San Jose's new mayor faces huge challenges. The most striking problem is not simply putting more cops on the street, though it is an important goal. The real work will be bringing a divided city together.

What do Tuesday's election results mean for education reform? Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo breaks it down by state, county and district.

Houston, we have a problem. Public education is facing its own Apollo 13 moment. If fundamental issues are not addressed an inevitable catastrophic ending will occur.

While Silicon Valley copes with its dependence on imported water, our neighbors in Santa Cruz are striving to rely entirely on their local water supply.

Stupid local laws and the rise of unfettered independent expenditure committees are making a mockery of the election process. Candidates are no longer in control of their own messages and in many local races they are not relevant to the debate.

City and county governments must operate with less money, while citizens still expect the same level of services. Two recent partnerships show great work can still be done in this new paradigm.

Usually, the race for California’s highest public school office lacks suspense. This year is a notable exception.

The city of Santa Clara’s success is largely due to its political leadership. Elected leaders in Cupertino, on the other hand, have been an embarrassment, and none of those incumbents should be allowed to return to office.

Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee Joseph DiSalvo examines how Silicon Valley's public schools routinely fail to secure grant funding for STEM education.

Silicon Valley needs to lead the discussion in Congress, and Ro Khanna offers the best chance to start a new dialogue.

May Esparza has spent a lifetime in the communities she would represent, and much of her career has been spent working for socially relevant non-profits.

Charles “Chappie” Jones should fill San Jose’s District 1 City Council seat, and not just because he isn’t Paul Fong.

When it comes to openness and sunshine in government, Sam Liccardo has a better record than his opponent for mayor. He also has a plan. He has been accessible during his terms of office and doesn’t dodge tough issues or constituents.

The tax increase is a small price to pay for the quality of life brought by an abundance of open space. Vote yes on Measure Q.

We support Measure G to strengthen the independence of San Jose’s retirement boards so they can focus more on their financial stewardship.

Bay 101 owners are hedging their bets, pouring $200,000 into Measure E, which would allow them to take their $8.4 million in yearly tax revenue to Milpitas.