Q&A with the School Board Candidates: Julie Freedman
What experiences have prepared you to be on the school board?
I’ve lived here in Conejo Valley for almost 20 years now, my son just graduated Newbury Park High School, I have a daughter that’s a sophomore at NPHS and I have another daughter that’s in fifth grade at Banyan Elementary. I have background in budgeting and operations, when I had my daughter I went quit and stayed home, was extremely bored, and got very involved with the schools. I’ve been PTA president at both Banyan and Sequoia, I’ve been on site council at the high school and at Banyan, I’ve done fundraising, I’ve been on the board for girls softball, and I’ve been on the board for NP basketball. My last 14 years of my life have been completely dedicated to schools and kids in the community.
Why do you want to be a school board member?
I have loved volunteering and doing things, especially watching my son and his friends graduate, and seeing who they become and being a tiny little part of that and maybe got some of them going certain ways… I want to make more of a difference. Being on school board gives me the opportunity to make that all bigger of a difference for all the kids in the community not just now but 10 years from now or 20 years from now… I mean let’s just face it- everybody moves back here and has kids here, so my grandkids and my friends grandkids will all be going to school here someday too. We need to not only make the schools great today, but in a decade or two decades– it’s not just short term.
What are your main concerns for the school district?
I think that our biggest concern right now is that over the past decade, education has changed so dramatically, with technology being brought in. I look even at my fifth grade daughter at what she does in fifth grade now, versus what my son did not even 7 years ago and it’s just going so fast with how they incorporate the use of technology in the classroom. Additionally, with our new state standards, it’s a whole new way of teaching kids to learn. I personally really like them if teachers are taught how to teach. It teaches kids how to think, and to me it’s so much better to learn how to think and how to fail and succeed than how we do it now. However, you’re throwing great teachers who have been teaching for 20 years, 30 years who are amazing, with new stuff and saying come on you guys, come on and start teaching all over again. For a lot of theses teachers it’s like going back to the first day of school because how do we do… you know… google classroom, what is that, or oh we’re supposed to tweet out homework assignments. For a lot of our older teachers it’s a tough adjustment because they’ve been very successful where they are now they’re being told no everything you’ve done has to change. I think one of the big things is really getting teachers professional development and training to make them much more effective in the classroom and to make them better teachers and students are really up to where they should be as well- you have to have strong teachers. I also think a lot of our schools I mean Thousand Oaks is 50 years old now. There’s a lot of upgrades and updating to the school’s environments well to make sure that they are ready for this generation who are learning. Again, it’s you know even desk and chairs are old school you know. I mean a lot of these schools have people at the standing desks or different things where they’re learning so that kids learn better and work better it’s just so we have better options. I mean I think vocational education is really important, a lot of kids aren’t going to college these days or are taking gap years. So from hearing students “oh you want to take a gap year?” “Oh you better know how to boil water” I mean something as simple as that but I mean can you change a lightbulb, can you fix a you know, can you go pump gas in your car? I mean there’s people I know who can’t pump gas in the car… It’s kind of sad so I think a lot of it is just a more overall areas.
What is your view on increased use of technology in classrooms and how would you provide for students who don’t have access to technology?
I think a lot of it is teacher development, so I know that we’ve raised money at Banyan, the PTA, over the years so we get smart boards in all the classrooms. Unfortunately, a lot of them have collected dust because nobody thought to train the teachers on how to use them. So the teachers still use them as whiteboards. There are some teachers who have gone and gotten training, and it’s incredible how they’re integrated into lesson plans. So I think a lot of it is making sure the teachers have been trained. Also, having those teachers share with other teachers saying “Ok guys, here’s how I incorporated this lesson plan”, and really having more mentoring throughout teacher to teacher. That doesn’t cost nearly as much money if you have the teachers helping each other. It also builds up relationships and makes the classes much more aligned. I think it is very tough if you are a student who doesn’t have the money to have technology at home because I know my daughter at NP, almost all of her teachers have them on different things. However, I think most of the students do have iphones or smartphones. I mean the reality is, even our parents who don’t have a lot of money, they all come to the meetings with smartphones. I think five years ago it was a lot tougher. I think five years ago you had much more people without the ability to do that whereas these days I think that gap is closing a little bit of who has and who doesn’t have them. I can see a program where kids can check them out at the beginning of the year like a textbook, you know, ipads or chromebooks or something that can be used or making sure the library is open for an hour before school or after school where kids can go in and use the computers for homework, you would need to look how many kids actually needed them but I mean you definitely need to make it available to everybody where it’s easy. They can go in at lunch, after school, before school and get everything done but, yeah that is a downside to technology. If you don’t have it you’re going to fall behind very quickly.
What steps would you take further to help this issue?
It’s one of those factors that just comes in, as a school board we won’t have different people come in and say ok this is really… We look at last year’s budget and we look at the different… I mean I’ve been sat on the different bonds measures as well which money is going to technology for measure I. So a lot of times you go through and you have parents, you’ve got teachers and principles that will come in and say listen this is what our school needs. And so you put all those numbers together and you really, you listen. I mean It’s really about listening to people who are really using that. And i mean I love to have the students come and talk to the board as well going hey… as students it’s great the teacher tells you to do this but the reality of it is it was easier for me to read a book. Or the reality is when I’m at sports I don’t need my teacher texting me it’s overkill. When I walk out of school I don’t want to be in contact with my school or Oh I love this I wish all teachers would text me I mean It’s I think we need to as a board listen to the students as much as we listen to the parents because you’re the ones really being affected by it and it looks great on paper, like a smartboard, it looks good on paper until we actually install it and we’re like wait a second we’re missing key elements here. And once we got the key elements then it was great. But it’s one of those things that it’s really… Being on school board isn’t about my opinions. My opinions don’t count. I mean I can bring my knowledge into the conversation but it’s really about the facts that are out there and it’s really about what the school district needs as a whole.
How do you think you will try to incorporate student opinions?
I think we need to be available that if ASG wants to come in or you know student or you know the newspapers want to come in or if students want to come in and talk to us that we make available time where we’re there to listen to what they have to say or we’re here to answer questions I mean sometimes they just don’t understand why we make choices.
What is your opinion on the mandate of sexual health education in schools?
Its reality these days. I think it’s important. The old sex ed we were teaching was from the 1950’s I think it was a little dorky and honestly Its state mandated. We really as a district, we don’t have a say in it. I think our district did the right thing most districts are saying parents can opt out. Our district said parents have to opt in. For opt out, it makes it very easy for students to sneak i. If a family doesn’t believe in what’s being taught, that’s their choice. We are allowing them to say this isn’t ok.The reality is that you guys talk, you guys read, and watch TVI think it’s good that people understand that there’s nothing wrong with that. You can talk about it and it’s not rumors By sitting there and making it something more than it is it causes judgement and misconception and ultimately bullying, even. It’s like people don’t understand, people will just assume. It can become an issue.
What is your opinion on the inclusion of same sex relationships in sexual ed?
That’s a really hard one in the Conejo Valley. I personally, do not think it’s an issue. My kids don’t either but I can understand how it can make some people very uncomfortable. Especially because we live in a very conservative community that you have to look at all sides. It’s like, yes, you want to make this one person feel comfortable, but you’re also making 20 other people uncomfortable and neither one is right or wrong. I think maybe looking at how we have restrooms setup to begin with. And maybe knocking them all down and we can have three individual bathrooms that way anybody can just use the individual bathroom. The reality is… I don’t know. I’d prefer to listen to students on that one more than anybody else.
How do you feel about transgender students using the bathroom of the gender they identify with?
I like the fact that there are stalls. I went through high school without stalls. Ib was the underdeveloped one until I was much older and I got made fun of a lot. I always tried to get PE last period so I didn’t have to change. So I have no problem with that at all. I think people have a right to privacy.
How do you view Assembly Bill 329?
Again, my answer to most parents was that it was a state mandated curriculum. We as a school board,do not have the ability to not adopt it and if we do we can boost funding. It’s kind of one of those things you don’t. I’d always let parents know that they do have the right to, you have to opt in. So if a parent is uncomfortable and they want to have teach it at home or have their church leader or someone else teach it, then I’d encourage them not to opt in and to use that right that you have.
What is your opinion of current ed code requirements that grant high school journalists the same rights as professional journalists?
I backed you guys on your article last year, Victoria interviewed me, as a board member I’d probably say, the cover shouldn’t have been done. I understand why, but the advertisement of the cover could’ve used better judgement. I have no issue whatsoever of what was written down. I think the students especially if they know what’s going on and the advisor has read it, that’s part of it. I mean, you are young adults. You’ve all grown up faster than we did because of social media and because of news, and because of newspapers and because of how you’ve been treated and the responsibilities you’ve been given. So it’s god that you learn to be responsible as well. Yes you have a right to write whatever you want, but be responsible about it. And so therefore, just think how is this going to affect people who read it or see it. And as long as you do that, I think it’s good for you guys to learn that. Then again, if there’s something like that that happened last time, I think everybody handled it very professionally and I think people read and listened and heard what was said.
What are your thoughts on the relocation of CVHS?
I was on Measure R Bond 2007-2008. I was on the District Advisory Council (the DAC) and there was money there to build a vocational school and a new CVHS and they chose not to. A lot of different reasons why they chose not to. I said, back then, it was a mistake. What happened was that a lot of the community goes, “why do we want to waste money on those kids?”. To me it’s not wasting money on those kids number one. Number two, there was so much that could’ve been done with the schools as well because what I was going to do was take a school that was for kids who needed the continuing in their classes or whatever and start a vocational school. And really it could’ve been a great school by now. And we missed the boat on that. Oxnard has one, We’ve got one going now in Moorpark, I mean, we don’t have a vocational school in Thousand Oaks which a district our size should have. That could very easily handle those kids, but neither here nor there that wasn’t done. I don’t believe Waverly’s an answer because not only are those 77 students and all the teachers and the administrators displaced, you’ve now displaced a lot of people at Waverly as well. It’s like a domino effect. So some people say, oh it’s only 77 students, I say no it’s not only 77 students there’s a lot more people involved than 77 students. And also, the community is involved. It’s not good for anybody. I don’t see who benefits from it. It’s already been done enough. The superintendent said that’s what it is, that’s what it is. At this point, that’s what’s going to happen. There’s going to be no vote on it, there does not have to be a vote. The superintendent has the right to make that decision. I was fine with it being put at TO high school temporarily, assuming all the classrooms are together, assuming they could stay together because i think a lot of times what happens is is you guys have huge high schools. My graduating class was 100 kids. I would be so intimidated coming to a school this size. And I think for some kids its very hard to find and be able to adjust to this many buildings, this many kids, this many, teachers. I think it’s good that we have a smaller option because we have different options at elementary. I think it’s important to have different options. I would love to see a vocational school built. I think it’s important. I say put them in TO for a year while you build the school. I think high school is a better place when they’re all high schoolers. They didn’t work in high schools for different reasons, so putting them back in there is going to not help them succeed as well as they could some place else. But, I think they can succeed here than at Waverly or Horizon Hills or Carden or any of the other options that came up.
Do you feel that all students receive equal opportunity in this district?
I think they do, if the students students speak for themselves, or the parents speak for them, or they have a counselor or teacher that speaks for them. I don’t think we as a district communicate what the options are. I do think there’s opportunities there for every single student. I really do think we have done a good job providing different programs. However we haven’t done a good job letting people know these programs exist. My son was in Data when in high school, but had I not sat there, my three going there saying “ok this school is not working for him, we need something else, and the go well did you look Into data?” And I’m like well what is that? It was an Academic ace by within Newbury Park, and mean it was perfect for him, he had a great 3 years, but had I not asked he would have gone lost in the system and dropped out of high school at some point. So yes I think the district does have something there for every student. Do we have those people to help the students find where they belong? No.
What about schools enforcing nondiscrimination among peers?
The problem with social media is that students can treat each other just fine on campus, but trash each other on their phones, while looking at the person smiling, social media has become a real problem,. It very hard for an administrator, or parent to monitor that. I have had issues with that, I mean my daughters friend got really badly bullied because of her sexual preferences and how she dressed and she had to be at La Reina at the time and it was a horrible situation, my daughters friends was told “oh you should just kill yourself because you’re gay and your parents do hate you, I mean God hates you.” I saw how first hand how intense it could get, and this is far worse .. People can be a lot meaner over the phone with no face. So my daughter went back and physically looking at them like “what the hell” and that was the end at La Reina. I do think we try very hard, I know that comes up a lot, as far as bullion goes, or as far a show people treat each other. A lost of it comes from parents too. I look at Facebook and go “this is the example you set for your kids, I mean you just trashed another mom” where everyone can read it. You are not setting an example for our students, It’s a really tough thing, we did not grow up in a social media generation, and as adults it’s all new to us. We are raising kids, you are the first generation of students being made on social media, and so I think it’s where the students try to figure it out. We can’t monitor it it, we can try and teach kids and present people on this is how you act,a don don’t discriminate people. But when parents are discriminating, and parents are writing stuff, and our board members can’t agree with stuff, and are fighting with each other in public. We are not exactly setting a good example for everybody. That’s’ the part of the reason why I am running, we need some sanity, we are all on the same team. The reality is whether I like you personally or not, whether you’re my best friend or not, we are all on the same team, we have the same goals, and we meet the same future. You got to make sure everyone can grow into an adult in their own way, not every kids going to go to college, not every kid is going to go through this path, or that path, I mean that doesn’t mean you are going to be happy, or more happy here, I mean everyone needs to find what makes them happy or what they are good at. And how they are going to change the world.
Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
I mean whether I win or lose this, I’m still very involved in the school level and community, and it’s a great community. I mean I have had my differences with certain things and there are a few things I would love to change, Minds to be opened a little more, however I think it’s a very good district and it’s a very good community , and I think our students are great. I mean it really truly is for the students.
How would you reach those students whose parents are working class or have a language barrier?
I think at NP they do have a good program that reaches out to our ELD parents. They actually get quite a few on campus and they have people advocating for them and I’m actually pretty impressed with how they do it. It’s more for your middle of the road, your “C” students. The kids that are not dumb, not smart, they’re just average, their parents may or may not work so education, may not have been a big thing for them, so they don’t even know how to ask the questions. I think we are getting more… the new little app we have and the communication we’re going through all calls and emails… we’re just saying “Hey guys come to back to school night because we’re doing different programs that your kid might be interested in” or really educating the community that four year college isn’t the answer for every kid. Look we have data we have all the culinary programs we have eos over here we have the majors program over there, you know, our district has these great programs. Do you know about them? Letting parents know that there are these programs out there. Club days are so late in the year, i’d rather see club days earlier and see the kids go “oh wait a second, I like that, or these students look just like me, and it gives them the opportunity… i mean our schools have great clubs but parents don’t even know half these clubs exist. They’re not on websites, as a parent I can’t go “hey taylor do you see that club do you think you’d be interested– oh there’s a club, huh?” You know I mean… I think it’s really,…. I think these clubs can do a lot for these kids. I think we can ge journalism, yearbook, drama, letting kids find.. I’d love to see a lot more of that at junior high levels. Letting kids find if they’re not good at math or science then “look we are a great photographer” or “look we are a great artist” or look we can sing or having those opportunities where you can be very successful or be an incredible person. We don’t have to be a A+ student in math.
Is there anything you’d like to say to the student body?
Don’t believe everything you read on social media. Number one, that is not an education, You are not going to learn anything there and most of the time it’s not true. There’s this great website called snoop or you know snoops.com you know. Just don’t… you know. And don’t be mean. I mean seriously, before you post something, think about something that somebody else posted about you. Would you really want to read that about yourself? We all have our weaknesses. Anybody can hurt us.
What is your opinion on the block schedule versus the traditional schedule?
My daughter might actually transfer over here to get away from block schedule next year. For math, it’s very hard for her to catch. For some students, it’s very hard to learn everything in one day. I mean it’s very high accelerated. However, I think it’s good that we have a school that offers block. I would prefer kids to transfer to TO or Westlake if they don’t do well with block, and a lot of kids to transfer to NP if the block school is how they would like to learn. I mean I think we need options, I like the fact that our schools have a different setup because it allows kids, again, different kids to learn in different ways. AP is hard because of the blocks but i think everything else works really well for a lot of students. And it prepares you for college— that’s how college is you get three classes or four classes. I think the block schedule works very well for some students. I think for students who struggle in a class, to have an entire year shoved into four months, five months, is very overwhelming for certain students. If we didn’t have school choice it would be like “aw yeah heck yeah get rid of the blocks” but because we have school choice no. I think that it should remain as blocks.
