School board candidate seeks change
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

FAMILY MAN—Dave Moorman, a candidate for the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education, enjoys a light moment with his daughter, Alanna.

Frustration with the instability of state funding to school districts is Dave Moorman’s chief motivation for running for a seat on the Las Virgenes Unified School District board of education. However, his slogan—“do more”—may capture Moorman’s true spirit and vision for the school district.

Three board seats are open, with two incumbents running for reelection. Long-time board member Judy Jordan announced earlier in the year she would not file for reelection. The election is on Nov. 8.

Moorman said that school districts throughout California, including Las Virgenes, fight an uphill battle with the state on funding. Having served on the Parent/ Faculty Association at Sumac Elementary School in Agoura Hills for five years, including four years as president, Moorman said local funding isn’t enough to maintain high quality education in the district.

“I believe that our district must join with other California districts to create a sea change in our state educational system,” Moorman states on his website, www.dave4lvusd.org. He added while he recognizes the necessity of local support, he wants to overcome the “inherent funding problems of our state rather than expect local citizens to always pick up the slack.”

While Moorman’s “do more” campaign slogan is catchy, the motto captures Moorman’s strength as a “can-do” candidate. In addition to helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Sumac Elementary, Moorman cochaired the grassroots organization Citizens For Preserving Quality Education, which gained community support for Measure E, the $98-per-year parcel tax that saved core school programs, music and art.

He is also a founding member of the Las Virgenes Educational Foundation, which is forging city, school and business partnerships to bolster district-wide revenue.

Another asset Moorman brings is a strong technology background. He runs a successful firm that provides creative production and postproduction services for the television and film industries, and commercial and corporate clients.

“I feel our district desperately needs a board member with that (technology) qualification, especially as they begin to formulate a new technology plan,” Moorman said. “We need a technology plan that is driven by goals, not buzzwords; a plan that takes advantage of the experience of experts; and an approach that will not waste our taxpayers’ money by investing in mistakes.”

Moorman’s attendance record at twice-monthly school board meetings is impressive. For four years, Moorman has rarely missed a meeting. He informs interested parents who cannot attend the meetings by e-mailing meeting summaries to them.

“The thing that impresses me about Dave Moorman is that he has attended board meetings for four years, so he could learn about procedures and (the district’s) goals before he filed to become a board member,” said Harry Schwarz, an Agoura Hills planning commissioner.

Money issues and technology are not Moorman’s only goals. He said he is also concerned about student achievement.

“Standards-based instruction combined with under-funded mandates has resulted in a focus on core educational achievement at the expense of elective opportunities,” he said.

“By thinking out-of-the-box and by teaming with our business and civic communities, we can reopen these doors and give students the opportunity to find out what interests they have before they are expected to make critical decisions involving colleges, majors or joining the workforce,” Moorman said.

Although Moorman doesn’t have children in high school, he has an opinion on the many issues facing these students.

“My impression is that in the process of fast-tracking for college, it is easy for students to miss the opportunity to broaden their horizons and explore interests,” he said. “Shouldn’t school be a place where that occurs?”