Sylvester for CVUSD School Board 2024

Hard to believe but it has been almost four years since I was elected to the Board of Education for the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). It has been an honor serving as your school board Trustee. I believe that my work has helped to improve our schools and community and I hope that it has met your expectations. I firmly believe in the importance of public education and have taken my responsibilities very seriously. I am seeking reelection in November and it would be a privilege to continue to serve our students and community.

In my time as Trustee, I have proudly served on the Budget LCAP Committee, the Visual and Performing Arts Strategic Planning Committee, the Greater Conejo Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Development Committee, the Career Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee, the Student Wellness Committee, and the Facilities Committee. I was also Board President in 2022, a very contentious election year.

There is much to be proud of in the CVUSD. Our current group of good-governance oriented trustees–in conjunction with Superintendent Dr. Mark McLaughlin and his leadership team–have accomplished much over the past four years. A few notable accomplishments include:

• Steering our schools through the COVID pandemic.
• Launching our first Spanish dual language immersion program at Conejo Academy of Leadership and Language.
• Introducing a Primary Years International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Cypress Elementary. Sequoia Middle School is also a candidate for the IB Middle Schools Program giving students an opportunity for a complete TK-12 IB experience.
• Developing a Strategic Plan for Inclusion of Students with Disabilities. As part of that effort, we increased the number of co-taught sections which provide opportunities for students with disabilities to access general education classes.
• Opening Wellness Centers at all secondary schools and providing elementary school Wellness Services in an effort to focus on the whole child and help ensure their academic achievement and success. Our centers serve as a model for many other districts.
• Focusing on Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) by establishing and hiring a dedicated coordinator of VAPA, developing a VAPA Strategic Plan, and hiring credentialed music educators so that all students in grades 1-5 have weekly standards-based music instruction.
• Expanding CTE pathways and courses at each of our high schools to prepare students for careers as well as college.
• Piloting an Ethnic Studies class at our high schools several years ahead of the state graduation requirement.
• Creating a Unified Sports Program with Unified Sports teams composed of athletes (students with disabilities) and partners (students without disabilities). These games promote inclusion and engagement.
• Amplifying stakeholder voices by adding two additional parent advisory groups, the African American District Advisory Council (AADAC) and the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council. This brings the total number of stakeholder advisory groups to seven, including our Student Advisory Council.
• Expanding our secondary school literature titles to incorporate materials that reflect diverse authors and protagonists.

While we have so much to be proud of there is always more to be done. We must continue to promote successful learning outcomes for all students, ensure equitable access, and prioritize positive social, emotional, and mental well-being. We must continue to attract and retain highly qualified educators and staff. We must continue to innovate.

Our district, like many others in the state, faces several significant challenges. City and state trends in birth rates and housing affordability have continued to depress enrollment in the CVUSD and throughout California. And while student enrollment decreases, the fixed costs associated with educating students do not. In addition, the district is facing continued inflation and an increase in other costs, such as special education. For all of these reasons, CVUSD needs as much fiscal competency and sophistication on the Board as possible. This is one of my particular areas of experience and strength.

I am running for reelection this November to continue the good work that has been done and to face these challenges head-on. I have seen firsthand how vital a strong, collaborative, and well balanced board is to the success of a school district. I am passionate about public education and dedicated to continuing the excellence of CVUSD schools.