Raquel Donoso
Raquel Donoso was a candidate for an at-large seat on the West Contra Costa Board of Education in California. The seat was up for general election on November 4, 2014. Raquel Donoso lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Raquel Donoso is a resident of Contra Costa County, California. Donoso earned her master's degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. She is the director of Mission Promise Neighborhood, which is a U.S. Department of Education program.[1]
Elections
2014
The election in West Contra Costa featured three at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Madeline Kronenberg and Elaine Merriweather faced eight challengers for the three at-large seats. The challengers were Elizabeth Block, Peter Nicholas Chau, Otheree Christian, Valerie Cuevas, Raquel Donoso, Mister Phillips, Chester R. Stevens, and Ayana Kirkland Young. Board President Charles T. Ramsey did not file for re-election.
Kronenberg, Block, and Cuevas won the election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Elizabeth Block |
19.5% | 21,463 | |
| Nonpartisan | Madeline Kronenberg Incumbent |
15.4% | 16,950 | |
| Nonpartisan | Valerie Cuevas |
13.5% | 14,857 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mister Phillips | 11.8% | 13,027 | |
| Nonpartisan | Raquel Donoso | 10.1% | 11,064 | |
| Nonpartisan | Elaine Merriweather Incumbent | 8.8% | 9,737 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peter Nicholas Chau | 7.8% | 8,609 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chester R. Stevens | 4.5% | 4,946 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ayana Kirkland Young | 4.2% | 4,607 | |
| Nonpartisan | Otheree Christian | 4% | 4,429 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 390 | |
| Total Votes | 110,079 | |||
| Source: Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters, "Official Results - November 4, 2014 General Election," accessed January 2, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Candidates had to file contribution reports within 24 hours of receiving an aggregate total of $1,000 or more from a single source. The first scheduled pre-election report filing deadline was October 6, 2014. If candidates raised or spent less than $1,000 during the 2013 and 2014 calendar years, they had to file Form 470 at that time. If candidates raised or spent more during that time, they had to file Form 460 by the pre-election report filing deadline.[2]
Candidates required to file Form 460 also had to file a second pre-election report on October 23, 2014, and they had to file termination reports by December 31, 2014. If a termination report was not filed, candidates had to file a semi-annual report by February 2, 2015.[2]
Donoso reported $21,920.00 in contributions and $18,786.16 in expenditures during the election, which left her with $3,133.84 on hand according to the Contra Costa County Elections Division.[3]
Endorsements
Donoso received endorsements from:[4][5]
- West Contra Costa Unified School District Trustee Randall Enos
- Former West Contra Costa Unified School District Trustees Tony Thurmond, Glen Price and Antonio Medrano
- California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
- State Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-7)
- State Assembly member Nancy Skinner (D-15)
- East Palo Alto Mayor Laura Martinez
- El Cerrito Mayor Janet Abelson
- The Contra Costa Times
- California Democratic Party
- Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
- Public Employees Union, Local 1
- Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA)
- Richmond Chamber of Commerce
- Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council
- United Firefighters of Contra Costa County, Local 1230
Campaign themes
2014
Donoso published her priorities on her campaign website:
| “ | CCUSD is at one of the most pivotal times in its history, one of tremendous change and opportunity.
As a parent of a student at Korematsu Middle School (formerly Portola) I am running because the stakes have never been higher. I am personally committed to increasing opportunities for West County kids. I served on the RYSE Youth Center Board because of my passion and dedication to our youth. We need new, innovative leaders with a track record of organizational change and success. I am that leader. I have led a start-up organization into the strongest growth stage in its history. I know how to lead and get results. I am currently directing a $30M Mission Promise Neighborhood Initiative through the U.S. Department of Education to link services and ensure all students succeed. The issues below are not small issues. I understand that. However, they are pivotal ones if we are to build stronger schools with better academic achievement. I am confident that driving these conversations, identifying disruptive strategies, using data to monitor progress, and holding ourselves accountable will lead to success for West County. Achievement There are many areas where the District is doing well. Yet, too many students are not reading at grade-level by 3rd grade and not graduating high school prepared for future success. We cannot build a first-class education system for West County students when this is the reality. With a new funding formula, common core standards, and district strategic plan there is an opportunity to significantly increase achievement in West County schools. As someone who has spent decades in the education field I will work tirelessly to increase achievement for all students. Teachers West County teachers are the key to student success. Teachers have been underpaid and under resourced for decades. It is time to bring the pride and purpose of being a West County teacher back into the classroom. I support building a culture and implementing policies to attract, retain, and support the best teachers for our students. Parents Parents are our kid’s first teachers. They are a vital part in making our schools the best they can be. As a public school parent I know how powerful and instrumental our voices are when we advocate for our children’s best interest. I will seek out, sustain, and ensure parent participation at all levels and support a culture where parents are seen as assets, committed to their children’s academic success.[6] |
” |
| —Raquel Donoso campaign website (2014)[7] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Raquel + Donoso + West + Contra + Costa + Unified + School + District"
See also
- West Contra Costa Unified School District, California
- West Contra Costa Unified School District elections (2014)
External links
- West Contra Costa Unified School District
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Democracy.com profile
Footnotes
- ↑ Raquel Donoso for School Board, "About Raquel," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 4, 2014," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Contra Costa County Elections Division, "CampaignDocs Search Engine," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ Raquel Donoso for School Board, "Supporters," accessed October 25, 2014
- ↑ Contra Costa Times, "Contra Costa Times editorial: Cuevas, Donoso and Block for West Contra Costa school board," October 12, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Raquel Donoso for School Board, "Issues," accessed November 3, 2014
