Lisa Powell, CVUSD Trustee

08/25/2026

Friday, August 7th was the filing deadline for candidates planning to run for elected office this November.

No one filed to run against me (or my two fellow CVUSD Trustees also up for re-election, Cindy Goldberg and Bill Gorback).

This means I will not be on the ballot in November, but will have another four years in office. There will be no campaign this Fall. This is unprecedented for the CVUSD Board of Education, at least in recent history.

I think it is a good thing to have competitive races. It requires candidates to develop clear goals and insights and arguments. It requires incumbents to clarify - and sometimes defend - their stances on issues, their votes and actions. It's important to have accountability for elected officials, and that comes from voters.

All that said, I'm thrilled to get another four years as a CVUSD Trustee. Thank you so much to all those who have been so incredibly supportive of me, in this year's campaign, in my 2022 campaign, and throughout my first term. I have a wonderful group of friends and helpers who have been willing to jump in and take on the grueling work of a campaign team, and I'll forever be grateful for their support, input, and making sure we always have fun. I'm also grateful for all those in and outside of the CVUSD community who have shared ideas, experiences and concerns related to CVUSD schools that help me in my role.

Ultimately, this work is all about students: Ensuring that the children and youth of the Conejo Valley are provided with the educational experiences and supports they need to have productive and fulfilling futures. I'm honored to serve.

08/19/2026

Happy first day of school!

Weathersfield had the CLU Dance Team on hand to help welcome everyone. It was a fun and festive morning on campus; I always love seeing the big smiles (students AND family members!), the new backpacks, and getting the chance to soak in that beautiful first day energy!

As students and families were anticipating the first day of school, there was a lot happening behind the scenes. Facilities and maintenance work, teachers prepping their classrooms, administrators figuring out schedules, organizations donating backpacks/school supplies, district staff distributing...cheers and THANK YOU to all those who make this happen!

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2026-27 school year!

07/30/2026

Yesterday I officially filed my candidacy and took the Candidate’s Oath with the Ventura County elections office.

I am humbled to have the chance to continue to serve CVUSD students and schools as a Trustee.

Thank you to all those who have supported, encouraged and challenged me along the way. I look forward to the continued conversations as we move into election season. 

07/15/2026

We talk a lot about student voice in the CVUSD. It is important and helpful to have students voicing ideas and concerns. The Student District Advisory Council (SDAC) provides input and insight on a variety of issues, and the Student Trustee that sits on the Board of Education ensures a consistent, embedded student voice.

I came across this letter to the editor that 15-year-old me and my BFF wrote many moons ago. I love the reminder of teen me using my voice, and I'm so appreciative of my parents and the other adults in my life who encouraged us young people to share our opinions.

Recently I have witnessed CVUSD students be brave enough to speak at a Thousand Oaks City Council meeting. I'm not sure teen me ever would have done that! I am consistently impressed by young people's levels of engagement in local civic life and in school and district leadership.

07/10/2026

Keeping our community's public schools strong is important for all of us living here in the Conejo Valley.

I'm thrilled to share that I'm running for re-election for the CVUSD Board of Education. I am proud to play a role in the governance of our wonderful CVUSD schools, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue this work by earning a second term.

I hope that you'll follow me on social media, check out the Powell4CVUSD campaign website, and consider getting involved in this campaign! My email and DMs are open for questions, comments, ideas, etc.

(Map of school district trustee election areas in comments - Area 2 is green!)

07/01/2026

Thrilled to have Trustee Oben joining us!

A Voice for Students: Please join us in welcoming Jalen Oben, a senior at Newbury Park High School, as the Student Board Trustee for the 2026-2027 school year! Mr. Oben is a dedicated community leader, who hopes to engage in a multitude of community topics, emphasizing the voices of everyday students through his role as Student Trustee. This is the eighth consecutive year that a student from the Student District Advisory Committee (SDAC) will serve in this important role. We look forward to having Mr. Oben on the dais!
Learn more, here: https://www.conejousd.org/all-news/news-details-cvusd/~board/new-cvusd-news/post/a-voice-for-students-meet-jalen-oben-student-board-trustee-for-the-2026-2027-school-year

06/26/2026

Early in my tenure as a CVUSD Trustee, Mr. Klinger, LCMS Principal at the time, gave me a tour of the campus. When we entered a math classroom, he shared with me the framework Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) that some LCMS teachers were in the early stages of employing. The classroom had whiteboards on most of the classroom walls, and he explained that the BTC protocol meant that students were often at the whiteboards working in groups. I was fascinated and ever since tried to keep up on BTC and the impact it was having on math instruction and learning.

I was thus thrilled to witness a presentation on BTC at a recent Board of Education meeting. Dr. Suter, Math TOSA Ms. Barlett, and LCMS teachers Ms. Gould and Ms. Landseadel gave a fantastic presentation: what BTC looks like, which CVUSD schools are now employing its methods, and the impact it is having on students and teachers.

Math for some students can feel like a mystery. I'm hopeful that the new California math framework and approaches like BTC will help math feel more relevant and attainable for more students. BTC classrooms can be seen now at a number of CVUSD schools; when you walk into one, you'll likely see students gathered around whiteboards, working together, helping each other solve math problems...thinking, engaging and hopefully loving math! Thank you to all doing this work. Full presentation slides in comments.

06/24/2026

As I was arriving at one of our elementary school promotion ceremonies a couple of weeks ago, I came upon a teary-eyed woman. She shared that all four of her [now adult] children had attended the school, and she was there to see her grandchild promote. It was a full-circle, emotional event for her.

That moment has stayed with me, especially as I was preparing some remarks for the public comment portion of the Downtown Project agenda item at the Thousand Oaks City Council meeting last night. The cost of living, housing affordability, local economic conditions, and demographic shifts are all deeply intertwined - and hold implications not only for our local schools, but for the future of our city. The fact that this woman's grandchild was able to attend the same elementary school as her children clearly held deep meaning for her...and I know there are many here in our wonderful city for which this sentiment is also true.

As I shared in my remarks, innovative future-facing local planning is critical to ensure that Thousand Oaks is a vibrant and livable city for the long term. A place for all ages, for newer residents as well as families who have been here for generations, a city that can support small businesses and new businesses along with their employees...and ideally, a community where our children and grandchildren can choose to live if they wish.

I'm pleased that after decades of discussion and planning efforts, we are a step closer to creating a walkable central downtown area (5-0 Council vote in the wee hours of the morning to approve the Downtown Plan). I am grateful for the community discussions, staff work, expertise, and support related to this project and I very much look forward to watching how it all rolls out. I'll [eventually] meet you downtown!

06/18/2026

Last Board of Education meeting of the 2025-26 school year. In addition to recognizing CVUSD’s fabulous Classified Employees of the Year, we said goodbye to Student Trustee Finn Kerns (bittersweet) and welcomed new Student Trustee Jalen Oben (hooray!).

Lots of gratitude expressed tonight: for the service of these students as they bring student voice to the dais, for the beautiful graduations/culminations/promotions last week, and for the hard work and love from CVUSD staff and volunteers that made 2025-26 a great school year.

Also at this evening’s Board of Education Meeting, the Board recognized Finneas Kerns for his service as the 2025-2026 Student Board Trustee and Student District Advisory Committee (SDAC) Chairperson. Following the recognition, Trustee Kerns swore in new Student Board Trustee Jalen Oben, who will be serving as the Student Board Trustee and SDAC Chairperson for the 2026-2027 school year.

We thank Trustee Kerns for his contributions and look forward to having Trustee Oben on the dais next school year. The CVUSD is so proud of our student leaders!

06/13/2026

Graduation week as a CVUSD trustee provides me a front seat to an immense amount of celebration, joy and pride. It’s been an honor to be a part of it all.

Big congratulations to all the students, families, teachers, administrators, and all other staff on these milestones of graduation, promotion, and culmination...2025-26 is a wrap…HAPPY SUMMER to all! 🌞