Dede Alpert Explained

Dede Alpert
State Senate1:California
District1:39th
Term1:December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2004
Predecessor1:Lucy Killea
Successor1:Christine Kehoe
State Assembly2:California
District2:78th
Term2:December 7, 1992 – November 30, 1996
Predecessor2:Mike Gotch
Successor2:Howard Wayne
State Assembly3:California
District3:75th
Term3:December 3, 1990 – November 30, 1992
Preceded3:Joyce Mojonnier
Succeeded3:Jan Goldsmith
Office4:Solana Beach School Board
Term Start4:1983
Term End4:1990
Birth Date:6 October 1945
Birth Place:New York, New York, US
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Michael Alpert
Children:3
Occupation:Politician

Deirdre "Dede" W. Alpert (born October 6, 1945) is an American former state senator, assembly person and school board member in San Diego, California. A Democrat, she served in the California State Assembly as a member for the 75th district from 1990 to 1992 and from the 78th district from 1992 to 1996. She was a member of the California State Senate for the 39th district from 1996 to 2004.

Early life and education

Alpert was born on October 6, 1945, in New York City. Her family moved to California in 1962 and she studied at Pomona College, receiving a degree in government. She married Michael Alpert, an attorney, in Los Angeles and the couple moved back to San Diego, where they had three daughters: Alison, Kristin, and Lehn.[1]

Prior to entering politics, Alpert was a member of the Solana Beach School District Board from 1983 to 1990, becoming the president in 1987. The school district started programs to provide childcare before and after school, established an infant care center and improved two schools to be recognized by the state as distinguished schools. She was a court-appointed special advocate for Voices for Children and volunteered at her children's schools, with United Cerebral Palsy, and with the Girl Scouts.

Political career

She was first elected to the California State Assembly in the 1990 state elections in an upset, unseating the Republican Assemblywoman Joyce Mojonnier with 53.4% of the vote.[2] She ran a grassroots campaign, with the support of local newspapers. In 1995, she was unsuccessfully targeted for recall as part of a battle over the speakership.[3] She served in the Assembly until 1996 and was a member for the California State Senate from 1996 to 2004, representing the 39th district in San Diego County. She retired from the Senate in 2004 due to term limits.[4] She chaired the Senate appropriations committee, the joint committee on public education, and the House and Senate education committees.[5]

Throughout her time in the legislature, Alpert focused on education, the environment, women's and children's issues and local businesses. She was reportedly known as "a moderate who could work across party lines". She was credited with the passage of legislation requiring standardised testing in public education, as well as funding schools on the basis of standardised test results.[6] She passed a number of bills reforming domestic violence laws to better support victims.

Later life

Following her retirement, she served as a board member for the Sharp Healthcare Hospital System, as a senior college commissioner for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and on the board of a charter school in south-east San Diego. She has also continued to be involved in advocacy regarding education policy.[7]

Honors

Alpert received the Association of California School Administrators' "Friend of Education Award" in 1998.[8] She was named "Senator of the Year" by the California Journal in 2004 and received the Outstanding Legislator Award from the California County Boards of Education the same year.[9] San Diego State University renamed their City Heights Center the Dede Alpert Centre for Community Engagement in 2004.[10] She was inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in March 2018 for her past Senate leadership.[11] Her papers are held by the California State Archives.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Inventory of the Deirdre Alpert Papers . 9 May 2017 . Online Archive of California . California State Archives.
  2. Web site: JoinCalifornia - 11-06-1990 Election.
  3. News: 11 January 1995 . Effort to recall Assemblywoman Dede Alpert fails . Coronado Eagle . 6 September 2018.
  4. News: Accomplished career comes full circle for Rancho Santa Fe resident Dede Alpert who continues to focus on education . Rancho Santa Fe Review . 2 July 2013 . 6 September 2018.
  5. Web site: Institute for Elected Women: California . National Conference of State Legislatures . 6 September 2018.
  6. Web site: Highlights of Laws Authored by California's Women Senators . California State Senate . 6 September 2018.
  7. Web site: A Termed Out Dede Alpert Shares Insights from 20 Years in Legislature . Planning Report . 6 September 2018.
  8. Web site: Friend of Education Award Recipients . 6 September 2018 . Association of California School Administrators.
  9. Web site: Outstanding Legislator Award . 2023-09-27 . www.theccbe.org.
  10. News: 13 December 2004 . SDSU to name center after Alpert . San Diego Source . 6 September 2018.
  11. News: 19 March 2018 . Six women inducted into San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame . KUSI News . 6 September 2018.