Supervisor, Contra Costa County District 2

Susanna Ordway, President, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association Tri-Valley Chapter and Trustee, SRVUSD

Anya Ayyappan, Former SRVUSD 2-term Student Board Member, Former California State Board of Education Student Member

Tiana Day, Founder/Executive Director of Youth Advocates for Change

San Ramon Valley Education Association

California Democratic Party

Contra Costa Young Democrats

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.

2020

Laura Bratt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bratt'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.

My name is Laura Bratt and I am running for San Ramon Valley Unified School District's Board of Trustees in Area 3. With 4 students currently in SRVUSD schools, I am the best candidate to see us through these unique times.

I am a proven advocate for our students and their education. I have worked tirelessly on school-site and district-wide committees as well as volunteering in the classroom and the community. I know what it means to roll-up my sleeves and get the work done, whether it's raising funds for a Mandarin language immersion program, assessing data and brainstorming goals with SRVUSD's Local Control and Accountability Plan Stakeholder Committee, teaching a college-level online class, being a 3rd grade Destination Imagination team manager, or cooking meals for students at a music competition.

As your board trustee, I will be committed to partnering with and being a strong ally for our broad spectrum of communities as I bring a much-needed perspective to our leadership and shine a bright light on our insightful stakeholders, ensuring each decision is made through the lens of transparency, equity and compassion so that together, we can deliver a strong, supportive, and safe educational environment for all students!

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?

Leverage my on-the-ground parent experience to bring our broad spectrum of communities together so SRVUSD can deliver a strong, supportive educational environment for all our students.
Lead innovative approaches in reducing COVID-19's impact on our students' experience and guide SRVUSD in a safe, effective, and intentional transition back to on-site learning.
Bring a much-needed perspective to reshape SRVUSD's leadership and work to build back trust and accountability by ensuring transparency, equity, and compassion in decision-making.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

LAURA'S VISION FOR SAN RAMON VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

• An intentional transition back to On-site Learning in a safe, effective, and efficient way

• Restructuring our approach to managing SRVUSD's 2020-21 and future Budget Shortfalls

• Prioritizing truly supportive Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging

• Focusing on both Academic Achievement and Academic Fulfillment

• Comprehensively supporting Social, Emotional, and Mental Wellness

• Building Trust and Transparency in our leadership

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

I believe that it is important that I listen to those I represent and bring all of our stakeholders together so that we can truly work towards our common goal of providing a strong and supportive educational environment for all of our students.

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

As a calm, reflective, and respectful person, I will lead problem-solving in a supportive and collaborative way, ensuring that concerns are discussed, questions are heard and answered, and everyone walks away feeling united rather than divided so that we can collectively be dedicated to creating a strong and supportive educational environment for all of our students.

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

My parents started a small quick printing business in Northern Wisconsin in the late 1970s and my first job was working for them. I started working when I was in the 4th grade and they were first opening up the shop. Initially, I would do things like emptying the trash cans, sorting paper, and wiping down the counters. I continued to work for them all through middle and high school and my duties grew to customer service, typesetting and layout, pre-press production, print finishing such as collating, cutting, and bindery, and accounting. I supported my parents as they experienced the highs and lows of running a small family business and with this job, I found my career path, one that I am passionate about and feel lucky to have found. After college, I became a graphic designer, eventually starting my own creative services business. The work ethic that this early job opportunity instilled in me and the hands-on experience it provided is a big part of who I am today.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

People Have the Power, Patti Smith

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

As the Area 3 Trustee for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, I will be representing both the residents of our area and everyone in our school district - students, parents, families, teachers, staff, administrators, and our community at large - as I collaborate with the board of trustees to make and approve policy decisions. My duties will include researching issues, engaging with the community to learn about challenges and successes, asking questions and discussing solutions with those impacted by the issues, being an active participant and supporter at various educational and school-site events and meetings, managing our superintendent's position and being an active participant at all Board of Trustees meetings.

Who are your constituents?

Area 3 consists of residents in both San Ramon and Danville. The feeder high schools include Dougherty Valley, California, and San Ramon Valley High Schools. Area 3 includes a broad and diverse ethnic population including a high concentration of Asian-Americans. According to page 18, exhibit A in the SRVUSD File <Summary Res - Trustee Area Election and Final Map.pdf>, our area's total population in 2019 of 28,293 includes 55% Asian-American, 33 % White, 6% Hispanic, and 3% Black. Households in Area 3 included 61% with a child and 50% speaking a language other then English at home. Our diverse community includes 40% immigrants with 65% naturalized.

How might you improve the value of a high school diploma? What should a 21st century diploma reflect?

When an SRVUSD student graduates, their high school diploma should represent the hard work that they put into their education. Our schools have to provide a level of rigor and achievement that gives every student the ability to reach for and attain their life goals. Our students should be not only college-ready, but also world-ready. We need to create curriculum around cultural and emotional literacy so that each of our students graduates with the tools and skill set to embrace the world and each new idea that they encounter. They need to have a strong foundation of critical thinking, confidence in their ability, resiliency, and a life-long love of learning.

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 Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 12, 2020

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[bio-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 12, 2020

[1]

[2]

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Laura Bratt

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for San Ramon Valley Unified School District school board Trustee Area 3

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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