CVUSD Budget

It’s time to be responsible and fund fall first. The Acorn’s June 11 editorial suggests that making proactive cuts to the CVUSD budget is advisable. I disagree. I believe that the responsible action is to fund fall first, to reopen schools without cuts. Here’s why. First, a bit of background. The Governor’s May revise was a part of the budget process, not the last word. In response to the Governor’s budget proposal, the Legislature presented alternatives to address the revenue gap and to fund essential priorities, with schools being among the most essential. The budget voted on June 15 will likely incorporate many of the Legislature’s proposals, including drawing on the rainy day fund (set aside for exactly this circumstance) and deferring cuts in anticipation of funds not yet received from state and federal sources. Cutting jobs and programs now would not necessarily forestall or minimize later cuts but it would seriously undermine our capacity to restart learning safely in August. There’s no way around it: cuts would harm kids. To meet the readiness challenge for fall 2020, we need all hands and all minds at work to plan and execute for safety, learning, and social-emotional well-being. The shutdown was swift; reopening requires enormous, complex planning and preparation. We need every single person. They may not be doing their jobs in exactly the way they did them when schools closed in March. They will need to plan, train, and deliver in a new reality. Our students have lost learning and connection since the stay safe at home orders mandated closing schools. We are duty-bound to address those impacts and to welcome students back to a safe, affirming, high-quality learning environment. As students return to school, parents can return to work and the engine of our economy can pick up speed once again. We cannot let our students down. We must meet our responsibility to put students first by finalizing a budget that funds fall first.

-Lauren

LAUREN GILL ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR CONEJO VALLEY USD BOARD OF TRUSTEES

I’m writing to announce my candidacy for Conejo Valley Unified School District board of education in trustee area 5 (Newbury Park).

I’m running because I believe in our children, I believe in public education, and I believe I will be a more caring, more responsible, more informed and more effective advocate for our students than the incumbent.

A Boston native, I’m proud to call Newbury Park my home. I treasure the open space and biodiversity of the Conejo. I volunteer regularly with organizations working to ensure that our wildlife and open space are protected and sustained for future generations.

I’ve worked in technology, started and run a successful business, and spent the majority of my career in educational publishing. Currently I work for a large education company where I manage a portfolio of services that help students navigate college and help colleges achieve their missions around equity and completion.

I’m the proud product of public schools. My children are thriving because of their education at Banyan Elementary, Sequoia Middle and Newbury Park High schools.

I want every child to have a high-quality education like the one that made me.

Our overall results on the California Dashboard show a high-performing district. But when you disaggregate the data, you see too many students and their families struggling: students with disabilities, emerging bilingual learners, students of color, foster and homeless youths.

The current board majority and district leadership have made progress to restore community bonds, refocus attention and resources on students, and rebuild the CVUSD into an exemplary district. There is more good work to do.

Newbury Park deserves a trustee who will put students first, uphold good governance, build trust and support excellence.

I’ve spent nearly my entire career in education. My experience and my respect for the transformative power of education are important qualifiers for the role of trustee.

Perhaps equally important are the character traits I bring to the role: I am deeply curious, I listen, I show up for the work, and I care like crazy about our students and about public education.

-Lauren