Christy Lozano decided to run for Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools because of what she saw as a teacher on the front lines, she said.
“I’ve tried to address problems I’ve seen in my own district for a long time, and I think many people feel right now that they are not [being heard],” Lozano said. “I’ve tried a lot of different avenues to help change happen, but in the meantime I’m watching what it’s doing to the kids.”
County education policies directly impact student behavior and student success, Lozano said—something she hopes to improve. Lozano is running against incumbent Susan Salcido, making this the first county superintendent election with an opponent in more than 40 years, Lozano said.
“It’s important for [residents] to vote so they have a choice. If they are happy with the schools the way they are going, then they can vote for the incumbent. If they are not happy, then they get the opportunity to vote for me. It’s important for them to make a choice and have their voice,” she said.
Lozano’s priorities include updating disciplinary action and school safety, improving student testing scores, adjusting the curriculum, and increasing office transparency, she said.
“Overall, it’s hard for parents in the community to know what’s going on. At the board of education, they don’t have board meetings that are recorded, the public is not welcome to come to board meetings, they don’t [even] have a podium. I want to restore transparency as to what the county office of education is doing,” Lozano said.
Santa Barbara County Education Office Communications Director Camie Barnwell told the Sun via email that meetings have always been open to the public.
“During the pandemic, our meetings have been primarily held via Zoom. Zoom links to attend are always included on the agenda prior to the meeting. Our most recent board meeting on April 7, 2022, was held in person at the Santa Barbara County Education Office, and the public was welcome to attend,” Barnwell said.
Along with access, Lozano said it’s important for board officials to engage in more conversations with teachers and parents, something she said is lacking.
“Restoring engaged leadership includes giving parents and teachers a seat at the table. As a teacher, I haven’t felt like I’m a part of the system in informing administration about what is happening, what needs to be fixed. As a teacher, I have a lot of respect for the teachers because they work the front lines and know what needs to be done,” Lozano said.
Lozano worked in the Santa Barbara Unified School District for 18 years at elementary, junior high, and high school levels. She has been a girls’ soccer head coach, a teacher in charge (similar to an assistant principal), and a department chair, she said. She received her master’s degree in arts with an emphasis in education leadership along with her administration credential—a requirement to run for county superintendent that was recently questioned in court.
Santa Barbara County resident and Democratic political consultant Mollie Culver filed a civil lawsuit against Lozano and County Clerk Joseph Holland, saying Lozano’s administrative credentials weren’t valid and Holland shouldn’t have added her to the ballot, according to court documents.
“By submitting her candidacy papers before she had possession of the required credential, Lozano is attempting to bypass a fundamental statutory safeguard essential to the office of county superintendent of schools—a safeguard that other candidates have been required to obtain before qualifying for the office,” the document stated.
The judge ruled in Lozano’s favor and allowed her to remain on the ballot, Lozano said. Her opponent, incumbent Susan Salcido, said she had no comment regarding the legal actions against Lozano. Salcido said she was focused on the election and serving county students and educators.
“As we head into the next term, we really want to build on successes, expand support, and increase services to students,” Salcido said.
The Santa Maria native has been the county superintendent the past four years. Prior to that, she served as an English teacher, an assistant principal, a junior high principal, and director of instruction.
If she wins the election, Salcido said she hopes to expand on established services like the career and vocational pathways for Santa Barbara County high school students, child care and preschool opportunities, and school-based mental health and wellness services.
“An ongoing role that we play at the County Education Office is to ensure that school districts are fiscally solvent and have good academic performance initiatives,” she said.
Salcido said her leadership experience as superintendent will help better support educators and students through the significant changes as education policies evolve.
“There’s so many rapidly changing and evolving plans for schools from the state, to the county office, and to the districts,” Salcido said. “The shifts in education are so swift and expansive; our county office and our team will be right alongside our district to support throughout those changes.”
This article appears in Apr 14-21, 2022.