Victoria Jump
Jump is the parent of two children in the Briggs School District, secretary of the PFO, and in the past has chaired the school site council. Professionally she sits on boards at the local and state level that administer programs serving thousands of people. “I feel that I’m qualified for this position as a parent and as an administrator,” she said.
She was opposed to the unification of the Briggs School District with the other districts in Santa Paula. “Unification only makes sense if all parties stand something to gain,” she noted. “Briggs stood far more to lose than any potential gain. I was glad to see that the state removed the district from unification consideration.”
Jump says that, from her work on the school site council and with PFO, it’s clear staff and the administration take improving test scores seriously, while at the same time trying to create a nurturing learning environment. “Rather than focus on those children that did not pass the STAR test, the district has focused on every child and their potential for improvement,” she said.
“PFO has provided incentives such as juice, muffins, pencils and treats and rewards. Test scores are improving, but, more importantly, children understand the link between their individual test score and the District’s scores.”
She says the district has done an outstanding job of dealing with past state cuts. She added, “Thankfully the district is blessed with great administration and teaching staff, which has allowed the district to continue to offer cutting-edge educational programming in the face of state budget cuts. The efforts of PFO and parental support of fundraising efforts, have supplemented the music program.
She also says the district is doing an outstanding job of providing a quality education that prepares all kids for high school. “The strong science, math and music programs, as well as the after school program (which in itself is like an after school learning academy), provide opportunities for children to excel in private or public high schools.”
She added, “As a parent of a fifth and seventh grader, I can personally attest to the quality of instruction and thoughtfulness that goes into the lesson plans and assignments. With Briggs it’s clear that the school is not just preparing kids to pass standardize tests or to get into a good high school, they are preparing kids for life.”
Mindee Stekkinger
Mindee Stekkinger has been a board member of the Briggs Elementary School District for three terms, since 1998. She has three children that graduated from Briggs.
Two are in college and one is a junior in high school. “My children all had wonderful experiences at Olivelands and Briggs that contributed to their subsequent educational successes,” she said.
Stekkinger is an attorney associated with the law firm of Beach, Whitman & Cowdrey in Oxnard. During her time as a board member she has seen the district through other tough financial times, she’s been involved in hiring two new superintendents and an interim superintendent, and has gone through the process of building the new Olivelands School. “I feel that my experience through the past 12 years is important to help our district weather the difficult financial challenges, and to keep our district moving in the positive direction that we have been moving,” Stekkinger said.
She said that they have a unique and terrific district. And, she added, “Despite the financial challenges in our state of the past few years, Briggs has been able to maintain our music programs at both schools, our technology program and our science program. While we’ve had to tighten our belts like all school districts in the state, I think it’s a testament to our administration, our business office and our board working together for common goals that we have been able to maintain programs essential to the education, growth and development of our students.”
She noted they recently instituted an intensive program in the district to help improve the learning skills of all the students, but in particular the ESL students. “This has been a cooperative effort with the board, administration, faculty and families, and we are all very excited and hopeful for positive results for our students…. My biggest goal is to improve the education and learning ability of the students of our district – to make our students life-long learners. Improving test scores is not the goal, but rather the result of this.”
Stekkinger said she definitely feels the Briggs District has consistently been preparing students for high school. “This is evidenced by a large number of our students being in the top percentage of the Santa Paula High School graduating classes and, oftentimes, as was the case this year, of being the class valedictorian.”
Ramon Castillo
Ramon Castillo did not respond to the questionnaire.