Cathy Carlson from TO here: I see yet another letter from a member of the local Democrats attacking Mike Dunn. It sure is interesting that Mrs. Aschenbrenner only shows up at CVUSD school board meetings when there are a ton of other liberals there who must have gotten the same email.

Yes, there is an orchestrated attempt to oust Mike. Yes, the union is trying to defame his character.

No, Mike does not "hate" teachers. His wife, and several relatives are teachers. I am an educator. Merle Duckett is an educator. Hundreds of teachers in the CVUSD have contacted Mike and like what he is doing. Why? He got them a larger raise that the rest of the Board was going to give them.

Mrs. Aschenbrenner was one of the speakers in favor of a change in the health text book, now called the gay sex issue in the CVUSD. Does she also support Sen Sheila Kuhl's bill that would require all public school students to be taught the social contributions of LGBTs (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders)? Many teachers are opposed, since it would take away more time from academics. What is her stand on this? I'd like to know, in case she ever runs for school board.

As far as any chaos at the Board meetings, I'm here to tell you that the vast majority of the votes have been routine and non-dramatic. There have been a few votes that were not in the best interest of the majority of the students, and Mike voted against them. Some of these were vital fiscal matters that most parents took little note of. However, there are plenty of faithful followers of education matters here that DO know Mike's track record, and we like Mike. Mike was voted in with a whopping 42% last time. This was unprecedented. He knows education law, finances, and he sticks to his Republican principles.

I've seen how the local Democrats have swarmed to the board meetings from time to time to harrass Mike and public speakers. Then they leave, and I stay with the rest of the regulars, and the meetings go back to normal. It is these radicals who are putting the cat among the pigeons and then pointing to Mr. Dunn and blaming him for the rowdiness THEY created. This is part of the Alinsky method, favored by the Democrats, to influence public perception.

Well, we are a fairly well-educated and conservative community here in the Conejo, and we are wise to the tricks of Hilary Clinton and her friends. We are sick of the abuse of power by the teachers' unions in California. We are disgusted to find that 3 years ago 11 Conejo schools could not even make the state minimum of 75% on the Academic Performance Index, the API. We are disgusted to find out that the 10 schools that said they were "A California Top 100 School" had their signs taken down by Bob Fraisse in August 2003, because they were bogus. We are disgusted that our 4 middle schools claimed to have WASC accreditation in the late 1990's, yet they had been dropped after refusing to be inspected. Call me, I have the letter from WASC.

We are disgusted with the dinosaurs on the Board who are more concerned with PR than with academic acheivement. They are more concerned with covering up scandals on their staff than purging the CVUSD from these problem employees. Why? Because they are afraid of the union. AND BECAUSE THEY TAKE MONEY FROM THE UNION.

Let's turn the tide in November and get 3 independents on the board who can complete the work that former Supt Bob Fraisse started. Let's get tough on mediocrity in our schools and in our teaching staff. Let's get some folks in there who treat public money like their own budget, and who worry about debt and future costs. Get rid of the free-spending liberals on the CVUSD school board and replace them with careful finance experts like Mike Dunn, former Morgan Stanley stockbroker.

As far as the misquote about "indoctrination",this was taken out of context. (It has been reported the the editor of the Star. It will be reported to Chicago to Scripps as an ethical violation of their newspaper code.) I, too, would refuse the voluntary, expensive, time wasting conferences offered by the liberal California State School Boards Association. They were the ones who drafted the resolution against Arnold S. last spring. The CSSBA resolution was ILLEGALLY brought to a vote the same night that Peggy Buckles rushed it to the board and read it during public comments. Several people complained. Yes, that was highly illegal, as it was not agendized, and this was a violation of the Brown Act by the 4 members of the Board who voted for it.

You should know that many, many trustees in the State do NOT attend these optional training conferences. You should also know that Mike has had 18 months of documented training by staff. This on-site option is what many employed trustee chose. In our district it is appalling to hear Mrs. Beaubien (18 years on the Board) go on and on about the different conferences with wonderful dinners that she attended in Sacramento and elsewhere. What is the price tag for those hotels, dinners, and airfare her expensive but unneccessary trips for "training"? Is she getting trained, or entertained at taxpayers expense? She told several listeners last month that she ran for school board again because she had 3 closets of clothes and nowhere else to wear them! Remember THAT when she is up for re-election in 2 years.

You need to understand the Trustee Tim Stephens will be running against Mike in November. Stephens misrepresented the facts when he falsely told the Star that Mike Dunn refuses to take training. Are there other falsehoods that Tim Stephens told? Well, why don't you ask him about the phony California Top 100 school awards he used to brag about. (There is NO such award from the State.) Let's see how he spins that one. He actually bragged about that in his old candidate's statement in 1998. It was NOT there in 2002 after I exposed this charade.

And lastly, if you think it is important to follow the 10th Commandment (Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife...) then please join me in supporting Mike Dunn.

Cathy C here again: I thought it would be good to post the Sunday opinion column by CVUSD Trustee Mike Dunn that Mrs. A is complaining about. Here is his rebuttal to the untruths about him.

Any radicals who would like the truth should read this and print a copy. I doubt they will, as they are more interested in books like Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" written in the 1940's. Hilary Clinton wrote her master's thesis on this. THATS why the radical DEMS in town are so good at twisting the truth about our school board. They have a guide book! Google "Alinsky Method" and you will read how radicals across the nation are doing exactly the same thing to other independents on school boards and at City Hall as they are doing to Mike Dunn in Thousand Oaks.

And as far as the fantasy of any religious agenda that Tina A alleges--please tell us what days this occurred on, and what exactly did Mike say to "push" his agenda? All meetings are recorded on audio and on video tape, with 6 re-runs. There are NO such incidences. What have you been smoking? If such behavior had happened it would have been reported in the Star, the LA Times, the New York Times, and the London Times. It didn't happen. But, the Alinsky method suggests that radicals put forth such messages to discredit their opponents. Busted! Don't try this again, Mrs. A. ("A" Aschenbrenner and "A" Alinsky--easy to remember.)

**************************************************
Sunday July 1, 2006
(by Mike Dunn)

There has been some propaganda written about me and it is about time the truth be told. At the core of the controversy is a power struggle over who controls the Conejo Valley Unified School District — the parents and taxpayers versus the United Association of Conejo Teachers' union bosses. Representative democracy versus a special-interest dictatorship. I am the only board member not taking thousands and thousands of campaign contribution dollars from UACT and, because they do not control me, UACT must destroy me. (Source, 42 pages, forms 470, Ventura County Elections Division.)

Remember the allegations by UACT and their minions that I violated the Brown Act and the labor code? Well, here is what has happened to me: nothing. No charges or complaints have been filed or issued against me by any of the regulatory or enforcement agencies.

Ventura County Star
I did not violate the Brown Act. The district attorney has not contacted me. The Public Employment Relations Board, which pursues labor-code violations, has not issued a complaint against me.

I have been falsely slandered, libeled and my character has been defamed by the union bosses at UACT and others (see Barbara Sponsler's June 23 letter, "Dunn definitely needs training"; she is board member Dorothy L. Beaubien's former campaign manager) who care more about power and control than they do about democracy.

I spoke with an attorney. The attorney told me that the release of budgetary information is not a violation of the Brown Act as alleged. He also felt that UACT's allegations regarding my polling of the teachers were frivolous, harassment, an unknowing violation, a moot point and a waste of UACT dues. The attorney felt that PERB will not waste its time issuing a frivolous complaint whose primary purpose was harassment.

I work for the parents and taxpayers. I listen to all sides (i.e., my polls of teachers and the community). But I give preference to the rights and wishes of the 85,000 parents and taxpayers in the district. This preference to parents makes me an obstacle in the way of UACT's anti-parent agenda (see Google search, Parent Rights Amendment, $75,000 contribution against).

UACT wants absolute control of public education, our school district and you. The union bosses never compromise on social issues or the rights of parents. Part of UACT's agenda is to promote same-sex marriage, minimize the celebration of Christmas, oppose parent rights and raise your taxes. A couple of examples are the textbook that redefines marriage and the fact that students had to go to school until the day before Christmas. When the board ignores statement cards that run 6-to-1 against a textbook that redefines marriage and instead votes for UACT's demands, you get an idea of how UACT's control of the district affects you.

UACT also demands I take "indoctrination" from the California School Board Association. CSBA is bias, partisan and submitted two resolutions to the board that criticized the governor. The other board members voted for the resolutions. Aren't we supposed to be a nonpartisan board?

Note: I am a union member and five members of family are or were public-school teachers. My wife presently teaches special education, the severely handicapped.

Ask yourself some questions. How will UACT's attack against me make our world a better place to live in? Will UACT's attack improve public education? Will UACT's attack hurt democracy and encourage corruption?

We desperately need another independent parent on this board not taking money from UACT.

— Mike Dunn, of Newbury Park, is a trustee with the Conejo Valley Unified School District board.

There will always be something wrong with our school system as long as you have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to learn what a kid in China learns in the 8th grade.

Mike, thanks for doing a great job among the "teachers" with itching ears noted in 2Tim4:3-4 that seek to betray you and those that stand with you. You work as trustee with these teachers and their 'itching ear' liberal peers, but you do stick to sound doctrine and decent traditional timeless morality for which you are both graciously appreciated and horribly/ disgracefully attacked. I sincerely thank you for doing a great job as trustee; I have seen you work and I 'speak' personally and professionally. Keep up the good fight my friend. You are just about the only reason I could think of to justify sending my children to a public school.
-Jonathan Mirabile

GREAT letter Tina. Keep speaking the truth and common sense. You speak for the majority in this community, not the minority of hate, fanatical agendas and propaganda that has posted here already.

Thanks Candice! Your support and positivity are appreciated- and very refreshing here!!

Re: “Conejo Valley School Trustee Answers Critics� (2 July 2006).

I have to call into question the psychological state which prompted Mr. Dunn’s paranoid response. He harbors the idea that dark forces of evil permeate our public schools and manifest themselves in the souls and faces of our classroom teachers.

Mr. Dunn represents a special interest group consisting of like-minded, church-going Christians. There is nothing wrong with this. It is democracy at work. What is problematic is that if he were to succeed in implementing his agenda it would exclude a large number of children that are educated in our schools. Teachers teach ALL children: black, white, brown, Muslim, Jewish and Christian. That is why public schools are the pillar of our democracy because ALL children are invited to learn so that everyone might eventually contribute to this greatest of political and social experiments, the United States of America.

Addressing the questions posed by Mr. Dunn, the personal and philosophical “attacks� on him are a defense of the children that his agenda would leave behind. His tired laundry list of jaundiced and jihadic rhetoric snuffs out the light of a thousand candles in an effort to make his own shine brighter. The world is a better place when all children are accepted for what and who they are and, while we are all free to express ourselves and fight for what we believe, it is the world that Mr. Dunn would create that would ensure that intolerance, injustice and exclusion be the norm. The lessons that would be imparted to our children would be those that keep certain peoples in their place and deprive them of the opportunity to better themselves and their communities.

I want to remind Mr. Dunn that Jesus died for all of our sins and for all mankind and not just his narrow-minded band of holier-than-thou Christian followers.

BRAVO MIKE DUNN

Recent news articles highlight the notion that leadership of the local teacher’s union would like nothing better than to muzzle CVUSD trustee Mike Dunn. I would like to thank Mr. Dunn for his integrity in representing the wishes of parents and voters of this community. The CVUSD school board could certainly use more trustees like him.

The continuous attack by special interest groups against officials who dare to have independent views has the regrettable effect of preventing many from participating in local government.

Although it was President Tim Stephens that called for the calendar to go back for further negotiation, it has been Mike Dunn the union has chosen to punish, and all for practicing free speech, democracy, and upholding his oath of office.

Tim Stephens could have been commended for responding to public outcry when he called for further negotiation of winter break, but instead he voted in favor of the union’s calendar change which FAILED to address the concerns of the 81% majority of CVUSD constituents.

Mike Dunn has been true to his word, and has consistently represented the will of the people of this community. CVUSD trustees Stephens, Phelps, Beaubian, and Didio have once again ignored the public and instead voted in support of the special interest groups that finance their campaigns.