Michelle O'Brien (California)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Michelle O'Brien

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Granite Hills High School

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Retired

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Michelle O'Brien ran for election to the Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board to represent Trustee Area 3 in California. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

O'Brien completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michelle O'Brien earned a high school diploma from Granite Hills High School. She attended both the University of Phoenix and the University of California, Los Angeles. She is retired. She has been affiliated with Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge, Moms for America, and Moms for Liberty.

Elections

2024

See also: Saddleback Valley Unified School District, California, elections (2024)

General election

General election for Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 3

Incumbent Suzie Swartz defeated Michelle O'Brien in the general election for Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Suzie Swartz (Nonpartisan)	57.5	11,357
		Michelle O'Brien (Nonpartisan)	42.5	8,401

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,758
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view O'Brien's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for O'Brien in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michelle O'Brien completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by O'Brien's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Hello, I'm Michelle O'Brien.

I'm the proud daughter of a 22 year U.S. Army officer who fought in WWII, Vietnam, and Korean wars and was born on a military base. I was raised in San Diego by loving, hardworking parents and three brothers. They instilled the importance of love of country, family, faith, and community.

I married my high school sweetheart and had two beautiful daughters. My mom, a public school teacher taught children with special needs. She was so excited when my oldest daughter cut her first tooth. My mom wore a bandage on her finger to work and when people would ask about it, she would smile and say "we have a first tooth"!

A job transfer moved my daughters and I to Lake Forest. Years later we found our forever home in Mission Viejo where we've lived for 27 years. I retired from a water and wastewater agency. While at the agency, I was a communication liaison. My job was to make sure the public was informed of all phases of construction, budget, and travel impacts. I also worked closely with each school transportation department to ensure parents and bus drivers were informed weeks in advance of possible delays. After construction was completed, I began leading water and wastewater related education tours and hands-on activities to K-College students for 13 years. I also lead water education activity trainings for teachers and the Garden in Every School program.

My only grandchild graduated from THHS.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• According to the California Department of Education's website, approximately 50% of our students can read at grade level and less than half can perform math at grade level. Test scores have been declining since 2015. Children deserve a quality education in a safe environment. Some people say, "I don't have children" or "my children/grandchildren are grown so I don't pay attention to school boards". As a taxpayer and property owner I reply, "did you know that property values are effected by local school's test scores"? Many aren't aware of this.
• SVUSD is fortunate to have many excellent teachers that work very hard every day. I believe they deserve to be supported and encouraged. They should be provided the right tools, resources, and training. We need a new curriculum with a proven success record that will provide education excellence. In working together with teachers and staff, I believe we can achieve this together.
• As a public entity, I am passionate about the necessity for transparency. Parents, grandparents, and taxpayers deserve to know how taxpayer money is being spent. This information should be posted on the district's website in an easy to find location. We must be good stewards of the public's money.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about creating policies for parental involvement in their child's education, physical and mental health.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father. He was very intelligent, kind, funny, hard working, and loved his family very much.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

As an elected official we are responsible for using public tax dollars wisely. As a school board member, I will work with other board members, the superintendent, and staff to make sure funds are only used for products or services that have an educational value.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm compassionate, a problem solver, I see situations and circumstances differently than many others by recognizing how it could go wrong then address it beforehand. I listen and communicate well. I’m passionate about protecting children and providing them with an excellent education to succeed as adults.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To uphold the U.S. Constitution, to listen to constituents and be their voice on the board. To make policies that benefit and safeguard all students while being fiscally responsible.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to help make SVUSD the district all parents want to enroll their child in and where children thrive.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When John F. Kenney was assassinated. I was four years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

During high school I baby sat for neighbors. I did this for a year then went to work at Orange Julius.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The primary job of a school board member is to ensure that schools provide academic excellence. Board members set policies, procedures and budgets. Board members are also responsible for hiring the Superintendent who in turn hires teachers and staff.

Who are your constituents?

As a School Board Trustee, my constituents include students for their academic excellence, well-being and safety. Parents because children belong to their parents and nobody else. Parents/guardians know their children better than anyone else. They love, nurture, provide and care for them always. Their voices must be listened to and represented. Teachers and staff also have valuable input and firsthand experiences that should be heard. As previously stated, SVUSD has a lot of exceptional teachers and staff that deserve to be supported. Taxpayers and local businesses are also constituents. They too have a vested interest in academic success. Working together, everyone benefits.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Students, teachers, staff, and families have unique challenges. Students with special needs such as physical, academic, or emotional may require additional support both at school and at home. It’s important that we make resources and accommodation available for a student to thrive.

Some students excel academically. We must offer advanced courses that challenge students and keep them engaged. We can build relationships with local businesses for paid internships and pathways to full-time employment after graduation.

Some students will attend college, others prefer trade schools. I always say, “everyone has a guy or a girl they call when they need a mechanic, electrician, plumber, baker, caterer, welder, etc.”. Let’s offer pathways for all to achieve their goals.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

I would love to implement a trades program offering auto repair, welding, plumbing, and advanced culinary courses. The current workforce is experiencing a "Silver Sunami". The last of the Baby Boomer generation is retiring taking decades of knowledge and experience with them. Sadly, there aren't enough students entering various fields or they don't know about these opportunities. I have relationships with many trade schools and employers. I'd reach out to them regarding being guest speakers and/or mentors.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

All school sites must be secured and monitored by the front office. Too many sites have multiple points of entry. Classrooms should have an intruder alert system that notifies each classroom and office. As a member of Parents Against School Shootings (P.A.S.S.) we would meet with elected officials regarding funding for Resource Officers on campus. We also researched alert systems and provided them to SVUSD's board. Additionally, it's important to consult with a safety expert.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

For nearly two years parents/guardians have been asking for the district to draft a parental rights policy. The district has remained silent even though hundreds of signatures were collected to have it added to an agenda for public discussion as well as numerous requests during public comment. At the very least, a draft policy should be brought up for public review and comment.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

All five Orange County Board of Education Trustees,

Orange County Superintendent, Dr. Stefan Bean,
Mission Viejo City Council Members, Wendy Bucknum & Robert Ruesch,
Lake Forest City Council Members, Scott Voigts & Doug Cirbo,
Moms for America
Moms for Liberty
Parents Against School Shootings
Congress Woman Young Kim

Crime Survivors PAC

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

In March 2020, much like the majority of schools, the district took necessary steps. However, it was clear that the district wasn’t technically advanced. Parents rushed to purchase computers, terminals, and other electronics for their children. It took schools a long time to get the necessary equipment for students, teachers, and staff. Especially economically disadvantaged students as families didn’t have the resources to purchase computers for each child at home. Many teachers quickly learned about ZOOM and overcame even more challenges to keep students engaged outside of a physical classroom.

Sadly, test scores weren’t being reported so it was difficult to know how students were doing academically and mentally. According to the California Department of Education website, no public school was required to submit test results. By the 2020-21 school year, enough information was known, and students could have safely returned to in person learning. However, SVUSD chose to delay their return. This caused additional learning loss for most students.

In the future, it’s important that we make decisions based on the best interests of students, teachers, and families.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I have been actively engaged with parents/guardians in the community for many years. They have been wanting to get more involved with their child’s education. My goal is to create these opportunities. Many parents have a lack of trust towards public schools. By having them more involved in the decision making process, increased transparency, and building stronger relationships, their trust will be restored.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

When employment opportunities arise, I'd like for the district to seek candidates nationwide. Our students deserve to have the best education taught by the best of the best.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I stand firm on the importance of financial transparency and government accountability. During a June 2024 board presentation, it showed that the district will have deficits of: $15,416,529 in 2024/25, $25,521,378 in 2025/26, and $24,853,598 in 2026/27. Funds from district reserves will be needed to help cover shortages. We need to identify how this happened and ways to balance the budget without raising taxes. By using common sense approaches, we can achieve success.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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