Where do candidates for Lucia Mar school board stand on the issues?
Ballots are on the way to San Luis Obispo County residents, and a number of races for seats on local school boards are hotly contested.
School boards have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as the coronavirus pandemic highlighted how trustees’ decisions can affect the lives of local families and political polarization fractured community conversations.
To help you make your decision, The Tribune has compiled a 2022 Election Voter Guide, meant to give easy access to some of the candidates’ basic facts and stances.
Ten candidates are running for four open seats to the Lucia Mar Unified School District in November.
In Area 3, incumbent Daevin Thomas is facing off against Andrea Naemi-Vergne and Ashley Smeester, while in Area 5, incumbent Colleen Martin is being challenged by Gary Joralemon.
Meanwhile, no incumbents are running in areas 6 and 7, meaning the South County school board will have at least two new faces after the election.
Candidates for the Area 6 seat are Eilene Pham, Roxana Maldanado and Scott Bloom. Candidates in Area 7 are Luke Davis and Donna Kandel.
Smeester, Pham and Bloom did not respond to requests to participate in the Voter Guide.
Here are the remaining candidates’ responses, organized by candidate and in alphabetical order.
Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.
Trustee Area 3
Andrea Naemi-Vergne
Please describe your background with the district:
I ran as a Community Advisory community member in special education and was appointed to serve the community by the Lucia Mar Unified School District board of trustees for two terms successfully.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
Vision for five years: For the district to be in a better financial stable position to provide students with higher standards of learning; support before- and after- school programs with computer labs; use buddy system to enhance safety protocols; develop a readiness program to prepare our students for tomorrow; mobile libraries to fight illiteracy; sustainable affordable faculty and staff housing with district-owned property; educate gender equity, and for the district to be in a better position to hire permanently qualified staff instead of contracting out jobs, plus higher enrollment and a mentorship program. Vision for 10 years: a thriving school district where students are safe, students are achieving their desired dreams, all of the above has been achieved, and we have developed more housing for families in need on district-owned properties.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
See above.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
Developing a readiness program for students. Developing a toolkit of resources for students. I would like to allocate one portable room with school supplies and information needed for student success.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
Inclusionary, gender equity leads to equality. School districts need to address and embrace and include all students by educating faculty, staff and students. Start by changing the bathroom signage. Bring in speakers to speak about acceptance and topics surrounding gender equity. Promote arts. Support student groups. Put together an evening around-the-world student potluck.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
See above.
Daevin Thomas
Please describe your background with the district:
Along with my experience on our school site counsel, my family has been highly involved in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and school events. I have two students that have only known Lucia Mar for their educational experience.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
Over the next five years, the district will be focused on returning all students to the learning progress experienced prior to the pandemic. Having a career in math, I will be focused on finding opportunities to help our students exceed their math performance as we look at the next decade.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
Social/emotional health is the most important issue to help students succeed and build a safer and stronger community. I will work with the district administration to find proven programs to address these needs for all our students.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
The district is on track to return to pre-pandemic performance within the next one to two years. While this is great progress, I believe we have the team that can push further in our students’ development. Additionally, I believe we can work with the community to foster stronger social connections.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
At this point, the district has shown strong support for all students including those from minorities communities. As any issues come to light, I will be an outspoken advocate for inclusion and representation of all students.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
First, I commend the district for working closely with local government agencies to benefit the Oceano community; I will work with our district to increase involvement with all our communities. Secondly, I will push our district to increase connections with the local businesses to create better opportunities for students to stay local after graduation. Lastly, we need to increase support and appreciation for educators and staff at all our schools in order maintain and exceed the success they have proven.
Trustee Area 3
Gary Joralemon
Please describe your background with the district:
Our two sons are both K-12 products of the Lucia Mar Unified School District. My wife is a 40-year veteran teacher and coach at Judkins Middle School.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
Lower de-enrollment of students, increase recruitment/retention of effective teachers, reengage parents, eliminate student sexual abuse cases and lower large financial lawsuit payouts.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
Sexual assault on campuses and buses: The district should discontinue practice of hiring candidates with non-disclosure agreements; the hiring of candidates with misdemeanors should be handled at the board/superintendent level; there should be training of any staff with direct contact with students of annual training similar to that which Juvenile Hall staff receive (allowing parents to sit in) and posting of informational posters providing guidance to students as to when and how to report sexual harassment, sexual assault.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
The funding of counselors at each school site is very significant and the district should be commended. I hear from numerous voters that they just wish the board would publicly acknowledge that, as a result of the closure, our children suffered immeasurable damage to their mental health.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
Absolutely. LGBTQ+ students are at four times the risk for self harm. Well-intended but inexperienced and untrained staff can really harm students if they say or do the wrong and inappropriate thing. The first step is a simple policy providing direction. The second is to train staff to better understand this population of students.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
Retention and recruitment of effective teachers; eliminate student sexual assaults and subsequent lawsuits, and re-engage parents, some of whom feel disrespected, dismissed and ignored by the district.
Colleen Martin
Please describe your background with the district:
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. In fact, I had never seen schools with grass to play on prior to moving to the Central Coast in 1986. Both of our kids attended Harloe Elementary School, Paulding Middle School and Arroyo Grande High School. My grandkids attended LMUSD for one year when they lived with us and continue to attend public school. My daughter is a public school bilingual teacher in Long Beach.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
Morale: My desire is for the Lucia Mar community to come together to put the kids first in every decision that is made around schools. Student success: With the pandemic behind us, we strive to eliminate the learning loss and grow educationally for all students while eliminating the achievement gap for our socio-economically disadvantaged students. Our community: My biggest desire is for our community to once again respect our talented and hard-working teachers for the dedication they demonstrate every day. Human resources: Plenty of skilled teachers, bus drivers, para educators, food service workers and custodial crew members. Budget: A healthy budget that respects the true cost of special education, transportation and staffing. A budget reserve that equals a month’s payroll for economic uncertainty. Facilities: Our Measure I funds will be long spent and hopefully our community is enjoying new classrooms, new multi-purpose rooms, newly painted schools with state of the art technology.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
I want to continue to support Lucia Mar students and schools in their work supporting children socially and emotionally while addressing learning loss from COVID-19. We have brought full-time counselors for each elementary school and provided an advisory period at our secondary schools to reach out to students in need. We know that when children feel supported, they will feel safe and ready to learn. I want to continue to focus on intentional interventions for students and training for parents to assist their child.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
I would like to improve attendance. Most educators would agree that students must be in their seats to learn. The district has set our goal to first making kids feel safe by hiring counselors at all our elementary schools. We know when students feel welcome and safe and are fed, they are ready to learn. The importance of addressing the entire child has become excruciatingly important post pandemic. We are working hard to address the social emotional concerns of our families and community. Lucia Mar has hired extra intervention teachers, expanded the learning school day and offered a super summer school program, and will be offering winter intersession program to address learning loss.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
The Education Code says “The law is on your side. Public, charter, and non-religious private schools that receive state or federal funding are legally required to protect against harassment of LGBTQ students.”
I follow the law and our school board follows the law as do our administration and staff. I know Lucia Mar is striving for inclusivity in all matters — everything from changing how forms and communications are directed to families to training for our staff on supporting gender identities. The school board passed an equity policy for the district a few years back. We want all students and staff and families (no matter their make up) to feel safe and welcome. We are shifting language used in policies to reflect this inclusive policy. I am all for it.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
Hiring and retaining hard working staff; providing safe, welcoming, inclusive and healthy schools for the entire community, and always balancing our budget and using the funds that taxpayers provide us widely.
Trustee Area 6
Roxana Maldonado
Please describe your background with the district:
My daughter attended kindergarten through 12th grade in Lucia Mar.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
In five years, all students will be held to high standards and on the road to academic success. The district will ensure that each student is healthy, safe, engaged and academically challenged. There will be regular interaction among families, administration and teachers that helps families to be more involved in the decisions about their children’s education. Mental and physical health services support student success. Enrichment activities emphasize real-world learning and community problem-solving. Parents, students, teachers, principals and community partners build a culture of professional learning, collective trust and shared responsibility. After-school, weekend and summer programs provide academic instruction and individualized support.
In 10 years, all students have full support in meeting the challenges before them, and barriers to higher education and high-wage-earning jobs are lifted as every student graduates prepared for a successful future.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
I want to ensure transparency and accountability, and to make programs sustainable with room to grow. In doing this, I want to reach out to all members of the community to listen to what their concerns are. It’s important to me that students, their families and all stakeholders feel heard and understand that their opinions are valued. I want to see school board meetings having greater participation from everyone. My goal is that all stakeholders understand the importance of their voice, and that the process of being heard at school board meetings is for everyone.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
I want to make sure that students get back to their best selves, both academically and socially. They need motivation to work hard and know that they can achieve high goals that will prepare them for a great future. All students should feel connected to their school, thrive as human beings throughout the process of their education and gain leadership skills that will see them into the future. This can be accomplished through the expansion of college advisory groups, more peer tutoring, college mentors, community partnerships that provide enriching extra-curricular experience, greater outreach to students and their parents regarding the college admissions process and financial aid, as well as ensuring the continued ethic of hard work along with strategic career planning. I also want teachers to get the support they need to continue growing as professionals and to provide the best learning opportunities for students.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
Every student deserves to feel safe and respected in school without fear of being bullied. Every student should feel welcome, valued and appreciated. Considering the California Healthy Kids Survey results from 2013-2019 for SLO County, the data reflects consistently higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicide ideation among LGBTQ+ students. Providing more access to mental health care, support systems and affirming spaces at schools for our LGBTQ+ students will be helpful for all students who may be struggling. By teaching history and social studies through multiple lenses, we expand our students’ vision of the world and teach everyone to interact respectfully with others in their future careers. All stakeholders, including those who are historically marginalized, should be a part of the decision-making process. That means greater efforts by the board to engage community through purposeful outreach and hiring interpreters who speak English, Spanish and Mixteco.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
School safety is paramount. We need the most modern technology available for our security teams. We need greater connections between schools, emergency responders and law enforcement. At the same time, we need to support our school communities to respond to students in distress before a crisis occurs. We must connect students and families with supportive services — relationships are critical to maintaining a safe school environment. I believe that politics shouldn’t play a part in board decisions. We must focus on the goals at hand, not on partisan divides. Conflict is productive when it leads to informed debate, but conflict is destructive when it becomes predictable regardless of the issue, and people are entrenched along party lines. In the classroom, students must work collaboratively to achieve high goals. They can accomplish so much when they are able to rely on each other’s skills and strengths. If our students can do this, then we should hold ourselves to the same standard.
Trustee Area 7
Luke Davis
Please describe your background with the district:
I attended school within the LMUSD my entire life. I was two-time Associated Student Body president of Arroyo Grande High School in 1994 and 1995. My oldest daughter graduated from New Tech High School in Nipomo and now attends Cuesta College and my youngest daughter is in fourth grade at Dorothea Lange Elementary School.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
My hopes for the district in the next five to 10 years are for every child to not only feel safe, but also to actually be safe coming to school and learning in a healthy environment. An environment that encourages and supports them in becoming the best versions of themselves. I hope to see teachers encouraged and excited to come teach in our district again. I hope to have parents and community members feeling that their voices are heard and respected. And I truly hope that we can, as a district, find common ground on which to stand for our kids and our community.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
I cannot even begin to try and place the importance of one issue over the importance of another at this point. We have so many issues that are important to so many different people. If elected, I will do my best to listen to what our community says are the most important issues and address them together.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
As we all know, COVID-19 was like nothing we have ever faced before (at least not in our lifetime). So, knowing how to recover from a situation like this and how to get our kids “caught up” is going to take time. It will continue to be a learning process. I believe our teaches and school staff are doing an incredible job trying to get the train back on and down the tracks.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
I believe that every person and student in our district should feel encouraged and supported coming to work or school without exception. If there are groups or individuals that are being made to feel marginalized or insignificant then something needs to change.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
I don’t have three that top the list. I look forward to hearing what the people of our community place at the top of that list and working together to find solutions. If chosen to represent Area 7 of the Lucia Mar Unified School District, I promise to actively listen to the concerns of our community, I will continue to learn about the policies currently in place, the changes that are being called for and the concerns that our community members have moving forward. And lastly, I promise to serve the district and this community to the best of my abilities.
Donna Kandel
Please describe your background with the district:
Both of my daughters attended Lucia Mar schools. I taught math at Nipomo High School from 2003 to 2019. I was president of the Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association from 2012 to 2019, in which I worked closely with faculty, staff and site and district administrators.
What is your vision for what your district should look like in five years? 10 years?
The foremost mission of the district is to provide the highest quality education to all of our students, and to manage limited resources as effectively and equitably as possible. I would like to see the district continue to work toward a highly collaborative culture with teachers and the community in order to maximize the impact on students in the classroom. I believe that the best learning environment for our students is also the best working environment for our students, teachers and support staff, and the district can work toward maximizing learning potential by attracting and retaining the most qualified professionals to teach and care for our students in their classrooms.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing your district today, and what will you do to address it?
The district must invest in highly professional and well-trained personnel in our classrooms. Because of the way different school districts are funded — whether through a local tax base, federal funding or state funding — Lucia Mar has struggled to be competitive in hiring as compared to surrounding districts. Districts everywhere are facing a teacher shortage as teacher training programs see a decline in enrollment, and as the teaching profession faces unprecedented challenges and lack of support. There is no more important factor in the quality and effectiveness of the learning environment than the presence of highly qualified teachers. I am running because I understand from experience how decisions made by the board will impact — for better or worse — students in the classroom.
Is the school district doing enough to help address learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is there anything you would like to improve?
Like all districts, Lucia Mar has faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers have worked harder than ever to attempt to mitigate the learning and teaching challenges presented by remote learning. The district can help to address this learning loss by collaborating closely with faculty to provide meaningful support and additional resources in the classroom. It is also critical to provide adequate counseling and support services for the most at-risk students.
Do you think the school district should change its policies to better support LGBTQ+ students, students of color and/or other marginalized groups in the district? If so, how?
Students who experience discrimination, violence, judgment and lack of opportunity are not only personally impacted, but are not prepared to learn and succeed to their capacity. It is our job as educators to support all students without judgment or bias. LMUSD serves a wide diversity of students, and all are worthy of a supportive, inclusive, enriching learning environment. My track record working with at-risk and marginalized students is consistent throughout my tenure as a teacher.
What do you think are three other issues facing the district you’d like to address while on the school board?
I am a strong supporter of public education as an essential component of our democratic system. I believe that it’s important to elect school board members who will support and honor the institutions we have created in service to every child in our community. I would like to see improved communication and efforts to educate the public on the decisions facing the district and the board. The public should be fully informed about the scope of the board’s authority in making decisions based on state legislation, education law and public health mandates when appropriate.
I am also concerned about school safety, and I believe that increasing services to at-risk students, such as adequately funding school nurses and counselors, is a critical step toward addressing some of the exacerbating factors in our nationwide epidemic of school violence.
%20Cropped.jpg)