Governor Jerry Brown has chosen UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz School alumna Dr. Nicolasa Sandoval to serve on the State Board of Education. Sandoval, who received her Ph.D. from the Department of Education in 2007, currently works as Education Director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and continues to teach at the Gevirtz School. She also worked for several years at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The appointment of Sandoval requires Senate confirmation.

"As someone who was educated in California's public schools and a first generation college graduate, I am committed to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for all California students," Sandoval says. "I look forward to applying the educational foundations I obtained at UCSB to the work of the State Board of Education."

The state board is the governing and policy-making body of the state's Department of Education, and sets education policy for public schools, kindergarten through 12th grade, in standards, instructional materials, assessment and accountability. The board is charged with adopting textbooks for primary through eighth grades, and approves regulations to implement legislation related to education. The board has the authority to grant waivers of the Education Code.

"As Education Director for the Chumash Indians, I am honored to work with our community members. Our youth and adults place a high value on education and the role it plays in a bright future. Our educational initiatives embrace children and families from birth through adulthood by supporting kindergarten readiness, educational attainment, and career transitions," She claims. "As a lecturer in the Education Department at UCSB, I truly enjoy working with undergraduates who are interested in teaching, academic counseling, and school psychology. Our next generation of educational leadership in California holds great promise for our future."