As a part of our coverage of the upcoming elections, The Nexus interviewed Poway Unified School District Board of Education Area B candidates Frida Brunzell and Ginger Couvrette. Candidate Dave Nelson declined to comment.

Below is an abridged transcript* of the candidates’ responses to The Nexus. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

In your own words, what is the role of the PUSD Board of Education Trustee for Area B?

Brunzell: I believe the board’s primary role is to be the voice of the community. A board member needs to confirm that funds are spent effectively and in a way that best serves the students. We are elected by voters in our area, but once elected, we represent all people in Poway Unified School District.

Couvrette: Our official role is to manage the superintendent. As elected officials, we are representatives of the district and need to set priorities and funding to reach the goals of the district.

What aspects of your role might high school students see in their day-to-day life?

Brunzell: The board works with the school superintendent to set the vision and makes sure there is adequate funding for new programs, facilities, etc. However, our decisions tend to focus on long term strategies and might not be immediately visible to students. As an example, the new ethnic literature and studies classes were approved thanks to a board resolution in 2020 and then a vote to approve the curriculum a year later, but it took until this year for these classes to be available in the schools.

Couvrette: Most of us try to have a presence on the campuses so we can better understand student life and the needs of the district. We set policy but sometimes this may take a little time to see in the classrooms. An example is the new Ethnic Studies Classes, hopefully a new homework policy, and prioritizing the maintenance needs of the facility. We also hope to foster a good environment so students, teachers and staff thrive.

What aspects of your personal background make you a good candidate for this position?

Brunzell: I have three children who have attended seven different schools in Poway Unified, so I am familiar with the several areas in the school district. My oldest graduated from Del Norte in June, my middle son goes to Poway High, and my youngest is still in elementary school. Thanks to my kids and their friends, I know what is going on in the district. I have volunteered in the schools ever since my oldest started Kindergarten at Canyon View Elementary. I have been a member of the CAC (Community Advisory Committee for Special Education), the English Learner Advisory Committee and the Safety Committee. Volunteering has taught me a lot about how our district is
organized and what is important. For the past seven years I have also been very active in PTA. I was elected to several board positions in PTA. Among others, I was PTSA president at Oak Valley Middle School and at Del Norte High, and until this summer, I was the President of
Palomar Council PTA, which is the school district level PTA. I have advocated for everything from more school funding to safer parking lots. I am very impressed with the Westview PTSA Student Club.

Couvrette: I was a high school science and was the head track field coach, soccer coach, and cheer coach at San Marcos HS. I have three children who attended PUSD from PK and graduated from PHS I volunteered a lot.

What aspects of your professional background make you a good candidate for this position?

Brunzell: I have a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and I worked in process and product development at companies in Germany, Sweden and in the US. My experiences from project management and in collecting and analyzing data will be useful at the board as well as my real-life STEM experience in general. Many PUSD students end up working in STEM related fields, so it is good to have people with this experience on the board.

Couvrette: Being a credentialed teacher gave me a lot of experience. I also was the Chairman of the Poway Budget Committee and Park and Rec Committees as well as the President of the Poway Sports Assoc. These relationships with the City of Poway is very valuable in my district. I am the broker/owner of Halcyon Real Estate which is a Real Estate Brokerage that also does Property Management.

How do your values and mission differ from that of the opposing candidate?

Brunzell: One of my opponents hasn’t had a child in the PUSD district for several years. The other has spent a great deal of time and money attacking me based on their misunderstanding of critical race theory and gender equity and diversity. I believe that I set myself apart from both of them by actually caring about students and the student experience.

Couvrette: One of my candidates was in the group that overran our board meeting. He is an angry antimask/antivax person with no experience. My other candidate has been very active in the PTA and is very focused on Special Ed. We currently have a specialist in Special Ed (Michelle) and it’s good to have a board that is balanced in its priorities. My focus is the high school experience. I am a champion of CTE and Dual Enrollment and want your day filled with relevant material that will hopefully give you insight and prepare you to find your passion for career.

What is your opinion on Critical Race Theory?

Brunzell: Critical Race Theory has its roots in the 1960-ties civil rights movement. The goal is to understand race-based and other unjust practices in our society. We used to believe that the human species was divided into races and that the race would determine not only skin color and hair texture, but also behavior, intelligence, and other traits. People used these ideas to justify oppression of other groups. Many of our attitudes and laws are still influenced by this belief. Most of this is unconscious. CRT is not taught in public schools, but what PUSD is trying to do is simply include books in the curriculum from a variety of authors that can contrast the wide spectrum of thoughts on race and race relations. We hope that students will be able to see themselves and their lives in the context of the greater picture presented by these books. The feedback from parents, teachers, and students has been very positive.

Couvrette: I think most people have difference definitions of what CRT is. It is a college level law theory that has been mistermed. I believe it is very important to understand history from many perspectives. With 101 languages represented in our district, it is important to learn of the contributions and experiences of various cultures. I also believe the one thing that makes America great is it’s desire to learned from it’s mistakes and do better.

Many seniors at my high school are preparing to vote for the first time and are looking for ways to relate candidates to their student lives. Why should high schoolers specifically vote for you? How will your decisions impact students in the county?

Brunzell: Sadly, since PUSD is divided into five areas, most Westview high school students won’t be able to vote for me unless they happen to live in northern Poway or Rancho Bernardo east of the 15 freeway. Having said that, I think students should vote for me because I have a clear focus on improving fundamental issues like literacy and safety. I will make sure that all children can go to school feeling safe, respected, and valued. I am passionate about public education, and I will listen to all members in the community to make sure that every child gets the best education possible. PUSD has a history of not learning from the outside, instead I believe in learning from successes and mistakes from other school districts and from experts in various fields. I know that we can do more to stop bullying. I also know that we can use funds more
efficiently by doing the right things based on evidence and data.

Couvrette: High school is my passion. I want to be their representative. Your time is valuable, I want relevant education. I don’t want AP English Lit, I want English 101! Many of our teachers are more than qualified to teach for the community college and to bring these classes onto campuses will be huge. I want kids to get their AA while still in high school instead of stressing over the AP test. PUSD is doing a lot right! The financing piece is critical with our aging facilities. I want to continue to champion CTE and Dual Enrollment. I want to keep building a relationship with Palomar to make this a reality. Once students and teachers better understand the resources and build relationships, I think it will really help our community.