Meet the Candidates : Moorpark School Board

In the Moorpark Unified School District board race, three incumbents face two challengers. Implementing class-size reduction, raising standardized test scores and preparing for growth are the primary campaign issues.

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Tom Baldwin

Age: 49

Occupation: School board trustee and Procter & Gamble Co. plant technician

Education: Bachelor’s in history from Bob Jones University

Background: A school board member for nine years, Baldwin previously headed the Parks and Recreation Commission. Active in the Mormon Church, Baldwin has been involved in the Boy Scouts and Moorpark’s City Against Drug Abuse group. He helped found the county Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter.

Issues: As the school district prepares to open a new elementary school within the year, Baldwin favors making it Moorpark’s first magnet or back-to-basics fundamental school. He would also like to see schools implement a character-education program. Baldwin seeks to continue good relations with the teachers union.

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Greg Barker

Age: 46

Occupation: School board trustee, Thousand Oaks High School geography/history teacher

Education: Bachelor’s in geography from the UC Santa Barbara; master’s in environmental science from Cal State Dominguez Hills

Background: A Moorpark resident for a decade, Barker is active in the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, historical society and various trade groups. A PTA member, he has coached Little League, softball, football and wrestling. He is also active in a Boy Scout troop.

Issues: As the young city continues to grow, Barker thinks continuity of strategic schools planning--for technology and facilities--is vital. Like his competitors, Barker wants to see higher standardized test scores and continued implementation of class-size reduction.

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Theodore Green Sr.

Age: 49

Occupation: Government senior auditor

Education: Associate’s degree in accounting from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Two years of college at Cal State Los Angeles

Background: A Moorpark resident for more than a decade, Green is a deacon and treasurer of True Spirit Community Church in Simi Valley and the treasurer of Campus Park Neighborhood Council. He helped found the Moorpark High School PTA. He also led a drive in Simi Valley to take “The Cay” off required-reading lists, charging that the book promotes racial stereotypes.

Issues: An auditor with the IRS, Green advocates tighter fiscal control in the district. Proposing that “morally correct concepts . . . replace politics and theory in teaching,” Green supports abstinence-only education, strict standards and smaller class size. He is a proponent of the charter- and magnet-school concepts.

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Clint Harper

Age: 49

Occupation: Physics professor and school board trustee

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Cal State Northridge, doctorate in physics from USC

Background: Harper has been involved in Moorpark politics for 19 years, serving two terms on the City Council and one term as mayor. He also worked on the city’s General Plan committee.

Issues: Harper supports class-size reduction in primary grades and would seek to have class sizes whittled for older students. The Moorpark College professor would like to see standardized test scores improve, vocational opportunities expand and technological resources grow.

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Matt Noah

Age: 39

Occupation: Electrical engineer

Education: Bachelor’s in engineering from North Dakota State University and master’s in electrical engineering from Stanford University

Background: Since moving to Ventura County three years ago, Noah has been active in county and state organizations of the Republican Party. He is also a youth sports coach. He is known for airing graphic photographs of aborted fetuses in television commercials during his unsuccessful 1992 bid to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate.

Issues: Expecting a swell in Moorpark’s population, Noah favors building more schools and hiring additional teachers. He also favors reducing class size and raising standardized test scores.