Election
Candidates Side-by-Side
Introduction
Livermore Community for Public Education’s mission statement is to inform and educate Livermore citizens by bringing fact-based information to the community. We interviewed the school board candidates who agreed to speak with us and held a virtual “Meet and Greet” for the candidates we endorsed. Presenting this side-by-side table of information gathered from websites, interviews, documents, and videos provides Livermore voters with information about the qualifications, experience, and attitudes that candidates bring to this race for a seat on the LVJUSD Board of Education. The statements in bold are the standards we used to compare candidates to our values and standards and to each other.
We value candidates who have children in LVJUSD public schools.
Tara Boyce
Tara has two children who attend a Livermore public school.
Christiaan VandenHeuvel
Christiaan is the father of a current high school student and two Livermore High School graduates.
Deena Kaplanis
Deena has two children who attend a private Evangelical Christian school in Livermore. They have attended this school since the fall of 2023.
We value candidates who understand the school board's role in governing the district and who respect the board’s obligation to comply with our laws and the directives of duly elected state and county officials.
Tara Boyce
Tara commented that the school board can be a safe space for the superintendent to explore different ideas. The best solutions are collaborative ones. That’s what the board workshops are for.
Regarding compliance with educational legislation, Tara does not disagree with any current California laws.
Christiaan VandenHeuvel
Christiaan wants to educate voters on the school board’s jurisdiction. The board’s job is to oversee the superintendent and evaluate that person’s performance. The board doesn’t have the authority to create new policies, but it is responsible for implementing state laws that relate to teaching and learning conditions in K-12 classrooms.
Deena Kaplanis
Deena wrote an email to the LVJUSD board on 2/28/2022 about the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) mandate that staff and students wear masks in schools.
“Subject: No more mandates
Comments: Please drop the mandates immediately they are unscientific and obviously kept for alternative reasons beyond just keeping are (sic) children safe. This should be a parents (sic) choice on how we should go about our child's health & well being.”
We value candidates who understand governance and approach all board issues with an open mind, prepared to make the best decisions for everyone involved.
Tara Boyce
Tara believes that a diverse board of education brings diverse expertise and thought to solving the district's problems.
The board listens to the diverse factions in the community and provides a conduit between the constituents and the administration.
Christiaan VandenHeuvel
Christiaan believes the district is headed in the right direction. Unanimous decisions are important because it means everyone is headed in the same direction for the beneit of students.
He would not support extremists who come with an agenda that is not backed up with data, facts, or mainstream science.
Deena Kaplanis
On November 16, 2021, Deena Kaplanis addressed the board, asking them to use her pseudo-science and ignore the advice, science, and medical practices of the CDC and the CDPH.
In this matter, Deena Kaplanis asked the school board trustees to follow the advice in her religion's biblical passages, Proverbs.
Her message also contains a veiled threat.
(Refer to the transcribed address below.)
Oral Presentation to the School Board by Deena Kaplanis on 11/16/2021
(Recorded on Zoom and transcribed)
“My name is Deena Kaplanis and I’m a licensed and board-certified medical provider. I have been in my field for 20 years and I come before you tonight because I’m against the school mask and now vaccine mandates because they go against everything I have studied in microbiology, physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Science shows that we have a natural god-given immunity to fight off disease and infection with the exception of people who have underlying immunocompromised conditions. Science shows that kids have less than 1% chance of dying from COVID19. So why? Why force an experimental vaccination on children who are not at high risk of death? I am not against vaccinations, in fact, at my son’s well check today his pediatrician said he is fully up to date with his vaccinations for school, however, from a medical perspective, and my parental intuition, I believe that (??) a mask a well child and injecting our kids with an unnecessary while the risks are unknown is truly unscientific and illogical. I am asking you as elected representatives to stand up for the sake of children and allow us parents to have this choice. We do not have to abide by what politicians are telling you to do. Listen to the actual science and honest positions. What do you have to lose? The bible tells us in proverbs 12:17 that he who speaks truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. I want you to know that your stance on this you will have answer for one day and I hope you choose truth. Thank you.”
We value candidates who understand that schools must be safe places to learn, especially for vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ students.
Tara Boyce
It is the duty of the school district to make campuses safe for all students.
Tara explained that diversity is key in the district's hiring practices so that children see themselves mirrored in school personnel. That goes for racial, gender, and cultural diversity, in addition to the diversity of gender identity of the adults in our schools.
Having student centers, such as Black student centers, funded by grants, in schools is essential because it allows students to build community on their campuses.
Christiaan VandenHeuvel
In conversations, Christiaan has said that he could not live with any law that harms families or any law that harms students. “For LGBTQ+ students, the rates of suicide are high.” He believes students who bully and harass other students (online or at school) should experience appropriate consequences for their actions, including restorative justice, in-house suspensions, and, ultimately, expulsion.
Deena Kaplanis
On April 18, 2023, Deena Kaplanis addressed the board and asked it to adopt the language of AB 1314, which had not been passed by the Legislature or signed by Governor Newsom.
The bill would have required teachers, counselors, and other school staff to inform parents in writing within three days of discovering that a student identifies as a gender that doesn’t align with the sex assigned at birth.
This bill conflicts directly with AB 1266 (“School Success and Opportunity Act”), which became law in 2013.
More recently, in 2024, California passed AB 1955 (SAFETY Act), which prohibits school districts from enacting or enforcing any policy that requires an employee to disclose any information related to a student’s gender identity without the student's consent.
This also reflects Deena’s disregard for California statutes that trustees must follow.
(Refer to the transcribed address below.)
Transcription of Address by Deena Kaplanis to the LVJUSD Board of Education on 4/18/23
My name is Deena and I do not Identify as the mob, as a bible thumper, as an extremist, a homophobic or an anti-lgbtq person or any of these names, the people in these rooms, or in this room come up with to justify themselves. In fact, on the contrary, I was taught to love and respect everyone despite our differences. I’m here tonight because I’ve been watching the past few board meetings, as I said and it’s obvious we are so divided on some very controversial issues and I’d like to address something that is very concerning to me. Trust in our district. With some policy and potential bills on the table, that would strip a parent or a legal guardian of their rights to their own children. I would like to know that we can trust that our superintendent, board president, trustees, teachers, and staff are willing to work with us when it comes to the decisions of our students. After all, we are trusting them in your care for six to eight hours a day and if it’s true that you want the best for them and we want the best for them, why couldn’t we come together on these issues? All I’m asking tonight is that the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District would please adopt the language of AB 1314 that the schools would have to notify us with anything they do with our child. We have the power over our children, not the school system. And what we’re asking is not illegal. Whoever believes that is completely false. You have to notify us of our parental rights. Thank you.”
We value candidates who volunteer and contribute to school and community groups for the benefit of that group’s goals.
Tara Boyce
Tara volunteered for the Bay Area Crisis Center and Tri-Valley Haven, which assists people dealing with domestic abuse. She has been a Resource Parent for Agape Villages, serving disadvantaged children, adolescents, and young adults.
When Tara’s first-grader experienced challenges at school, she worked closely with the teachers and administrators to find the best accommodations to help her child succeed.
Christiaan VandenHeuvel
Christiaan has been a classroom volunteer in the district, assisting Kindergarten teachers with the time-consuming tasks of cutting, pasting, and wiping to lighten their load. He has served as a School Site Council (SSC) President, PTSA President at Livermore High School, and Parent Club Information Council (PCIC) representative. He worked on the “Reopening Task Force” after the pandemic lockdown to ensure a smooth transition from virtual learning back to classrooms for everyone.
Deena Kaplanis
Deena Kaplanis has volunteered in Livermore community groups and district committees.
Under pretense, Deena volunteered to be the Junction Avenue PTA’s representative to Livermore district’s Parent Club Information Council (PCIC) for the 2023-2024 school year.
Her children were not attending any district public school during that year. Her attendance at the PCIC meetings is questionable.
The PCIC meetings are not open to the public and are meant for the parents of the district’s students to share information about school events and resources.