The three candidates running for the Irvine Unified School Board displayed three very different approaches to board policy and parent rights in a forum hosted by the Irvine Unified Council Parent Teacher Association Oct. 12.
Business owner Marlene Bronson, Irvine Unified parent Katie McEwen, and health and special education advocate Debra Kamm are vying for the board’s Area 2 seat, which covers the south side of Woodbridge, Westpark, and University Park.
At the forum, each candidate shared their motivation for running and what they consider to be the district’s top issues.
Bronson, a mother of two adult children, describes herself as a business owner, former homeschooling educator, and an advocate for children with disabilities.
She said she was motivated to run by a desire to serve her community.
“I love children. I love people. And I just want to make a difference for our community here in Orange County,” Bronson said.
McEwen emphasized her experience teaching English at Irvine’s Northwood High School and her involvement in multiple community organizations.
“I have a wide range of hands-on and current knowledge and these experiences … would enable me to serve as an effective leader for my trustee area,” she said.
McEwen also noted that she is endorsed by all five current trustees as well as by U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), the Irvine Teachers Association, the California School Employees Association, the Orange County Labor Federation, and the Democratic Party of Orange County.
“As a school board member, I would support our teachers,” she said. “Doing so is critically important because they are the ones who make a difference with our kids.”
She additionally said supporting students’ mental health needs is important–especially coming out of the pandemic–and that, if elected, would work to expand college and career pathways for students and would prioritize school safety.
Kamm, a mother of two children growing up in the district, said she decided to run because she was dissatisfied with the current board’s alleged lack of transparency.
“I’m running for this position because I’ve been coming to these board meetings since the beginning of the year. After watching … during COVID-19, I’m really appalled at some of the things that are happening,” Kamm said.
Kamm said she experienced retaliation from board staff after she filed a discrimination complaint on behalf of a student with a disability in February. Soon after, she went to a school board meeting for the first time to alert the board about the retaliation. About a week later, she said she received notice from a district official that her emails were blocked to the board and staff.
She said she returned to the board again in May, but the president of the board threatened to ban her from speaking at future meetings, referencing a decades-old board policy that “prohibited criticism of employees.”
The board eventually removed that policy in June after the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the board—on Kamm’s behalf—claiming the policy was unconstitutional.
The series of events, Kamm said, motivated her to run.
Board Policy
Though all candidates agreed that the district needed to improve academic test scores, student safety, and mental health, Kamm and McEwen found themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum on board policy, while Bronson opted for the middle ground.When asked how each would deal with not being able to please all families in the district, Bronson said she would listen to all sides regarding concerns before attempting to negotiate a solution.
Kamm said she considered teachers and district staff as stakeholders in the community as well.
“The board is supposed to represent the residents of Irvine,” she said. ”It is not up to every single board member to agree. We do not need five-to-zero votes,” Kamm said. “That is what happens when you have a monopoly of thought on a board.”
This unanimity on the board has been the case for many years, she said, with the board frequently voting in unison.
“I will change that,” she said. “I’m not afraid to have a dissenting voice.”
Meanwhile, McEwen emphasized what she called her “collaborative” approach, saying she would mediate between the board and parents to maintain a connection.
District Funding
Candidates answered a question from the audience about how they would spend the funding from the state intended to address learning loss and mental health.Bronson said the district should implement extra lessons in grades with low test scores.
“I think we need to ... [look] at where [student] test scores are, where they need improvement and giving them extra curriculum with [enhanced] features both in the classroom and with extra homework at home to bring them up to standard.”
Kamm said she has already been following how the district has been spending the money, as they’ve already received some of the funds through different grants.
She said the district has used part of it to settle lawsuits brought by families who sued the district over
“This money should be going to all students who experienced learning loss, not just a few who can hire attorneys and file lawsuits in order to help their child,” Kamm said. “We need to help all students.”
Kamm suggested that the district hire tutors to work with students outside of regular school hours.
McEwen said she would focus the funds on hiring counselors, particularly at the elementary level, to address mental health and behavioral issues.
“We can’t even get to learning recovery until we’re well,” she said. “In order to be able to get to that point where we can recover knowledge that that was lost during the pandemic, we need support on behavioral issues as well as mental illness.”
Former Area 2 Trustee Sharon Wallin opted not to run for re-election after serving five terms.
The election is Nov. 8.
