Gary Mittin

District: Las Virgenes Unified (Shared w/ Ventura County)
Position Seeking: Governing Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up.

My wife plays the piano.

Question 2: What kind of creative solutions would you suggest to support student outcomes such as English language development, closing the achievement gap, and preparation for college and/or meaningful careers?

Parent involvement is the key. Every study supports the same conclusion. Where parents get involved in the education of their children, the children score higher on achievement tests.

Change LCFF. Concentrated grants should be given based on the percentage of socio economic disadvantaged students per SCHOOL not the district. Some schools with 55% socio econ disadv students are getting no concentrated grants from the state.

Question 3: What do you think should be the role of the School Board in ensuring that students have access to a broad range of study?

Social skills are more important than academics. Music and sports teach social skills.plus leadership and networking skills. An academic nurd is worthless unless they can communicate and work with other people. I will not vote for a budget that increases class size or cuts the social programs (music and sports).

Question 4: In light of the Local Control Funding Formula and development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), what are your creative solutions for achieving goals in the eight priority areas?

Lobby the state to change concentrated grants. Now the con grants are based on the percentage of socio econ disadv students in each district. Change that to each school. One of our schools has over 85% socio econ disadvant and does not get any concentrated grant money.
Pass a parcel tax.
Get the parents involved.
When parents are involved……….achievement scores rise..