In The News
Are We Doing All We Can to Keep Our Students in School — Safely? (Santa Barbara Independent) 9.23.21
Our world is not the same, and we’ve learned so much since COVID-19 struck nearly 20 months ago. Above all, we must do everything possible to keep students and staff in school, safely. We are 150 percent committed to doing so, as recently re-affirmed by Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) Superintendent Maldonado. Yet this is not easy. In just six weeks of school, we’ve seen an alarming rate of positive cases that now total 68. Approximately 50 SBUSD students (out of an enrollment of 13,000) and about 20 staff members (out of 1,600) have tested positive. The reason for the troubling rate of infections is clear: a dangerous combination of the Delta variant and low vaccination rates.
Summer Picnic Series Tackling Childhood Food Insecurity in Santa Barbara County (KCLU) 7.15.21
“A free food program for kids in Santa Barbara County in tackling childhood food insecurity in the summer break. Outside this elementary school in Carpinteria, free food packages are being handed out to families for their children’s lunch. Some drive by, some stay and eat on a picnic blanket and listen to the music being played by local youth musicians. It’s part of a summer meal concert series, and one of nearly 50 locations in Santa Barbara County where any child can be supplied with a free 'grab and go' healthy meal.”
Helping Vets Still Serve America (Charity Navigator) 7.1.21
“As we head into the 4th of July celebration, it’s a meaningful time to honor the military service members who are protecting our country and its ideals. It’s also a time to reflect upon all our nation has endured throughout the pandemic and the people who have made it possible to overcome so many unforeseen challenges.”
Summer School Set to Begin Monday for Thousands of Santa Barbara District Students (Noozhawk) 6.9.21
It's back to school for some students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Voluntary summer school will begin Monday for students seeking grade improvement or “learning recovery.”
In addition, board member Laura Capps noted that meals will be offered to students during summer school. “Summer is a time when hunger strikes for our kids because they are disconnected from our wonderful, nutritious meals," she said. "That will have a real impact on poverty, hunger and child health."
For full recovery, bring medics off the pandemic sideline (The Hill) 5.26.21
Last year on March 27, just weeks after the U.S. outbreak of COVID-19, the Navy Ship USNS Mercy arrived at the Port of Los Angeles with 800 medical personnel on board. Three thousand miles away, the USNS Comfort — the other of the two dedicated medical ships in the Navy’s fleet — reached the shores of New York. Their joint mission: to serve as a ‘relief valve’ for Los Angeles and New York area hospitals at the onset of the pandemic.
Biden and the Environment (Santa Barbara Independent) 5.22.21
“This month the City and County of Santa Barbara have kicked off their climate action updates through a series of workshops to gather community input on solutions and paths forward. Laura Capps said, “I think it’s very meaningful and it’s incredibly exciting. Our climate is now front and center at the White House, starting with signing a series of executive orders on January 27 that some have called the most important day in climate action in a decade.”"
Santa Barbara Unified Secondary Schools Reopen This Week (Santa Barbara Independent) 5.17.21
“Secondary schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District will reopen in person this week. In a survey that 97 percent of Santa Barbara Unified staff responded to, 73 percent of staff had already been vaccinated. Sixteen percent of them are waiting for an appointment, and the remaining 11 percent declined the vaccine. Boardmember Laura Capps was concerned about the 11 percent, asking Susan Klein-Rothschild, assistant deputy director of Public Health, if there is any possibility that the district can mandate teacher vaccines in the future.”
The Schools at the Front Lines of Solar (Next City) 4.1.21
Laura Capps — a passionate parent and self-described product of public schools in Santa Barbara who joined the district’s school board four years ago — began campaigning for the Santa Barbara Unified School District to go solar in 2018. It was then that the city’s schools played an important role during the wildfire and mudslide disasters that devastated the community. During widespread power outages, schools were “where families could still get meals and city and country officials even did their daily briefings from one of the high schools,” Capps says. “It solidified for me and other district leadership that our schools need to be safe havens in the time of disasters.”
From Iraq to fighting COVID-19 at home (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 3.27.21
“While I am lucky to have a job I enjoy, I know too many veterans who are currently out of work. Most people don’t realize that many members of the military have a hard time landing a good civilian job when they finish their service because our experiences and extensive training aren’t fully understood by employers.” -Timothee Hobbs
Santa Barbara Unified Fills New Sustainability Position (Santa Barbara Independent) 3.26.21
“Two years after the Santa Barbara Unified School District decided it would create a new manager position that would oversee district sustainability and environmental impact issues, the school board unanimously voted to fill it on Tuesday. The idea originally came in 2019 from the district sustainability committee, which Boardmember Laura Capps represents. Capps was sold on the position after studying nearby districts with sustainability coordinators of their own.”
District students, who have been learning remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin returning to buildings Monday, March 1, with all grades phased in by the end of that week. "All systems go," board member Laura Capps said during Tuesday evening's meeting.
“…But as of Wednesday, January 20, 2021, there is one thing that none of us have to worry about, regardless of political affiliation: the Biden-Harris Administration knows what it is doing. If the Obama White House was dubbed “No-Drama Obama,” and the Trump White House had too many adjectives invoking chaos and corruption to list, my prediction is that --because of its first-rate, battle-tested staff -- the Biden White House will be recognized as “Joe Knows.”
Santa Barbara Unified Hands Tied on Applying for Waiver (Santa Barbara Independent) 12.2.20
The Santa Barbara Unified School District was blindsided Tuesday evening when it was informed that the Public Health Department is not accepting waivers to reopen elementary schools at this time, despite the district’s waiver being ready to go. The district’s reopening plans have continually been pushed back in recent months. First, the board pushed its hybrid reopening plan back in October when it decided it just wasn’t ready to reopen in November.
Op-ed by Laura Capps and Kate Ford in SB Independent: Help Our Students Return to School 7.24.20
“With the hundreds of letters and public comments about reopening schools that we have received in the last two weeks, it is clear that while perspectives vary, we are all united in the strong belief that kids belong in the classroom. It is our wish that this shared motivation will prove to be the powerful incentive our community needs to reverse our infection rates. That means making short term sacrifices and changing behaviors, the way we did in April. Recently the Centers for Disease Control estimated that if everyone in the U.S. wore a mask and practiced social distancing for merely one to two months we would stop this virus in its tracks.”
Noozhawk “Moms Demand Action Rally in Santa Barbara Calls for Tougher Guns Laws,” 8.18.19
“Firearms are the second-leading cause of death of children in the United States, said Laura Capps, a Santa Barbara Unified School District trustee whose parents both served in Congress.
Capps said that residents gathered in Santa Barbara for their children. Kids often attend school worrying about unfathomable scenarios, she said, and students and educators are putting their lives on the frontlines of school shootings.
Education leaders in Santa Barbara are working “to make our schools safe as can be — with fortified school safety plans, a school safety task force with national experts and a new school safety coordinator at the helm,” Capps said. She urged people to get involved and ask about each school’s plan. A study found that about 4.6 million American children live in homes with guns that are both loaded and unlocked, Capps said.
“Our kids should not be targets,” Capps said. “Our schools should not be targets, but they are, often by kids with access to their parents' unlocked guns.”
While Capps spoke, several children held their relatives' hands.
Noozhawk “Board Votes to Ban Use of Herbicide Roundup at All Santa Barbara District Schools,” 8.14.19
"Banning this cancer-causing pesticide is a clear issue of environmental justice," board member Laura Cappssaid. "Our primary job is to keep those who are the most vulnerable — our kids — safe and out of harm."
Coastal View News , “Free Meals for Any Child,” 7.12.19
During the school year, children have free meals provided by their public schools. Over the summer, “that’s when hunger strikes” said Laura Capps of the Capps Foundation who has also long advocated and supported the free meal program’s initiative. “As a mom, just thinking about these kids that don’t have enough food…,” said Capps in a phone interview, “We’re all doing what we can to make sure children have the healthy meals they need to thrive.”
KEYT, “Jeff Bridges pays visit to summer meal event as ICE raid fears dampen attendance,” 7.11.19
"It just breaks my heart actually to think about a mom not sending her child to get a free meal that they need out of any kind of fear," said Laura Capps of the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Op-ed by Laura Capps in the Santa Barbara Independent “We Must Support Planned Parenthood,” 6.12.19
“A woman’s right to make her own decision about her health is as precarious as it’s been since before Roe v. Wade a generation ago. Missouri, Georgia, and Alabama are moving swiftly to deny millions of women the access they deserve. Already 25 million women live in a state where abortion could be outlawed if Roe is overturned. That’s over 25 million people. While abortion bans impact everyone who can become pregnant, they hit people of color and those who are struggling to make ends meet the hardest — the people who already face barriers to accessing good health care.”
“Santa Barbara School Board Praises Adelante Ahead of Expected Charter Renewal,”(Noozhawk) 5.31.19
"I am a strong supporter of your school [Adalante ] and the magic that exists there and what you can just feel when you are on campus," board member Laura Capps said.
“Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes has a $2.5 trillion plan to lift up the working class,” 5.30.19
"By holding some 30 poverty forums across Iowa and South Carolina that have attracted most of the Democratic presidential field, Working Hero Action has been able to give the EITC (EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT) a tremendous degree of visibility. “We want it to be a centerpiece of the 2020 election,” says Laura Capps, president of Working Hero Action.
Noozhawk: Santa Barbara School Board Backs Implicit Bias Training 5.14.19
"In 2019, tackling implicit bias is not radical," said board member Laura Capps. "It is what we should be doing." She said this type of training is happening all over America. "Corporations across the board require this type of implicit-bias training."
SB Independent, “School District Creates New Eco-Post,” 5.2.19
The new position is a “win-win-win,” said Capps. “It would be a win for the environment, it’d be a win for our kids … and it would clearly be a win for the cost-saving of this district.”
Op-ed by Laura Capps in the Los Angeles Times “Santa Barbara County has too much Marijuana Too Close to Kids” 4.26.19
“Leadership in local government requires that officials find the all-important balance between encouraging industry, growth and tax revenue and protecting the needs of people. Sometimes that means admitting to a mistake and fixing a flawed regulation. Now that we can see — or rather, smell — the consequences of proliferating pot farms, Santa Barbara County officials should reverse course. The cannabis industry has a place in the county, but not at the cost of our children’s well-being.
Op-ed by Laura Capps in Cal Matters “Expanding California’s earned income tax credit is a smart investment in working families,” 4.7.19
The earned income tax credit is among the most effective anti-poverty measures that exists in the United States. It functions as a cash back refund to most recipients, because the credit is typically worth more than what they owe in taxes. By allowing low-income workers to keep more of what they earn, it encourages work and increases financial security.
Noozhawk, “Santa Barbara Unified School District Moves Forward With Campus Safety Plans,”3.1.19
Board member Laura Capps said she was impressed with the thoroughness of the district’s process for creating safety plans.
“Sure, they are required by the state, but they are an opportunity to get everyone aligned,” she said. “It feels so much better to know that the plans actually do mirror what’s happening and to make sure the opportunity is not to just check the box because the state requires it, but because we are taking this seriously as an opportunity to get alignment.”
Article, “CalEITC4Me aims to help students with financial struggles,”2.23.19
The program is addressing other societal issues, including the gender wage gap. According to Laura Capps, who sits on the CalEITC4Me Board of Directors, around 79% of those who qualify for the program are women. By returning money to single parents, they believe that the wage gap will be lessened significantly.
“Billions of dollars go back to Washington instead of the hands of students,” Capps said. “That is what we are trying to discourage.”
Noozhawk, “Santa Barbara School Board Considers Dual-Language Immersion Program,” 1.20.19
Board member Laura Capps noted that Prop. 58, which passed in 2016 and allowed non-English instruction to be used in classrooms, received 74 percent of the district's vote.
"A lot of things this school district takes on, we're not exactly numerically sure is a priority, but we know this is a priority for this county and for this area," Capps said.
Capps also said the district needs to look at Adelante Charter School, an existing dual-language immersion school, as a model for how to move forward.
Article, “Santa Barbara School Board Adopts Sweeping Climate Change Resolution,”1.20.19
“This resolution affirms the school district’s commitment to do our part to address the climate crisis,” school board member Laura Capps told Noozhawk. “... Climate change is here, it is local, and it impacts our schools, our students and the future they are inheriting.”
For an insomnia-prone person like me, the past four years have carried countless hours of tossing and turning each night – from a savage pandemic, an economy in peril and students struggling to learn at home, to rising national poverty and hunger, an attempted coup by those who threaten more violence and a climate crisis that rages on.
Noozhawk “District trustees unanimously approve ethnic-studies requirement for high school graduation,” 11.13.18
"School board member Laura Capps noted that even though other school districts in the county don't require ethnic studies, Santa Barbara should take the lead.
"We should be in front of this," Capps said. "This is Santa Barbara."
Letter to the editor by Laura Capps in the Santa Barbara Independent, “Meeting Basic Needs,” 8.17.18
Thanks to Jerry Roberts for his recent column “Poverty the Shame of Santa Barbara” showcasing the shocking reality that Santa Barbara County has the third highest rate of poverty in California, according to a study conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). While the statistics are alarming coming from a place many think of as paradise — one in four children live in poverty — the PPIC also found that government programs helped keep millions more out of poverty.
Op-ed by Laura Capps in Politico “Congress: The Most family-unfriendly workplace in America,” 4.24.18
"The only institution constitutionally created to reflect our national values — Congress — is arguably the least family friendly institution in the country. The same people who set policy for millions of families in America serve in a job that literally splits families apart. If Congress had more family friendly rules, more women would run for office. And if more women were elected, our laws would be more conducive to the basic struggles most families face..."
Op-ed by Laura Capps in the Fresno Bee “San Joaquin Valley’s working women get a boost from the earned-income tax credit,” 4.12.18
“Since it was passed in the 1970s, the federal EITC has helped women enter and advance in the labor force by making entry-level work pay better. Economists at UC Irvine found that single mothers who were able to benefit from a more generous EITC during their 20s and 30s went on to have substantially higher earnings later in their careers. By increasing the value of their work when they were just starting out, these women are able to invest in new skills and professional development — like night school classes — which allow them to become financially self-sufficient over the long-haul.”
Op-ed by Laura Capps in the Santa Barbara Independent “All Kids Can Eat for Free This Summer,” 7.13.17
“Some might be surprised to know that one in five kids in Santa Barbara County are faced with hunger. Our schools provide their main source of well-balanced meals. So, what happens when summer rolls around and children can no longer can rely on the free and reduced meals they are used to? As a school-board member and mom, this is especially concerning to me. When that final school bell rings in June, sadly, nearly 80 percent who depend on free and reduced meals during the school year go without until school resumes. Summer should be a magical time, but for too many kids it’s a time when hunger spikes, harming their ability to thrive the way that growing kids should.”
Oped by Laura Capps in the Santa Barbara Independent “Support Our Local Schools: Vote for Measures I and J,” 9.29.16