> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.albanyscanner.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Who is Albany school board candidate Josh Mahoney? - URL: https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/09/24/election-2026/albany-school-board-candidate-josh-mahoney/ - Published: 2026-09-24T20:20:12.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-28T04:42:59.000Z - Description: "I want each and every kid to be able to find their communities and thrive in our schools." - Author: Guest contributor - Tags: Election 2026, Elections, #articles, Albany Unified School District, Board of Education, Schools, #nohomepage **Name:** Josh Mahoney **Age:** 55 **Occupation:** Chief product officer and startup adviser **What office are you are running for?** Albany Board of Education **What is the main reason you are running?** Since the pandemic, I've really tried to focus my work life on things that are meaningful to me personally. I started my career in education and my time on the Board has been a return to that passion. In watching my two kids successfully go through Albany schools, I realized that not all kids had the same opportunities as mine. In a community like ours, where kids are a focus, I want every child to be able to find their passion and their way of positively contributing to the broader world. **Why are you qualified?** I've been on the school board for two years and am the current board president, and former vice president. I come from a family of educators. My mom was a special education teacher. My aunt worked in the Office of Special Education Projects in the Department of Education in DC. I began my career as a teacher, before working at the University of Maryland researching the use of technology by students with disabilities. Later, I worked for an educational non-profit in DC. I also bring over 20 years of work in the private sector, having worked at companies like The Gap and TheRealReal. **What sets you apart from other candidates?** First off, there are some great candidates in this race. I think I bring together my current experience on the school board, a background in education, and insights from working at the executive level in the private sector. Together, these allow me to operate at the Board-level and understand the education landscape to ask questions to help guide the district and deal with challenges when the occasion arises. My experience on the school board means that I know the cadence of the school year, and the role the Board needs to play at different times to help impact outcomes for students. **How and when did you end up in Albany?** We moved to Albany from San Francisco in 2011\. Like many people, we moved to Albany for the schools, as our oldest child was about to enter kindergarten. I think we were able to find more than just good schools – we found a community that is largely focused around kids and families, including education, which we found so valuable while raising our children. **What are the three biggest challenges for Albany schools in the next five years?** The three biggest challenges are: Finances, Equity and Student Achievement. School finances in California are challenging -- we receive small revenue increases from the state, while dealing with rising costs and trying to pay people in education what they deserve. Golden Gate Fields shows how fragile the financial ecosystem is. In Albany, 1 in 4 students is not at standard for reading; 1 in 3 students is not at standard for math. The disparities are greatest for our historically marginalized groups. For us to become a truly great school district, we need to serve each and every student. **How would you begin to address them?** There are no easy answers to these challenges. To address finances, the Board needs to be more active in state politics – advocating for more money for education, and ensuring that state representatives know that their actions in places like Golden Gate Fields have consequences for the education of kids. Additionally we need to be ruthless in ensuring that we make the hard choices to manage our budget. To address Equity and Student Achievement, it is all about focus. The things that the Board asks about, puts on the agenda, and sets as goals are the things that the education community will address. The Board needs to align specific goals around improved student achievement and addressing disproportionality of our historically marginalized groups, and then align resources against those. [Albany elections: November 2026 ballot measure guideAlbany has six ballot measures that would change zoning rules, business and property taxes, and funding for city services.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/icon/alb-scanner-orange-3461a8cd-cd96-416d-98a2-180418c73660.png)Albany ScannerAllyson Aleksey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/thumbnail/key-route-trees-0c2d1b76-c05a-4cac-b8e3-1d58f6198a35.jpg)](https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/08/12/elections/albany-2026-november-election-ballot-measures/) **What is one new idea you'd like to bring to Albany schools?** It is important to remember that individual Board members have little power. It is the collective Board that is able to impact change. I'd like to see the Board take a stronger leadership role in setting a five-year vision for the District. We would need to take in feedback from the broader Albany community to align these wants and student needs, and doing so would allow us to set a few concrete goals to help focus decision making and resource allocation. **How will you be accessible to constituents?** I like to think that I am already accessible to the community. With my current focus on the School Board, I regularly attend PTA meetings, Site Council Meetings, Cultural Events and numerous school activities. At each of those, I can see the priorities of the community, hear what is working and where there are challenges, add clarity where I can, and help get people pointed in the right direction if I can't address their issue directly. **How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign?** Less than $2,000\. **A final thought?** It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve on the School Board for the last two years. We've started the work to improve our facilities, advocate for more money, and improve reading at the elementary level. There's more work to do. I want each and every kid to be able to find their communities and thrive in our schools. **Campaign website:** [joshmforschoolboard.com](http://joshmforschoolboard.com/?ref=albanyscanner.com) *See complete* [*Election 2026*](https://www.albanyscanner.com/topic/election-2026/) *coverage on Albany Scanner.* **Have questions for Albany Scanner, or want to share story tips?** [**Here's how to reach us**](https://www.albanyscanner.com/tips/)**.** ## Sign up for Albany Scanner Stories for an informed community Get updates Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.