Monica Gelfand

Board Member

Monica Gelfand has dedicated her career and volunteer service to supporting children, families and education. As the former Director of a West Los Angeles preschool, Monica led operations and built strong partnerships with families to support children’s growth and success. She has been an active leader in the Franklin Elementary community for many years, currently serving as Vice President of Schoolwide Communications on the Franklin Executive Board and contributing to PTA committees. Through these leadership roles and her year-round volunteer involvement at Franklin events and programs, Monica has seen firsthand the powerful impact of strong partnerships between schools, families and the broader community.

Monica earned her Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood Education from Miami University and lives in Santa Monica with her husband, Brian, a proud graduate of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (attended Grant, JAMS, Samo), and their three daughters. As both an educator and a parent, Monica is passionate about strengthening public education and is excited to help expand opportunities for every student in Santa Monica’s public schools.

3 children currently attend SMMUSD schools:

Lincoln Middle School (7th Grade)
Franklin Elementary School (5th Grade)
Franklin Elementary School (2nd Grade)