Cheryl Chow, a long-time educator who served two terms as a Seattle City Council member and is a former Seattle School Board president, has decided she will not run for a second term on the Seattle School Board.

Chow, 63, said that it was time for her to close the chapter on politics and public office in her life in order to focus on other priorities.

“I’m very proud of how far we have come in the last four years to put the Seattle School District back on the right path and lay a firm foundation to ensure the success of our kids,” she said in a news release. “With the loss of my mom, Ruby Chow, last year, I’ve come to realize that there comes a time to walk way from the public spotlight and focus my energy on other personal goals. Now is the time.”

Chow won as position on the School Board four years ago. Chow credits herself with the following:

-Leading the School Board and the community through an inclusive and thorough superintendent selection process that brought Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson to Seattle

-Making a hard decision to determine a balanced and sustainable budget

-Improving relations between the school district with the governor and the state legislature

-Securing funding for the Southeast Education Initiative to build programs and enrollment at Rainier Beach High School, Cleveland High School and Aki Kurose Academy.

Chow said that her presence no longer on the School Board or in public office is not retiring.

"That word is not in my vocabulary," she said.

Her plans are to continue to work as low-income outreach program director with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, to lead the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill team and to coach youth basketball through the Seattle Parks Department.

“I’m very confident now, after the past four years, that we have an increasingly unified community that recognizes the importance of public education and that we cannot fail our kids,” she said about the future and challenges facing the school district. “The board is committed to working together with the superintendent and most importantly willing to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions. I am confident we have a strategic plan in place that will raise academic achievement and give all children the tools they need to be successful.”

The deadline for filing for candidacy for public office is June 5. Current School Board president Michael DeBell has announced he will run for re-election.