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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: 18 yrs
2. Why do you want to be a trustee for the CFBISD? I am an alumnus of Central Elementary, Perry Middle and R.L. Turner High School. Both Carrollton and Farmers Branch were the twocities that I found my place in this world. I met my wife, Kim Bartlett Gilmore, our senior year of high school in government class at Turner. She was a cheerleader, and she was Valedictorian of our senior class. I attended Valley View Christian Church, when it was located on Valley View and Marsh Lane. My father was a pastor there, and that is when I learned the importance of service and community.
After graduating CFBISD I joined the United States Army and married my beautiful high school sweetheart. After my service to our country, I became a member of the Irving Police Department. Two more daughters later, I left the force to become a real estate agent. I wanted freedom to travel with my wife and 4 daughters.
I want the district to continue to be driven by excellence in every way. Both my wife and I have received a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and essential tools that enabled our lives to be filled with success in every asset. My grandchildren will be attending CFBISD schools and we need solid leadership to ensure this district provides the best education in the most safe environment.
I am not afraid to make tough choices. I am not afraid to stand up for our children. I am looking forward to making CFBISD stronger than ever.
3. How many CFBISD meetings have you attended or watched online in the last year? 6
4. What other civic responsibilities have you undertaken? I have been 1st and 2nd vice commander at the American Legion helping vets and the community.
5. How has current CFBISD leadership influenced your decision to run for trustee? I am seeing what appears to be some shortsightedness. A lack of members doing what appears to be best for the district. Both for the students and the parents. There could be better questions asked before making a decision and better transparency with the public.
6. What makes you the most qualified candidate in your race and why? My background, values, my ability to ask the right questions and communicate with transparency. Having been a police officer, I had to make life and death decisions. We need someone that will face the public and not cower or back away from tough decisions.
7. As a school board member, what action, if any, would you take to adequately fund our schools? I will ensure that we keep and gain access to all funds available to the district and will make sure they are applied appropriately.
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? I will always uphold the policies that have been passed. We are not always going to agree with every decision. I will continue to ask questions and support the decisions. If there is a way to improve the position, I will seek ways to do that.
9. In the development of a school district budget, what goals and objectives would guide your decision making? What is best for our students. What is the best use of the funds available. Are there areas of the budget that need to be eliminated?
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? We will continue to meet each student where they are. Treating them no differently and provide them ways to learn that are suited to them and how they learn. Education is not a one size fits all.
11. How important are fine arts and extra-curricular activities such as athletics to an overall education? How should they be funded? They are vitally important; they help students mold their identity and can give them passion. They are funded by money already allocated.
12. What is your view on charter schools What role should the local school board play in approving charter schools? Charter schools operate more like private schools, and they are publicly funded but not by local tax dollars. Local school boards should not have a say on their approval.
13. What is your position on vouchers? Please explain. I believe all parents have the choice on how to educate their children. If they chose to send their kids to private school, charter or homeschool this should be their choice and the money should stay in the district. There should be exemptions for certain situations where a parent can utilize another option and have the ability to use a voucher but on a very limited basis and there should be standards to obtaining this. Ex: rural areas and special needs services
14. What is the most important role of the superintendent? Oversee all functions of the school district.
15. Are you educating or did you educate your child in public school, private school or homeschool? All my children are adults and all now living in CFBISD raising their children. When they were school-aged, we did not live in CFBISD and chose to Homeschool. We did a lot of school on the road traveling in our RV, seeing history and science in person.
16. What security measures do you support to keep students and teachers safe from attacks by other students? We do well at this and will continue to use the latest technologies and methods to continue to do this well. We should enforce better the no cell phones being out at school policy.
