Candidates

November 2026 · Orange Unified School District

November 2026 · Challenging candidates

Challenging candidates, November 2026

Ivan Kokos · Crystal Miles · Chip Ahlswede · Jack Chang

Issue	Ivan Kokos Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki	Crystal Miles Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly	Chip Ahlswede Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson	Jack Chang Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass
Parental notification	Supports Believes parents have a right to be informed about their child's well-being at school. Opposes board members abandoning their posts rather than casting a vote on record.	Supports Same position. Parents should not be kept in the dark about significant issues affecting their children on campus.	Supports Same position. Transparency in public institutions, including toward parents, is a core value.	Supports Same position. Would have voted on record rather than walking out.
Board pay raise	Opposed Would not have voted to 5x board pay without a public hearing, especially during a period of declining enrollment and fiscal stress for the district.	Opposed Same position. A raise of this magnitude, buried in a consent agenda with no discussion, is exactly the kind of insider move that erodes public trust.	Opposed Publicly criticized the raise by name, calling it disrespectful to the public's right to weigh in. Already on record opposing this vote before filing as a candidate.	Opposed Same position. Board members should not be voting themselves raises without community input, period.
Path to the board	Running to earn it Not appointed by a political ally bloc. Running in a contested election and asking voters directly for the seat.	Running to earn it Same. No backroom appointment, no token opposition. Running a real campaign.	Running to earn it Same. Believes board seats should be earned through voters, not handed down by sitting trustees protecting their majority.	Running to earn it Same. No incumbent advantage, no appointment. A clean race.
Test scores & academic accountability	Priority With only 59% of students meeting ELA standards and ~46% in math, the status quo is not good enough. Supports clear curriculum accountability and measurable improvement targets.	Priority Same. Students in Orange and Villa Park deserve better academic outcomes than the current board has produced.	Priority Same. Academic performance, not political posturing, should be the board's primary focus.	Priority Same. Committed to holding the district accountable for measurable gains, not just incremental year-over-year noise.
Enrollment decline & fiscal health	Reform-minded A 15% enrollment drop over a decade means less funding and fewer resources for students. Supports honest budget discipline and transparency about district finances.	Reform-minded Same. Fiscal decisions should prioritize classrooms and students, not administrative bloat or political paybacks.	Reform-minded Same. Has publicly flagged the district's financial trajectory as unsustainable and called for greater accountability in how money is spent.	Reform-minded Same. Reversing enrollment decline requires giving families a reason to choose OUSD, which starts with academic excellence and fiscal credibility.

Issue

Ivan Kokos Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Crystal Miles Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Chip Ahlswede Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Jack Chang Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Parental notification

Supports

Believes parents have a right to be informed about their child's well-being at school. Opposes board members abandoning their posts rather than casting a vote on record.

Supports

Same position. Parents should not be kept in the dark about significant issues affecting their children on campus.

Supports

Same position. Transparency in public institutions, including toward parents, is a core value.

Supports

Same position. Would have voted on record rather than walking out.

Board pay raise

Opposed

Would not have voted to 5x board pay without a public hearing, especially during a period of declining enrollment and fiscal stress for the district.

Opposed

Same position. A raise of this magnitude, buried in a consent agenda with no discussion, is exactly the kind of insider move that erodes public trust.

Opposed

Publicly criticized the raise by name, calling it disrespectful to the public's right to weigh in. Already on record opposing this vote before filing as a candidate.

Opposed

Same position. Board members should not be voting themselves raises without community input, period.

Path to the board

Running to earn it

Not appointed by a political ally bloc. Running in a contested election and asking voters directly for the seat.

Running to earn it

Same. No backroom appointment, no token opposition. Running a real campaign.

Running to earn it

Same. Believes board seats should be earned through voters, not handed down by sitting trustees protecting their majority.

Running to earn it

Same. No incumbent advantage, no appointment. A clean race.

Test scores & academic accountability

Priority

With only 59% of students meeting ELA standards and ~46% in math, the status quo is not good enough. Supports clear curriculum accountability and measurable improvement targets.

Priority

Same. Students in Orange and Villa Park deserve better academic outcomes than the current board has produced.

Priority

Same. Academic performance, not political posturing, should be the board's primary focus.

Priority

Same. Committed to holding the district accountable for measurable gains, not just incremental year-over-year noise.

Enrollment decline & fiscal health

Reform-minded

A 15% enrollment drop over a decade means less funding and fewer resources for students. Supports honest budget discipline and transparency about district finances.

Reform-minded

Same. Fiscal decisions should prioritize classrooms and students, not administrative bloat or political paybacks.

Reform-minded

Same. Has publicly flagged the district's financial trajectory as unsustainable and called for greater accountability in how money is spent.

Reform-minded

Same. Reversing enrollment decline requires giving families a reason to choose OUSD, which starts with academic excellence and fiscal credibility.

Parental notification

Ivan Kokos

Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Supports

Believes parents have a right to be informed about their child's well-being at school. Opposes board members abandoning their posts rather than casting a vote on record.

Crystal Miles

Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Supports

Same position. Parents should not be kept in the dark about significant issues affecting their children on campus.

Chip Ahlswede

Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Supports

Same position. Transparency in public institutions, including toward parents, is a core value.

Jack Chang

Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Supports

Same position. Would have voted on record rather than walking out.

Board pay raise

Ivan Kokos

Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Opposed

Would not have voted to 5x board pay without a public hearing, especially during a period of declining enrollment and fiscal stress for the district.

Crystal Miles

Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Opposed

Same position. A raise of this magnitude, buried in a consent agenda with no discussion, is exactly the kind of insider move that erodes public trust.

Chip Ahlswede

Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Opposed

Publicly criticized the raise by name, calling it disrespectful to the public's right to weigh in. Already on record opposing this vote before filing as a candidate.

Jack Chang

Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Opposed

Same position. Board members should not be voting themselves raises without community input, period.

Path to the board

Ivan Kokos

Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Running to earn it

Not appointed by a political ally bloc. Running in a contested election and asking voters directly for the seat.

Crystal Miles

Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Running to earn it

Same. No backroom appointment, no token opposition. Running a real campaign.

Chip Ahlswede

Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Running to earn it

Same. Believes board seats should be earned through voters, not handed down by sitting trustees protecting their majority.

Jack Chang

Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Running to earn it

Same. No incumbent advantage, no appointment. A clean race.

Test scores & academic accountability

Ivan Kokos

Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Priority

With only 59% of students meeting ELA standards and ~46% in math, the status quo is not good enough. Supports clear curriculum accountability and measurable improvement targets.

Crystal Miles

Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Priority

Same. Students in Orange and Villa Park deserve better academic outcomes than the current board has produced.

Chip Ahlswede

Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Priority

Same. Academic performance, not political posturing, should be the board's primary focus.

Jack Chang

Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Priority

Same. Committed to holding the district accountable for measurable gains, not just incremental year-over-year noise.

Enrollment decline & fiscal health

Ivan Kokos

Challenger · Area 1 · vs. Yamasaki

Reform-minded

A 15% enrollment drop over a decade means less funding and fewer resources for students. Supports honest budget discipline and transparency about district finances.

Crystal Miles

Challenger · Area 4 · vs. Pelly

Reform-minded

Same. Fiscal decisions should prioritize classrooms and students, not administrative bloat or political paybacks.

Chip Ahlswede

Challenger · Area 5 · vs. Erickson

Reform-minded

Same. Has publicly flagged the district's financial trajectory as unsustainable and called for greater accountability in how money is spent.

Jack Chang

Challenger · Area 7 · vs. Glass

Reform-minded

Same. Reversing enrollment decline requires giving families a reason to choose OUSD, which starts with academic excellence and fiscal credibility.

Challenging candidates for November 2026.

November 2026 · verified record only

OUSD incumbent record matrix

Andrea Yamasaki · Kris Erickson · Stephen Glass · Sara Pelly

Issue	Andrea Yamasaki Area 1 · since 2016	Kris Erickson Area 5 · since 2019	Stephen Glass Area 7 · since 2024	Sara Pelly Area 4 · since 2024
Transgender parental notification policy (Sept. 2023)	Walked out Left the dais during the vote alongside Erickson. Issued a joint statement calling the policy a "culture war" and expressing concern for LGBTQ youth. Source: Voice of OC, KCRW, Sept. 2023	Walked out Left with Yamasaki before the 4-0 vote. Co-signed joint statement. Also separately accused of leaking closed-session information to the OC Register during the same period (OC DA investigation). Source: Voice of OC, OC Independent, 2023, 2024	Not on board Not seated until May 2024, after the parental notification vote. No record on this issue.	Not on board Not seated until May 2024. No record on this issue.
Board pay raise (400%)	Voted yes Unanimously voted to raise monthly board pay from $400 to $2,000, a 400% increase, buried in a consent agenda item with no public discussion, during a period of district fiscal difficulty. Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026	Voted yes Same unanimous vote. No trustee requested public discussion before approving the raise. Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026	Voted yes Same unanimous vote. Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026	Voted yes Same unanimous vote. Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026
How they got their seat	Directly elected Won special election in 2016; re-elected in 2018 and 2022. Source: Ballotpedia	Directly elected Won in 2018, re-elected 2022. Source: Ballotpedia	Appointed, then elected Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill a recall vacancy. Then won the November 2024 special election against token opposition. Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024	Appointed, then elected Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill the other recall vacancy. Won November 2024 special election against token opposition. Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024
District test scores (2025 CAASPP)	Below expectations Under the current board's tenure: 59% of OUSD students met ELA standards; ~46% met math standards in 2025. District outperforms state average but trails OC county averages. Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025	Below expectations Same district-wide figures. Erickson has served since 2019 with no publicly identified curriculum accountability initiative. Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025	Limited record Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.	Limited record Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.
Enrollment decline & fiscal pressure	On watch during decline OUSD enrollment has declined ~15% over the past decade. Board approved a teacher contract that, combined with enrollment loss, created ongoing fiscal strain. Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026; OUSD website	On watch during decline Same board, same contract, same enrollment decline. Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026	Limited record Seated after the teacher contract was approved. Voted on subsequent budget decisions but no specific contrarian positions documented.	Limited record Same as Glass. Arrived after the contract. No documented fiscal reform positions.

Issue

Andrea Yamasaki Area 1 · since 2016

Kris Erickson Area 5 · since 2019

Stephen Glass Area 7 · since 2024

Sara Pelly Area 4 · since 2024

Transgender parental notification policy (Sept. 2023)

Walked out

Left the dais during the vote alongside Erickson. Issued a joint statement calling the policy a "culture war" and expressing concern for LGBTQ youth.

Source: Voice of OC, KCRW, Sept. 2023

Walked out

Left with Yamasaki before the 4-0 vote. Co-signed joint statement. Also separately accused of leaking closed-session information to the OC Register during the same period (OC DA investigation).

Source: Voice of OC, OC Independent, 2023, 2024

Not on board

Not seated until May 2024, after the parental notification vote. No record on this issue.

Not on board

Not seated until May 2024. No record on this issue.

Board pay raise (400%)

Voted yes

Unanimously voted to raise monthly board pay from $400 to $2,000, a 400% increase, buried in a consent agenda item with no public discussion, during a period of district fiscal difficulty.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote. No trustee requested public discussion before approving the raise.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

How they got their seat

Directly elected

Won special election in 2016; re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

Source: Ballotpedia

Directly elected

Won in 2018, re-elected 2022.

Source: Ballotpedia

Appointed, then elected

Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill a recall vacancy. Then won the November 2024 special election against token opposition.

Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024

Appointed, then elected

Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill the other recall vacancy. Won November 2024 special election against token opposition.

Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024

District test scores (2025 CAASPP)

Below expectations

Under the current board's tenure: 59% of OUSD students met ELA standards; ~46% met math standards in 2025. District outperforms state average but trails OC county averages.

Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025

Below expectations

Same district-wide figures. Erickson has served since 2019 with no publicly identified curriculum accountability initiative.

Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025

Limited record

Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.

Limited record

Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.

Enrollment decline & fiscal pressure

On watch during decline

OUSD enrollment has declined ~15% over the past decade. Board approved a teacher contract that, combined with enrollment loss, created ongoing fiscal strain.

Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026; OUSD website

On watch during decline

Same board, same contract, same enrollment decline.

Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026

Limited record

Seated after the teacher contract was approved. Voted on subsequent budget decisions but no specific contrarian positions documented.

Limited record

Same as Glass. Arrived after the contract. No documented fiscal reform positions.

Transgender parental notification policy (Sept. 2023)

Andrea Yamasaki

Area 1 · since 2016

Walked out

Left the dais during the vote alongside Erickson. Issued a joint statement calling the policy a "culture war" and expressing concern for LGBTQ youth.

Source: Voice of OC, KCRW, Sept. 2023

Kris Erickson

Area 5 · since 2019

Walked out

Left with Yamasaki before the 4-0 vote. Co-signed joint statement. Also separately accused of leaking closed-session information to the OC Register during the same period (OC DA investigation).

Source: Voice of OC, OC Independent, 2023, 2024

Stephen Glass

Area 7 · since 2024

Not on board

Not seated until May 2024, after the parental notification vote. No record on this issue.

Sara Pelly

Area 4 · since 2024

Not on board

Not seated until May 2024. No record on this issue.

Board pay raise (400%)

Andrea Yamasaki

Area 1 · since 2016

Voted yes

Unanimously voted to raise monthly board pay from $400 to $2,000, a 400% increase, buried in a consent agenda item with no public discussion, during a period of district fiscal difficulty.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Kris Erickson

Area 5 · since 2019

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote. No trustee requested public discussion before approving the raise.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Stephen Glass

Area 7 · since 2024

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

Sara Pelly

Area 4 · since 2024

Voted yes

Same unanimous vote.

Source: OC Independent, Jan. 2026

How they got their seat

Andrea Yamasaki

Area 1 · since 2016

Directly elected

Won special election in 2016; re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

Source: Ballotpedia

Kris Erickson

Area 5 · since 2019

Directly elected

Won in 2018, re-elected 2022.

Source: Ballotpedia

Stephen Glass

Area 7 · since 2024

Appointed, then elected

Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill a recall vacancy. Then won the November 2024 special election against token opposition.

Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024

Sara Pelly

Area 4 · since 2024

Appointed, then elected

Appointed by the board majority in May 2024 to fill the other recall vacancy. Won November 2024 special election against token opposition.

Source: OC Independent, EdSource, 2024

District test scores (2025 CAASPP)

Andrea Yamasaki

Area 1 · since 2016

Below expectations

Under the current board's tenure: 59% of OUSD students met ELA standards; ~46% met math standards in 2025. District outperforms state average but trails OC county averages.

Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025

Kris Erickson

Area 5 · since 2019

Below expectations

Same district-wide figures. Erickson has served since 2019 with no publicly identified curriculum accountability initiative.

Source: EdSource CAASPP data, Oct. 2025

Stephen Glass

Area 7 · since 2024

Limited record

Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.

Sara Pelly

Area 4 · since 2024

Limited record

Only seated since 2024. Insufficient time to assess individual impact on academic outcomes.

Enrollment decline & fiscal pressure

Andrea Yamasaki

Area 1 · since 2016

On watch during decline

OUSD enrollment has declined ~15% over the past decade. Board approved a teacher contract that, combined with enrollment loss, created ongoing fiscal strain.

Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026; OUSD website

Kris Erickson

Area 5 · since 2019

On watch during decline

Same board, same contract, same enrollment decline.

Source: California Courier, Jan. 2026

Stephen Glass

Area 7 · since 2024

Limited record

Seated after the teacher contract was approved. Voted on subsequent budget decisions but no specific contrarian positions documented.

Sara Pelly

Area 4 · since 2024

Limited record

Same as Glass. Arrived after the contract. No documented fiscal reform positions.

OUSD incumbent record matrix. Verified facts only. Sources cited per cell. Compare with challenging candidates above.

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