Your trusted source for community news
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: 23 years
2. Why do you want to be a trustee for the CFBISD? Throughout my 3 years serving on the Board of Trustees, I have enjoyed making a positive impact on our community and I look forward to continuing that impact for the next 3 years.
3. How many CFBISD meetings have you attended or watched online in the last year? I have attended all board meetings except for one (Senior Night for our graduate)
4. What other civic responsibilities have you undertaken? I am very active with our church and community outreach. Summer Sack for Hunger, Lead VBS-CUMC and United Women In Faith outreach activities to name a few.
5. How has current CFBISD leadership influenced your decision to run for school board? The board of trustees has worked well with the superintendent. We challenge each other at times while making solid progress on many district issues. The superintendent is open to ideas and encourages suggestions and questions. I look forward to continuing the work we have started.
6. What makes you the most qualified candidate in your race and why? I love public school and this district has the potential to be one of the best in the state! I have been a teacher, administrator, advocate, parent and trustee so I understand the issues from all points of view. I actively attend all meetings and events around the district. I am visible and accessible to students, staff and the community.
7. As a school board member, what action, if any, would you take to adequately fund our schools? The funding of our schools is of the utmost importance. As a board member, I served as an alternate delegate at the TASB state assembly to vote on the final legislation to present to our state legislature. I have attended a Raise Your Hand TX training as well as many of their local events in our area. I have also spoken with several TX representatives about this important issue of funding public schools. In April, the majority of the trustees along with the superintendent will be heading to Austin to speak with our representatives in person. As a citizen, I have sent many emails to our Governor with my thoughts on this subject.
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 member of a successful school board, you must be unified once an action or policy is passed. It is up to all of us to govern as a team even if we don’t agree with the policy or action.
9. In the development of a school district budget, what goals and objectives would guide your decision making? When considering items in a district budget, the money should first be disseminated to the elements that are closest to students. These would include safety & security, teacher salaries and instructional materials to name a few.
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 challenged, English language learners and cultural differences? In CFBISD, our philosophy is to know kids by their name and need. We are blessed with so many high quality educators that continuously meet our diverse student population where they are and strive to get them where they need to be.
11. How important are fine arts and extra-curricular activities such as athletics to an overall education? How should they be funded? Athletics and fine arts are essential to our students and districts. They both provide a sense of belonging, cognitive benefits and fun! For many of our students this is how they will “shine” during their school careers. Funding should be provided by the district/state by per pupil investment. If necessary, additional funding should be provided by fundraising and families.
12. What is your view on charter schools? What role should the local school board play in approving charter schools? My view on charter schools is not a positive one. In fact, they pale in comparison to public schools when it comes to education, career or social opportunities, athletics or fine arts. They receive an additional $1,000 per student from the state but are not held to the same accountability standards as public schools. As a school board member I will always vote against building charter schools in our area.
13. What is your position on vouchers? Please explain. Public Schools should be funded first! Overall, I am against the implementation of the voucher system as it is a persuasion for parents to leave public schools. However, if our Governor insists on executing vouchers then I would hope that public schools would receive a similar amount of funding.
14. What is the most important role of the superintendent? The superintendent's most important role is to create a positive culture within the district including staff, parents and most importantly students.
15. Are you educating or did you educate your child in public school, private school or homeschool? Both of our children have been educated in CFBISD since kindergarten including Country Place Elementary, Blalack Middle and both Newman Smith and Creekview High Schools.
16. What security measures do you support to keep students and teachers safe from attacks by other students? I support all measures to help keep our students and staff safe which may include creating a positive culture, building trust between staff and students, positive mental health practices as well as severe consequences for any person who violates the safety of another.
