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Cindy Goldberg

One thing that is oft en said about me is that I have an ability to sort of calm a room down, have everybody feel valued and respected, and I think everybody deserves that, and then to build a consensus that weaves everyone’s ideas together, and they all feel like it is their idea. Th at’s huge. I don’t think of it as a skill, because it is just something I have always done, but I think that our board needs some of that. I don’t bring an “us and them” mentality, I just bring “us.” People joke, because I say “there is you in CVUSD,” and we forget that, and I think it is important. Every school board candidate is going to tell you that they are kids fi rst, and I would hope so, because this is not something anyone should do if they don’t think that that is important. But I can say I have a proven track record of doing that, and if you want to know what I’ll do, look at what I have done. 1

I’m not sure if (voting) would change, if people would actually get out and vote, but in this season, I think it would change a lot. I think it would be a game changer. Could that be sustainable? Maybe. Maybe if the example is set that you start when you are your age, like those Parkland kids, they are spectacular. When kids come and speak at school board meetings, they are the best speakers and the most powerful advocates 2

By law, the school board adopts, the school board approves the curriculum that the teachers have vetted and done, that’s the law, so they have the ultimate say, but I think without everybody’s input, I don’t believe the school board has the right, it is not their job to create the curriculum, it’s just not. I can want to, but that doesn’t make it right. Th e curriculum should be craft ed by the teachers with the informed, being informed by how it worked in the classroom, because they know what the goal is, they know what they need to teach you, how it is it going to best benefi t you, to get you your best self. 3

Patrissha Rose Booker

First of all, I have three degrees: a B.A. in sociology, a B.A in social science and a Master’s in organizational management which I think would be very good on the school board to facilitate and mediate. I’m running because I know there are a lot of voiceless people in the community and I know there are at risk youth in the community. I think there should be unity on the school board and I think I can bring that because I can get along with everybody. I’m friends with the most conservative Republicans and we have our diff erences, but I can sit down and have a conversation with them. I think that’s why I’m running, so the focus can be brought back to the students. 1 2

I think they should be able to vote. From what I’ve seen from the young people personally with the gun violence and the schools and how they’ve taken a stand I think they should be allowed to vote. Th ere needs to be a shift . I’m all for it.

I think teachers should have the fi rst voice and the last voice and then everything goes from there. Th at’s just what I believe. I think what’s happening with the literature is insulting to the teachers and I just don’t like it at all. I was at a council meeting and a man got up and spoke at the comments. He said he was thinking about taking his family and moving out of the school district because he did not like how the school board was operating. I thought that was so eye opening. He was the fi rst parent to say they were going to just take their family and move. 3

Angie Simpson

1I was a teacher here in the Conejo Valley Unifi ed School District, I taught English, dance, coached volleyball, I was onsight counsel, so as a grassroots candidate, I understand the real day to day of what is happening for our teachers and our students. I’m also a parent, my youngest son is in fi ft h grade, and I am a community leader so I serve on the City of Th ousand Oaks Traffi c and Transportation Commission and have had a lot of experience running meetings using the Brown Act. I work in the private sector now so I think that the blend of all these experiences professionally, personally, and civically have prepared me for this job.

Meet your boaeet your board candidates

Question 1: What experiences do you think would make you a valuable school board candidate?

Question 2: How do you feel about the Vote 17 proposition that would allow more high schoolers to participate in local elections?

Question 3: Who do you think should have the highest jurisdiction over student rights and the curriculum, the

What the other data is showing is that our current generation’s social skills and ability to be self sustainable is less than it was 10 years ago or 20 years ago. So it is kind of confusing to have voting to be something we should make (legal) for kids. Now, all of a sudden, parents might be held responsible for kids who might be considered minors longer. I think 18 is the appropriate place for voting rights and that is the time when a person is legally an adult and they can also joining the military and I think those things have to go hand in hand. 2

Education and curriculum defi nitely has to be driven by teachers because they are the experts, and we have to fuel innovation and leave the morale high with our future teachers and cultivate teacher leaders across the district. But at the end of the day, each school board member is elected to represent the community and is ultimately responsible for the district. So in the end, those curriculum changes do have to be approved by the school board and that is part of the American way. 3

Jenny Fitzgerald

I’m running to be a board member because we have two kids currently in our school district, we have a fourth grader and a sixth grader, and to be honest, as a parent im really tired of watching the divisiveness that’s been created in our community I served as the student trustee on my college board and that gave me really good experience with education, policy, and learning to listen to students and teachers and concerns for people that were in that district. I’ve interned in the local offi ce and capital offi ce for two state representatives. I’m an attorney, and for me, that means that i can bring skills to the board such as negotiating, forging consensus between opposing viewpoints, which i think would really benefi t us on the board, and advocating. 1

Local elections uniquely impact youth in ways that national and state elections don’t. For me, I think it’s important for our youth to be able to have a say in what’s going on and voting is an important way to do that. I also think it’s important to get students registered and to teach them the importance of voting when they go off to college and haven’t hit that voting age yet. . 2

It shouldn’t be a hierarchical system, the board’s job is to work with all stakeholders. Students have an obviously really important perspective, teachers actually implementing the policies the board passes have a crucial perspective, parents have concerns that they should be able to express and provide their input. So for me, it is striving to have more of a positive environment where all of those diff erent stakeholders feel like they can speak up without fear and knowing that their concerns and views are taken seriously 3

ard candidateseet your board candidates

What experiences do you think would make you a valuable school board candidate? How do you feel about the Vote 17 proposition that would allow more high schoolers to participate in local elections?

Who do you think should have the highest jurisdiction over student rights and the curriculum, the fi nal say?

Bill Gorback

I I taught for 20 years, 12 of those years I taught at Moorpark High, mostly math, a little bit of peer counselling. But I taught a variety, I started out at elementary school and then taught middle school and then I was a counselor for 18 years. So I’ve always been in positions where I’ve been advocating for kids. the board needs someone who knows what it’s like to be in school.” To be in those classrooms, to be in those hallways. To have that impact to know what the impact of board decisions are on the teachers and therefore the kids I’ve been going to every board meeting since 2014 and I’ve been following all the issues and I really feel that the issues are such that the direction of this election is very very important and I felt that I had to get in. “it’s about the kids.” lets gets some social-emotional programs in, let’s do things that benefi t the kids instead of arguing about limiting what we do for the kids.” 1

Particularly school board elections, I am so pro. I think that more kids at a younger age should have an infl uence on the school board elections. As I said, it’s about the kids. During 1992 President Bush said “read my lips” well I go around saying “read my pin.” I feel kids should have the right in local elections, whether it be school board, which I think is directly obviously pertaining to (17 year olds), but City Council, which also of course pertains to (17 year olds) . I think (17 year olds) deserve to vote, not just speak on it so that other people can vote, but I think (17 year olds) deserve to have a control over what controls (them). 2

Th ere’s a Latin phrase, it was brought up and used even this past Tuesday nights, it’s called “locus parentis.” It’s an Italian phrase and what it means is, when kids are at school, the school has responsibility.

As far as the the issue, you know, the elephant in the room issue, teachers have been trained to look at a standard and fi gure out how to weave a curriculum around that standard so they can teach it to you. I think kids do tend to act diff erently at school than they may at home in front of their parents. Now that doesn’t negate the fact that I believe in parent rights for their own individual children.

I defi nitely feel that a parent has the right, that if they fi nd that something in a curriculum is off ensive, that they can pull their particular individual student. But, as I sure you’re learning in your American government classes and your civics classes, with rights come responsibilities. So I’d say before you contradict the school curriculum and opt to pull your child out, you have the responsibility to totally know what you’re pulling your child out from, which means number one, reading a book that you may question, the whole book. 3

Marlon Williams

What I have seen in the past, school board members tend to be targeted, I’m not here to be a target, I’d prefer not to be. I know what it’s like. Th at is one thing that I do not look forward to. Th e other thing is that there are a lot of people that are involved that make the district run, it’s not just the board members. You have your administrators at the schools, you have students, you have parents, you have a lot of people just making things run smoothly and as a board member I think it’s very important to listen to what people’s concerns are, especially parents and staff members. Everybody here is working together, so as a team player I think that it is crucial for everybody to work together as a team that is what I would like to add to the board. 1

Th e issue is you should have a saying in local elections, everybody should.Th at’s what drives us countries, that we have a voice and if we can be comfortable with presenting ourselves, our voice, then we should express it. It’s our right. 2

3Education and curriculum defi nitely has to be driven by teachers because they are the experts, and we have to fuel innovation and leave the morale high with our future teachers and cultivate teacher leaders across the district. . But at the end of the day, each school board member is elected to represent the community and is ultimately responsible for the district. So in the end, those curriculum changes do have to be approved by the school board

Amy Chen

I feel my experience through homeschooling, private schooling, hybrid schools and just the experience in this vast educational landscape that we have right now brings a diff erent perspective to what we’ve been doing because as I’m sure you’ve looked at the fi gures, we’ve done a study (the district) and we’re losing over 200 students a year. Th at’s very concerning. I think I can bring in is some diversity and I actually arrived here in ESL, when I arrived here in the states, I was put in ESL class, and at that time they didn’t have anyone that could speak Chinese and so I was taught how to speak English through Spanish that I had picked up when I was in Paraguay. I know the challenges we have about a 27% hispanic population, we have 10% Chinese population -- we have a high ESL population and I think it just brings some diversity in this mix where I really do understand the struggles. So it’s not just one group of students I’m trying to focus on, it’s just bringing some perspective and diff erent experiences. 1

I think as of now, because the law says someone that is 17 years old is still a minor, to me that’s odd. And if you’re still a minor, I believe that voting should be restricted to adults. 2

I don’t think anyone should have the highest jurisdiction, I think this is a community and our public schools are really just public schools. We are one of the highest ranking districts, so we do defi nitely value our teachers, their input, we love their curriculums but at the same time I’m sure and from experience, teachers love input from parents. Th ey want parents to be involved in their children’s’ education. From studies, the biggest indicator of a student’s success is parental involvement. I think that everyone needs to listen to each other, every group is valuable and important. Consider all of that, and come up with a decision that makes everybody happy. 3

Mike Dunn

Dunn did not attend the panel interview.