Lisa Powell, CVUSD Trustee

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! 🌞

05/23/2026

In April, the CVUSD Board of Education received an update on implementation of the new cell phone policy that was implemented in Fall of 2025.

Summary of the policy: For all students, mobile communication devices shall be turned off and/or on silent mode and put away during instructional time. For TK-8th grade, students shall not use mobile communication devices during non-instructional time - essentially a "bell to bell" ban, while grades 9-12 can use devices during non-instructional time as long as site rules are followed.

Spring 2026 update: Most teachers report they are "fully consistent" (74%) in following the policy. Teachers report positive impacts of the new policy, particularly at the secondary level (increased student engagement, fewer distractions). There is a desire to see more consistency in implementation across sites, which is something that will continue to be monitored as we move into 2026-27, and the BOE will revisit next year. There may be new state legislation in the near future that further limits cell phone usage in schools.

05/18/2026

The Sandy Fire now burning in Simi Valley has trigged an evacuation warning in northeast areas of Thousand Oaks, including the Lang Ranch and Sunset Hills neighborhoods. Have a go bag ready.

Learn more at vcemergency.com (where you can sign up for alerts) and using the Watch Duty app. Stay safe!

05/16/2026

Technology in schools is currently a hot topic for research and discussion. Thoughtful evaluation of how technology is being used - and whether changes are needed - has been underway in the CVUSD for a good length of time.

At the May 6th Board of Education meeting, staff presented some recommendations for updates to policies related to overall technology usage. Key points included:

Staff survey on tech usage:
-65% of CVUSD teachers use technology in their classrooms an average of 15-30 minutes a day.
-Four of 17 elementary schools send Chromebooks home with students younger than 3rd grade.

Staff recommendations for changes in Fall 2026 include:
-Clear, overall guidelines on use of technology (tech as a support/enhancement only, instructionally purposeful and developmentally appropriate).
-All students required to use district-issued Chromebooks when on CVUSD campuses (rescinding the policy that allowed students to bring their own laptop to school).
-Students can only use Chromebooks on campus while under teacher guidance/direction (no lunchtime/free time/unsupervised use).
-Institute Lightspeed for parents (currently in pilot) so that parents have controls over Chromebook access during afterschool hours.
-Updated instructional use guidelines for all grade spans: tiered guidance by grade level in terms of how technology can/should be used. For example, lower grades are very limited in class time usage - and homework using Chromebooks is discouraged.
-Restricted access to YouTube (currently in pilot).

These are areas I expect to evolve as research in relevant areas continues to grow. The work of the CVUSD Technology Committee continues; further updates will be coming in the 2026-27 school year. Thank you to all those who have been involved in the work of the Technology Committee and/or any discussions on this important topic through email, meetings, and public comments.

05/08/2026

What a beautiful event it was yesterday evening at Conejo Schools Foundation’s annual State of the Schools event. I’m grateful that other people took photos, because I did not!  It was gratifying to see so many in our community gather to support CSF and hear the presentations on all the things happening in the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

Once again, the power of partnerships was displayed: CSF, City of Thousand Oaks - Local Government, Conejo Recreation and Park District, California Lutheran University, Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, , Thousand Oaks Arts, Adelante Comunidad Conejo…and so many more, including all of the event sponsors. And I appreciated that the critical/central role of CVUSD teachers was emphasized and honored throughout. 

05/05/2026

It's Teacher Appreciation Week!

We are all shaped by the teachers in our lives. Last year I shared about a few of my K-12 teachers who deeply impacted me. Here are a couple more.

Mrs. Guitteau - 7th grade English. I LOVED to write, and she was so supportive of my abilities, always encouraging me in ways that gave me confidence to take risks and be creative. Lifelong skills!

Mr. Smith - My high school theatre teacher/director. I spent thousands of hours in that theatre from grades 9-12, and Mr. Smith was my guide in developing a character, staging and directing, and so much more. In our Advanced Studio Theatre class, I wrote and performed my own one-woman show. Lifelong skills!

Thank you, teachers - we carry your lessons, big and small, with us forever.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I challenge you to not only let the teachers in your life know how you feel about them, but also reflect on the teachers that impacted you at all stages of your own life.

I still carry with me lessons learned from my teachers from preschool all the way through graduate school. A couple from K-12:

Mrs. Love, my fourth-grade teacher who shared my love of reading and helped me to know that being a bookworm was awesome!

Ms. Teraoka, my seventh-grade choir teacher who helped me discover my gifts and gave me opportunities and guidance to blossom as a performer.

Ms. Green, my 12th grade AP English teacher, who held very high expectations for us alongside support, humor, and love.

Thank you, teachers! You're not only changing the lives of your current students, but impacting us all for our lifetimes.

05/04/2026

I am touched to be AAUW Thousand Oaks’ Named Gift Honoree for 2025. I am so appreciative of the work of AAUW Thousand Oaks in both its focus on issues impacting women and girls, and in the supports it provides to CVUSD students (through scholarships for programs like Tech Trek and so much more).

This organization is part of the web of local nonprofits that enrich our community, and I'm proud to be a long time member.

05/01/2026

Loved being at Walnut Elementary’s 2nd Annual Career Day today! There were so many people who volunteered their time to talk about their careers with students, including:
-Dentist
-Physical therapist
-Small business owner (bakery)
-Pilot
-Prop master
-Beekeeper
(just to name a few)

Thank you volunteer speakers and thank you Walnut Elementary for inviting Trustees!

04/15/2026

It was beyond fabulous. ❤️🎶❤️

Thank you Conejo Schools Foundation, Conejo Recreation and Park District, City of Thousand Oaks - Local Government and all partners/sponsors.

Such a wonderful experience for student musicians. I’m looking forward to several more nights of All District Music Festival throughout April and May.

04/14/2026

We’re back! A couple of wonderful evening events I attended right before spring break…

Cypress Elementary held its annual I.B. Exhibition, where 5th grade students displayed an indepth inquiry project investigating a real-world topic of global significance. There was an incredible range of issues that students worked hard to research and answer. Nice work, all!

Breakthrough parent workshop on navigating friendships. Again I’m grateful for the thoughtfulness and expertise local mental health organization Childhood Matters brings to these presentations.