Betsy Connolly
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Betsy Connolly is an at-large representative on the Conejo Valley Unified Board of Education in California. She was first elected to the board in 2008.[1]
Though Connolly identifies as a Democrat, the school board office is nonpartisan.[2] She won re-election in the general election on November 8, 2016.[3]
Connolly participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Biography
Connolly is a college instructor in equine science and zoology. She had an equine practice from 1982 to 2001. She is involved with Community Action Ventura County and serves as the committee chair of the Pierce College Equine Advisory. Connolly earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Denver and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University.[2]
Elections
2016
Two of the five seats on the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. In their bids for re-election incumbents Peggy Buckles and Betsy Connolly faced challengers Sandee Everett, Julie Freedman, Angie Simpson, and Marlon Delano Williams. Connolly won re-election to the board, and Everett won the other seat on the ballot.[3][4]
Results
| Conejo Valley Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Sandee Everett |
25.84% | 24,666 |
| Betsy Connolly Incumbent |
18.47% | 17,633 |
| Angie Simpson | 18.29% | 17,458 |
| Peggy Buckles Incumbent | 16.76% | 15,997 |
| Marlon Delano Williams | 10.82% | 10,325 |
| Julie Freedman | 9.69% | 9,246 |
| Write-in votes | 0.13% | 125 |
| Total Votes | 95,450 | |
| Source: Ventura County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Funding
Connolly reported $15,111.00 in contributions and $12,402.60 in expenditures to the Ventura County Registrar of Voters, which left her campaign with $2,708.40 on hand in the election.[5]
Endorsements
Connolly was endorsed by the Ventura County Democratic Party, the Unified Association of Conejo Teachers, and the community organization Evolve.[6][7][8]
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Betsy Connolly Incumbent |
37.9% | 30,108 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peggy Buckles Incumbent |
32.8% | 26,053 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tony Dolz | 29.1% | 23,151 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 186 | |
| Total Votes | 79,498 | |||
| Source: Ventura County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results: Conejo Valley Governing Board Member Unified School District," accessed July 16, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Betsy Connolly participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on September 22, 2016:
| “ | Preserve rigorous academics and a wide array of activities and athletics in safe and welcoming schools. Continue to develop new programs that meet the needs of our diverse student population including students receiving support designed for Gifted and Talented, College Prep, Special Education, English Language Learner and Career Tech focused students. Support an AP, Honors and College Placement History and English curriculum that is rigorous and relevant. Maintain Science classes that are fact-based and provide comprehensive preparation for college and career. Insure that thought provoking and challenging readings continue to be included in our High School classes.[9][10] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in California. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| “ | Teacher relations are already good in our District[10] | ” |
| —Betsy Connolly (September 22, 2016) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer nine questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. I'd like to see charters that offer unique approaches to teaching and learning with evidence of prudent fiscal management. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should defer to school board decisions in most cases. Standards and rights are state business. Otherwise, stay out of it. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. They have value but there are many exceptions. A good standardized test is like checking vital signs on a patient. Normal vitals doesn't mean you aren't sick but abnormal vitals is a reason for much closer inspection. When standardized tests are too high stakes, they loose value. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| Common Core State Standards make sense but have been captured for political purposes. I'd rather have great State standards and a useful assessment. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students. Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Provide all new teachers with mentors. Don't keep new teachers who aren't showing ability and motivation. Give motivated but struggling teachers additional training options. Create a formal probation if clear improvement/effort isn't seen. Be realistic about letting teachers go who are not good for kids. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. High stakes testing is corrupting. Merit pay corrupts. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Private education should be paid for with fees and donations. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion should be a last resort but it has to be an option. There comes a point where the needs of students and teachers come before the needs of a single struggling child. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers A great teacher trumps all other factors but more teachers can be great with strong principals and reasonable class sizes. |
Political philosophy
Connolly described the following as her political philosophy.
| “ | My focus is on promoting, preserving and protecting local public education and its vital role in our community. I am committed to offering the best possible school experience for all of our students.[10] | ” |
| —Betsy Connolly (August 20, 2016)[2] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Betsy Connolly' 'Conejo Valley Unified School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Conejo Valley Unified School District, California
- Conejo Valley Unified School District elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Conejo Valley Unified School District, "Board Members," accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ballotpedia's Biographical Information Submission Form, "Betsy Connolly's responses," August 20, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ventura County Registrar of Voters, "Qualified Candidate List," accessed September 2, 2016
- ↑ Ventura County, "Semi-Official Final Results," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Ventura County Registrar of Voters, "County of Ventura Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed February 8, 2017
- ↑ Ventura County Democrats, "Democratic Party Endorsements - 2016," accessed October 16, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Unified Association of Conejo Teachers, "The Unified Association of Conejo Teachers Votes to Recommend CVUSD Incumbents," accessed October 21, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Betsy Connolly's responses," September 22, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Conejo Valley Unified School District Elections | |
| Ventura County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Peggy Buckles • Incumbent, Betsy Connolly • Sandee Everett • Julie Freedman • Angie Simpson • Marlon Delano Williams |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
