School closures motivate another challenger

Doug Nickles Despite the fact that his children are all grown up, Doug Nickles has chosen to run for a seat on the Conejo Valley Unified School District school board. After following the school closure process, Nickles felt the urge to serve.

"I saw how it was unfolding, and I didn't care much for the approach the board was taking or their demeanor," Nickles said. "They didn't seem like they were treating the families fairly. It seemed like they had already made up their mind. I thought that needed to change.

"We need to have people who are willing to listen to families and students, and work with them in a partnership role, not an adversarial role."

Nickles said he is against school closure and has seen firsthand the effect it has had on the area. The Nickles family lives in the Meadows boundary area.

"Meadows was a focal point for us," he said. "It's where we have activities, soccer practice, where we go to vote. It's the hub of the community. It's a loss, and I know the people at University probably feel the same way."

He said he's walked around the neighborhood talking with families who have children who go to Meadows. Some have transferred to Westlake Hills early, and one family has decided to homeschool.

"I've seen the angst on neighbors faces," said Nickles. "It's divided our neighborhood."

He said he supports the Meadows parents who have decided to form a charter school.

"They have decided to leave the school district behind and have severed ties and are moving forward," Nickles said. "I wish them well in those efforts. I wish there was more of a partnership approach with the district.

"If there's a better way, or a different way, let's consider it," he said. "Let's not say we are going to fight them to the end, because the bottom line isn't dollars. The bottom line is education."

Nickles also emphasized more accountability in spending from the district to the school sites and more future planning.

He also wants to look at school testing more closely.

"We need to look at what needs to be done to bring a whole school up a notch," he said. "We need to look at the district and say, 'Are we supporting these schools properly?' We need to not just point at the individual schools or at individual school populations."

Nickles served 12 years (six two-year terms) on school site councils at Colina Middle School, Westlake High School and Thousand Oaks High School and on their respective parentteacher associations.

He has worked in the Fire Prevention Bureau for the city of Glendale since 1991, managing the fire engineering unit since 2003. Prior to working for Glendale, he worked for the city of Thousand Oaks as an open space planner.

The Nickles family has lived in the Conejo Valley since 1984, and all three children have graduated from CVUSD high schools. Nickles' wife, Melissa, grew up in Thousand Oaks and is a credentialed teacher. She works at Conejo Valley Adult School.

"All of our kids have graduated from the district, so I'm not doing this for my family," Nickles said. "I see it as a community need."

Nickles has served as Conejo Valley Days committee chair and as Conejo Future Foundation Environmental Task Force member, and he's sat on the AYSO board of directors and served as a coach and a referee with the organization. For more information, visit dougnickles.com.