Meet Your New Officials: William Schaff

Alameda Sun Thursday, November 11, 2004, By Suzanne LeBarre

When William Schaff’s children discovered that he had been elected to the School Board, they wanted to make sure of one thing: “You’re not going to make us do more math problems are you?”

The father of three garnered 17 percent of the popular vote on Nov. 2, and secured a seat as one of two new members on the AUSD Board of Education. Schaff said he decided to run for school board, in conjunction with David Forbes, who also won a seat, because, “We thought we could bring new energy and vision and better direction.”

Running on the same slate, the two hope to strengthen their agenda and the decision-making process. The pair have worked together promoting a number of issues, including the hospital parcel tax (Measure A), the school bond measure (Measure C) and budget cuts for the schools.

“To really set policy, you must share a common vision,” Schaff continued.

Though he characterized his agenda as proactive, he also stressed that this will not include stepping over into classroom territory. Legislating increased homework problems — to engender his children’s fears — is “the sort of micromanagement I don’t get involved with.

“Our job is to maximize resources, not get involved in the teachers’ classrooms,” he said.

Schaff was born in South Korea and raised by adoptive parents in Pittsburg. His parents, both teachers, instilled in him the value of education and promoted concern for community building.

“My mother had been involved in the community and placed a lot of these values to us… (that) you need to give back to your community,” he said.

Schaff obtained his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and a graduate degree from UC Davis in engineering. After a working as a business analyst for Chevron-Texaco, he opened his own asset management firm, Bay Isle, for which he continues to act as a senior portfolio manager and chief investment officer.

A resident of Alameda since 1980, Schaff appreciates Alameda’s community-oriented ambiance. “It feels like being in the midwest without actually being in the midwest,” he said.

Schaff is looking forward to this small-town sensibility as a School Board member. He emphasized that, “You can actually listen to constituents directly and you really get a sense of communication and I think that’s important,” he said.

Schaff cited his background in business management as an asset to promoting this communication among citizens and School Board members.

“Anytime you build a business you suffer all the issues — there’s a certain level of awareness of what it takes to run things officially,” he said. He also served on the Alameda County Employees Retirement Association for six years, solidifying his aptitude for public policy.

Though, he assured, “I’m never running for anything else. I would shoot myself first.”

His current goals are to emphasize a hands-on approach to the district’s changing demographics, and to promote inclusiveness, including continuing programs that reallocate money to provide for all students and allowing the community at large to contribute to the schools.

As for the additional math homework: he’ll entrust that to his own children.

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Last modified: November 12, 2004

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