Eric Mark is running for the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Board of Trustees.

Mark has served local youth in various capacities, including as a coach for his kids’ school and club sports teams, an entrepreneurship coach for StreetCode Academy and a tutor for Mountain View High School’s AVID program. He formerly worked as a computer sales systems specialist for local small businesses. All three of his kids are attending or have graduated from MVLA schools.

Mental health and wellness

Mark said that although his perception of mental health at MVLA schools is mostly from what his children tell him, he is going to work to gain a more diverse perspective.

He also proposed capping the number of AP classes that students can take and eliminating weighted GPAs to reduce fixation on grades.

“I firmly believe that … if MVLA students were taking fewer courses but they’re happier … that would be a big win,” Mark said.

Equity

Mark is a strong proponent of the ethnic studies curriculum, which is currently being piloted. He said he believes it will promote awareness and allow students to have a more diverse worldview.

“That [awareness] will lead to, hopefully, more harmonious outcomes as a student gets into adulthood,” Mark said. “I want to definitely keep tabs on that [and] be part of making the program even stronger.”

Communication

Mark said that his easygoing and cooperative nature will allow him to better collaborate with members of the community to find solutions.

“You basically have to demonstrate to people that you’re listening,” he said. “Not everyone’s gonna be happy. But if we keep the framework that we’re trying to do what’s best for the students, … we can build bridges and collaborate.

To learn more about Mark, visit his website here.