My reason for running is student success. The Texas Constitution states that we will provide all children a free and equitable public education. FISD is a destination district because our No. 1 priority is student success. The pandemic did not change that. Instead, to name a few of FISD’s accomplishments, we added programs, opened high school No. 11, increased pay, provided alternative learning platforms, increased special education programs, reduced taxes and implemented the Community-Based Accountability System.

Bad policies created during multiple presidential administrations have taken the trust and respect away from public schools. After two decades of disruption created by politics, educators are exhausted. We are losing teachers to other careers or retirement faster than colleges are graduating education majors. I plan to continue advocating for incentives for students to go into teaching and evolving the Community-Based Accountability System. CBAS reestablishes the culture of respect for education by uniting the community.

1. Student success is always number one. 2. Cultivating a culture that is attractive to keeping educators in education. 3. Evolving our Community-Based Accountability System 4. Increasing opportunities and pay for our special education paraprofessionals.

I would like to see us provide more opportunities for lacrosse, as it is a growing sport for many of our kids in Frisco. I would also like to see us expand our gifted/talented (G/T) programming at the K-8 levels.

My primary concern is to ensure that the doors of communication remain open by acting as your liaison to bridge the gap between families and FISD. Recently, FISD changed their policy which now disallows non-agenda items to be discussed during the public comments section of school board meetings. With over 65,000 students from all over the world, our parents have much to offer. A community input night is not the same as a school board meeting.

One area we need to re-examine is our current technology program. Beginning technology classes at the junior high level are missing the mark when we notate today’s competitive world. First-graders already know how to access the internet and interact with technology. Every career your child will pursue will require a strong understanding of technology. To remain competitive in college and as a country, technology needs to be taught from day one until graduation.

We need our teachers! Work hours, pay, vacation time, additional aids/interns, support staff and job satisfaction are all topics that need our immediate attention … [and] expansion of the current technology program that recognizes the need for daily instruction. With over 65,000 students, I think we should consider expanding the current school board meetings from once to twice a month in a similar fashion as the Frisco City Council.

[I would like to see a] Summer Bookmobile reading program; [to] introduce technology classes in grade school; [to] increase current high school graduation technology credits; [a] lunch leadership program that brings students together; additional software on school-issued laptops; during the summer, [to] convert schools into technology and learning centers; [to] review how we can support our teachers more fully; [to] expand corporate sponsorships for junior-year internship opportunities; [to] cross-train teachers/staff for our students with ADHD and autism; [and] improvements to current handling of incidents involving bullying.

We live in Frisco, which boasts a highly-rated school district. Given the media attention regarding [critical race theory] influence in education, I contacted our current board to inquire about it. Those who responded made statements like, “It’s illegal to teach CRT” and simply would not share their views on the controversial subject. Upon looking further into the matter, I found that CRT was influencing the way the district educates its students, and I decided to run.

Retaining our excellent teachers through increased compensation and a reduction in administrative paperwork is paramount. Further, FISD must promote academic policies that prepare all students for success in life. The district needs to teach all of our students that they will be competing with people from all over the world in this global economy, and that excellence and being the best regardless of race is the standard by which they will be judged.

My top priority would be to bring back excellence in the district and make FISD the standard by which other districts are measured. We would do this by establishing clear and high standards for our students, attracting the best education professionals in the country and ensuring open communication with parents regarding the policies and curriculum put forth by the district.

I would like to explore additional ways for the district to partner with area businesses and the city to create additional opportunities for our students. I’d like to see the district develop plumbing, HVAC and auto mechanic courses for the [Career and Technical Education Center] and partner with our local businesses for advanced training and employment [to create] an education-to-work pipeline that benefits our students as well as our business partners.