I will try to answer questions I have received from Simi Valley voters on this page so everyone has access to it.
Question. Is it a "conflict of interest" that you are running for Simi Valley School Board since you are a staff person for the state teacher association?
Answer. No, not at all. I am not employed by the Simi Valley Unified School District and I do not work for the local teachers association. I have had no direct contact with the local teachers association in 5 years. I am also not management and I am not a member of the state or local associations so I have no role in governance or policy making. I also have no relatives working for the SVUSD. I do have a daughter who is a Junior at Royal High School. The Ventura County Elections Division certified me to run for this office and I have the same right to run as any other citizen. There are other staff people like myself serving on school boards in California with distinction. If elected my main goal will always be making sure the children of Simi Valley receive the best education possible. Lastly, having served 6 years in the United States Marine Corp Active Reserve, I feel it is a duty and an honor to participate in the democracy that I and many others have served for, fought for and even died for.
Question: Did all of the current Simi Valley School Board Candidates interview with the Simi Educators Association and seek their endorsement and support?
Answer: No. Casey Penn did not. Jeanne Davis, Josie Hirsch and myself all did. The teachers on the interview committee recommended myself and Jeanne Davis as being the most qualified and the teachers who make up their Representative Council agreed and voted to recommend Jeanne Davis and myself.
Question: Simi Valley U.S.D. has 2 furlough days scheduled this school-year, meaning students will have 2 fewer days, is it true this is fewer than surrounding District's?
Answer: Yes, that is true. At last check Moorpark had 9 furlough days scheduled, Conejo had 9, Las Virgenes was at 9 and even Oak Park is trying to get 6. Out of these most are looking at the loss of 4 to 5 instructional days and and several teacher training days. I recently addressed the Simi School Board on this topic and said while it is tragic our students are losing instructional days, I'm glad my daughter is going to school here in Simi as we have the fewest number of lost days in the area. My first goal as your School Board Member will be to have a full instructional year and to bring K-3 class sizes back down to 20 to 1 and to start hiring back vital classified positions which have been lost.