Eight years of school board service have sharpened her understanding of the challenges facing public schools. Her own childhood reminds her why the work matters: every child needs someone who sees their potential—and support that gives them a chance to realize it.
When Cindy Wu arrived in the United States from Taiwan at age eleven, she did not speak English. The challenge extended beyond learning new words. It meant finding her place in an unfamiliar classroom, navigating a new culture, and learning to believe that she could succeed.
Her parents had left behind the life they knew to give their children better opportunities. With their encouragement and the support of educators who believed in her, Wu gradually overcame those early barriers and became the first person in her family to graduate from university.
That experience continues to shape her approach to public education. She understands how easily a child's circumstances can obscure their potential—and how much can change when the right support arrives.
Today, Wu is seeking re-election to the Mountain View School District Board of Education for a third term. Her campaign builds on eight years of service and a commitment to strengthening opportunities for students, families, and educators in El Monte and South El Monte.
Bringing the Promise of Education to the Next Generation
Wu's family has been part of the El Monte community for more than thirty years. Those longstanding ties keep her focus on the questions families face every day: Is their child safe at school? Is help available when learning becomes difficult? Will someone listen when they raise a concern?
According to her biographical materials, Wu completed studies at USC's Marshall School of Business and UCLA's Anderson School of Management, pursued additional studies at Stanford University and Peking University, and is currently continuing her education at Harvard University.
For Wu, continued learning informs public service. Schools face changing demands, and the people responsible for guiding them need to keep developing the knowledge and perspective required to make thoughtful decisions.
Her understanding of the American Dream is grounded in her family's experience and the opportunities education opened for her. She wants more children to have access to that possibility, without their futures being narrowed too early by language barriers, family circumstances, or financial hardship.
Experience Across Classrooms and Public Service
Over a twenty-year career, Wu has worked across education, business, real estate, and government service.
Her educational experience includes teaching after-school programs for students in grades three through five, serving as a training director, teaching language, participating in a language education board, and guest lecturing at Citrus College and Glendale College. She has also served on a commission addressing the needs of students with disabilities.
These experiences have given her a broad view of the support students need. Academic instruction is central, but children also benefit from tutoring, encouragement, a sense of belonging, and access to adults who can help them navigate difficult circumstances.
Wu has a particular understanding of English learners and immigrant families. Having once been a child learning a new language herself, she recognizes the difference a patient teacher or an encouraging parent can make in helping a student regain confidence.
Eight Years of Service, Focused on Students' Daily Lives
Since her election in 2018, Wu has made students'everyday needs a central part of her school board work. Her account of the past eight years highlights five areas of advocacy and improvement.
Improving student meals.
Wu advocated for and helped advance the transition from a meal program centered on reheating frozen food to a scratch-kitchen model, with meals prepared from ingredients on site. The effort reflects her attention to student well-being and the quality of the school day, beginning with a basic need children experience daily.
Protecting counseling support.
As students have faced family pressures, community safety concerns, and other environmental stressors, Wu has advocated for maintaining school counselors and mental health support. She believes students should know that help is available when they feel anxious, overwhelmed, or unable to manage a challenge alone.
Expanding after-school learning.
She has championed after-school programs and helped connect free tutoring opportunities to school sites throughout the district. These resources give students additional time to ask questions, practice skills, and build confidence, while easing some of the burden on families seeking academic support.
Advocating for fiscal responsibility.
Wu has called for budget reform, accountability, and responsible stewardship of district resources. Her focus is on making limited funding work more effectively for students and classrooms through thoughtful planning and oversight.
Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She has advocated for the participation of marginalized and historically underrepresented families in district decision-making. Her approach emphasizes listening to the different experiences and needs of the community the schools serve.
Together, these priorities span the lunchroom, the after-school classroom, counseling services, and the budget process. They reflect her view that meaningful educational improvement begins with the conditions students encounter each day.
Recognition and a Broader Commitment to Service
In 2021, fellow school board trustees elected Wu president of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, giving her an opportunity to contribute to collaboration and dialogue across school districts.
According to her campaign materials, she was named Los Angeles County's Woman of the Year in Education in 2022 and received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 during President Joe Biden's administration.
Her public service has also included work on El Monte's planning and cable services commissions. She is a co-founder of AAPI Women in Politics, also known as EmpowHer, supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander women's participation in public life.
These roles have broadened her perspective on the connections among schools, families, communities, and public policy—and the cooperation needed to create a stronger environment for children.
Her Next-Term Priorities: Earlier Support and Greater Opportunity
Declining enrollment and the financial pressure it places on the district are central concerns in Wu's re-election platform. So are student mental health, campus safety, and access to academic support.
She proposes continuing mental health services, expanding anti-bullying education and prevention, introducing financial literacy opportunities, and strengthening parent participation. She also wants to improve support for English learners and students who need additional help.
Her emphasis is on reaching children early, when effective support can strengthen their academic foundations, confidence, and preparation for future educational opportunities.
On district finances, Wu aims to draw on her experience in education, business, and public service to pursue creative, responsible responses to enrollment-related budget challenges.
She recognizes that progress requires cooperation. School board members, district administrators, teachers, parents, and community partners all have a role in turning priorities into improvements students can experience.
A Child Who Was Supported, Now Working to Support Others
Wu's journey—from a newly arrived child who could not speak English to a school board trustee—has been shaped by education and by the people who helped her find her footing.
The support she received from her parents and teachers helped her see a future beyond the difficulties of the moment. Through her public service, she hopes to help more children experience that same possibility.
Her campaign message, “Our Schools, Our Advocate,” expresses the commitment she brings to that work: listening to families, supporting educators, and keeping students'opportunities at the center of district decisions.
As she seeks a third term, Wu is asking the communities of El Monte and South El Monte to continue that work with her, building a stronger future for the next generation.
Learn more about Cindy Wu's educational priorities, community service, and re-election campaign:
Website: www.CindyWuForSchoolBoard.com
Email: vote4wu@gmail.com
Phone: (562) 661-9866
