Jerry Roberts
By Jerry Roberts of Newsmakers
Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido and Christy Lozano, the PE teacher challenging her in the June 7 primary, will jointly appear to answer questions at an online election forum on Tuesday, Newsmakers has confirmed.
One week before the election, the event will mark the first time the rivals in the superintendent’s race will face off, albeit online, in the campaign. An earlier scheduled forum was scrubbed over a dispute about the rules between Lozano and the League of Women Voters.
You can watch the forum live via Zoom by clicking on this link at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85852848885?pwd=bUdEcklHT3VhNnNGWWNKTVF5dUVyUT09
Lanny to the rescue. The forum came together over the weekend due to the determination and Kissinger-like diplomacy of community advocate and former SB school board member Lanny Ebenstein, who not only forged an agreement between the two campaigns but also persuaded two community non-profits to serve as official sponsors of the forum.
The 75-minute affair is sponsored by The Resource Santa Barbara, a 501(c)3 which provides necessities directly to homeless people, among other projects, and the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association, a 501(c)4, which champions low-tax, low-regulatory policies in local government.
The forum will have a straightforward format: Ebenstein, joined by Newsmakers’ own genial host, will pose questions on subjects ranging from school safety to education finance, alternating between candidates, who will have two minutes to answer each query.
If you have questions you would like posed to the candidates, please email them to us at newsmakerswithjr@gmail.com
State of play. In a primary election season marked by little competition – two Board of Supervisor candidates and the next District Attorney all are running unopposed, for starters –the Superintendent’s race has drawn the most attention.
This is largely because Lozano has introduced national culture war themes — assailing curriculum materials about racism and gender identity that the SB Unified School District suggests for teachers, for example — into a contest for a traditionally low-profile, local office that provides resources and services to the 20 school districts in the county.
The job was long held by educator Bill Cirone, who was elected 10 consecutive times before he retired in 2017. The county board of education appointed Salcido to serve out the final year of his last term and, facing no opposition, she was elected to her own four-year term in 2018.
Perhaps because there are so few contested races, the county appears headed for a very low turnout election; as of Friday, only 11 percent of the 234,883 ballots mailed out have been returned to the voter registrar.
Don’t forget to vote
P.S. Newsmakers previously conducted in-depth interviews with each of the candidates.
The Salcido interview is here.
Maybe the current “rules” are screwing our kids?
Ask them why they think kids are currently failing miserably at literacy and math.
Lozano gets another 15 minutes – and they’ll make a highlight reel for Laura Ingraham spewing bologna about the CRT Boogeyman and implanting fear of the LGBTQ community. We get it. She’ll take her 10% of the vote and go back to the shadows of being a home school principal who couldn’t make it as a teacher in a public education setting and get a a few high fives from the dateable morons at Fair Education Santa Barbara.
HAHA detestable morons – certainly not “dateable.”
Ask Lozano why she is on leave? transparency you know…
Oh, and every school plan or curriculum adoption has incredibly transparent processes, but she keeps acting like things are hidden. Weird.
Ask her why she espouses her political beliefs to kids in her class or complains about her ex-husband? – This was my child’s experience in her class – Let’s just say that her students had little confidence in her ability to teach.
And why she was never able to get hired in any administrative position?
Why was she passed over so many times? Is it because they thought she was not leadership material?
Guaranteed Lozano will embarrass herself and her cronies will regret she did this!
@GENERAL TREE- You should mellow out on the HATE… Apparently, you HATE about 50% of your fellow Americans… Sad for you.
Which hate man? Only an observation.
You are the only one acting like a victim. I’m weeping for you right now Coastie.
Lozano had problems with students at Dos Pueblos and was disciplined many times. Got in a fight with her ex in the parking lot at DP.
She was horrible with the kids at DP. Heard too many stories. Screaming match in the parking lot with her ex.
She was awful with the kids.
How much do you want to bet Lozano can’t contain herself and breaks the rules?
She may get 15 minutes but I’m so glad any forum will occur! Thank you to The Resource, County Taxpayer Assoc (with whom I do not agree), Lanny Ebenstein and Mr. Jerry. I am grateful for this citizen-focused event.
Capable?
We aren’t talking about an entry level school leadership position like school dean, or assistant principalship. That is how you prove you are capable. We are considering bypassing all other leadership positions like a principalship, or director, or superintendent of a school district. Let’s jump ahead to the leadership of an entity that manages fiscal support for county schools, IT support, organizes SPED services for the very young who aren’t in school yet and smaller school districts, runs some court schools, hosts and coordinates support with a myriad of non-profits, etc… and suddenly someone who has been put on leave from teaching and isn’t respected enough by her peers to get any school admin position is good enough? Zero evidence of leadership capabilities, experience with managing large budgets, or even getting along with others. That is what scares the Buh-Jesus out of any sensible person. I do know her – My kids were in her class until she was put on leave. She was unprofessional and unfit to teach.
Why so much emphasis on the LCAP $13 million in the SBUSD budget which is extremely detailed and subject to a great deal of meetings and discussions? The entire budget is over $200 million with absolutely no discussion or public review on how it is expended. The county staff only has to be convinced there is a least a 3 % reserve. Does the county have ANY control over how it is spent on curriculum, staff or administration?
SantaBarbaranate and sbdude are clearly seeing through the micro-inclusion lens, and I get that there are lots of people on that bandwagon. That’s how Salcido and Maldonado can stay in power here so far.
But how about a question like this? (For both candidates)…
Why do you think our current leadership in SB schools is failing to educate the vast majority of kids in basic reading, writing, and math? (See all recent testing results)
Ms. Lozano is quite capable, and that scares the buh-G-Zuss out of those who are close-minded to alternatives to the so-called “progressive” left. Horrible with children? Hardly. Public fights with an ex? Uhhhh, now about not your business. I’ve said it before, and this is: do not live in fear of those with whom you disagree with. Vote how you want to vote, but there’s no reason to have a constant flow of negative info about someone you don’t know. I want to hear how good a candidate is, not how bad the other one is. Give it up for two seconds and come up for air….it’ll does you a world of good!
The general is reporting information. You’re making a personal attack on the reporter. He isn’t the one who needs to mellow out.
In case the moderator is reading these comments, please ask Christy Lozano the following questions:
1. How can we trust you with our students when you went on national television and lied (or at best stretched the truth) about our schools?
2. You say you are taking politics out of education but you’re taking advice from Chris Rufo who has a stated goal of injecting politics into our school boards. How do you reconcile those two facts?
3. Do you believe that it’s wrong to teach our children empathy for others (social-emotional learning) and that there is still systematic racism in our society that we should aspire to eradicate?
4. Do you support the CDC recommendations for masking and vaccines? Or, do you support those members of our community that do not believe in vaccines and masks?
5. We all agree that we need to improve the performance of our schools. Do you believe that the best way to do that is by expanding access to private and charter schools?
6. How do we fix the systematic inequity problems facing our school system? Problems that are not allowing us to tap into and develop the talent from underrepresented communities.
7. Do you agree with the trend in some states to limit the rights of members of the LGBTQ community, censor books and restrict the rights of women?
Sbnate – humorous questions!! They represent a line of thinking that is just ruining our educational system! Banning books? All schools limit books… both sides just want to ban the books they want to ban and decry the banned books of the other side.
And you do realise the CDC recommended schools open much earlier than we did here in SB… but once again I guess it’s take the recommendations when you like them and ignore them when you don’t.
But it’s OK, salcido will win and we’ll keep the tradition going of electing the same people who continually fail. Empathy is good… I have quite a bit of it for all the kids we are consistently failing.
You can ask Salcido many of those very same questions.
Increased access to charter schools in sb would be awesome! Not every kid fits (or learns best) in a 7 hour school day. Let’s expand the options with more schools and more funding. Be great to have a 4 day per week option and/or a 5 hour school day. A school that’s mostly outside in our usually perfect weather. As we saw in Covid, we can change things with our education if we have to (except in this case it could be a change for the better instead of the horrifically worse!).
Has computers for families been a big hit? It seems like the over emphasis on computers (and mind bending number of screen time hours) has been a disaster…
Moderator – don’t ask any of these questions (other than first part of Q5). But do ask that: What are you doing to make our schools better?
Once again: If CW says it, it isn’t true.
Completely incapable person asserts Lozano is capable.
They are good questions, contrary to DM’s lies.
Disinfo805 is clearly seeing through the right-wing-ideology-based-on-perpetual-lying lens.
Why the downvote?
Its an NYT article, it is fact based, well researched and we just had a school shooting by a recent student who was: “behind in abilities to learn, cope and relate.”.
Seems like a reasonable question
Mesa – you are right, she probably is not a great choice. Bummer to once again have to choose between the failing status quo and an unqualified candidate.
Salcido has my vote. It’s a shame that these biased groups have created this event to give her unqualified opponent free advertising. Concerned Taxpayers is just a bunch of grumpy ol’ men and they never support school bond issues. Armenderiz? Caldwell? Ruhge? How can a group that is blatantly anti-public schools be allowed to host a forum. Let the shenanigans begin!
Dude, seeiously?
Back a good candidate then Duke. Lozano is an unqualified joke.
I can’t understand why anyone finds fault with ethnic studies classes. If you are going to protest ethnic studies for those that choose to take the course you may has well break out the white sheets.
SBnate – I appreciate the follow up! Perhaps I read your post in too negative/slanted of a light. The dismissal by some of charter schools is just so shortsighted and simplistic (much like the idea of removing honors classes). We seem to be so tunnel visioned on making kids feel good about themselves, that we are not only failing to adequately teach them basic skills, but actually making them feel worse.
I don’t see Lozano as qualified for the position. That doesn’t necessarily prohibit her from winning or succeeding, but it’s obviously a strike against. I do though bristle at the (seemingly) blind allegiance by some of the (failing) status quo. My apologies for perhaps (wildly) misreading your post.
I do suppose it would be great if we didn’t allow public forums. Less naysayers that way.
Jokes aside, you shouldn’t have such an issue with it if you are confident in your ballot and those of your fellow voters. Trying to block your opponents from even having a voice or a forum is just poor politics. Not something I’d put past most of the left either but really SMH.
Someone should ask them both about this from the NY Times:
“Children’s learning loss in the pandemic isn’t just in reading and math. It’s also in social and emotional skills. In a New York Times survey of 362 school counselors across the U.S., they said students are behind in abilities to learn, cope and relate.”
What is their plan for the next pandemic where children are the least affected by the virus, but the most affected by the lockdowns?
So many people in here complaining about the school district failing their kids, look in a mirror. Most FU kids I know it’s not school to blame. Most of you never had or have been or will be strict parents and it shows.
Fitz is right, there should never be any debate. Just accept the chosen candidate.
The left (dnc) has been the most instrumental at keeping third parties (like the Green Party) OFF of ballots.
Wow, Lozano is a moron and totally embarrassed herself. What scares me is how she has so much support. She has raised and spent ~$80,000 from local residents and organizations. The fact that so many support these values and are willing to fork over cash to support an imbecile scares me. I really worry, what if she were smart? Ugh.
“The left (dnc) ”
LOL. How deluded do you have to be to think that the DNC is to the left of the Greens?
“But it’s OK, salcido will win and we’ll keep the tradition going of electing the same people who continually fail.”
Anyone who isn’t a fundamentally dishonest ideologue and is moderately intelligent would want the person who is NOT unqualified for the position to win and would vote for them … they would not want to elect an UNQUALIFIED person just because they are different.
If TWO qualified people were running and one of them had demonstrably failed (which, contrary to fundamentally dishonest people, is not true of Salcido) and there were good reason to think that the other one would not fail (which certainly isn’t the case with Lozano) , then your fundamentally dishonest argument would make some sense.
“I don’t see Lozano as qualified for the position. That doesn’t necessarily prohibit her from winning”
It SHOULD.
“or succeeding”
Yes, actually, it does.
“I do though bristle at the (seemingly) blind allegiance by some of the (failing) status quo.”
Oh, right, rejecting the UNQUALIFIED candidate is blind allegiance. Who does it “seem” that way to? Not to any intelligent honest person.
No one is blocking anything, stoner. Why are you folks so dishonest?
“Ms. Lozano is quite capable”
No one remotely intelligent shares your opinion.
“there’s no reason to have a constant flow of negative info about someone”
“Stop stating facts! There’s no reason for doing that! I aM rEaLlY sMaRt.”
Some really don’t like facts that go against their closely held beliefs (which were artfully crafted by the media and the politicians/policies they support).
https://www.gp.org/dem_voter_suppression _ https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/09/18/penn-s18.html _ https://www.wsj.com/articles/greens-deserve-voting-rights-too-green-party-independent-candidates-voter-suppression-democrats-election-law-11642632021?mod=opinion_lead_pos7 _ “The Democrats belie their commitment to democracy by repeatedly suing to get the minor party off ballots”
MKE: Her supporters are the rabid right wing base. Anyone who at this point votes for her is voting to undermine local public education. This is being attempted across the country. Ebenstein is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jerry Roberts just wants to have some fun baiting the bear. Concerned Taypayers are old dudes who hate paying taxes, mostly left overs from the Jarvis Prop. 13 era.
Fitz – If local public education continually fails…wouldn’t changing it actually make sense? Not saying Lozano, it just always fascinate me to see people so passionate for something that is seemingly failing so many.
Ahhh Marcel, always a pleasure! If someone is qualified and accomplished at failing, how is voting for that person logical again? I know you supported the schools boards and various administrators who failed our kids throughout COVID…so I guess to be “fundamentally honest” is to vote for the failing status quo.