[This was submitted as a letter to the editor of the Thousand Oaks Acorn, but they would not print it.]

My name is Sandee Everett and I am running for re-election to the CVUSD School Board. I was elected four years ago as a “voice for parents” that was sorely lacking on the board. Since then, I have consistently advocated for parents to be the greatest influence over how their children are educated.

As the daughter of two public school teachers, I was raised to love public education. I have current CVUSD students and a vested interest in our schools.

My top priority is to provide students with an excellent education to help them become productive, successful members of society.

During this time of mandated online education, I will advocate to:

• Regularly survey ALL parents and teachers for input
• Encourage teacher innovation that maximizes student achievement
• Provide meaningful supports for students with disabilities and IEPs
• Pre-assess all students for learning loss
• Ensure students are placed in the cohorts and classes that meet family and student needs

I support safely opening our schools for in-person instruction, just as childcare has reopened on CVUSD campuses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicate that, for kids, the risks of lockdown are greater than the risks of COVID-19.

In May, over 12,000 CVUSD families and 750 teachers/staff responded to a CVUSD survey. The results showed that 78% of parents and 74% of teachers want in-person, on-campus instruction this fall. I believe the board is ethically obligated to respect the parents' wishes and seek permission to open our schools.

The District already received federal stimulus money to implement all CDC safety measures when reopening.

Once campuses reopen, we need to continue offering online education options especially for teachers and students with higher health risks.

Due to the district’s financial crisis, painful budget cuts will need to be made. I will work to ensure that these cuts don’t negatively impact student educational outcomes and experience.

I believe as all stakeholders work together, we will find innovative solutions to ensure all students, despite the current challenges, receive the superior education for which CVUSD is known.  

I would be honored to have your vote.  

- Sandee

Note: An important development occurred after I submitted this letter. On August 19th, Dr. Levin, the county health officer, announced that he would be granting waivers so that elementary schools can open for in-person instruction. It is very exciting that everyone seems to be coming together regarding the science. This is great news for the children and parents of our community!

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Sandee Everett, M.S. Ed.
info@sandeeeverett.com

Notice: the above opinions are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of CVUSD or any of the other board members.

[DONATE, VOLUNTEER or PLEDGE YOUR VOTE ]

My name is Sandee Everett and I am running for re-election to the CVUSD School Board. Please vote for me on November 3rd.

I am seeking re-election because our schools are in the middle of a crisis. I am a seasoned school board member that intimately understands the budget and our programs. If re-elected, I will be the most senior board member and the only independent voice on the board. 

I understand the impact that a top-quality school system has on our community. As the daughter of two public school teachers, I was raised to love public education. Three of my children graduated from Newbury Park High School, where my two youngest children currently attend. I have a vested interest in our schools.

I was elected in 2016 as a “voice for parents” that was sorely lacking on the board. Since then, I have consistently advocated for parents to be the greatest influence over how their children are educated. Because the school board is elected by parents and community members, I believe that the board is ethically obligated to respect the views, insights and wishes of parents to the greatest degree possible. 

My top priority is to provide students with an excellent education to help them become productive, successful member of society.

I will not prioritize the political or financial desires of special interests or unions over the needs of our children. When voting for budgetary items, my primary consideration is always how the decision will improve educational outcomes for students.

My Top Priorities for the Next Four Years

I will continue to put students first. During this time of mandated online education, I will advocate to:

- Regularly survey ALL parents and teachers for input

- Encourage teacher innovation that maximizes student achievement

- Provide in-person services and instruction for students with disabilities and IEPs

- Pre-assess all students for learning loss

- Ensure students are placed in cohorts and classes that meet family and student needs

I will support and push to get the permission we need to safely reopen our schools for all grades, for in-person instruction, just as CVUSD childcare has already reopened on our CVUSD campuses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicate that, for kids, the risks of lockdown are greater than the risks of COVID-19. Here are the links to a CDC article and an AAP article about re-opening the schools.

Governor Newsom’s school closure order allows for Districts to seek waivers to immediately reopen our elementary schools. I will continue advocating for these waivers.

I will support measures to provide our teachers with all necessary technology and professional development to effectively educate our children. I will work to ensure they have a safe working environment and the freedom they need to innovate.

I will ensure that parents’ concerns are brought up during board discussions. I will always advocate for finding and implementing the best solutions to resolve parental concerns.

In this current financial crisis, we will be forced to make painful financial cuts, but I will work to ensure that the students’ educational experience is the top priority and cuts do not negatively impact student outcomes and experience.

I am passionate about my work on the school board. I believe as all stakeholders work together, we will find innovative solutions to ensure all students, despite current challenges, receive the superior education for which CVUSD is known. 

I would be honored to have your vote on November 3rd. Thank you!

- Sandee

If you would like to help, please DONATE, VOLUNTEER and PLEDGE YOUR VOTE!.

Here is a video of my speech at the sex education town hall meeting hosted at Houses of Light in Northridge on 2/29/2020. I talk about the California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329), a 2007 study by a Berkley professor on Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) and some proposed curriculum for the public schools.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was originally scheduled to present its sex ed curriculum at the event but at the last minute they cancelled and said they were "too busy." The moms organizing the event invited me present some of the curriculum to the parents. Please note many of the parents in attendance were minorities and non-English speakers. It is important for all parents to be informed about what their children are being taught in school regarding sexuality. 

Because this meeting was held in Northridge (which is part of LAUSD), I covered aspects of Positive Prevention PLUS (PPP), the sex ed curriculum that has been adopted by LAUSD. At the time of the town hall, CVUSD has yet to adopt a new sex ed curriculum, however, PPP is one of four curricula that CVUSD stated it referenced to design its own outline for AB 329 compliant supplemental material.

During the more than two decades that I served as the City Manager of the City of Thousand Oaks I had the privilege of working closely with exceptional members of our School Board, their administrative staff and scores of faculty members. Excellent leadership in our School District is extremely critical to ensure that all our students have the opportunity to experience solid and balanced educational opportunities. Your children and ours deserve it; and, provide it we must! Therefore, I enthusiastically endorse Sandee Everett and invite you to join me in her candidacy for the Conejo Valley School District Board of Education. Sandee has the background, the temperament, the experience, and the values that we need on our school board.

In my view Sandee is by far the most highly qualified candidate for our Board of Education that I have seen in years. Above and beyond her years of volunteer service in the schools and community, she has a Master’s Degree in Education from a highly respected program (Purdue University), and holds an active California license as a K-12 School Counselor. Sandee understands education issues inside and out from the perspective of helping students succeed, and she will bring this valuable expertise to our School Board.

Sandee is levelheaded, good-natured, hard working and works well with people of all backgrounds and worldviews. I am sure that, in part, this is the result of her training as a school counselor. Additionally, her readiness to serve our children and our school district is enhanced by her long history of community and church service.

Sandee brings enormous energy, insight and solid values to education issues. She is the daughter of two public school teachers. Public Education is in her blood and she will work tirelessly on behalf of students, teachers and parents. She has continually shown tremendous dedication to our school district by faithfully attending School Board meetings since early 2015, by serving on the Student Publications Handbook committee, and through her involvement in the schools where her children have and do attend.

Because Sandee is the full-time mom of children currently in CVUSD schools, I am confident that she will be particularly sensitive to the concerns of parents, our children, and their families. She will represent our district with integrity and solid educational expertise. For these reasons, I will be voting for Sandee Everett on Election Day. Please join me in supporting this exceptionally prepared, well-educated, devoted and integrity-laden woman.

Dr. Grant R. Brimhall
Retired City Manager
City of Thousand Oaks, California

I was given a tour of the Horizon Hills school and its Parenting Program and Preschool by Eilene Green (the director). The philosophy there is that the parents are the students while they fully engage in the pre-school experience with their children. This is an opportunity for parents to learn and put into practice proven, successful parenting skills in a warm, supportive environment. Parents who participate in this program learn important skills that often help them continue being very actively involved in their children’s education throughout their K-12 education.

The setting for this school is truly special. Each of the classrooms are inviting and have access to outdoor spaces – which is an important part of the learning environment the school creates for the children. It is also tucked away in a neighborhood where the playgrounds are private and with plenty of parking for the 200 plus families that attend each day.

This award-winning school serves approximately 700 families at any given time. The Horizon Hills Parenting Program and Preschool is a program that makes CVUSD special. It is impossible to completely understand what this school offers parents until you explore it for yourself. I encourage anyone with young children - who is interested in learning and developing proven parenting skills - to go and take a tour.

The Horizon Hills Parenting Program is a gem in our community.  As a school board member, I value this program and understand how much Horizon Hills means to the parents and families of the Conejo Valley.  

Sandee Everett, MSEd
Trustee, CVUSD Board of Education

The CVUSD School Board recently approved the 2016-17 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) which includes a major new homeschool partnership initiative.  The new K-6 Independent Home Study Program is designed to provide a “personalized and flexible home-based learning experience.”  So far, the details of this new program are sparse, but apparently the district is already starting to gather applications for enrollment.

To provide insight on my perspective, I am the daughter of two public school teachers, so I believe in public schools and that they are the best education option for most families. I am also a California licensed K-12 school counselor, and as such, I am trained to help students get the resources and learning environment they require in order to succeed.  But for some students, homeschool is the most appropriate option for their needs.  It is encouraging to see that CVUSD is starting to reach out to this segment of our community.

This type of homeschool partnership initiative was first proposed two years ago by CVUSD trustee John Andersen as a way to serve the needs of certain students and families so that they would not feel like they have to leave the CVUSD schools for private school or home school.

Home study students will have access to resources at Lang Ranch Elementary.  I am told that there is no cost associated with participating in the program.  The K-6 program is now accepting students and people wanting more information should contact Jeanie Valentine, CVUSD Director of Elementary Education at 805-497-9511 Ext. 241, or her assistant, Kate Potter. The website is http://www.conejousd.org/Portals/0/Landing%20Pages/home-study/

As a candidate for school board, I of course support initiatives that will improve the educational experience for more students in our community.  I believe that the new Independent Home Study program has the potential to do this.  And as a member of the school board, I will support expanding this K-6 program to include all grades, K-12.