COUNTY: County Boards of Education – Trustees (Nonpartisan)

Note: this post will be periodically updated! (10/07/2026)

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VOTER GUIDE – QUICK LINKS:

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Ventura County Board of Education – Vote for (1)

Area 2: Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Santa Rosa Valley, and portions of Camarillo.

ENDORSED Mike Teasdale (D) – Incumbent

  • Party: Democrat
  • Age: 74
  • Residence: Newbury Park
  • Education: BA Philosophy from University of Massachusetts
  • Employment and Experience:
    • Ventura County Board of Education Trustee
    • Chair of the Social Justice Fund for Ventura
    • Former elementary and high school teacher, university lecturer, and Senior Director of Operational Excellence and Strategy at Baxter International
  • Priorities:
    • Address Declining Enrollment: Continue working with state and federal leaders to secure funding, maintain strong staffing levels, and improve efficiency through shared countywide systems.
    • Increase Special Education Funding: The federal government has not met its commitment to fund 40% of special education costs, placing a burden on local districts. Continue advocating for increased federal support for our children.
    • Strengthen Career Technical Education (CTE): CTE programs provide valuable pathways to good-paying jobs. Work to protect and expand these programs, ensuring students have practical career options and help keeping more students engaged in school.
    • Strengthen Accountability for the County Superintendent: Our schools deserve ethical, accountable leadership. Continue working to strengthen independent oversight, accountability and transparency as well as restore confidence and trust in the Ventura County Office of Education.
  • Links:
DEMOCRATIC OF CONEJO
JACQUI IRWIN
Central Coast Labor Council
COMMUNITY LEADERS
– Rabiah Rahman, Chair, Social Justice Fund for Ventura County
– Danny Carrillo  –  Former Regional Director at SEIU Local 721
– Kate McLean  –  Nonprofit leader
– Matthew Weisman
– Pamela Lopez
– Barbara Leighton
– Mark Lisagor, Former Trustee
– Charles Weis, Former County Superintendent of Schools;

Debra McIntyre-Sciarrino – Teacher Educator Administrator

  • Party: Democrat
  • Age: 64
  • Residence: Westlake Village
  • Education:
    • BA Political Science from Pepperdine University
    • Administrative Services Credential in Education from California Lutheran University
    • MS Counseling and Guidance from California Lutheran University
    • Administrative Service Tier II Educational Leadership and Administration
    • MA Education from Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology
  • Employment and Experience:
    • Current Principal Chatsworth Charter High School
    • Community Schools Administrator
    • Former Assistant Principal, University Professor, Dean of Activities at Conejo Valley Unified School District, and secondary teacher
  • Links:

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Trustee Area 4 – Vote for (1)

Area 4 – Moorpark, Simi Valley, Santa Susana Knolls, Box Canyon, Bell Canyon, Chatsworth Peak, Home Acres, Sinaloa Lake, Tierra Rejada Valley

ENDORSED Kristina Pine (D) – Teacher/Mother

  • Party: Democrat
  • Age: 43
  • Residence: Simi Valley
  • Education:
    • Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies from California State University Northridge
    • California K-8 Teaching Credential
    • Master’s in Educational Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University
  • Employment and Experience:
    • Teacher
    • Former President Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees
    • Former PTSA President
  • Priorities:
    • Transparency and Public Trust: Restore public trust in the Ventura County Office of Education.
    • Provide fiscal oversight and guidance for local districts: Expand programs and opportunities for students, families, and staff, while also maintaining fiscal solvency.
    • Advocacy for student populations needing additional educational support: Use the avenues available to fight for what districts and states are owed by IDEA and other federal programs.
  • Endorsements:
    • Ventura County Democratic Party
  • Links:
SIMI VALLEY DEM

Scott Detorre (R) – Retired Firefighter

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Trustee Area 7- Kern County Board of Education – Vote for (1)

Watch debate here: https://www.kget.com/news/politics/your-local-elections/kern-county-board-of-education-trustee-area-7-debate-2026/amp/. Jeannine Adams was ill that day and could not attend, so it’s a rock ’em-sock’em between two GOP candidates.

ENDORSED Jeanine Adams (Realty Consultant/Mom)

(Candidate website) “I’m running because I believe our schools should be about educating children — not about ideological battles that pull our attention away from the classroom.”

(Candidate website) “You cannot ask a student in Boron, Caliente, or Frazier Park to complete the same digital coursework as a student in town with reliable broadband, and then judge them by the same yardstick, if the infrastructure isn’t there. I will make broadband and connectivity access for instruction a standing priority, not an afterthought.”

(kget.com) “Jeanine Adams recently retired from Kern County government after working nearly a decade for the County Assessor-Recorder’s Office. Adams, a Tehachapi resident, was a licensed California real estate broker and earlier in her career spent eight years working as Office Services & Administrative Manager at CB Richard Ellis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from University of La Verne, and also attended UCLA and Cal State Northridge.”

Lori Cisneros (incumbent)

Party: Republican-endorsed in 2022

(kget.com) “Lori Cisneros currently serves as the Board of Education as the trustee for Area 7. Before joining the board, Cisneros worked as an educator in public, private and charter schools for nearly 20 years. Cisneros operated Cisneros Farm Workshops on the farm she and her husband operate in Tehachapi. She was elected to the Board of Education in 2022 and she is running for re-election against challengers Ernie Bell Jr. and Jeanine Adams.”

Republican-endorsed in 2022
Brian Ostrovski
5 stars! Oh, dear She is rated “Best candidate – Strongest endorsement” by some far-right people. See the attached questionnaire to understand what they are looking for.

We’re guessing she earned her 5-star rating by answering this version of their questionnaires. RED HIGHLIGHTS are ours!

ELECTION FORUM QUESETIONNAIRE WE BELIEVE THAT MAGGIE MARSHNER COMPLETED

Election Forum Candidate Endorsement Questionnaire for School Board

Dear Candidate,

Congratulations on your decision to run for office.

For over 20 years, the ElectionForum.org has conducted California election forums where we make specific candidate recommendations.

Last election cycle we had about 1 million voters following our endorsements, many in your district.

Besides conducting a dozen live Election Forums and several webinars giving endorsements, we will be posting our endorsements of candidates on our four websites, emailing and publicizing our recommendations to several hundred thousand California voters.

In addition, our recommendations are also broadcast on radio stations.

In your office we will either say:

  • Endorsed…Giving you a 1 to 5 star rating
  • Not endorsed
  • Refused to disclose position

I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully giving you our endorsement.

    1. What is your name and what office are you running for?
    2. What are the three (3) most pressing issues facing the school district? Please prioritize them. What if anything do you plan to do about them if you are elected to the position of governing board member? What specific promises will you make to the voters in order to be elected?
      (1)
      (2)
      (3)
    3. Do you support or oppose the Transgender Bathroom Bill (AB1266) signed into law by Governor Brown? Why or Why not?
    4. There a drop out problem in our schools. What can we do about it?
    5. Do you favor or oppose the expansion of charter schools within the school district? Why or why not? Do you favor or oppose the use of voucher system within the public school system? Why or Why not?
    6. Do you believe there is a place for celebrations of religious holidays and singing religious music in holiday programs? What would you support and allow and what should be excluded from the school?
    7. When teaching science, should alternatives to evolution (such as Intelligent Design) be taught in public schools? Should individual instructors be given leeway to teach both points of view? Or should only the accepted theories of evolution be taught without mentioning the scientific objections to the theory?
    8. Do you favor or oppose new taxes, fees, or bonds?
    9. Will you support or oppose those choosing homeschooling?
    10. What national politician do you admire the most and why?
    11. What does Critical Race Theory mean to you and what are your thoughts about the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public school?
    12. What are your thoughts about transgender boys playing in girls’ sports and dressing in girls’ locker rooms?
    13. Should teachers be teaching values to students and should they be telling students what to believe and what to think or should they merely be teaching the subject matter?
    14. Who should have final control over the content of a child’s education, including the books they read?
    15. Do you believe in absolute truth? Why or why not?  If you believe in absolute truth, what is the source of absolute truth?  If you do not believe in absolute truth, how do you determine what is true?

Ernie Bell Jr. (Retired Superintendent Consultant)

(kget.com) “Ernie Bell Jr., is a Ridgecrest native and graduate who has spent 35 years working in education as a teacher, coach, high school principal and as the superintendent of Sierra Sands Unified School District. He also worked on earthquake repair projects at Naval Air Weapons Station and was appointed to the county Board of Education serving the remainder of a term ending in 2022. He also served as the CEO for REALMS, a public Charter School in RIdgecrest and continues to serve as a volunteer consultant to the school.”

3 stars is considered adequate by some far-right people. See the questionnaire attached to Lori Cisnero’s set to understand what they are looking for.

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