Lovenburg to Run for a Third Term on the School Board

Davis School Board Member Susan Lovenburg has announced this weekend she will be running for re-election in November.  Ms. Lovenburg has served on the Davis School Board since 2007, having received the highest number of votes when first elected and again when re-elected in 2012.

“These are incredibly exciting times in public education. I am deeply motivated to continue to contribute the knowledge, relationships and experience I’ve gained through my decade of service so that Davis schools excel, and most importantly, every child succeeds,” said Susan Lovenburg.

In her announcement release, she stated, “Together with colleagues on the Board of Education and Davis educators, I have helped lead positive changes in our schools: classroom instruction is energized by creativity and critical thinking as we implement Common Core and Next Generation Science standards.  Investments in professional development and instructional technology promote differentiated instruction to meet the learning needs of every student.

“The Davis Joint Unified School District’s Strategic Plan – reviewed and renewed every year – sets our mission and vision, and the roadmap to achieve our goals.  We monitor progress in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and, while gaps persist, we’ve seen improvement over time,” she said.

“As a district, we now define student success much more broadly than simply academic achievement. We strive for social and emotional well-being, as well as college and career readiness. Strong community partnerships help us close the opportunity gap for children and families in Davis,” she added.

During her tenure, she has overseen the passage of parcel tax measures in 2008, 2011 and twice in 2012.  The district had to survive serious economic hardship, necessitating the closure of Valley Oak as well as the layoff of numerous teachers and other personnel.

Two seats are up in November and Ms. Lovenburg joins Bob Poppenga, a UC Davis professor, as announced candidates.  Fellow incumbent Alan Fernandes, who ran against Ms. Lovenburg in 2012, was nominated by the board in 2014 to replace Nancy Peterson who resigned her seat after a scandal involving a volleyball coach, is expected to announce his reelection bid shortly.

Of her personal motivation for continued service, Lovenburg said, “I am inspired by the words of George Bernard Shaw, ‘This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one … I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.’”

She explained, “My commitment to public education and to our students is unwavering, and my governance experience is unmatched.  It is my pleasure to offer my continued service.”

Susan Lovenburg is past president of the Davis School Board and has been a member of the Policy Subcommittee throughout her tenure.  In this role, she oversaw the implementation of online access to board policies and administrative regulations, and collaborated with the parent community to develop homework and fundraising policies.

Ms. Lovenburg currently serves as a member of the City of Davis/School District 2×2 and the Real Estate/Facilities Subcommittee where she focuses on maximizing the potential of district properties.  Together with colleagues on the Board and City Council, she recently launched the 2016 Davis 1,000 Mentors for Youth Challenge.

She  is a 19-year resident of Davis and the mother of three daughters.  Her youngest graduated from Davis High this year and will attend the University of San Francisco in the fall.  Her middle daughter is a junior at Willamette University, and her oldest lives and works in Los Angeles, having graduated from UC San Diego in 2012.

In 2011, Ms. Lovenburg joined the staff of California Forward, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to identify common sense steps Californians can take to make government work.  Ms. Lovenburg is director of the Partnership for Economic Prosperity and manages the California Economic Summit project.  In association with the California School Boards Association (CSBA), she also coordinates a collaborative of 15 school districts and two county offices of education focused on successful implementation of Local Control Funding Formula reforms.

Ms. Lovenburg is past president of the Yolo County School Boards Association and a six-year member of the delegate assembly of CSBA.  She recently served on CSBA’s Legal Alliance Adequacy Committee, and is currently a member of the 2016 Annual Education Conference Planning Committee.

A longtime parent volunteer prior to her election to the school board, Susan Lovenburg has expanded her community service as a member of Soroptimist International of Davis; as a board member for Yolo County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA); and as co-founder of Saving California Communities, a group of Yolo community members who advocate for state governance reforms.

She holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University and a master of library science from Syracuse University.  She completed the CSBA Masters in Governance program in 2011.

—David M. Greenwald reporting

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