During a year when Fort Bend ISD is actively lobbying for greater state education funding and appealing to legislators for regulatory action, three positions on the board of trustees are up for election.
Candidates met Wednesday at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce to discuss topics from school equity, student performance issues, and the role of a school board.
Incumbent Jason Burdine and challenger L. Angelo DeCamps are running for Position 1, Rodrigo Carreon and Shirley Rose-Gilliam are challenging Position 5 incumbent Kristin Tassin, and Position 4 incumbent KP George faces Lorena Duenas and KP George. Carreon was absent from the forum.
From left to right, Shirley Rose-Gilliam, KP George and Lorena Duenas participate in a candidates forum.[/caption]
All six participating candidates said they felt schools in the district were not equal in terms of resources and academic performance; however, they offered few specifics on how they would ameliorate the situation if elected. Rose-Gilliam said the district’s Educators Dedicated to Growing Excellence, or EDGE program, and Ridgemont and Briargate elementary schools were a start but that more was strategy needed.
“I’m not going to that it hasn’t been addressed,” she said. “I believe research needs to be done rather than putting a Band-Aid on it.”
Burdine said FBISD’s 75-plus campuses makes it difficult to address all issues quickly.
“I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done, but you have to understand throwing money at a school does not fix it,” he said. “You have to improve the culture. You have to have good, competent leadership.”
On the issue of improving struggling schools, Duenas said interventionists and specialists were needed to help classroom teachers work with students who require extra attention. She recommended asking the superintendent to compile the greatest needs at all schools to set a prioritization list.
“I can tell you first-hand that what teachers need in the classroom and what the board can help is support,” she said. “That does take funding, it does take resources but I believe [it] is worth it.”
Candidates were also asked to give their understanding of trustees’ roles and detail how they would intervene in school operations, if at all. George and Tassin said the board should refrain from involving itself in campus operations.
“I don’t think trustees should be involved with the day-to-day operations of a school,” George said. “As far as I’m concerned you should leave it up to the administration and the campus to take care of it.”
Tassin said state law puts limits on board intervention.
“We’re told what our job is as the governing body and there are certain things that we cannot do,” she said. “There is a lot that we do behind the scenes in order to set policy.”
DeCamps agreed with George and Tassin but qualified his answer.
“But what is our job is to hold the superintendent and administration accountable, and that’s what we need to do, and not be afraid to do that and speak up,” DeCamps said. “I don’t have a problem speaking up, I don’t.”
Wednesday’s forum was streamed on Facebook Live, which drew 677 viewers by the event’s end at 7:30 p.m. FBISD’s election is May 6 when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
From left to right, Shirley Rose-Gilliam, KP George and Lorena Duenas participate in a candidates forum.[/caption]
All six participating candidates said they felt schools in the district were not equal in terms of resources and academic performance; however, they offered few specifics on how they would ameliorate the situation if elected. Rose-Gilliam said the district’s Educators Dedicated to Growing Excellence, or EDGE program, and Ridgemont and Briargate elementary schools were a start but that more was strategy needed.
“I’m not going to that it hasn’t been addressed,” she said. “I believe research needs to be done rather than putting a Band-Aid on it.”
Burdine said FBISD’s 75-plus campuses makes it difficult to address all issues quickly.
“I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done, but you have to understand throwing money at a school does not fix it,” he said. “You have to improve the culture. You have to have good, competent leadership.”
On the issue of improving struggling schools, Duenas said interventionists and specialists were needed to help classroom teachers work with students who require extra attention. She recommended asking the superintendent to compile the greatest needs at all schools to set a prioritization list.
“I can tell you first-hand that what teachers need in the classroom and what the board can help is support,” she said. “That does take funding, it does take resources but I believe [it] is worth it.”
Candidates were also asked to give their understanding of trustees’ roles and detail how they would intervene in school operations, if at all. George and Tassin said the board should refrain from involving itself in campus operations.
“I don’t think trustees should be involved with the day-to-day operations of a school,” George said. “As far as I’m concerned you should leave it up to the administration and the campus to take care of it.”
Tassin said state law puts limits on board intervention.
“We’re told what our job is as the governing body and there are certain things that we cannot do,” she said. “There is a lot that we do behind the scenes in order to set policy.”
DeCamps agreed with George and Tassin but qualified his answer.
“But what is our job is to hold the superintendent and administration accountable, and that’s what we need to do, and not be afraid to do that and speak up,” DeCamps said. “I don’t have a problem speaking up, I don’t.”
Wednesday’s forum was streamed on Facebook Live, which drew 677 viewers by the event’s end at 7:30 p.m. FBISD’s election is May 6 when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
