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F R I DAY, O C TOBE R 9, 2 0 2 0
Viewpoints on Teen Talk vary
SB Unified school board candidates
Community members differ on new sex ed lessons
A look at the candidates’ campaign points By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara Unified School District school board has three openings up for the Nov. 3 election. All three incumbents are running for reelection to regain their spots. Recent board meetings have brought a slew of public commenters, some advocating for an overturning of the board. Community members have chimed in with their support for the incumbents’ challengers. Here are the six candidates:
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Janeth Mendoza, left, and Barbara Batastini represent a group of parents and community members opposed to Santa Barbara Unified’s newly adopted middle school sex ed curriculum.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
It’s hard to argue about children’s reading lessons in school, but what about sex education? Parents, students, community members and a local school district board all say they want the best for students, but their idea of an adequate curriculum varies. The California Healthy Youth Act mandates that districts teach comprehensive sex ed but lets them choose among compliant curricula. Santa Barbara Unified chose Teen Talk, a program by a nonprofit called Health Connected. Opponents of this recommend the Health Education and Relationship Training curriculum. Two outspoken adversaries of the board’s decision, Barbara Batastini and Janeth Mendoza, sat down with the News-Press to share their views. District officials and
advocates of the curriculum gave their rationale as well. Parents have the right to opt out of the sex ed program, so here’s why they should or shouldn’t enroll, according to people interviewed by the News-Press and comments made at school board meetings. FAMILY VALUES “I feel like now the school district is taking and putting parents on the side and trying to teach children things that my family doesn’t value,” Mrs. Mendoza, mother of SB Unified students, said. “I feel like they’re trying to take away my rights as a parent.” She and Mrs. Batastini expressed concern that the lessons don’t align with the community’s values. “The law is very clear that to the biggest, widest, grandest extent possible, you stay away from values because everyone obviously has different values,” board member
Kate Ford said. “The CHYA is very clear to stay away from value-driven curriculum, and the HEART curriculum is very valuedriven.” She also pointed out that Teen Talk has interactive discussions for young people to approach their parents. According to the copy of the curriculum at the district office, there’s an activity where students look at their family’s values and think about their personal view of sex. During the Sept. 8 board meeting, Miki Hammel complained that Teen Talk promotes secular humanism and encourages premarital sex and that “it goes against the religious values of our community.” PLANNED PARENTHOOD Mrs. Batastini expressed concern for Planned Parenthood’s involvement in sex ed. She pointed out that when candidates apply
for endorsement from Planned Parenthood’s Central Coast Action Fund, the application asks if candidates support comprehensive sexual education. Abi Karlin-Resnick, the executive director of Health Connected, said Planned Parenthood didn’t have input in the Teen Talk curriculum but is listed as a resource. “We’re aligned with Planned Parenthood in their belief that comprehensive sexuality education should be provided. But there’s really no connection beyond networking at events,” she said. Sara Thurman, a nurse practitioner for Planned Parenthood Central Coast and mom of SB Unified students, hadn’t read the Teen Talk curriculum in depth but looked at an overview of the lessons. She is an advocate for comprehensive sexual health education. Please see viewpoints on A7
Local Republicans, Democrats sound off on VP debate By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Whereas Santa Barbara Republicans and Democrats were by and large united in disappointment with the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, they’ve gone back to being of divided opinion regarding Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California. Predictably, Democrats and Republicans who spoke to the News-Press about the event handed out plaudits and criticisms of the two vice presidential candidates along
party lines. Santa Barbara Democratic Party south vice chair David Atkins accused Mr. Pence of repeatedly dodging every question leveled at him and was unable to justify the Trump administration’s performance in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. By contrast, he praised Sen. Harris for comporting herself well when the vice president talked over her. “I thought that Sen. Harris showed incredible grace when faced with yet another man who would not let her speak and repeatedly talked over her,” he said. Please see debate on A8
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Brian Campbell A father of two students, Brian Campbell has been involved with the district through the Parent Teacher Organization, chairing Science Night, teaching science and other volunteer positions. Now, he hopes to gain a position on the school board. He ran for City Council last year after seeing a need for more security at local schools but lost to Mike Jordan. “Children, their education and their safety are a top priority for me. I live my life for my children, and I firmly believe that children are our future and must be protected and guided,” he said on his website, brian4schoolboard. com. He wants to see more parent involvement in students’ education, including the district’s Please see candidates on A8
Who’s running for Goleta City Council? By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
With 24 more days left to vote, the five candidates running for Goleta City Council are ramping up their campaign platforms and sharing the ways they want to improve the city of Goleta. Two of the five running are incumbents, and the others include an automotive services manager, a business account executive and a writer. Justin Shores, the automotive services manager, says his experience in customer service and business management has prepared him to hold a seat on the council. Mr. Shores was raised by a single mother, and his father defeated homelessness, which he says gives him a unique perspective on underprivileged members of the community. In addition, he has firsthand experience of the immigration process, as he and his wife, Yazmin, applied for a fiance Visa and she had to wait in Mexico in order to get married. The candidate calls for renegotiation with Santa Barbara County to end Revenue Neutrality, referencing the nearly $110 million Goleta has paid as a result of this agreement. He also would vote against the recent tax increase until the Revenue Neutrality Agreement is ended. Mr. Shores supports small businesses and start-ups, keeping the senior care facilities protected during COVID-19,
cleaning up trash and debris and recognizing law enforcement’s service. He was one of the organizers of the “Back the Blue” rally held in July, as previously reported by the News-Press. Blanche “Grace” M. Wallace, known to everyone as Grace, is running for Goleta City Council as a mother, grandmother, small business owner and volunteer, which she says gives her understanding of balancing family, work and community. Ms. Wallace served as chair of Love Your City Clean-up for the Goleta Old Town Community Association, and she encourages neighborhood involvement. Her main focuses are maintaining parks and open spaces, providing for public safety, controlling development and supporting local businesses. She previously owned Sweetheart Crafts & Floral, a small business she founded in Utah, which she says gives her empathy for the small businesses during the pandemic. On the city council, Ms. Wallace would push to completely reopen all businesses and empower neighborhoods to establish a Community Participation Program to motivate residents to maintain their neighborhoods. The final non-incumbent on the ballet is Bruce Wallach, a community volunteer and writer. He ran for the Goleta Water Board in 2010, but was unsuccessful. Please see council on A7
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DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, and Republican Vice President Mike Pence face off in the vice presidential debate at the University of Utah on Wednesday night.
Virginia Alvarez Virginia Alvarez is the chief business official and a human resources administrator in the Montecito Union School District. She has over 30 years of experience, starting with a role as a school office administrator. “As an administrator, I have extensive experience in school finance, specifically in basic-aid-funded districts like SBUSD,” she says on her website, alvarezforschools.com. “I know what to look for in a budget and what questions to ask to give clear direction to staff and be responsive to teachers, staff and the community.” She has received the San Marcos High School Royal Award and the Santa Barbara County
Classified School Employee of the Year award. She is a graduate of the district and has three children that have graduated from it, as well. As a child of immigrants, she says she can understand challenges faced by the 20% of the district’s enrollment. She is endorsed by many, including the Santa Barbara Teachers Association and Santa Barbara City Council member Kristen Sneddon.
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