School board challenger has a long career in education

Dennis Hatland With each of his three children in a different school in Conejo Valley Unified School District, Dennis Hatland says he has a vested interest the district's future—and that's just one of the reasons he thinks he's the best choice for a seat on the school board.

Hatland has had a long career in education, beginning 31 years ago with Ventura County Community College District teaching the developmentally disabled and working for the state's autism program. In 1981, he began his career with Simi Valley School District and over the years has taught special and general education.

Hatland served on Moorpark's school board for two and a half years in the mid-'80s.

"What I learned was unbelievable," said Hatland, who was also active in the California School Boards Association. "I understand school government, and that experience alone has helped feed the big picture. You really are there for children first, for governance, not administrating the district."

Hatland said that when he served on the Moorpark board, all the trustees had children in the district.

"You don't need to have children in the district to be an effective board member, but I felt it was a common link," Hatland said. "With three children in three different schools, that sets me apart."

Hatland, son of a career military father, was raised in Oxnard and Port Hueneme. He's lived in Ventura County for 50 years.

Hatland and his wife, Leslie— also a Simi teacher—lived in Moorpark before moving to Thousand Oaks in 1992. They have three boys who attend Acacia Elementary School, Redwood Middle School and Thousand Oaks High School. Hatland's 9year-old has special needs.

"I'm so proud of my whole family," Hatland said. "We all find time for each other. Family is extremely important to me."

Since living in Thousand Oaks, Hatland was appointed to serve on the city's Social Services Committee and the Community Funding Review Committee. He's also been involved in AYSO Region 9 soccer for 12 years.

Hatland said if elected, he'd like to work with staff and board members to do some long-range planning.

"We have a committee working on governance, funding and facilities—many people have done a lot of good groundwork," he said. "Now let's use that and put together a 15- to 20-year plan. The premise is to build a community of learners and establishing strong partnerships with city government, service groups, faithbased organizations and businesses."

Hatland said he's in favor of school closures. When he first started teaching in Simi, the district closed four schools, which he said was necessary to facilitate salary increases and other needs.

"A school is only as strong as the relationship between the parents, teachers and students," Hatland said. "It's not the brick and mortar. Children are very resilient."

Larger schools allow for more common planning among teachers and more choices for parents, he added.

Hatland said he's the best candidate for the job because of his training, experience and knowledge as a teacher.

"The district has always been strong, but there are factions out there that we need to bring back together," Hatland said. "We are currently in a high-quality district with high expectations, and I want to continue that."

For more information, visit www.dennishatland.com.