“If you believe in student-first leadership and strong public schools, please join me in this campaign.”
“If you believe in student-first leadership and strong public schools, please join me in this campaign.”
Priorities
As Superintendent of Schools, my focus will always be ensuring Ventura County has strong public schools. With your vote, we can deliver real results for our students, teachers, staff, and families.
Strong Public Schools with Real Accountability
Protecting local control while assisting with transparency and results, and being a supportive leader for local school districts – like a County Superintendent should.
A Thriving Educator Workforce
Recruiting, retaining, and supporting educators through competitive pay, collective bargaining, mentoring, and pipeline program.
Whole-child, Whole-family Supports
Community schools, wraparound services, mental health and wellness, and strong nutrition/farm-to-school programs
Equity & Access for Every Learner
Timely, inclusive special education (IEP/504) and strong transition services that deliver long-term outcomes
Student Success & Readiness
Improved attendance and engagement, early literacy/academic acceleration, and robust CTE, dual enrollment, and career-connected pathways in safe, inclusive campuses and modern facilities.
About Karen
I’m an award-winning educator with 30 years in the classroom
and 12 years as a school board trustee.
I’m also a mom, a union advocate,
and a lifelong public servant
who believes deeply in strong public schools.
Ventura County is my home.
I attended Redwood Middle School and graduated from Westlake High School before spending three decades teaching middle school English in Oxnard. I’ve worked with educators and families across the county—from Fillmore to Simi Valley and Ojai to Port Hueneme—to deliver real results for students.
For the past three years, I’ve served as Director of Teacher Recruitment for the California Department of Education.
Our county needs steady, transparent leadership focused on outcomes for kids.
As Superintendent, my priorities include fully funded schools, supporting educators, whole-child supports, equity for every learner, and strong career pathways.
I’m ready to lead on Day One—and to put students first, always.
ENDORSEMENTS
Fiona Ma
State Treasurer
Kathy Long
Ventura County Supervisor (ret.)
Christy Smith
State Assemblymember (ret.)
Josh Chancer
State Assemblymember (ret.)
Dr. Joe Mendoza
Ventura County Office of Education, Director of Migrant Education (ret)
Bettye Lusk
Immediate Past President
California School Boards Association
Josh Fryday
Chief Service Officer of California
Christy Smith
General Secretary-Treasurer
International Association of Fire Fighters
Mayor Luis McArthur
Mayor of the City of Oxnard & former School Resource Officer
Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo
Vice Mayor of Camarillo
Dr. Martha McQueen-Legohn
Mayor of Port Hueneme
Mayor Albert Mendez
Mayor of Fillmore
Rachel Lang
Mayor Pro Tem of Ojai
Christina Reyes Villaseñor
Fillmore City Council & Former Mayor of Fillmore
Susan Santangelo
Camarillo City Council & Former Mayor of Camarillo
Laura Hernandez
Mayor Pro Tem of Port Hueneme, former Mayor
Jess Lopez
Port Hueneme City Council & former Mayor Pro Tem
Bobby Martinez
City Council & Mayor of Port Hueneme (ret.)
Tie Gutierrez
Thousand Oaks City Council
Ruth Luevanos
Simi Valley City Councilwoman (ret.)
Michaela Perez
Oxnard City Council
Gabriela Rodriguez
Oxnard City Council
Gabby Basua
Oxnard City Council
Liz Campos
Ventura City Council
Ryyn Schumacher
Ventura City Council
Carl Morehouse
Mayor of Ventura (ret.)
Alesia Martin
Rio School District Trustee
Sofya Bagdasaryan
Simi Valley Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
Ventura County
Kathy Long, County Supervisor (ret.)
Josh Chancer, Ventura County Community College District Trustee
Christy Smith, Former Assemblymember, AD 38
Camarillo
Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, Vice Mayor, City Council
Susan Santangelo, City Council
Dr. Maria Elena Plaza, Vice President, CSU Channel Islands
Bev Dransfeldt, Pleasant Valley Rec & Park Board of Directors
Doug McDowell, Pleasant Valley School District Trustee
Fillmore
Albert Mendez, Mayor
Christina Villaseñor, City Council
Ojai
Rachel Lang, City Council
Oxnard
Luis McArthur, Mayor
Michaela Perez, City Council
Gabriela Rodriguez, City Council
Gabriela Basua, City Council
Genevieve Flores-Haro, Oxnard Union High School District Trustee
Linda Baker Torres, Oxnard Union High School District Trustee
Dr. Gary Davis, Oxnard Union High School District Trustee
Denis O’Leary, Oxnard School District Trustee (ret.)
Port Hueneme
Martha McQueen, Mayor
Laura Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem
Jess Lopez, City Council
Bobby Martinez, Mayor (ret.)
Rio School District
Alesia Martin, Trustee
Simi Valley
Ruth Luevanos, City Council (ret.)
Sofya Bagdasaryan, Simi Valley Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
Joe Ayala, VP of Communications Workers of America, Local 53
Thousand Oaks
Ashley Orozco, Conejo Rec & Park District Board of Directors
Tie Gutierrez, City Council
Ventura
Liz Campos, City Council
Ryyn Schumacher, City Council
Carl Morehouse, Mayor (ret.)
James Forsythe, President, Ventura Unified School District
Shannon Fredericks, VP, Ventura Unified School District Trustee
Matt Almarez, Ventura Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
Amber Thompson, Community Leader
KC Rodriguez, Arts Commissioner
Deborah Meyer-Morris, Attorney / Disability Advocate
Note: all titles are used for identification purposes only and may not reflect the views of their organizations.
Alameda County
Malia Vella, Alameda Vice Mayor (ret.)
Los Angeles County
Christy Smith, Former Assemblymember, AD 38
Hon. Patrice Marshall McKenzie, Pasadena USD Trustee
Telly Tse, Glendale Union SD Trustee
Monterey County
Bettye Lusk, Monterey Peninsula USD Trustee;
Nathalia Carrillo, President, Salinas Union HSD Trustee
Monica Lujan, Vice President, Salinas Union HSD Trustee
Angela De Ramos, Salinas City ESD Trustee (ret.)
Vanessa Robinson, Salinas City ESD Trustee
Orange County
Tina Gustin-Gurney, VP, Westminster SD Trustee
San Diego County
Richard Barrera, President, San Diego USD Trustee
Miriam Escobar, CTA State Council Minority-At-Large (ret.)
Santa Barbara County
Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore, DNP, Santa Barbara CCD Trustee
Santa Clara County
Ava Chiao, Cupertino Union SD Trustee
Sonoma County
Ever Flores, Santa Rosa City Schools BOE (ret.)
