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Below are questions for the Branch Herald’s Voters Guide for the May 3 election for three seats on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) Board of Trustees.
1. Length of residency in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch (CFB)School District: I have lived in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch district for 14 years.
2. Why do you want to be a trustee for the CFBISD? I would like to continue the work. I have invested the last 3 year immersing myself into public education.
3. How many CFBISD meetings have you attended or watched online in the last year? I have attended all the Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD meetings as a trustee.
4. What other civic responsibilities have you undertaken?
When I am not spending time on the Carrollton Farmers Branch school board, I volunteer as a PTA parent where I have held several roles including fundraiser chair, hospitality chair and programs VP.
I have been an active volunteer and committee chair of a Cub Scouts Pack.
I mentor at a local elementary school once a week and recently joined the Carrollton Farmers Branch Rotary Club.
5. How has current CFBISD leadership influenced your decision to run for CFBISD School Board?The current school board and CFBISD leadership has made positive strides since I was elected in 2022. There are areas where I feel could be improved and there are opportunities to better align policies and decisions with the needs and concerns of our students, families and educators.
6. What makes you the most qualified candidate in your race and why? I am the most qualified candidate in this race because of my strong commitment to education and my experience working within the community. As an incumbent, I have gained a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that our school district faces. I am also deeply involved within my community outside of the school board.
Additionally, I have developed strong skills in leadership, problem-solving, policy analysis and community engagement, which are essential for making informed decisions on the Board. My genuine desire is to advocate for all the students that I serve in this district.
7. As a school board member, what action if any would you take to adequately fund our schools? First and foremost, funding for public schools comes from the federal and state level. There has been no increase to the basic allotment in the state of Texas since 2019. It has been an utmost priority of mine to advocate at the state level and educate our local community on the basics of school funding. Knowledge is power. An empowered community is a powerful one.
As part of my advocacy work, I have been a part of the Texas Association of School Board Legislative Advisory Council in our Region and have heard of the budget issues across the state from other trustees. I have advocated in Austin as a parent and will continue to do so as a trustee.
At a local level, my focus is to ensure every dollar spent is contributing directly to student success. I will continue to ensure the needs of our students and educators are at the forefront.
8. As a school board trustee, once the school board votes to approve an action or policy, what do you believe is your responsibility to that policy or action? What is your responsibility if you did not support that policy or action? As a school board trustee, once the board votes to approve a policy or action, my responsibility it to support and uphold the decision, even if I do not personally agree with it. My job to ensure the policy is implemented and that it is serving the needs of our students.
9. In the development of a school district budget, what goals and objectives would guide your decision making? The development of the school district budget must be focused on student centered priorities for student achievement with the goal of improving educational outcomes for all students. The goal is for resources to be allocated across the district. Ultimately, a school board trustee’s role is to ensure the long term financial health of the district.
10. Describe how you would provide quality education for a diverse student population: i.e. the gifted and talented, the average students, the special needs students, the physically challenge, English language learners and cultural differences? Our district has a diverse student population. Recently, the school board adopted a curriculum approved by the Texas Education Agency to further align with our mission of high expectations for all. As a school board trustee, I have voted to approve professional development to further support our educators in implementing a quality education for all our students. Our educators need the best tools and resources that we can provide to support our students.
11. How important are fine arts and extra-curricular activities such as athletics to an overall education? How should they be funded? Fine arts and extra-curricular activities are incredibly important to a well- rounded education. One of the things that makes our district special is the emphasis on said activities.
12. What is your view on charter schools What role should the local school board play in approving charter schools? Charter schools in the state of Texas are not held to the same standards as Texas public schools. School board does not approve charter schools within the district.
13. What is your position on vouchers? Please explain. I am against vouchers. Vouchers negatively impact public education students.
14. What is the most important role of the superintendent? The role of the superintendent is to serve as the leader of the district and ensure a high-quality education while improving educational outcomes.
The school board’s only employee is the superintendent.
15. Are you educating or did you educate your child in public school, private school or homeschool? My children attend public education.
16. What security measures do you support to keep students and teachers safe from attacks by other students? My number one priority is to make sure our students and teachers feel safe in our schools.
Our district has implemented anonymous alerts to report any incidents of bullying or other negative activity. It is an empowering tool to help our students speak up in a way to keep them feel safe. There are anti-bullying, including cyber bullying, policies in place to help parents, students and staff report any kind of issues that may arise.
Our schools have understanding mental health programs that help support our students and teachers.
Further, as a board, we have a strong safety and security department keeping campuses and facilities safe.
