David McKinney
for
Albany School Board
About David
I believe that a high-quality public education provides learning environments where students feel safe within a supportive community; where students can find and pursue their passions; and where students are equipped with the resources and support they need to succeed in school and beyond.
I have been working in education for 21 years. After receiving my Masters in Teaching from Columbia University Teachers College, I taught middle school science for eight years and math for four of those eight years. I left the classroom to pursue a PhD in Education, which I received from Johns Hopkins University School of Education. I am now an education researcher with expertise in student motivation and STEM education. I am also a parent of a student at Cornell Elementary, where I serve on the School Site Council. Together, this enables me to look at what is happening within our schools from the lens of a researcher, a teacher, and a parent.
As a member of the AUSD Board of Education I will work collaboratively to enact policies and spending that foster exceptional educational environments that provide students with the best opportunity to grow into thriving members of our community.
My Priorities
Reponsibility
Belonging
Excellence
The community places a great responsibility in the hands of their school board to spend the limited funds we have to maximize the educational experience for all of our students. I do not take this responsibility lightly and would be honored for the community to entrust it to me. For the last year, I have been attending Albany School Board meetings to make sure I would be ready to take on the role and responsibility of School Board Member on day one. My years of experience managing millions of dollars in education research grants and my decades of experience working in education make me ready to take on this role.
Students thrive when they feel safe and cared for and when they care about the people around them in their school community. A sense of belonging is a key motivational factor that supports student engagement, achievement, and persistence. The district already has an eye on belonging, but we can do better to ensure that all students, no matter their background or identity, feel safe and cared about when they go to school every day. My background as a student motivation researcher will help me provide guidance and ask the right questions to keep Albany Unified progressing towards a greater sense of belonging for each and every student.
AUSD should be a district where all students can be successful academically and find and pursue their passions. We should be proud of the academic success our students achieve, but we can do better. We must do more to ensure that every student has the same opportunity to succeed no matter their background or identity. While we strive for academic achievement, we cannot lose sight of providing ample and varied opportunities for students to explore and engage in activities and pursuits that interest them, like music, theater, art, programming, and many others. These types of experiences make coming to school more exciting and give students direction to launch them into their lives after graduation.
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