CONEJO VALLEY : Trustee Will Seek 3rd School Board Term

Seeking a third term on the Conejo Valley school board, trustee Mildred Lynch filed papers last week with the Ventura County Elections Division to get her name on the November ballot.

Lynch’s seat is one of three up for election this fall. Positions held by trustee Richard Newman and former trustee William Henry Jr., who resigned July 1, are also open. Newman has not said whether he will seek reelection.

Lynch, who has served on the Conejo Valley school board for nearly nine years, said she has enjoyed her tenure and is eager to continue her work as a board member.

“I think I have accomplished something and there is more to be done,” she said Thursday. “I have always been actively involved.”

Lynch has been a strong opponent of the California Learning Assessment System test and has traveled to Sacramento to voice her concerns about the controversial exam before various state committees. “Whether I am elected again or not, I will not lose my interest (in CLAS) and will do whatever I can to make it better or wipe it out,” she said.

An English teacher at both the high school and university levels for 35 years, Lynch said she wants to revamp the district’s curriculum to improve students’ writing skills.

The 77-year-old Thousand Oaks resident believes in setting high standards for students. “If there is one thing wrong with our education, it is that we do not expect enough” from students, she said. Lynch said diminishing school funds will be the biggest issue facing the school board next year.

“Money will continue to be the problem,” she said. “But I don’t believe money is the sole answer to better education. You have to make choices sometimes that are not too keen. You have to be able to make the most of what you have.”