Governing Board Member

SEATS AVAILABLE: 2

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..

Mathy Wasserman

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.

The Arts played a significant aspect of my academic and social development. As a child, I took ballet from a very young age well into middle school. In school, I was a rebel and wanted to file a petition so that I could take drums instead of a girl instrument. Later, in high school I participated in the television station and newspaper which were part of the class schedule, not extracurricular.

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?

Divesifying programs to meet the strengths and serve the weaknesses of students is crucial to provide successful paths for academic and social development. From shared best practices, I believe that ELL can grow, gaps in achievement can be bridged and college and career preparation can be successful.

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?

The role of the Governing Board should be to reflect the community. I believe that finding solutions to each students individual learning need requires innovation, creativity and problem solving. It’s important that students, who learn in different ways, have a pathway that best suits their learning style. For some, that may mean a traditional or honors track, an academy like Calabasas High’s Academy of Mefia Entertainment, an Independent or Home Study option or a hybrid. I am impressed when the A=Arts is added to STEM learning for STEAM The powerful connection between the two realms shouldn’t be ignored.

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?

Due to the funding formula for Las Virgenes Unified School District, we sit in the lowest 10% of funding in the state. That requires LVUSD to look for partnership with our citIies, our foundation, our parents and the community. In addition, we look for the availability of grants to fund programs and continue to advocate on behalf of our students regarding state and federal funding.