LBUSD PTA Council · October 7, 2026
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNh8L_c0QBo
Automatic English captions; transcription errors may remain. Archived October 8, 2026.

[00:00:08] All right, let's start the candidate
[00:00:08] form questions. The first question is
[00:00:12] the Lagona Beach community.
[00:00:19] Oh, we're going to start with D and
[00:00:19] we'll move this way and then the next
[00:00:21] question we will start with Shaheen and
[00:00:24] move this way all the way around and we
[00:00:26] alternate all the way for all the
[00:00:29] questions. So the first question goes to
[00:00:32] D. The Lagouna Beach community includes
[00:00:36] students, parents, educators, staff,
[00:00:40] district leadership, and community
[00:00:42] members. How do you view your role in
[00:00:46] representing these different
[00:00:47] perspectives and how would you engage
[00:00:49] with the community when considering
[00:00:52] board policies? You have 60 seconds.
[00:00:55] >> Thank you.
[00:00:57] As a board member, my biggest job is to
[00:01:00] really represent the community and to
[00:01:03] repres represent our students. Of
[00:01:06] course, I want to work with all of the
[00:01:09] staff and make things work for everyone,
[00:01:12] but my job is really representing
[00:01:15] community and students.
[00:01:22] >> Vicki, did you say you're going to
[00:01:22] repeat the question each time or that is
[00:01:24] it?
[00:01:25] >> I can repeat it for you. The Lagouna
[00:01:28] Beach community includes students,
[00:01:31] parents, educators, staff, district
[00:01:34] leadership, and community members. How
[00:01:37] do you view your role in representing
[00:01:39] these different perspectives? And how
[00:01:42] would you engage with the community when
[00:01:44] considering board policies? 60 seconds.
[00:01:48] >> So much of our work as as a board is to
[00:01:51] direct high level policy and involve
[00:01:55] stakeholder input. So there's a lot of
[00:01:57] work we do with community engagement on
[00:01:59] what they think, but the end of the day,
[00:02:01] our job as a board is to make sure that
[00:02:03] we are first and foremost focused on
[00:02:06] student outcomes because that's the
[00:02:08] charge that the community has given us
[00:02:09] as schoolboard members is to make sure
[00:02:11] that we are building the best and most
[00:02:14] excellent school district. So that is my
[00:02:16] plan to engage with community but
[00:02:18] ultimately look at the data and do
[00:02:19] what's best for kids. Thanks.
[00:02:23] >> Thank you. I'm sorry, Kimberly. Would
[00:02:25] you like me to repeat the question?
[00:02:26] >> I've got it. Thank you.
[00:02:27] >> Uh, I'm actually going to build upon
[00:02:29] what Shaheen says because I completely
[00:02:31] agree with the statement that Shaheen
[00:02:33] said. First and foremost, our role is to
[00:02:35] be good stewards for the betterment of
[00:02:37] our children's education. First and
[00:02:39] foremost, we are also responsible for a
[00:02:42] diverse number of stakeholders like you
[00:02:44] mentioned the community. It is inc
[00:02:47] imperative that we are good stewards of
[00:02:50] the financial resources that we are
[00:02:52] granted as a basic aid district district
[00:02:55] from our community members. So ensuring
[00:02:57] that we have correct oversight uh fiscal
[00:03:01] responsibility is what we are charged
[00:03:03] with doing on behalf of the the
[00:03:05] community.
[00:03:11] >> Yeah, I'll piggyback on that. Um as far
[00:03:11] as what my role would be um to engage
[00:03:14] the community always open line of
[00:03:17] communication. Every voice matters.
[00:03:19] Every voice is equally weighted in this
[00:03:21] community. Not one special interest
[00:03:23] group will have more influence than
[00:03:25] another. Um my door would always be
[00:03:28] open. Um
[00:03:30] cell phone number if you want it. I want
[00:03:32] to make sure that the community feels
[00:03:33] engaged and understood and heard. Um and
[00:03:37] you know just as far as you know having
[00:03:40] the agenda posted um and easy to read
[00:03:43] and understand so not a long long agenda
[00:03:45] that people have to go through that um
[00:03:48] you know maybe there's um a
[00:03:49] summarization at the top of the agenda
[00:03:51] so people can understand uh what will be
[00:03:54] talked about that evening and um you
[00:03:58] know uh I would say just you know if
[00:04:00] people wanted to come to talk about a
[00:04:02] specific subject that the time can be
[00:04:04] posted when that would be uh when that
[00:04:06] subject would be discussed so that
[00:04:08] people can come at that time and then
[00:04:10] they can leave when they need to.
[00:04:17] >> So school districts represent many
[00:04:18] constituents um but the primary focus of
[00:04:20] what we do is uh be mindful of student
[00:04:24] needs and so we have to make every
[00:04:26] decision student focused and that
[00:04:28] requires us to involve parents,
[00:04:31] teachers, district staff. We do that in
[00:04:34] collaboration with the experts that help
[00:04:36] us to take care of our students. But I
[00:04:39] also recognize that schooling is a
[00:04:41] public asset and that means that we do
[00:04:43] have a responsibility to the community
[00:04:46] and we also have a fiduciary
[00:04:48] responsibility. Um, fortunately we have
[00:04:51] a fantastic communications office. We've
[00:04:54] made a lot of effort to reach members of
[00:04:57] the community and we get a lot of
[00:04:59] feedback from the community and that's
[00:05:01] something that I'm very mindful of and
[00:05:04] pay close attention to.
[00:05:07] Thank you. Shaheen, we'll start with you
[00:05:09] now.
[00:05:10] We received several questions from
[00:05:12] students related to the board's recent
[00:05:15] actions surrounding high school
[00:05:17] graduation. How would you as a board
[00:05:20] member ensure the student voice and the
[00:05:23] perspectives of school site leadership
[00:05:26] are meaningfully meaningfully considered
[00:05:29] and represented when making decisions
[00:05:32] that directly affect students and their
[00:05:35] school community. You have 60 seconds.
[00:05:37] >> I appreciate the kids sent questions in.
[00:05:40] Um again, as a board, we're supposed to
[00:05:43] say highle policy and accountability for
[00:05:46] our school district. As far as these
[00:05:48] types of decisions, graduation, it's
[00:05:50] really meant to be a sight decision. And
[00:05:52] I would love it if the kids where do the
[00:05:54] kids want to graduate, for example, in
[00:05:56] this instance. Um, it's really not
[00:05:58] supposed to be a board decision. So, in
[00:06:00] that way, best is to ask the kids what
[00:06:04] they're looking for. Best is to get the
[00:06:05] state the site leadership to understand
[00:06:07] what the logistics and concerns they're
[00:06:09] facing and then let them make the
[00:06:10] decision amongst themselves. The board
[00:06:12] just should stay out of those kinds of
[00:06:13] decisions.
[00:06:16] Kimberly, would you like me to read it
[00:06:17] again?
[00:06:17] >> I think I'm okay. Thank you.
[00:06:19] >> I think I'm okay. Thank you. >> Okay.
[00:06:19] >> Okay.
[00:06:19] >> Uh, again, agree with Shaheen on the
[00:06:22] premise that this is a site decision.
[00:06:24] Any meaningful decision that the board
[00:06:26] is uh asked to weigh in on, I think it's
[00:06:29] imperative that we understand which
[00:06:31] voices have been heard, which ones are
[00:06:34] coming with concerns. if the student
[00:06:36] voice uh if they collectively feel that
[00:06:39] they should have a voice in a decision
[00:06:42] then I trust that our administrators
[00:06:43] will be taking that into account and
[00:06:45] that'll be certainly a question that I
[00:06:47] ask of them.
[00:06:49] >> Would you mind repeating please?
[00:06:51] >> Would you mind repeating please? >> Absolutely.
[00:06:52] >> Absolutely.
[00:06:52] We received several questions from
[00:06:55] students related to the board's recent
[00:06:57] action surrounding high school
[00:06:59] graduation. How would you as a school as
[00:07:02] a board member ensure that student voice
[00:07:05] and the perspectives of school site
[00:07:07] leadership are meaningful meaningfully
[00:07:11] considered and represented when making
[00:07:14] decisions that directly affect students
[00:07:16] and their community? You have 60
[00:07:18] seconds.
[00:07:19] >> Yeah. So, um, as it pertains to high
[00:07:21] school graduation, um, we'll use that
[00:07:23] example since, um, you mentioned it. Um,
[00:07:26] I think that the student voice is is
[00:07:28] very meaningful and it should have been
[00:07:29] engaged. Um and I think that uh that
[00:07:33] voice or the students should have been
[00:07:35] told exactly what the details were for
[00:07:38] both graduation venues. Unfortunately,
[00:07:41] they weren't um given that information
[00:07:43] so that it so it's a balanced viewpoint
[00:07:46] from both sides. If they wanted the
[00:07:47] Irvine Bowl or if they wanted the uh the
[00:07:49] football field, they should have been
[00:07:51] given all the information by the site
[00:07:53] level. Um and a lot of kids didn't know
[00:07:55] where the Irvine Bowl was. So maybe um
[00:07:57] an auditor like a type of assembly or
[00:08:00] something that they could have
[00:08:01] understand all those sides. So I think
[00:08:03] it's really important that the
[00:08:04] information that the students have the
[00:08:07] right information so they can make a
[00:08:09] meaningful and informed decision and um
[00:08:12] I've always supported the student voice
[00:08:14] and I just think that site level should
[00:08:15] make sure that the kids um that are
[00:08:18] they're very well informed.
[00:08:25] >> I think student voice is very important.
[00:08:25] I'm a very strong supporter of our
[00:08:27] student board representatives and the
[00:08:30] super the superintendent council of
[00:08:32] students. I think we should seek student
[00:08:34] input at all times on this particular
[00:08:37] issue. Um I was happy to have the issue
[00:08:40] brought to a board meeting so that there
[00:08:42] could be a general discussion of the
[00:08:44] issues but that should not have been an
[00:08:46] action item. And with regard to student
[00:08:49] voice, what actually happened was it was
[00:08:52] brought to the board as an action item
[00:08:54] in the spring after people had already
[00:08:57] planned for graduation
[00:08:59] at Guyire Field and it was further there
[00:09:03] was more difficulty because it was on a
[00:09:06] short timeline and
[00:09:09] you know there wasn't enough engagement
[00:09:11] with the students um to to even have a
[00:09:14] voice because of the way that it was
[00:09:15] handled. So I strongly advocate for
[00:09:18] student voice and that this is a site
[00:09:20] level decision.
[00:09:26] >> D would you like me to repeat the
[00:09:26] >> D would you like me to repeat the question?
[00:09:27] >> I got it. Thanks. I am also a huge
[00:09:32] proponent of student voice and have
[00:09:34] championed that for years when people
[00:09:37] didn't even know what that was. In this
[00:09:39] case, we were the superintendent came to
[00:09:42] us at the end of August, beginning of
[00:09:45] September and asked us where
[00:09:49] we thought or if he should he didn't
[00:09:52] want to make a decision about where
[00:09:53] graduation was. He thought the site
[00:09:56] should do it. We agreed, but we gave
[00:09:59] stipulations. We said you need to make
[00:10:02] sure both sides are heard that people
[00:10:05] who want it at the bowl, people who want
[00:10:07] it on the field. Also, we want students
[00:10:11] informed about we don't want them to
[00:10:13] think the Irvine Bowl is in Irvine. We
[00:10:16] want them to understand that's right
[00:10:17] here and that did not happen and that's
[00:10:20] why it came to the board.
[00:10:27] >> Thank you, Kimberly. This one goes to
[00:10:27] you. What role should the board play in
[00:10:31] supporting students with disabilities
[00:10:33] and special needs, including students
[00:10:36] with IEPs? And what factors should guide
[00:10:39] decisions about programs and services?
[00:10:43] You have two minutes to answer.
[00:10:47] Every student in our district deserves
[00:10:50] to be cared for and educated by this
[00:10:53] district. Uh we Shaheen Joan and I had
[00:10:57] the great fortune of sitting down um
[00:10:59] with a number of special ed families
[00:11:02] within the district to understand what
[00:11:04] the needs are for their families because
[00:11:09] it is a very nuanced situation depending
[00:11:13] on where a student fits within that
[00:11:15] special education system. It is
[00:11:18] imperative for us to make sure that we
[00:11:21] are providing the resources so that
[00:11:23] every student has the right and the
[00:11:26] access to an education like any other
[00:11:29] student within our district. So I think
[00:11:32] there is a great opportunity for us
[00:11:34] after listening with this these families
[00:11:36] um to be able to engage further to be
[00:11:40] able to hear to educate them on what
[00:11:43] their options are. I think it's very
[00:11:46] scary, you know, human to human as a
[00:11:48] parent to walk into a situation into a
[00:11:51] district where your concern first and
[00:11:53] foremost is for your children. And
[00:11:56] there's a million questions that are
[00:11:57] being thrown at you, a million decisions
[00:11:59] that have to be made when you first
[00:12:00] enter into a discussion with the
[00:12:02] district. And I can understand how
[00:12:04] daunting that is. And so providing the
[00:12:07] opportunity for these families to be
[00:12:09] heard and to give them the information
[00:12:11] that they need to make the best
[00:12:13] decisions for their family is
[00:12:15] extraordinarily imperative. That
[00:12:17] collaboration is a necess is necessary
[00:12:20] and I think that we owe it to every
[00:12:22] student to ensure that we are rising to
[00:12:24] the occasion for them.
[00:12:27] >> Thank you. Elizabeth, do you want the
[00:12:29] question repeated?
[00:12:30] >> I think uh what role the board has with
[00:12:32] disability special needs. Um I think
[00:12:34] that we definitely need to support the
[00:12:36] teachers and staff um so that they are
[00:12:39] able to take care of all children in our
[00:12:42] district. Um I myself have myself have
[00:12:45] had children with IEPs. Um so I've been
[00:12:48] going to the meeting since day one. Um I
[00:12:52] can personally say that the teachers and
[00:12:54] staff have been amazing for my children.
[00:12:57] Um I don't think I could have done it
[00:12:59] without them. um and where my children
[00:13:02] have grown up and just become different
[00:13:04] people because of the support of
[00:13:06] teachers and staff in this district.
[00:13:08] It's it's really special and um and it's
[00:13:12] such a we just have an amazing community
[00:13:14] and district. Um every student belongs
[00:13:16] here. Um and as a board member, I would
[00:13:20] support any way possible to have all of
[00:13:22] our students here so they're they're not
[00:13:23] bust out of the community, so they feel
[00:13:25] that they're welcome here. I would do
[00:13:27] everything I can to make that happen. um
[00:13:30] and that every parent feels supported
[00:13:32] and understood and um again my door
[00:13:35] would always be open. I have a special
[00:13:37] place for IEP.
[00:13:46] >> So um going to the specifics of the
[00:13:46] question because IEEPs and some of the
[00:13:48] more detailed parts of the special
[00:13:50] education um context were brought up. I
[00:13:54] I want to point out to start that it's a
[00:13:56] very difficult issue as a board member
[00:13:59] because most of what happens with
[00:14:01] special education is regulated by state
[00:14:03] and federal mandates. So the board role
[00:14:07] in anything to do with IEPs or the
[00:14:11] special education process in terms of um
[00:14:15] both establishing or meeting the goals
[00:14:17] of IEPs has very little to do with the
[00:14:20] board. And so that can be really
[00:14:23] complicated because on top of that, as a
[00:14:26] board member, I've often heard concerns
[00:14:29] from parents. But the reality is is that
[00:14:31] because of federal law, no matter what
[00:14:35] case may be shared with the board, the
[00:14:37] board has no access to information about
[00:14:40] any individual student. So, we have to
[00:14:43] really think about it up here. That
[00:14:45] being said, I think that we can do
[00:14:48] better. I was so happy to um be able to
[00:14:51] speak with a group of special education
[00:14:53] parents last week. Um I'm mindful that
[00:14:56] our district does a great job, but as a
[00:14:59] board member, I felt like I could do
[00:15:01] more in terms of trying to understand
[00:15:03] what our parents need and how we can
[00:15:07] provide better communication and better
[00:15:10] support to some of our families. I don't
[00:15:12] know what that looks like, but I just
[00:15:14] know what I heard and I I learned a lot
[00:15:16] from that. Um, I think that generally
[00:15:21] speaking, it's about just cultivating
[00:15:23] strong partnerships between the
[00:15:26] district, the teachers, and the parents
[00:15:29] and figuring out what kind of supports
[00:15:31] we need.
[00:15:44] >> Thank you.
[00:15:44] [clears throat] This is an area near and
[00:15:46] dear to my heart and I am very involved
[00:15:49] in this area. For example, when our
[00:15:53] students were going to not be um able to
[00:15:57] stay here and sent to Saddleback because
[00:16:00] they're part of our SULPA. I went over
[00:16:04] there to see what kind of programs they
[00:16:06] would be in and there are some fabulous
[00:16:09] programs there, but it's a long way.
[00:16:13] um you go through Aliso Viejo and on the
[00:16:17] canyon it can take a long time to get
[00:16:19] there. We are looking at bringing some
[00:16:22] of our students back here partly, you
[00:16:25] know, just because we want them here
[00:16:27] with their friends and close to their
[00:16:28] families. So right now we are doing a
[00:16:31] feasibility study to see if we can bring
[00:16:34] some back. We also want more inclusion
[00:16:37] and one of the programs they have in
[00:16:39] Saddleback is a wonderful buddy program
[00:16:41] where each special needs student has a
[00:16:44] general education buddy and it's kids
[00:16:47] aren't forced to do that. They sign up
[00:16:50] and they want to do that and they have
[00:16:52] inclusion classes there like um a PE
[00:16:56] class is a walking class so you walk
[00:16:59] with your buddy. They have an art class.
[00:17:02] there are things that they do together
[00:17:04] that it really makes it more inclusive.
[00:17:09] Um,
[00:17:11] one of the things that parents would
[00:17:13] really like is more workshops on
[00:17:17] transition. They worry when their child
[00:17:19] goes from fifth grade to thirsten, when
[00:17:23] they go from thirsten to the high
[00:17:25] school. Those are are scary times. One
[00:17:28] of the things that I'm working on
[00:17:30] outside the board is trying to make
[00:17:33] Lagona Beach an autism friendly city.
[00:17:35] And one of the things that's really
[00:17:37] important, parents have told me, is
[00:17:40] working with our police department. And
[00:17:42] so we have a plan for that to start with
[00:17:45] our SRO's.
[00:17:51] So I wanted to speak about this from a
[00:17:52] couple points of view. As Joan said, our
[00:17:54] role as a board is constrained by
[00:17:57] federal and state law and the
[00:18:00] information that we get um which is um
[00:18:02] confidential under under legal
[00:18:05] requirements. But as we had met with
[00:18:07] some of these families um we actually
[00:18:10] sat in a circle and just listened and
[00:18:12] talked. There are things that we can do
[00:18:14] I think as a district and continue some
[00:18:16] we should be continuing these
[00:18:18] conversations. But the core of that
[00:18:20] conver of that conversation was about
[00:18:22] empathy and dignity
[00:18:24] and helping these parents feel not so
[00:18:27] alone in the process. So that is
[00:18:29] something that I feel committed to after
[00:18:31] this conversation with these families
[00:18:33] and I hope to have more conversations
[00:18:34] with these families. It's not
[00:18:36] necessarily a board thing. It's like a
[00:18:38] mom thing. And um what you know what
[00:18:43] they wanted was for themselves to not
[00:18:46] feel like they are navigating this
[00:18:48] process by themselves. And I think as
[00:18:50] Joan mentioned there were as I called it
[00:18:52] lowhanging fruit things that we could do
[00:18:54] for them to make that process uh feel
[00:18:57] smoother, more connected. And one of the
[00:19:00] things that came up again and again was
[00:19:02] around inclusion in our school district
[00:19:04] that they still felt that they were part
[00:19:06] of an LBUSD family. Um I know PTA does
[00:19:09] work on this on this front. Um we have
[00:19:12] events where we you know parents have
[00:19:15] advocated for for example sensory rooms
[00:19:17] at Boo Blast um and Bonanza. These are
[00:19:20] things that we can do as a district and
[00:19:21] we become we can become more mindful
[00:19:23] about these things um and just do better
[00:19:26] as a community. Um so that's kind of
[00:19:29] where I'm committed to. It's not
[00:19:30] necessarily a board function, but I
[00:19:32] think I would take that role as a
[00:19:34] servant leader in our community to see
[00:19:36] how we can enhance and um and make that
[00:19:39] a better experience for our families.
[00:19:48] Elizabeth, you're up. Uh, what role do
[00:19:48] you believe technology should have in
[00:19:50] the classroom, including emerging
[00:19:52] technologies such as artificial
[00:19:54] intelligence and student access to
[00:19:57] digital devices and online resources?
[00:20:00] You have 60 seconds.
[00:20:02] Oh, this is a good one. Um, I think we
[00:20:05] need to pump the brakes on artificial
[00:20:07] intelligence. I think we went headlong
[00:20:10] into screens, one-on-one screens with
[00:20:13] our kiddos. And I think hindsight were
[00:20:16] coming to the conclusion that maybe that
[00:20:18] wasn't the best thing. I can personally
[00:20:20] attest to this. My children um when they
[00:20:22] were at to kindergarten and first grade,
[00:20:25] they were put in front of screens. And I
[00:20:27] think the teachers, they were like,
[00:20:28] "Okay, we got to we're doing this." And
[00:20:29] it was all for good. Like we got to, you
[00:20:31] know, stay, you know, [clears throat] up
[00:20:32] with the times. Um but unfortunately,
[00:20:35] our kids missed out on cursive
[00:20:36] handwriting. Um and a lot of social
[00:20:39] skills I think that they could have
[00:20:40] achieved when they weren't behind a
[00:20:43] screen. And so I think we're playing
[00:20:44] catch-up right now. And um I think that
[00:20:48] we do need to pump the brakes with
[00:20:49] technology. I think that we need to um
[00:20:52] bring cursive handwriting back and less
[00:20:54] screen time K through five. And um and
[00:20:57] then you know as we get into the high
[00:20:58] school years um they can start looking
[00:21:01] into AI and how it can help their future
[00:21:03] careers.
[00:21:11] So the answer to this question is going
[00:21:11] to change over time because there's a
[00:21:14] lot of new information that's coming out
[00:21:16] as we get more information in on
[00:21:18] instructional technology and AI. Um my
[00:21:24] general issue, my general feeling is
[00:21:26] that we should not have screens in uh
[00:21:29] elementary school and we should limit it
[00:21:32] even in middle school. The state
[00:21:34] requires us to use screens sometimes and
[00:21:38] um we obviously have to meet those state
[00:21:40] standards. The state also um has uh
[00:21:44] requires that we teach cursive and I
[00:21:46] know that our elementary schools do
[00:21:47] that. So I'm glad that that that's
[00:21:50] taking place. But the the difficulty
[00:21:53] around the conversation is it shouldn't
[00:21:55] start with how much screen time. It
[00:21:58] should start with what do students need
[00:22:00] to know and when do screens help them to
[00:22:03] achieve that and when do screens enhance
[00:22:06] what teachers are doing rather than
[00:22:07] replace what teachers are doing and
[00:22:09] those are the conversations we need to
[00:22:11] have.
[00:22:16] >> D would you like me to repeat the
[00:22:16] >> D would you like me to repeat the question?
[00:22:18] >> I think I'm fine. Thanks.
[00:22:20] >> Um I agree I agree with Joan and others.
[00:22:23] I think screen time should really be
[00:22:26] limited in elementary. We know that
[00:22:28] children learn much better hands-on and
[00:22:32] um also discussing um as far as AI, I
[00:22:37] know both LA and New York have
[00:22:39] moratoriums because they're not sure
[00:22:41] what to do with it. We I brought up on a
[00:22:44] board agenda AI and computer time. And I
[00:22:48] think in speaking with parents, they
[00:22:50] know that many jobs coming up will
[00:22:53] include AI. So they don't want it
[00:22:56] excluded. So we need to be mindful of
[00:23:00] careers for our kids, but doing it at
[00:23:03] the right time and figuring out how
[00:23:05] teachers can best use it.
[00:23:12] Right? So I think you're going to be
[00:23:12] hardressed to find anyone saying more
[00:23:14] screen time for the kids. So agreed. you
[00:23:17] know, we want to be mindful about the
[00:23:18] screen time and and preparing students
[00:23:20] for an AI world doesn't mean putting AI
[00:23:22] in every classroom at every age. Um, we
[00:23:25] want the younger kids to be reading
[00:23:28] deeply. We want them to be writing. We
[00:23:30] want them to be calculating. We want
[00:23:31] them to be creating. We want them to be
[00:23:33] reasoning. And there's something in the
[00:23:35] research that's a term called productive
[00:23:37] struggle. We want them to be doing
[00:23:39] productive struggle. And then for the
[00:23:41] older students, what we want is we want
[00:23:44] them to understand AI. We want them to
[00:23:46] understand bias and the limitations of
[00:23:48] AI. We want them to understand how you
[00:23:50] have to protect privacy, how you
[00:23:52] evaluate the outputs and how you use
[00:23:54] respons, how you use AI responsibly. So,
[00:23:57] it's not a yes or no. It's nuanced and
[00:24:02] we will have to keep having these
[00:24:04] conversations with our our teched um
[00:24:06] staff.
[00:24:09] Thank you. Uh I'm going to echo what
[00:24:11] Shaheen said and all of my uh compadres
[00:24:15] is up here. Uh so I am a technology CEO.
[00:24:19] I see firsthand how quickly things are
[00:24:21] changing. Uh it's very hard to be
[00:24:23] proactive in this world right now of AI.
[00:24:26] Quite frankly, I'm also a mother of a
[00:24:29] sixth grader and secondyear-old. And so
[00:24:31] I see firsthand what the draw to
[00:24:34] technology and screen time could do to
[00:24:36] our children. Um I think it is
[00:24:38] imperative that we are leading with
[00:24:41] teacher centric learning first and
[00:24:43] foremost especially at the uh elementary
[00:24:46] school level. Personally as a parent uh
[00:24:49] with that lens I'm an advocate for
[00:24:51] removing as much screen time as
[00:24:53] possible. Uh and as Shaheen had
[00:24:56] mentioned at the same time we need to
[00:24:59] prepare our students for the future that
[00:25:00] is the reality of what's happening today
[00:25:02] and the future. And so we need to be
[00:25:04] mindful of teaching them information
[00:25:06] bias. We need to um enhance critical
[00:25:09] thinking skills, collaboration, all of
[00:25:11] the innate human skills that a screen
[00:25:13] will never allow.
[00:25:25] Joan to you. What principles, research,
[00:25:25] or professional expertise would guide
[00:25:27] you when considering board policies
[00:25:30] related to student access to and use of
[00:25:33] technology?
[00:25:36] Well, we have board policies on student
[00:25:39] technology use and the board had a
[00:25:41] discussion about it last year and we
[00:25:44] looked at how we might might change that
[00:25:46] policy recognizing that we needed to
[00:25:49] have a policy that was um uh adaptable
[00:25:54] to how information about this might
[00:25:57] change. Um there's also a lot of
[00:25:59] education research that's come out that
[00:26:02] I think is really important for us to be
[00:26:05] uh mindful of. For example, students who
[00:26:08] take notes by hand process and remember
[00:26:10] a lot more information than students who
[00:26:13] type it into a computer. I wonder about
[00:26:16] the effects of things like spellch check
[00:26:18] on elementary student laptops. Um you
[00:26:23] know they they can't spell if we do
[00:26:25] that. So I think that we have to both
[00:26:28] have policies that keep us on top of it
[00:26:31] and on cutting edge and innovative and
[00:26:34] also be mindful of the new research as
[00:26:36] it comes in to think about student
[00:26:37] learning.
[00:26:42] >> Does it go all the way down? No.
[00:26:42] >> Does it go all the way down? No. >> Okay.
[00:26:47] >> Okay.
[00:26:47] As Joan said, we do have policies. We're
[00:26:51] looking always knowing that we might
[00:26:54] have to expand them. One of the things
[00:26:56] that we were looking at also was having
[00:26:59] a committee including students and
[00:27:02] community and our experts to help us
[00:27:06] further with these policies.
[00:27:09] What I looked at a few schools back east
[00:27:12] and they formed special committees of
[00:27:14] students just to give their expertise on
[00:27:17] what should be done with AI and then
[00:27:20] they brought that to the board and I
[00:27:22] think their voice is very important.
[00:27:30] So the principles that I would bring on
[00:27:30] this topic is really to lean into our
[00:27:32] experts. Um I am a lawyer. I don't have
[00:27:35] the cutting edge research down pat on
[00:27:38] what is best for students and technology
[00:27:40] use. But we have staff that's this is
[00:27:42] their job. So what I want to be able to
[00:27:45] do is bring these conversations back to
[00:27:47] the board. Maybe a study session to
[00:27:49] begin with and have these often. As Joan
[00:27:52] said, technology is moving so quickly
[00:27:55] and the research is also moving so
[00:27:58] quickly. So what we'd like to do is get
[00:28:00] these reports from the staff with their
[00:28:02] recommendations as the experts in the
[00:28:04] room and the students at the center of
[00:28:05] the table to understand what we should
[00:28:07] be doing and iterating as we need to as
[00:28:10] time goes on.
[00:28:13] >> Really stinks being after you Sheen. So
[00:28:15] again, agree with Shaheen. Uh I had the
[00:28:18] the pleasure of sitting down with Andy
[00:28:20] Crisp. For those that don't know, uh we
[00:28:22] lost our CTO uh to retirement a few
[00:28:25] earlier this year and we bifurcated the
[00:28:27] role out between uh edtech and it Andy
[00:28:31] Crisp who has been part of the district
[00:28:32] for many many years and is a beloved
[00:28:34] teacher has stepped into this role
[00:28:36] fortunately for our district. Uh and we
[00:28:39] got some time thinking about what the
[00:28:41] thoughtful approach is going to be with
[00:28:43] screen time. We don't want a knee-jerk
[00:28:45] reaction. We've seen other districts
[00:28:47] fail because they too quickly jumped
[00:28:49] into what was the best technology versus
[00:28:52] investing in the best teachers. And so
[00:28:55] there's a real opportunity right now,
[00:28:56] especially because of the climate of the
[00:28:58] board as it sits today. People are
[00:29:01] leaning and engaged. And so there's an
[00:29:02] opportunity for our district to educate
[00:29:04] parents just as much as children on what
[00:29:07] technology uh principles and thought we
[00:29:10] are putting into the curriculum. So, I'm
[00:29:12] really excited how thoughtful they're
[00:29:14] being and looking forward to seeing what
[00:29:16] they come up with.
[00:29:19] >> Oh, you have to go. I [laughter]
[00:29:22] >> uh student access to use of technology.
[00:29:24] I mean I mean I think we have to look at
[00:29:28] everything. I mean about phones in the
[00:29:29] classroom too. I think um a lot of
[00:29:32] parents are concerned about that and
[00:29:34] that our kids are not engaged in the
[00:29:36] classroom because they're on their
[00:29:37] phones. And um I think we could look to
[00:29:41] the teachers a lot to see what they say
[00:29:43] about it and if it is affecting their
[00:29:45] students and their grades and attention
[00:29:47] span. Um I would also you know echo um
[00:29:51] my compatriots up here as well regarding
[00:29:54] to relying on experts and new studies uh
[00:29:57] about technology. I think that we're um
[00:30:00] in a place that we're kind of in between
[00:30:03] right now and um we don't really know
[00:30:06] what's going to happen with AI. And so I
[00:30:08] think we just have to proceed cautiously
[00:30:11] and um with respect to experts and um
[00:30:14] and listen to our teachers.
[00:30:22] >> Okay. Do you love this? Follow the
[00:30:22] >> Okay. Do you love this? Follow the dancing.
[00:30:24] Uh D,
[00:30:26] what do you see as Laguna Beach's
[00:30:30] greatest strength and where do you see
[00:30:33] opportunities for improvement?
[00:30:36] How would those observations inform your
[00:30:40] work as a board member? You have two
[00:30:43] minutes. Thank you. So,
[00:30:48] our our greatest strengths, I think, are
[00:30:50] our students and always always looking
[00:30:55] at new ways to approach with them. For
[00:30:58] example, we are looking at career paths
[00:31:01] a lot more than we did before and at
[00:31:04] earlier ages, but letting students know
[00:31:07] that they can change them anywhere along
[00:31:09] the way. But if they choose something
[00:31:11] and they go for it and then they decide
[00:31:15] they don't like that, that's great.
[00:31:17] That's giving them information about
[00:31:19] themselves. And when it seems that when
[00:31:23] they choose a path and they feel good
[00:31:25] about it, their self-confidence
[00:31:28] improves, they are happier and more
[00:31:33] engaged all around. One of the things
[00:31:36] that uh we are really working on is the
[00:31:40] empathy factor. And to do that, we know
[00:31:44] that a lot of empathy comes from drama
[00:31:48] and stories and taking another position
[00:31:52] than your own. For instance, if you're a
[00:31:55] really shy person and you play a lion
[00:31:58] and you have to growl and pounce on
[00:32:00] people,
[00:32:02] that gives you another perspective. that
[00:32:06] gives our students another perspective
[00:32:08] and makes them more open and inclusive
[00:32:12] of students that are different. So,
[00:32:15] that's another thing that we're working
[00:32:17] on.
[00:32:24] We can all appreciate how what a great
[00:32:24] district we have. It's exceptional. It's
[00:32:26] one of the best in the state. That's our
[00:32:29] starting point. And it doesn't mean we
[00:32:31] ever stop asking the question on how we
[00:32:33] can continue to improve. So for me the
[00:32:36] question isn't are our averages high or
[00:32:39] our test scores high. It's is every
[00:32:41] student getting what they need to grow
[00:32:43] in the way that they want to grow. For
[00:32:45] me I talk a lot about how we do a lot of
[00:32:48] interventional work for kids that need
[00:32:50] some extra help and we have a lot of
[00:32:52] support I mean activities and things
[00:32:56] that high achieving kids can do. But
[00:32:58] there's this large swath of kids that I
[00:33:01] wonder about where are we challenging
[00:33:03] them enough? Do they know that they have
[00:33:06] a student I mean a teacher on campus or
[00:33:08] an adult on campus that believes in
[00:33:10] their success that they have that
[00:33:12] connection to an adult and that work's
[00:33:14] actually starting. Um it's exciting to
[00:33:16] see that it's starting. I think about
[00:33:19] our K through 12 vertical integration of
[00:33:22] the education. So, for tweaking
[00:33:24] curriculum at the elementary school, are
[00:33:26] we actually following through for middle
[00:33:28] school and high school and seeing how
[00:33:29] those things connect? Um, we talked
[00:33:31] about AI and future readiness. And the
[00:33:35] other piece of this is whole child
[00:33:36] support. I love the work that Dr. Keller
[00:33:38] is doing and can we do more in that in
[00:33:41] that arena as far as social emotional
[00:33:43] wellness. So, there's we're an
[00:33:46] exceptional district. There's so many
[00:33:48] things we can continue to work on and
[00:33:51] I'm would be thrilled to have these
[00:33:53] conversations with our staff and our
[00:33:54] educators as the experts to see what we
[00:33:57] can do together uh in collaboration with
[00:33:59] our um with our community and for the
[00:34:02] betterment of our students.
[00:34:08] My husband and I chose Lagona Beach
[00:34:08] primarily because of our schools. Uh
[00:34:11] first and foremost, our school districts
[00:34:13] are a part of the fabric of this
[00:34:14] community. And the reason that our
[00:34:16] schools are so great are because of the
[00:34:18] people. Um when we get asked what's our
[00:34:21] greatest strengths, it is the people
[00:34:23] that show up day in and day out for our
[00:34:25] students. Again, we can invest in
[00:34:26] technology, but investing in teachers is
[00:34:29] the ultimate return that we will see for
[00:34:31] our district. Unfortunately, for the
[00:34:34] last two years, our teachers have had a
[00:34:35] 90% no confidence vote in our board
[00:34:38] majority. When trust breaks down in any
[00:34:41] organization, it's very difficult for
[00:34:43] them to be able to do their job and to
[00:34:45] do it well. I am invested in rebuilding
[00:34:49] that trust. There is the opportunity
[00:34:51] first and foremost. They are the ones
[00:34:53] that are challenging our children,
[00:34:55] educating our children. They are the
[00:34:57] ones that are seeing our children. We
[00:34:59] need to get back to the basics and we
[00:35:01] have a great opportunity because this
[00:35:03] district is incredible. We just need to
[00:35:06] get back on track.
[00:35:09] So, um I had the great privilege of
[00:35:12] going to school here and attending the
[00:35:14] schools and um I I stayed here as a
[00:35:19] single working mama to raise my children
[00:35:21] here, four children through the district
[00:35:23] because I believe in this district and
[00:35:24] this our schools and the staff and the
[00:35:27] teachers. Um they are amazing. Um and I
[00:35:31] think they're they're some of the
[00:35:32] greatest strengths of our school
[00:35:34] district. Um, and also, you know,
[00:35:38] understanding the students on an
[00:35:40] individual level. Um, you know,
[00:35:42] especially the kids, the IEPs. I just,
[00:35:44] you know, the staff that I've witnessed
[00:35:46] and how they've worked with my children.
[00:35:48] Um, I, like I said earlier, I couldn't
[00:35:51] have asked for any more. Um, you know,
[00:35:56] I've noticed though, you know, for
[00:35:57] through K through five, the kids do
[00:35:59] grade into Thirstston. I have noticed
[00:36:02] though, you know, after 8th grade um
[00:36:04] that our math scores our scores are
[00:36:07] going down um up into 11th sk 11th
[00:36:10] grade. 40% of our um kiddos in 11th
[00:36:13] grade are not meeting state standards
[00:36:16] for mathematics, which um concerns me
[00:36:18] and and it affects my family personally.
[00:36:22] um we've kind of been through that and
[00:36:24] um so as a board member I would want to
[00:36:27] address that gap and try to figure out
[00:36:30] um what's going on between that age
[00:36:33] range you know 8th grade to 11th grade
[00:36:35] to figure out what's going on in
[00:36:36] mathematics and why the scores are going
[00:36:38] down um and uh you know I think that we
[00:36:42] can do that we're such a wealthy
[00:36:43] district and we have such devoted staff
[00:36:46] and teachers that um I think we can do
[00:36:48] it so thank
[00:36:56] So, I want to um echo what everyone else
[00:36:56] has said. We have an excellent school
[00:36:58] district, but we have an excellent
[00:37:00] school district because we try to
[00:37:03] consistently be innovative and mindful
[00:37:06] of test scores, mindful of programs, and
[00:37:09] aware of national
[00:37:12] um national issues that you know are the
[00:37:16] issues that are endemic to to many many
[00:37:18] schools across the nation. When I joined
[00:37:20] the board, I was interested in
[00:37:23] addressing problems of um instructional
[00:37:25] technology in the classroom. Um that was
[00:37:28] four years ago. The correlary to that,
[00:37:31] which I really continue to focus on, is
[00:37:33] that I would like to see our district
[00:37:35] build a culture of reading and writing.
[00:37:38] Um you might be surprised to know that
[00:37:40] 14% only of students nationwide report
[00:37:44] that they read for pleasure anymore. And
[00:37:47] this is not a problem of literacy. This
[00:37:49] is a problem of helping our students to
[00:37:52] develop the habits of mind like critical
[00:37:55] thinking, focus, endurance.
[00:37:59] Reading novels allows you to place
[00:38:03] yourself in the role of characters in a
[00:38:06] plot. It helps you to understand your
[00:38:09] community. It helps to make you better
[00:38:11] in our democracy. You know, it helps you
[00:38:14] to perform better across subjects. So
[00:38:17] that's an issue I've been very focused
[00:38:19] on. But to second what Kimberly said,
[00:38:23] the truth is is that it's hard to
[00:38:25] maintain excellence right now or be
[00:38:27] innovative because we are in a moment
[00:38:30] where we don't have a collaborative
[00:38:32] trusting relationship with our teachers.
[00:38:34] And while I have many ideas of what we
[00:38:38] need to do to continue building our
[00:38:40] district and be responsive to what we
[00:38:42] know, we have to rebuild trust and
[00:38:45] collaboration to work with our teachers
[00:38:47] to to do anything. I'd also like to
[00:38:49] point out I have no idea where 40% of
[00:38:52] our students aren't achieving meeting
[00:38:54] state uh scores in math came from.
[00:38:59] >> Yeah, doesn't mean you're not meeting
[00:39:01] state standards.
[00:39:13] >> Shaheen, what is your position on
[00:39:13] measure A and how do you believe the
[00:39:16] district should address the facil's
[00:39:18] needs identified in the 2026 updated
[00:39:22] facilities master plan? You have 90
[00:39:25] seconds.
[00:39:26] >> Yes. On measure A. Um you guys, it
[00:39:30] unlocks $83 million for our kiddos. It
[00:39:33] doesn't increase our taxes from what
[00:39:35] we're already being paid. On average,
[00:39:37] the a household on the median amount
[00:39:40] that the h a household is paying is
[00:39:42] $115. That's like four. Yes. A year.
[00:39:46] Sorry. That's like four burritos, you
[00:39:49] know, these days. Um so
[00:39:53] yes on a and the thing is 20ome years
[00:39:56] ago you all by a rate of 80%
[00:40:01] unlocked that money for kids for which
[00:40:04] our children are benefiting. The
[00:40:06] thirsten gym didn't exist. It only
[00:40:08] existed because of that bond. Only
[00:40:10] exists because of that bond. And we now
[00:40:12] have this thriving thirsten inter mural
[00:40:15] sports program of which my kids take
[00:40:18] part in. Um, so I want to lead this
[00:40:21] district better than we found it. That
[00:40:23] means I got to help unlock 83 million
[00:40:25] bucks for our facilities improvements.
[00:40:28] Um, and that means yes on a it also
[00:40:31] means we get state matching funds about
[00:40:34] $18 million or so. So now we're talking
[00:40:36] about $und00 million to do things like
[00:40:38] fix leaky roofs and fire harden our
[00:40:41] schools. Um, so those needs that have
[00:40:44] already been addressed in our facilities
[00:40:46] master plan. It's in the ballot guide.
[00:40:48] you know exactly where the money is
[00:40:49] going to be spent. There's a citizens
[00:40:51] oversight committee that will do the
[00:40:53] work to make sure that we're staying on
[00:40:55] track for what we said we were going to
[00:40:56] do. Yes on a
[00:40:59] >> Yes.
[00:41:07] >> Yes. Hey, [laughter]
[00:41:07] >> I don't know. Um, pause my time.
[00:41:10] >> Oh, we're back. Yes. On a uh look, I I
[00:41:15] brought up uh earlier how it's a
[00:41:18] necessity for our board to be good
[00:41:19] steward, fiscal stewards for our
[00:41:21] community. Um, with a measure A, this
[00:41:24] doesn't just unlock dollars that go
[00:41:26] arbitrarily to willy-nilly whatever we
[00:41:29] want it to be. This is long-term capital
[00:41:31] improvements. This is not going to
[00:41:32] salary and one-off projects. This is
[00:41:36] allowing our district to do a number of
[00:41:38] things that are critical to the safety
[00:41:40] of our children and to the innovation
[00:41:42] that will help our children excel. Uh if
[00:41:45] you haven't heard the stat, it's very
[00:41:47] unfortunate when the Palisades fire
[00:41:49] happened. 13 of their schools went away.
[00:41:53] 13. We've had fires in our district. We
[00:41:56] know it's not when or if it's when. We
[00:41:58] need to make sure that we are being
[00:42:01] thoughtful and fire hardening our our
[00:42:03] institutions where our children are in
[00:42:05] day in and day out. We also need to
[00:42:08] think about our science lab. We need to
[00:42:09] think about infrastructure. If anyone
[00:42:11] owns a home, you know, you have to
[00:42:12] replace your roof every 20 years. You
[00:42:15] have plumbing, you have electricity.
[00:42:17] These are all things that are just part
[00:42:19] of maintenance that we will be able to
[00:42:21] get ahead of. And so because it does not
[00:42:24] extend or increase what we are paying
[00:42:26] today.
[00:42:28] Yes. Yes. Yes.
[00:42:36] So we have a $90 million budget every
[00:42:36] year. Um give or take a couple million
[00:42:39] here in Laguna Beach and um about 40,000
[00:42:43] um per student give or take. Joan's
[00:42:46] double-checking me here. Um, and I am
[00:42:49] the only candidate that was on the
[00:42:51] facilities master plan committee. Um,
[00:42:53] and so I toured all the schools. Um, and
[00:42:57] the thing about measure A, uh, that I
[00:43:00] can't get behind is now I'm naturally
[00:43:02] inclined to want a bond measure for the
[00:43:04] schools being a parent. Um, and I'm
[00:43:07] really concerned about, uh, fire
[00:43:10] hardening. I'd love to get scratch
[00:43:12] kitchens at to W and Elmoro so that our
[00:43:16] kids um don't eat as much processed food
[00:43:18] and sugary foods. I think that that
[00:43:20] would be amazing. Um the thing about
[00:43:23] measure it's it's leading with asbestos
[00:43:26] and with gas leaks and I was on the
[00:43:28] facility master plan committee. There
[00:43:30] were no tier one items on that and that
[00:43:32] would be a tier one item which would be
[00:43:34] immediate need. There are only tier two
[00:43:36] and tier three items. Um, and so I don't
[00:43:39] like the fear-mongering leading. I think
[00:43:42] that Lagouna Beach voters are very
[00:43:43] intelligent voters and I think that they
[00:43:46] should be given the entire picture, not
[00:43:48] a curated version of the bond. And um,
[00:43:52] it would it would mean more taxes.
[00:43:55] Either the the bond stops in 2028 and
[00:43:58] the taxes fall off. Um, so we have to be
[00:44:01] honest about that too. There will be
[00:44:02] more taxes about 30 more years worth of
[00:44:04] taxes.
[00:44:12] So, as a current board member, I can say
[00:44:12] that we have a very fiscally sound
[00:44:15] school district. We're the only district
[00:44:17] in the area area that has a AAA rating.
[00:44:21] Um, and we've also been very uh smart
[00:44:25] about planning around our facilities. We
[00:44:29] have uh updated our facility master plan
[00:44:32] regularly. We have operated on the basis
[00:44:35] of that for many years. We've been very
[00:44:38] smart about putting money away to stay
[00:44:40] on top of repairs that we can do on an
[00:44:43] annual basis. But it's important to
[00:44:46] remember that our schools, some of them
[00:44:49] were built in the 60s. We have very old
[00:44:52] a very old plant. It's a beautiful
[00:44:55] plant, but it's an old plant. And as a
[00:44:59] parent and as a candidate,
[00:45:02] I support what our district is doing to
[00:45:06] try to maintain the buildings that we
[00:45:08] have. Fear-mongering would be calling
[00:45:11] everything tier one. We don't we don't
[00:45:13] have an emergency that has to be fixed
[00:45:15] tomorrow with a gas leak. That's true.
[00:45:18] But we do have facilities needs that
[00:45:22] need to be dealt with because the longer
[00:45:24] you wait, the more expensive they come.
[00:45:28] And so I am as a candidate and as a
[00:45:31] parent in the district, I'm a strong
[00:45:34] supporter. And I think that at $115 a
[00:45:37] year on average, it's a great investment
[00:45:40] in our schools and our students.
[00:45:53] Thank you. As as Joan said, legal
[00:45:53] counsel advised us not to take a side
[00:45:57] and I don't want to jeopardize the bond
[00:45:59] legally in any way. I am very pleased
[00:46:03] that we have been as good as we can
[00:46:06] about maintaining our buildings. Our
[00:46:09] parts of our high school are going to be
[00:46:11] a hundred in a year or two. Um Ryan Zeta
[00:46:15] has done a fabulous job. But even doing
[00:46:18] that, pipes get old, things happen. Many
[00:46:21] of us live in older homes and we know if
[00:46:24] we don't maintain them, the price goes
[00:46:27] up and up and up because you have to do
[00:46:30] more. I to um toured some of the dis
[00:46:35] schools in Capistrano district that are
[00:46:37] new newer much newer like under 20 years
[00:46:41] that have big problems because they have
[00:46:43] no budget for maintenance and they have
[00:46:46] not been able to pass a bond in I don't
[00:46:51] know how many years. I mean they've had
[00:46:53] a number fail and
[00:46:57] there definitely are needs. One of my
[00:46:59] primary uh number one need not need
[00:47:03] needs but one number one thing I would
[00:47:05] like for our students is a bigger gym at
[00:47:07] Thirstston so people can sit on both
[00:47:10] sides.
[00:47:17] Okay, Kimberly, I just want to let you
[00:47:18] know that we're almost finished.
[00:47:20] >> Okay.
[00:47:20] >> Okay. Four more questions and a little
[00:47:23] bit of closing. So,
[00:47:26] um, your question is, and we're going to
[00:47:28] start it off with you, Kimberly. What
[00:47:30] experience have you had engaging with
[00:47:33] organizations that support Lagouna Beach
[00:47:35] Unified School District students,
[00:47:37] including PTA and School Power Education
[00:47:41] Foundation? And how would you approach
[00:47:43] these organizations as a school board
[00:47:46] member? 60 seconds.
[00:47:50] So you brought up uh PTA and school
[00:47:53] power education. Uh I am engaged with
[00:47:56] both of those organizations. A PTA
[00:47:57] member as I mentioned earlier. Uh school
[00:48:00] power I am a contributor uh and
[00:48:04] volunteer. I am a grateful beneficiary
[00:48:09] uh from both of these organizations. I
[00:48:11] also belong to a number of sports clubs
[00:48:13] because of my kids in school. Uh we are
[00:48:16] proud water polo family. We play
[00:48:18] baseball, we play volleyball, we play
[00:48:21] football. Anything with a ball, we are
[00:48:24] playing.
[00:48:25] Um, and I think it's really important
[00:48:28] for our district to be engaged with all
[00:48:31] of these organizations because it's the
[00:48:33] well-roundedness of our children to the
[00:48:35] benefit of them, right? We're not a
[00:48:37] successful student isn't just grades,
[00:48:39] but the well-roundedness. And so, being
[00:48:40] able to engage and partner in various
[00:48:43] ways. I can't think on the spot of any
[00:48:45] interesting or creative way in which to
[00:48:47] do so, but I would certainly support an
[00:48:49] ongoing uh collaboration.
[00:48:53] Look, any um organization that supports
[00:48:57] our children, um I'm 100% a supporter
[00:49:00] of. Um and as a board member, um I would
[00:49:04] absolutely support the PTA, the
[00:49:06] organizers, the volunteers. Um, you
[00:49:09] know, I've had kids in this district for
[00:49:12] a long time, nearly three decades. So,
[00:49:15] um, you know, I would volunteer on
[00:49:17] campus and and do the normal things that
[00:49:19] moms do. Um, so yeah, just, you know,
[00:49:23] basically supporting School Power,
[00:49:25] supporting PTA, any organization that's
[00:49:27] going to support our kids and make
[00:49:29] student life better for them, I'm 100%
[00:49:31] for.
[00:49:37] Um,
[00:49:37] so I strongly support many organizations
[00:49:41] that do a lot for our school district.
[00:49:43] I'm grateful to all of them. Um, I'm a
[00:49:45] member of all four PTAs and I also, um,
[00:49:49] attend PTA meetings for my own child's
[00:49:53] school and try to remain active and
[00:49:55] aware there. Um, I also was this the
[00:49:58] board rep to the PTA council um, uh, up
[00:50:01] until last year. I um am a supporter of
[00:50:06] school power. I'm very grateful for the
[00:50:09] programs that school power does for our
[00:50:11] our schools. Um including running our
[00:50:14] afterchool program, giving grants to
[00:50:17] teachers, giving grants for classroom
[00:50:20] work. I loved last year when we had
[00:50:23] lunch with the wave rider and they got a
[00:50:25] grant to bring music there. I'm also uh
[00:50:28] I've been active in Boys and Girls Club.
[00:50:31] The basketball league had a huge impact
[00:50:33] on my child and many other sports
[00:50:36] organizations in the city. So I support
[00:50:38] them in any way I can.
[00:50:52] I've also worked with many organizations
[00:50:52] outside our school district to bring to
[00:50:56] bring
[00:50:59] money and opportunities into our
[00:51:01] district for our students. For example,
[00:51:04] I'm part of the garden club which
[00:51:06] supports our school gardens. And I've
[00:51:10] worked in the school gardens. My husband
[00:51:12] and I have helped build them. I'm also a
[00:51:15] part of the art museum which I love.
[00:51:18] I've been a dosent there for probably
[00:51:21] gosh 14 years maybe. And I would love I
[00:51:25] I'm so proud that we have a museum like
[00:51:27] this in our little town. And I would
[00:51:31] love all of our students to have the
[00:51:33] opportunity to visit every year, but
[00:51:36] busing is expensive and other things.
[00:51:39] But I'm a huge advocate for more art in
[00:51:41] the schools because of the creativity
[00:51:44] and all the things it gives to our
[00:51:46] students. Um I'm also a part uh you know
[00:51:49] I'm on different boards. I'm a on the
[00:51:51] board I've been on the board for the
[00:51:53] women's club which does help.
[00:52:05] >> So my experience uh engaging with uh PTA
[00:52:05] and school power. So, I was um the
[00:52:08] yearbook chair for Top of the World
[00:52:10] under P. These are all PTA experiences.
[00:52:12] Communications chair for PTA, the an
[00:52:15] afterchool Bollywood dance teacher for
[00:52:17] Top of the World. Um I was the PTA
[00:52:21] president at Top of the World for two
[00:52:22] years during COVID and three principles.
[00:52:25] I was the vice president of um the PTA
[00:52:28] at Thirsten as well as the president
[00:52:30] there for two years.
[00:52:33] and my husband and I were school power
[00:52:35] trustees for four years. He still sits
[00:52:37] on the endowment. Put another way, we
[00:52:39] decided to spend all of our free time
[00:52:41] giving back to this school and community
[00:52:42] because that's what we believed in. As a
[00:52:45] board member, that will continue. We
[00:52:47] love these schools. We moved here for
[00:52:50] these schools and we love all of you and
[00:52:53] we're happy to do what we can to lift
[00:52:54] all of our children up.
[00:53:04] Elizabeth,
[00:53:04] how would you as a board member foster
[00:53:07] productive relationships,
[00:53:09] communication, and trust between the
[00:53:12] board, teachers, staff, and employee
[00:53:16] organizations?
[00:53:18] you have 90 seconds.
[00:53:20] >> Uh yeah, I just um I keep coming back to
[00:53:23] communication. Um I think that's so
[00:53:25] important. Um I think what we've
[00:53:27] experienced in the past well past year,
[00:53:30] I've noticed that there's a lot of
[00:53:32] talking going on, but no one's really
[00:53:33] connecting. Um, and I think that, um,
[00:53:37] you know, somehow building a bridge to
[00:53:39] staff, to teachers, um, so that they
[00:53:43] know, you know, as a board member, if
[00:53:45] I'm elected, that I'm here, I'm
[00:53:46] listening, I'm concerned, and I want to
[00:53:49] hear what they have to say. Um,
[00:53:53] and what was the rest of the question?
[00:53:54] I'm so sorry.
[00:53:55] >> I can repeat it for you. How would you
[00:53:58] as a board member foster productive
[00:54:01] relationships,
[00:54:02] communication, and trust between the
[00:54:05] board, teachers, staff, and employee
[00:54:08] organizations?
[00:54:09] >> So, basically what I just said is just
[00:54:11] my door is always open and make sure
[00:54:13] people are talking, communicating, and
[00:54:15] um and uh fostering relationships.
[00:54:24] >> [clears throat]
[00:54:24] >> Um, this is a great question coming out
[00:54:26] of two years of no confidence votes from
[00:54:29] both of our unions in the board
[00:54:31] majority. Um, you know, I think the
[00:54:34] first thing that I'd like to do, um,
[00:54:37] when, you know, after the election, uh,
[00:54:40] is talk to the teachers and the union
[00:54:42] members and find out what it is we can
[00:54:45] do to rebuild that trust. And it's not
[00:54:48] about talking about loving our teachers.
[00:54:51] It's about demonstrating that we respect
[00:54:53] our teachers. We respect the expertise
[00:54:56] of our teachers and staff and that we
[00:54:58] would like to continue working with them
[00:55:00] in a collaborative way because nothing
[00:55:03] good in this district can happen without
[00:55:06] that. And so I'm very eager to do that
[00:55:09] work. Um our actions are important and
[00:55:13] it's particularly important in this
[00:55:16] moment because in order to need to move
[00:55:18] forward this is for me the primary goal
[00:55:22] and the teachers obviously our our staff
[00:55:24] have a lot of concerns. We need to
[00:55:27] address those concerns so that we can do
[00:55:29] real work on behalf of the students and
[00:55:32] what I hope is put students at the
[00:55:35] center of these discussions instead of
[00:55:37] all this background noise that's getting
[00:55:40] in the way of doing what the district
[00:55:41] needs to do.
[00:55:53] I agree with everyone. Um, communication
[00:55:53] and trust are paramount. Our staff needs
[00:55:56] to feel cared about and respected even
[00:55:59] though we may not always be on the same
[00:56:02] page. As a board member, sometimes
[00:56:06] um well, my role is to represent
[00:56:09] students and community. When we are
[00:56:11] doing negotiations,
[00:56:13] the teachers have their union to
[00:56:16] negotiate for them. The classified
[00:56:18] people have their union to negotiate for
[00:56:20] them. As a board we are supposed to be
[00:56:24] negotiating for the students and
[00:56:25] sometimes those are not totally aligned.
[00:56:29] For an example would be one of the one
[00:56:34] of the things in the teachers union
[00:56:37] contract is we cannot hire a teacher
[00:56:40] that has more than five years
[00:56:42] experience. Now, when we can afford that
[00:56:47] and that would be the best for our
[00:56:49] students, that doesn't make sense to me,
[00:56:52] especially in an area like um AP
[00:56:55] physics. There aren't there aren't that
[00:56:58] many people that are qualified. And to
[00:57:01] have somebody um that is doesn't have
[00:57:04] experience and isn't that good isn't the
[00:57:06] best for our students. Most districts do
[00:57:08] not have a clause like that. It says
[00:57:11] that the superintendent can make a
[00:57:13] judgment call on certain things. And I I
[00:57:16] I
[00:57:18] feel badly that people don't like it if
[00:57:20] I'm up negotiating for kids and not
[00:57:23] them.
[00:57:29] As a board member, I'm going to lean
[00:57:29] into the 10 years of volunteer work that
[00:57:32] I've been doing here with the district
[00:57:33] and all of the relationships that I've
[00:57:35] cultivated year after year after year um
[00:57:37] in the rooms with teachers and staff um
[00:57:41] and all the um various stakeholders. Um
[00:57:46] for me,
[00:57:48] the first thing we have to do is just
[00:57:49] listen. That's what I've been doing for
[00:57:50] 10 years. First listen, ask what you
[00:57:52] need and then say, "How can I help?"
[00:57:54] That's literally the job of a school
[00:57:56] board member. what resources do you need
[00:57:58] and how can I allocate them in a way
[00:58:00] that makes you feel that you have the
[00:58:02] resources to be productive and best for
[00:58:04] our students. So for me,
[00:58:08] I want to lean into that process that
[00:58:09] I've developed over 10 years and
[00:58:11] continue that with our staff and our uh
[00:58:15] teachers.
[00:58:25] it's funny uh we're applying for a job.
[00:58:25] So I'm going to give you a little
[00:58:26] background in my experience. Uh I've run
[00:58:28] an organization. We have a board and as
[00:58:31] it was mentioned earlier, we've been
[00:58:33] recognized three times as an incapest
[00:58:34] place to work. That is not because we
[00:58:36] are homogeneous in thought. That is not
[00:58:38] because we are sitting here agreeing
[00:58:40] with each other every day. Naturally,
[00:58:42] there are going to be disagreements.
[00:58:44] That's understandable. That's expected.
[00:58:45] Diverse thought is what yields the
[00:58:47] highest outcome. It is necessity for us
[00:58:50] to be able to address difficult
[00:58:52] conversations with civility and ask
[00:58:55] meaningful questions, listen and come to
[00:58:58] the best decision possible for the
[00:59:00] outcome of our students. Um, in regards
[00:59:02] to how, I think about a few things. One,
[00:59:05] no more surprises. Major decisions
[00:59:07] affecting the classrooms, the working
[00:59:09] conditions, the staffing should be um
[00:59:12] should include consultation before the
[00:59:14] board reaches a decision, not after it
[00:59:16] has been made. respect the chain of
[00:59:18] governance. So board members should set
[00:59:20] direction and hold up um hold up
[00:59:23] accountability but not bypass
[00:59:24] administrators or direct directly engage
[00:59:28] with um with employees or insert
[00:59:30] themselves in a daily operation.
[00:59:32] We should listen without retaliation. So
[00:59:35] tech and the staff the the teachers and
[00:59:37] the staff must be uh forgive me scratch
[00:59:40] notes here be able to raise concerns
[00:59:43] including publicly without fear of
[00:59:44] retaliation. We need to treat employee
[00:59:47] expertise as essential. We need to
[00:59:49] bargain in good faith. We need to model
[00:59:51] professionalism publicly and we need to
[00:59:53] follow through.
[01:00:03] >> Okay, Joan, what opportunities do you
[01:00:03] see to strengthen student well-being and
[01:00:07] school safety in Laguna Beach Unified?
[01:00:10] And what role should the board play in
[01:00:12] addressing them? You have 90 seconds.
[01:00:15] Okay. So, so this is an area where I
[01:00:18] think that our um board and our district
[01:00:21] has done some really good work. Um we
[01:00:24] regularly survey our students and we
[01:00:28] really try to stay on top of making sure
[01:00:30] that there's someone in every school
[01:00:32] that our students can go to that they
[01:00:34] feel supported. Um so I think that that
[01:00:38] is not a job that is done. That's
[01:00:41] something that we all always need to
[01:00:43] stay on top of. What I would add to
[01:00:45] that, and this is coming out of my
[01:00:47] meeting last week with some of the
[01:00:49] parents of the special ed students, is
[01:00:51] thinking about how to extend some of
[01:00:53] that work so that our parents and
[01:00:56] students feel like the board and the
[01:00:58] district is working in partnership um
[01:01:00] with everybody and and I think that that
[01:01:03] will go a long way toward um you know,
[01:01:06] increasing the well-being of both our
[01:01:08] students and the families that are
[01:01:10] associated with the district. Um, you
[01:01:13] know, generally speaking, this is just
[01:01:15] something that we always have to be
[01:01:17] mindful of. We receive regular reports
[01:01:20] at board meetings on metrics around this
[01:01:23] stuff. And I think that we do a good
[01:01:25] job, but there's always more work to do.
[01:01:27] And I think as a board, [music]
[01:01:28] we have to continue pushing for that.
[01:01:31] And and that's what I would do.
[01:01:43] >> Thank you. Um, one of the areas that we
[01:01:43] worked on this year was
[01:01:46] the transportation committee worked on
[01:01:48] safety for students on the bus. Uh, we
[01:01:52] asked for a bus monitor and we thought
[01:01:55] that was happening. It hasn't yet. We're
[01:01:57] looking into that. Uh, cameras are on
[01:02:00] the bus now that also have recording
[01:02:03] devices so that we can look and see if
[01:02:07] um, something has happened. we know what
[01:02:10] has happened on the bus. We have a lot
[01:02:12] more information about if a bus is late,
[01:02:16] letting people know, etc. Another thing
[01:02:20] that we're looking at as far as
[01:02:22] well-being, we have a wonderful
[01:02:24] counseling staff when students seem to
[01:02:28] be lonely and have trouble. The ones
[01:02:30] that I have talked to say it they do
[01:02:33] have an an adult that they can go to,
[01:02:36] most of them that they trust, but some
[01:02:39] of them don't have a friend. And to
[01:02:42] bring that into it would be really
[01:02:45] helpful to help students find a friend,
[01:02:49] do group do group work so people can
[01:02:52] find someone that is similar to them or
[01:02:55] you know they both like something. So
[01:02:59] that is an area that I would really
[01:03:01] think really like us to work on.
[01:03:09] I think this is an area we do a really
[01:03:09] good job on and we can just continue to
[01:03:11] build on. We have one of the lowest
[01:03:13] counselor to student ratios in the
[01:03:15] state. I think it's 1 to 200. Um we have
[01:03:18] a social emotion emotional wellness
[01:03:21] director. We have social workers at each
[01:03:23] site. We have school resource officers
[01:03:26] at each site. These are things we should
[01:03:28] continue to build on. One of the things
[01:03:30] that I'm very interested in is this idea
[01:03:33] that I've spoke about before around
[01:03:34] whether or not a student knows that
[01:03:36] there's an adult that believes in their
[01:03:38] success. It's not just that they know
[01:03:39] they can go to them when they have a
[01:03:40] problem, but they actually know that
[01:03:41] there's an adult on campus that believes
[01:03:43] in them. And there's actually a pilot
[01:03:46] program happening right now. So to the
[01:03:48] extent a student wasn't a first of all,
[01:03:50] if they identify a teacher, that teacher
[01:03:52] is notified that a kid picked you as the
[01:03:54] person that believes in them. And as I
[01:03:55] understand it, some of the staff have
[01:03:56] ended up in tears knowing that a kid
[01:03:58] said that. To the extent a student
[01:04:00] hasn't identified a staff member,
[01:04:03] they're assigned staff to go out and
[01:04:05] reach out to them and get to know them.
[01:04:07] You guys, this is really cool work we're
[01:04:08] doing and I want to continue doing this
[01:04:11] work and seeing how the board can help
[01:04:12] allocate resources. So, from my
[01:04:14] perspective, we review our programs. We
[01:04:16] continue to examine what are best
[01:04:18] practices in the in these areas. we get
[01:04:21] the staff recommendations and then our
[01:04:23] job as a board is to make sure that we
[01:04:24] are stewarding and allocating resources
[01:04:26] for these improvements.
[01:04:29] >> 100% agree with you Shaheen. Uh first
[01:04:31] and foremost, our role and
[01:04:33] responsibility as a board is always the
[01:04:35] well-being and the safety of our
[01:04:36] students both physically and
[01:04:38] emotionally. Uh students can't show up
[01:04:41] to class and be able to absorb
[01:04:43] everything that we're throwing at them
[01:04:45] when they don't feel physically or
[01:04:47] emotionally safe. Um, and so I will
[01:04:49] second what uh what Shaheen has
[01:04:51] mentioned. We do an excellent job.
[01:04:53] There's always room for improvement, but
[01:04:55] foundationally it is critical that the
[01:04:57] board examines this in every possible
[01:05:00] way.
[01:05:02] >> Um, yeah, I mean, you guys made some
[01:05:05] great points. Um, and I would say I I
[01:05:08] always feel good dropping my kids off at
[01:05:10] school here. I I um I feel that they're
[01:05:13] really safe. Um, and so that's something
[01:05:16] especially in the climate of today's day
[01:05:19] and age where you hear about stuff on
[01:05:22] the news all the time and it's
[01:05:24] devastating and I I just I applaud um
[01:05:28] the officers on campus and and how how
[01:05:32] um how much our staff and teachers
[01:05:35] really care about our student safety um
[01:05:37] and well-being. Um, and I think that,
[01:05:40] you know, we we do we're really really
[01:05:43] in tune with our students and I think
[01:05:46] the counselors do an amazing job um with
[01:05:49] our kids and I think we can always do
[01:05:51] better and as a board member just
[01:05:53] collaborate with teachers and staff and
[01:05:56] um address bullying, nip it in the bud
[01:05:59] when stuff happens. I mean it happens,
[01:06:01] you know, but teach our kids like we
[01:06:03] model it from home, you know, and and we
[01:06:06] and and the way that we act in board
[01:06:09] meetings and on campus and and the
[01:06:12] adults in the room have a responsibility
[01:06:14] to our students um and to model that
[01:06:17] behavior and I think it's anti-bullying
[01:06:20] month, too. So, um anyway, I I think the
[01:06:23] school does a great job and um I would
[01:06:26] support uh staff and teachers
[01:06:35] Thank you D. Back to you. What is
[01:06:35] something that you have accomplished in
[01:06:36] your personal life that you are proud
[01:06:39] of? And you have 60 seconds.
[01:06:43] >> In my personal life or my career or my
[01:06:48] board life or personal life. [laughter]
[01:06:52] Okay. [gasps] Personal life. Um I am
[01:06:57] proud that I've
[01:06:59] um raised some very good kids. Um my
[01:07:04] husband and I were official guardians of
[01:07:08] two. I had two foster daughters that
[01:07:11] became mine and then another one. So, uh
[01:07:15] five kids that are all I'm proud of all
[01:07:19] of them. They're all loving human
[01:07:21] beings, very inclusive, and care about
[01:07:24] our world. And that's what [snorts] I
[01:07:28] would want for them. And I have tried to
[01:07:30] impart that to many of my students and
[01:07:33] Liz being one of them. So proud of her
[01:07:36] for joining me and running for school
[01:07:39] board and wanting to volunteer for our
[01:07:41] community.
[01:07:49] >> In my personal life that I'm proud of, I
[01:07:49] think being a mom. Um and
[01:07:54] yeah, raising two healthy, hopefully
[01:07:56] happy kids. Um and and making sure that
[01:08:01] they can see that service and giving
[01:08:04] back to community is a core value of our
[01:08:07] family. And so that's that's actually
[01:08:09] what I feel most proud of.
[01:08:18] I am most proud of my children. Uh, I
[01:08:18] am,
[01:08:20] you know, children, as any parent in the
[01:08:22] room can attest, part nature, part
[01:08:24] nurture. We do our best as we can. They
[01:08:27] come out who they are.
[01:08:29] >> Uh, but I also picked a great partner.
[01:08:33] Uh, that would be an incredible parent
[01:08:35] with alongside of me. I think that's an
[01:08:37] extraordinarily important decision in
[01:08:39] life. And our children wouldn't be who
[01:08:41] they are without my husband. So, I'm
[01:08:45] grateful for him.
[01:08:48] >> [laughter]
[01:08:55] >> I'm gonna echo what they said. Being a
[01:08:55] mom to my four children, to be able to
[01:08:58] raise my favorite human beings, like
[01:09:01] what a gift. Um, I've been a mom since I
[01:09:04] was 19 years old. So, I don't know life
[01:09:07] really that much without being a mom.
[01:09:10] Um, so my youngest is graduating 2027.
[01:09:14] So, I'm about to discover what that's
[01:09:15] like. I mean, obviously, you're going to
[01:09:17] worry all the time about your kids. I
[01:09:18] don't think you ever stop, but um but
[01:09:21] yeah, they are my most pinnacle of
[01:09:24] accomplishment and um if I died
[01:09:26] tomorrow, I'd be okay with it because I
[01:09:28] raised some amazing kids. I don't want
[01:09:30] that to happen, though. So,
[01:09:33] so this is a great opportunity for us
[01:09:36] all to hear about how proud proud
[01:09:38] [clears throat] we are as parents. Um I
[01:09:40] I also have to give the same answer. You
[01:09:42] know, my husband and I have raised
[01:09:44] together five children, and the four
[01:09:46] older ones are doing what we asked them
[01:09:49] to do, which is think about how blessed
[01:09:51] they are and figure out how to do
[01:09:53] something that really gave back to the
[01:09:56] community and the world in which we
[01:09:57] live. And so those kids are living all
[01:10:00] across the country. All of my older kids
[01:10:02] are in grad school. But the best thing
[01:10:05] about it is they come home all the time
[01:10:07] and we have so much fun. They're really
[01:10:10] like great fun kids and we travel and we
[01:10:13] play board games and you know just
[01:10:15] seeing your kids in your their 20s and I
[01:10:18] have now one one in my 30s just be solid
[01:10:22] human beings that are fun to be around
[01:10:24] and make me really laugh like that's
[01:10:27] just the best. So that's my proudest
[01:10:29] accomplishment for sure.
[01:10:31] So that's it. I want to thank all of you
[01:10:36] for stepping up. It is not easy as a
[01:10:39] former schoolboard member. It is not
[01:10:40] easy to run a campaign and sit up and
[01:10:44] ask uh difficult questions, but you all
[01:10:47] have done a wonderful job. And again, on
[01:10:49] behalf of fourth district PTA and the
[01:10:52] PTA, you are amazing all and um thank
[01:10:56] you again for stepping up to this job.
[01:10:59] [applause] Phyllis