SIMI UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CANDIDATES Q & A

THE ACORN PRESENTS A ROUNDTABLE Q&A WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR SVUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION

 

 

QUESTION NO. 1: Why are you running for Simi Valley Unified School District board of education?

JUBRAN: As a product of Simi schools and a 30-year resident of Simi Valley, I would be honored to help safeguard the quality of public education in the city I grew up in. The education I received allowed me to study engineering at UCLA and USC. I’ve been able to provide for my family and become an active member of the community that has given me so much. With two small children about to go through the school district I hope to be a steward of their education, as well as all students in the district so that they may be afforded the same opportunities I was. I’m committed to a long-term presence on the school board if given the chance and will be living with my family in Simi Valley for many years to come. I believe that these factors are why I’ve been endorsed by Simi Valley teachers, school employees and all current school board trustees.

KUBEISY: As a lifelong Simi Valley resident, I had the privilege of attending Atherwood Elementary School, Sinaloa Middle School, and Royal High School. The honor of serving on the Simi Valley Unified School Board would provide me with the opportunity to give back to the community that shaped me into who I am. Due to growing partisanship and incivility in local and national politics, I believe we need representatives that will consider both viewpoints and appeal to shared values. I decided to run to bring a new perspective to the board and to be a voice for students. I will always serve with a students-first philosophy and will provide leadership on the issues that matter most. If elected, I will focus on furthering community partnerships, enhancing campus safety and ensuring the budget is managed efficiently and transparently.

QUESTION NO. 2: How would you grade the district overall in educating its students, and what specifi c areas do you believe the district needs to focus on more?

JUBRAN:I’dgivethedistricta9or10.Therehasbeensomuchpositivemomentum in the last few years, but I feel there is still much to do and often less to do it with. In general, I think the district could focus on improving communication with the community and within the district. Further developing the culture of transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement through sharing lessons learned in the everchanging education environment is important. The district should focus on producing college- and career-ready students. The career pathways program has shown great promise and there is much positive energy behind the students, teachers and staff making this happen. The focus on vocational/life skills education should be increased. For some students, college is not in their life plan, but if they are given skills or at least taught about career options as a tradesman or other vocational directions, this would give them a target to strive for. Increasing the number of counselors isn’t often discussed, but this is an important piece of successfully educating students. Having

more counselors will allow for more frequent follow-up, and focus on social-emotional services could have a number of direct and indirect positive results on the quality of education our students are receiving. This potentially could improve attendance, achievement and the feeling of belonging and safety at our schools.

KUBEISY: In accordance with their motto, “From here to anywhere,” I believe their students leave with a confidence that they can pursue their dreams and are prepared to achieve them. The district ensures that all doors are open to their students, regardless of their next step whether it is to go to college, a vocational school, into the workforce or enlist in the military. I believe the student experience is fulfilling largely due to the great work from our teachers. As a student, I was able to form lasting relationships with many as they became my mentors. These relationships led to my personal growth and the lessons instilled have continued to guide me in my aspirations. The district needs to focus more on investing in our educators. As role models in the classroom, they are expected to be leaders in their students’ home communities; however, due to an increased cost of living they have been pushed into neighboring communities. I think it is crucial that they be paid enough to afford housing in the community they teach in. Further investments in our teachers will bear dividends in our students and community for years to come.

QUESTION NO. 3: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the district in the next five years?

JUBRAN: The budget. With the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) reaching “fully funded” pre-recession levels, there will be less additional funding coming in year after year except for cost-of-living increases. Additionally, with the pension responsibilities increasing due to investment strategies falling short of target and increased retirements, the district will need to be as efficient as ever, if not more so. This is why I hope to help the district make smart decisions so that it can maintain the quality of education and stick to its commitments.

KUBEISY: The district has long had the challenge of retaining its students from kindergarten through graduation. This issue is being perpetuated by the District of Choice program, which enables our students to transfer out of the community to districts they have deemed more desirable. In turn, the funding that would have flowed into our schools is being sent to neighboring communities such as Oak Park. When our district loses its students, we must course correct to revivify our programs and make them attractive to the families that have lost trust. Instead of dismissing a parent’s right to choose where they send their children, we must continue to make our schools and district competitive and attractive in the region. To target the full spectrum of students, the district must continue developing and expanding offerings such as the International Baccalaureate, Air Force JROTC and pathways programs. As we increase our enrollment, I believe the remaining second- and third-order issues will resolve themselves.

QUESTION NO. 4: What ideas do you have for closing the “achievement gap”: lower test scores for English learners, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and foster students than for children who come from English- speaking or higher socioeconomic households?

JUBRAN: The importance of a public school system is that it is intended to educate all students that enroll regardless of background, socioeconomic status or any other factors. Utilizing the additional funding and resources provided at Title 1 schools and via the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) can help support and augment the educational experience in the early grades. Supporting and highlighting the great work the educators and administrators are doing in this area will inform the community and encourage more families to utilize these offerings. Moving into the secondary grades, I think that it is important to set the same high expectations by focusing on students as individuals so that they won’t be held back by labels. One way of doing this is to remove barriers such as placement tests and previous grades requirements for college prep and advanced classes so that any student that wants to try CP, AP, IB coursework has the opportunity. Many students may not have believed they could compete or even participate in this coursework. Taking and passing college-level coursework could open pathways and doors in the future. Supplemental tutoring/counseling help, and adapted coursework will encourage these students to achieve and should go a long way toward their future success.

KUBEISY: The achievement gap is a decades-old problem that has persisted with the students in our state and community. The solution is to make data-driven decisions based on programs that have worked elsewhere. As we begin to pilot new programs and implement best practices, we will find the most effective array of sustainable solutions to build upon.

The challenge is ensuring that the improvement of our lowest performers is not at the expense of our highest performers. We must close the gap by bringing the bottom up instead of bringing the top down. This disparity is evident in grade point averages, standardized test scores, involvement in extracurricular activities, graduation rates and enrollment in higher education. Closing this gap means that all students would have an equal opportunity to determine their future and fulfill their potential.

QUESTION NO. 5: What are your thoughts about switching to by- district elections for SVUSD?

JUBRAN: I am unsure of the results that this change will bring to our city. I believe that the school board should be a representative voice of the community, so I hope that this will only be a positive in that regard. My concern is that geographical separation may lead to trustees considering the needs and wants of only the schools in their district over the focus on equity across all schools. Only time will tell how this switch will play out. But I know that I’ll be considering the issues for all schools equally.

KUBEISY: Switching to by-district elections will ideally lead to the election of a board that is representative of the community and all residents. In this system, the demographics that are allegedly underrepresented will theoretically have a better chance at getting a candidate elected with their held beliefs and norms. However, a concern is that this governing board member will take a narrow-sighted view on the issues affecting the community as a whole. Furthermore, each trustee may be tempted to advocate only for their own area. This becomes problematic when voting on policies and fiscal decisions that will impact the entire school district. I see the transition as inevitable but benefi- cial in the long run. The community will maintain its small-town feel and the changes will mirror the principles of a representative democracy held by our nation’s founders. I would propose a mixed system with district members and at-large members. This compromise would maintain members with an impartial community-wide perspective while affording neighborhood-based viewpoints.

QUESTION NO. 6: What skills/ experience would you bring to the position?

JUBRAN: Most notably, my experience in construction engineering management and time spent as the vice chair of the citizens bond oversight committee will allow me to help ensure that the Measure X funds are utilized efficiently and effectively. During a decade of managing large-scale healthcare construction projects and other engineering roles I’ve been able to bring diverse teams together and build consensus towards common goals. As a board member of the Simi Valley Education Foundation I have been informed of the challenges and triumphs that occur daily in the district. I have asked for input and advice from current school board trustees as well as district educators and staff, attended many school board meetings and participated in the Ventura County Office of Education’s school board candidate academy so that if given the opportunity I’d be able to hit the ground running.

KUBEISY: With overwhelming support, I was elected to the board of trustees for the Ventura County Community College District as the student trustee. In this role, I have been entrusted as the sole voice for the 30,000 community college students across Ventura County attending Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges. In our community, I am currently serving on the Leadership Summit Advisory Committee with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and previously served as a student ambassador. In these roles, I have worked to instill the virtues of our 40th president, such as communication, optimism and informed decision-making. In high school, I worked as an intern with Congressman Steve Knight and became the Deputy Corps Commander in the Air Force JROTC program. I also volunteer as a baseball coach at Simi Valley High School and helped lead them to a league championship this past season. From working in our school system with students and players on a daily basis to setting the long-term strategic direction of our community colleges, I will provide input and bring a unique viewpoint that is currently lacking on the board.

QUESTION NO. 7: What are the three most pressing concerns you have about our public schools?

JUBRAN: Student achievement and preparing them for the world of tomorrow. This requires the right curriculum, technologies, facilities and professional development of the educators and staff. I would like to see SVUSD be the model of how it is done in this new era of education. Retaining and attracting talented teachers and staff. Class size, compensation, developmental offerings and administrative support are key components in keeping, hiring and inspiring the professionals that make our district great. Budget and the constraints this could put on the mission of our public school district if not managed effectively. Often with so many competing interests some tough decisions are necessary to be made. With that said, we cannot lose sight of the position that the school district plays as the foundation of an informed community.

KUBEISY: The primary concern is ensuring student safety during school hours. The campus needs to be a safe and secure place where students come to learn on a daily basis. To maintain this peace of mind, campuses need to develop a threat-assessment checklist and regularly monitor security cameras. They should also rehearse what to do during an active shooter situation and enhance the security presence at campus events and games. We also need high-quality civic education in the classroom. This will inculcate the skills and virtues needed to participate in a republican form of government outside of the classroom, where citizens are expected to be informed and involved. It is also important that we equip our students with the college and career skills needed to succeed in an evolving economy. As the economy evolves and progresses, our curriculum and offerings must keep pace. By expanding the dual enrollment program for high school students with Moorpark College, they will be able to earn college and high school credit from one of our local high school campuses. This will enable them to gain momentum for a smooth transition to college following their high school graduation.

QUESTION NO. 8: What is your leadership style?

JUBRAN: I lead from a consensus, teamwork-oriented mindset. I have often found in my professional life that there are different paths to the same goal. Taking the input from students, parents, district educators and staff, other trustees and the community at large is essential in guiding the trajectory of our schools. I focus on hearing from the people that are closest to the issues with the best information and then make informed decisions. I don’t claim to have all the answers and I realize the significance the role of a trustee carries. I hope to listen, learn then lead on the challenging issues that face our district.

KUBEISY: “Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do”: These are the core values that were instilled in me during my time leading the Air Force JROTC program. I was always expected to lead by example and expected the same out of those around me. Integrity is the basis for trust, and without it a team cannot function. As a trustee and community leader, the needs of the students and community will always come first. Excellence is a commitment to continuous improvement regardless of our current place, persisting through adversities until the goal is achieved. I believe a leader should be competent, confident and an exemplar of the beliefs and values of the organization. As a trustee, I will strive every day to better myself and the students I would be expected to serve.