I am running for re-election to the Carroll ISD school board of trustees to continue the work I began when elected last November. I love our public schools, and I love our community of Southlake. Both need humble, principled leadership to continue to excel. Being unafraid to ask ourselves: What are the best practices that prepare all Dragons for their next chapter in life? Where are we falling short on those practices and how can we quickly find common sense solutions to our challenges?

1. Working within a confined budget: Current Texas school funding limits ISD’s tax revenues. As such, we need to grow enrollment, find new streams of revenue, support the Carroll Education Foundation and use cost containment strategies to fund raises for our teachers and new programs and initiatives. 2. Hiring: A tight labor market plus wage inflation makes it twice as difficult to hire needed teachers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals and child nutritionists. The good news: progress has started, but more needs to be done with a concerted effort before the next school year.

1. Retain and attract the best teachers and staff talent possible: This includes accelerating teacher pay as quickly as the budget allows. 2. Make CISD a leader in special education: Supporting our new director of special programs; use the findings of the SPED audit to create immediate action items and fill all open positions ASAP. Clarify all policies and procedures. 3. Creating a culture of fiscal discipline: Balancing our CISD budget is being fiscally responsible to taxpayers. To fund teacher pay raises, new programs and stay within our budget constraints, we must look at every alternative and find new revenue to support new initiatives.

1. Creation of a fine arts center rental manager to capture new revenue. 2. Expand the use and trademarks of CISD licensed products (new revenue). 3. Grow the number of Texas Industry Certification Opportunities for students. These are great compliments to skills gained from core academics. Certificates can be used for part-time jobs, valuable internships and possible career sampling opportunities. 4. Integrate STEM/STEAM instruction at a younger age. 5. Offer languages in earlier grades (junior high to start). 6. Preparing students for their “big steps.” Provide tools such as “an introduction to Canvas” to fourth grade students and supplying fourth graders with laptops.

I believe the CISD school board has become distracted by politics rather than making students and their education the priority. As a former public school teacher with a masters degree in education, I would bring the perspective of an educator to the board, a perspective not currently represented. I have spent countless hours in public schools as a PTO president, reading and math group leader, booster clubs president, and as a current substitute teacher and that solid understanding of the inner workings of a public school district is imperative to success on the school board. I believe in the power of public schools to unite a community.

Despite CISD becoming much more diverse over the last 5 to 7 years, the Southlake Families PAC, which is self-described as conservative and unapologetically Judeo-Christian, has seized control of our school board. Since gaining the majority, they have usurped administrative procedure and reprimanded a teacher of the year, violating educational code; settled a lawsuit that eliminated any development of a diversity and inclusion plan; and driven out quality educators. Our teacher turnover rate is the highest it’s ever been. The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights is currently investigating three cases of discrimination with more to follow. The actions of trustees have distracted the board from its focus on education and put CISD at risk.

I will work to ensure CISD is a welcoming and safe place for all students; empower educators to do the jobs they were trained and hired to do; and make students and their education the priority of the school board. I moved to Southlake, as did countless other families, for the public schools and the reputation of the district of a student-centered, community focus. The schools are the cornerstone of our community, and I will work to protect our schools, teachers and students.

I would explore: 1. Business Academy. We have not started another academy since the creation of the Carroll Medical Academy in 2004. It is time we develop a business academy and fully utilize the new STEAM facilities at the high school. 2. Special Education. Our special education program has been struggling for some time. We must support the newly hired director to ensure the most marginalized among us are given what they need to be successful. 3. Career and Technical Education (CTE). We can work to offer different pathways through enhanced CTE offerings.