The Express: What are the main focuses of your campaign?

Michael Parham: The children. It’s always about what is best for kids. Creating a safe learning environment, maintaining proper classrooms and facilities, ensuring any budgetary cuts are as far away from the classroom as possible, providing kids and their teachers with the tools to educate—pushing each child to their limit and providing a broad access to opportunities for learning and social development.

The Express: What experience do you have, and why does this make you a viable candidate?

Michael Parham: I have served as a trustee for the past two years in Capo, and also served 3 terms (12 years) as a trustee for the Irvine Unified School District (2004-16). I am a CPA and an investment banker, with a wealth of experience related to organizational strategy, and I have 2 children currently in Capo schools (5th and 6th grade at Esencia).

The Express: What is your main motivation in running?

Michael Parham: I noticed that Capo had some leadership issues and the boardroom was chaotic and unfocused. I believe strongly in public education and I want to see Capo reach its potential. There are a lot of great teachers and staff in this organization, and many successful programs. I want to see this continue and improve as well. My kids deserve it, and so do all of you!

The Express: What are the main changes you wish to see within the CUSD district?

Michael Parham: We have already begun a big part of this change, with the hiring of a new Superintendent and reorganization at the board level. We must embrace and foster a culture of teamwork and openness, where people are allowed to take risks to push the bar higher. We have work to do regarding areas of bullying, facilities, safety and finance.

The Express: What are your beliefs regarding LGBTQ+ students?

Michael Parham: I believe they are just students, and deserve to be treated with all the same support and protections as everyone else. In some cases, these students are marginalized because others do not understand them or do not care to accept their differences from mainstream society, and this can create a hostile learning environment. That is why we must go the extra mile to make sure their educational experience is safe and supported, rather than ignored or scrutinized.

The Express: What are your thoughts on union-funded candidates?

Michael Parham: I am endorsed by the unions, and they are choosing to support my candidacy with their own efforts, over which I have no legal or operational authority. The unions can do whatever they want to in this regard, and it is not coordinated with me in any way. This is not the same as being union-funded. I am funding my own campaign, and have received nominal support from many individual donors. I do not believe in accepting money directly from any union, or corporate entity (such as a developer), nor should it be allowed. However, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that such funding is a legal activity. Personally, I believe this is a travesty and has led our political process down a dangerous road where institutions have more power on the political process than they should. Individual people should be the only funding sources allowed, just as only a registered voter is allowed to vote.

The Express: Do you believe that parents rights or students rights are a priority?

Michael Parham: Yes of course they are both a priority, and neither is more important than the other. The term “parents rights” has been co-opted by some to mean they have a right to force teachers to do something many other parents would object to—such as outing a kid who has a conversation in confidence with them. There are many parents, like me, who trust our teachers and staff to help children as they grapple with personal issues, and provide them with the support they need when they need it. If a kid is scared to tell their parents something, the goal is always to help the kid with their concerns, ideally to the point where they can have an open dialogue at home. Unfortunately, there are some families that do not foster an open dialogue about such issues, and the fear alone can exact a significantly detrimental toll on a child’s mental well being—even to the point of suicide. In such cases, I put that child’s needs for a safe environment ahead of everything else.

The Express: How do you plan on making school environments safer for students?

Michael Parham: Some of this relates to the answer above, ensuring children feel safe to be themselves at school. We have implemented CUSD Cares to better track the mental health needs of our students, and I believe this issue is a key component to maintaining a safe school environment. In addition, there are some facility related investments that must be made to further protect students. By the way, fences and gates are not always the solution—sometimes it is better to focus on surveillance and identification and also having a consistent presence by law enforcement.

The Express: What do you believe is the most pressing issue in the CUSD district?

Michael Parham: We are entering a period of reduced funding, now that one-time COVID monies have expired. Moreover, many facilities need upgrading and we do not have a proper funding mechanism for that. These areas need our attention immediately and will take some thoughtful work and support by our board along with the community to address.

The Express: Do you have any plans to make board meetings more accessible for parents and students?

Michael Parham: I think these meetings are sufficiently accessible, given that they are publicly noticed and available to stream online. What is needed is for people to be able to attend town hall format meetings where concerns can be raised. The board meeting itself is not the right venue to discuss such issues, because the board needs to be able to focus on its work (and our agendas are packed with important business items to discuss and vote on). So, more town halls and coffee chats with the Superintendent and staff would be a better forum for the parents and students to attend.

The Express: What are the main focuses of your campaign?

Lisa Zollinger: Academics above Agendas, Parental Involvement and Transparency, Prioritize Student Success

The Express: What experience do you have, and why does this make you a viable candidate?

Lisa Zollinger: I am a California credentialed teacher and mother of five. I spent most of my life working with children in some capacity (teacher, coach, Girl Scout leader and volunteer in many capacities).  I’m running to represent our community, but my experience as a teacher makes me sensitive to issues teachers face as well. Being a mother to five children in the district (two SJHHS grads and two current SJHHS students), I understand the perspective of parents. Beyond my experience, I’m an active member of our community and a great listener. I recognize that my experience doesn’t make me an expert in all things, and therefore I see great value in my efforts to get out into the community and hear the concerns other parents have. We can’t address problems if we fail to recognize they exist.

The Express: What is your main motivation for running?

Lisa Zollinger: I’m not a politician nor have I ever wanted to be! I decided to run when I listened to board meetings and I realized the board members in my area didn’t represent me. He’s a lovely person and I have no doubt we could be friends but that doesn’t mean he is representing me and what I believe to be a majority of our community. I don’t expect to be aligned 100% with every politician I support but I realized we had completely different ideologies.

The Express: What are the main changes you wish to see within the CUSD district?

Lisa Zollinger: CUSD is an incredible district, it’s why I chose to raise my family in Ladera Ranch. We have so much good and I hope to focus on the good and help it grow. One of my top goals is to remove political agendas from the classroom. In January 2023, our board majority voted to remove sixth-grade accelerated math. This was when I realized they were voting on an agenda, not necessarily what is best for our CUSD students. The agenda is to make math more equitable. I love equity but not in the way they are using the term. Most would think equity is allowing all to have an equal opportunity. If I were trying to make math more equitable, I would want to provide resources for struggling students, trying to lift them. The way the board majority voted, they are essentially taking the top kids and pushing them down in order to create equity. Early math bloomers should never be pushed down or given a consequence for something they did not do. I have yet to speak to a middle school math teacher who is happy about this new curriculum (not to say they don’t exist).

The Express: What are your beliefs regarding LGBTQ+ students?

Lisa Zollinger: I support ALL students and believe all students deserve a safe and supportive learning environment. I would NEVER support an outing policy. I would never want teachers to be forced to determine the sexual orientation or gender identity of their students. With that said when a student is showing signs of withdrawal or concerning changes, parents should be notified in order to get their children the help they need. Parents may seem annoying to high schoolers (mine certainly were), but they will likely be one of the few constants in this world, supporting their children well beyond high school.

The Express: What are your thoughts on union-funded candidates?

Lisa Zollinger: I think it’s important to separate the teachers union from our teachers. I’ve had countless teachers show support to me who are also members of the union. I love our teachers (including the ones supporting the union-backed candidates) but I can’t say I love the union. I knew I didn’t agree with the union when I was a 22 year-old first year teacher in the Bay Area. It was a general election year and I noticed nearly every day I had fancy glossy fliers in my teacher’s mailbox in the staffroom. They were from the union, directing me who to vote for and how to vote on specific propositions. I was young and inexperienced politically but I knew enough to know the union did not represent me. I became bothered that I was required (this has since changed, teachers can now opt out) to pay the union dues that were going toward causes I didn’t believe in.

The California School Boards Association states, “The role of the school board is to ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of their communities.” When you vote for a union-backed candidate, are you getting a candidate who truly represents our community? The unions are spending tens of thousands of dollars (possibly more) to get their union-backed candidates elected. These candidates vote in line with the union every single time. If a voter lines up with the union, they should vote for the union-backed candidate. I highly suggest voters research the union, watch what legislation they put their money behind and what causes they support. I do not believe the union represents the majority of our community.

The Express: Do you believe that parents’ rights or students’ rights are a priority?

Lisa Zollinger: Students have a lot of rights, and they should! I have two young adult children and two teenagers (and one preteen) and although I have open and close relationships with my children, I’m well aware I don’t know everything. As a teenager you’re developing autonomy (becoming your own person), which is healthy and developmentally right on track and what keeps you from wanting to stay in your childhood bedroom for the rest of your life. Most teens will keep information from their parents, which is completely their right. When a parent has a child, they are committing to raise and protect this child and provide them with the necessities of life. Parents partner with schools when they send their children to school, a partnership I appreciate immensely. As much as I appreciate this partnership, I am not handing my kids to the school to raise, this is my job and responsibility. I have been privileged to have my children in classrooms with remarkable teachers who go above and beyond teaching the basics but they have also always kept a seat at the table for me, so to speak. I believe these questions are based off the LGBTQ+ concerns. As I mentioned above, I would never support an “outing policy” where teachers are required to report a student’s gender or sexual attraction. But if my child’s teacher was concerned about my child, maybe they were withdrawing from peers or show signs of mental distress, I would expect to be notified. As a former teacher, I realize teachers can’t be expected to report every nuance of every day but they should keep parents informed if they suspect signs of distress, even if related to LGBTQ+ issues. Our governor has signed a law that will go into effect January 1st that makes it illegal for schools to share such information with parents, I am hopeful this law will be found unconstitutional as it goes against the constitutional rights of parents in our country.

The Express:  How do you plan on making school environments safer for students?

Lisa Zollinger: Safety includes many issues. I think San Juan Hills High School has done a good job with planning and protecting the campus. These efforts need to continue to be thought through and practiced. I also appreciate the video cameras on campus and look forward to learning more about these efforts going forward if I end up on the board. Another part of safety is discipline, something I’ve always admired SJHHS for. Communication with constituents in the district will be key in learning about the issues I’m unaware of. Again we can’t address problems we’re not aware of and we’re not aware of them if we aren’t listening. 

The Express: What do you believe is the most pressing issue in the CUSD district?

Lisa Zollinger: With the loss of Covid relief funds, our district will be facing some very challenging budget issues. There are many approaches the board will need to consider when making hard decisions for our district. One issue I want to explore is our declining enrollment in our district. There are a lot of factors that contribute to declining enrollment, declining birth rates being an obvious factor. An aging population and high cost of living absolutely play a role in our declining enrollment as well. At our peak, CUSD had roughly 51K students and today we are closer to 41K students. I think our current board majority has ignored the fact that many families have left our district because they’re unhappy with the focus on extreme agendas over academic excellence. I have talked to countless families who have either moved away (I’m a real estate agent so I’ve worked with many of these families), put their students in private schools, or chose homeschooling. We can’t fix this issue if we deny it exists. The district claims numbers of students enrolled in private schools have remained stagnant over the years of declining enrollment but we have no way of tracking the actual numbers. Somehow our district has declined in enrollment by roughly 20% yet we have added Rancho Mission Viejo to our district, adding Esencia K-8, which is bursting at the seams, and we will soon break ground on another K-8 school in Rancho Mission Viejo. This growth in the district has offset some of our losses. I would like to sit down with families who left our schools for private and homeschool and see what it would take to bring them back to CUSD. Let’s have productive conversations and make our schools more inviting to all.

The Express: Do you have any plans to make board meetings more accessible for parents and students?

Lisa Zollinger: Finding a time that works for most is challenging. I think our district does a good job making our meetings accessible to as many people as possible. As a mother of five, I’ve found it challenging to attend meetings in person over the years. I appreciate that our meetings are accessible to join live remotely or we can listen to replays of past meetings. I was in attendance at a meeting recently where some of our SJHHS parents spoke in Spanish, with a translator speaking afterwards in English to the board. It made me grateful our Spanish speakers were participating but made me wonder how we can accommodate more of our community to help them have more access to our meetings. This is something I’d like to explore as I want all parents to be able to participate in board meetings.