Dallas County Democratic Party (DCDP) Candidate Questionnaire

I submitted the following responses on March 30th to the request I received from the Dallas County Democratic Party.

First set of questions were my name, email address, phone number, etc. so I skipped that this time. If you’ve been reading these, you don’t need that again. With that said, I’ll include the substantive questions and questions that have not been asked before.

Why are you running for office, and how do Democratic values shape your leadership approach?

I'm running because CFBISD is facing governance challenges that match my professional skill set. My wife Stephanie spent 30 years in this district as a teacher, administrator, and principal. I've spent 30+ years managing large organizations and large budgets. The district adopted consecutive deficit budgets, closed four schools in a process that damaged community trust, and faces a state government actively undermining public education. Those problems need someone who shows up prepared, asks hard questions, and doesn't back down.

This is a nonpartisan race and I've been consistent about that. But I'll be direct about where my values line up. I believe public education is a public good and the foundation of a functioning democracy. I believe the ESA voucher program is a direct threat to every traditional public school district in Texas. I believe the state's six-year freeze on per-pupil funding while passing a billion-dollar voucher program was a deliberate choice that hurt the communities who can least afford it. I believe every student deserves to walk into a CFBISD school and feel safe, welcome, and challenged. And I believe that when public tax dollars are spent, public accountability should follow, regardless of where those dollars go.

Those are the same values I've carried into every survey, every forum, and every door I've knocked. I don't adjust my message based on the audience.

What are your thoughts on bringing religion into the classroom or curriculum?

Religion is a family matter, not a school board matter. Parents are the primary authority on their children's faith and values. The district's job is to educate students, not to promote or discourage any particular religious belief.

There is a difference between teaching religion and teaching about religion. Students should learn about the role of world religions in history, literature, and culture. That's education. Leading students toward any particular faith or using curriculum as a vehicle for religious instruction is not.

The Legislature has pushed in this direction with bills like SB 10 and SB 11. My concern is the same one I have across the board: the state imposing mandates on local districts without regard for the diversity of the communities those districts serve. CFBISD serves families from a wide range of religious backgrounds and many with none. A district that makes any of those families feel like outsiders is failing its mission.

The board ensures curriculum meets state standards and that every family feels respected regardless of their beliefs. That is a governance responsibility, not a religious one.

What are your thoughts on book bans in schools?

I believe students should have access to high-quality, age-appropriate materials that support their education. Teachers, librarians, and media specialists are trained professionals who should be trusted to make informed selections within the policies set by the board and in alignment with state standards.

When concerns arise about specific materials, there should be a transparent, established review process that takes those concerns seriously without becoming a political spectacle. Parents have the right to make decisions about what their own children read. That is a parental right I fully support. That right does not extend to removing materials from an entire campus or district based on one family's objection.

The board's role is to set clear policy for instructional materials, not to curate individual bookshelves or respond to political pressure from any direction. A well-governed district trusts its professionals, respects parental authority over individual children, and doesn't let either side of a culture war dictate what happens in a classroom.

What are your thoughts on sexual education in schools?

Sex education is primarily the responsibility of parents. Texas law requires parental opt-in with written consent before a student participates in any human sexuality instruction. I support that. Parents should be able to review exact materials, and no student should receive this instruction without explicit written permission.

General health education covering human biology, anatomy, and the reproductive system has a place in a science-based curriculum at the appropriate grade level. That content should be factual, age-appropriate, and grounded in health outcomes. Students deserve accurate information that helps them make informed decisions about their own health and safety.

What I would not support is the district withholding health information that students need, or making the opt-in process so burdensome that it effectively prevents families from accessing the curriculum. Parental authority means giving parents a real choice with full transparency, not using consent requirements as a mechanism to eliminate instruction entirely.

The board's job is to make sure policies are clear, parents have full visibility, and the district is meeting its responsibility to provide students with the knowledge they need to be healthy and safe.

What policies would you support to ensure that schools provide a more equitable and accessible learning environment for all students?

Start with funding. The single biggest barrier to equity in Texas public education is a state that ranks in the bottom ten in per-pupil spending. The bilingual education weight is 10%, one of the lowest in the country, in a district where over 40% of students are in ELL programs. Special education carries a $2.3 billion statewide funding gap. You cannot close achievement gaps without closing funding gaps.

Locally, resources should follow need. Campuses serving higher concentrations of economically disadvantaged students, English learners, and students with disabilities should receive proportional support. The data should drive those decisions and the data should be public.

Pre-K should remain distributed so transportation doesn't become a barrier. Special education should be strong enough that families don't feel forced into private options with fewer protections. Communication with families should happen in the languages our community actually speaks.

Every student should be able to focus on learning without feeling unsafe or unwelcome. That means consistent anti-bullying policies enforced at every campus and a board that holds administration accountable for results.

Equity is not a slogan. It is a resource allocation decision, a staffing decision, and a policy decision the board makes every time it approves a budget.

What policies would you propose to help attract and retain teachers in your district?

Pay matters. Texas teachers make over $7,000 less than the national average. The Teacher Retention Allotment under HB 2 helps, but the board has to make sure those dollars reach teachers and don't get absorbed into overhead.

But pay alone doesn't keep great teachers. What keeps them is campus leadership that supports them, a voice in decisions that affect their classrooms, and not being buried under administrative tasks. My wife spent 30 years in CFBISD. She knows firsthand what keeps good educators and what drives them out.

The board should protect classroom spending even when budgets are tight, ensure central office serves campuses rather than the other way around, and invest in teacher pipelines through university partnerships and grow-your-own programs. The shortage is not going away. CFBISD has to be a place people want to work.

What policies would you propose to increase student achievement across all demographics?

Prioritize early literacy. Third-grade reading proficiency is the single strongest predictor of long-term success. Catching a struggling reader in first grade costs a fraction of what remediation costs in middle school.

Direct resources where they're needed most. Over 40% of CFBISD students are in bilingual or ELL programs, funded at one of the lowest weights in the country. That gap between need and funding has to be addressed locally and advocated for at the state level.

Expand career and technical education so students who are not on a traditional college track have a meaningful pathway, not a lesser one. The accountability system now weighs career and military readiness more heavily. CFBISD should treat that as an opportunity.

Make the board's focus structural. Set measurable outcome goals. Tie the superintendent's evaluation to them. When something hits the agenda that doesn't connect to student outcomes, ask why it's there.

Achievement gaps are not solved by programs alone. They are solved by a board that allocates resources based on data and refuses to accept that a student's background should predict their future.

What kind of mental health services should schools provide?

Schools are often the first place where a struggling student becomes visible to an adult who can help. The district has a role to play, but it has to be honest about what that role is. Schools are not mental health clinics. They cannot replace professional treatment.

Every campus should have adequate counseling staff focused on student wellbeing, not just college advising. The district should build partnerships with community mental health providers so it's not trying to create clinical capacity it was never designed to have. And staff need training to recognize warning signs and connect students and families to support quickly.

The Legislature has mandated multiple mental health initiatives for schools without ever providing dedicated funding to implement them. That pattern has to change, and the board should advocate for it. Every unfunded mandate that sounds good in a press release leaves districts scrambling to deliver with money they don't have.

Parents should be notified and involved when their child is receiving support services. The school's role is to identify, connect, and support, not to replace the family in making decisions about a child's care.

What should be done to make our schools safer?

Every campus needs consistent security protocols, controlled access, and trained staff. The Legislature required a commissioned peace officer at every campus but didn't fund it adequately. The board should push back on unfunded mandates while ensuring the district meets the standard.

Hiring and vetting matter. The state created a new Inspector General for Educator Misconduct because reports are surging. SB 571 established a "Do Not Hire" registry. The board should ensure CFBISD's screening processes meet or exceed state requirements for every adult who interacts with students.

Safety is also about culture. A student who feels unsafe because of bullying or harassment is not learning. Consistent policy enforcement and adequate counseling staff are as much a part of school safety as locks and cameras.

The board's role is to fund safety, set expectations, and hold administration accountable. It cannot be the line item that gets cut when budgets are tight.

What would be your priorities to work on with state legislators for your district?

Fund public schools adequately. The basic allotment was frozen for six years and increased by $55. Districts closed schools and hired uncertified teachers because Austin wouldn't act.

Attach accountability to every public dollar. The ESA program sends $10,000+ per student to private schools with no standardized testing, no certified teacher requirement, and no obligation to accept every student. Public money should mean public accountability.

Fix the accountability system. The TEA commissioner changed benchmarks retroactively, 120+ districts sued, and the Legislature made it harder to challenge ratings. That is not accountability.

Fund what you mandate. School safety, mental health, and special education requirements have all arrived without adequate funding. Every unfunded mandate is a cut to something else.

Close the bilingual funding gap. Over 40% of CFBISD students are in ELL programs funded at a 10% weight, one of the lowest in the country.

Protect local governance. An unelected TEA commissioner should not have unchecked power to replace locally elected school boards.

What are your thoughts on the current tax rate and funding in your school/college district?

Texas school districts have limited control over their own tax rates. The state controls the compressed rate, and recapture takes back local revenue exceeding the district's entitlement. Nearly $5 billion is recaptured statewide annually, and as charter enrollment grows, more of that money funds charter schools rather than underfunded traditional districts.

The core problem is not the local rate. It is a state that shifted the funding burden onto local property taxpayers while compressing what districts can charge. CFBISD looks property-wealthy on paper but ran consecutive deficit budgets in practice. That is the system working exactly as Austin designed it. Poorly.

I support the most taxpayer-responsible rate that allows the district to meet its obligations to students. But no local rate solves a problem created by a state that froze funding for six years, increased it by $55, and allocated a billion dollars for vouchers. Real tax relief comes from the state funding public education adequately so districts aren't forced to maximize local revenue just to keep the lights on.

Early voting starts April 20.
Election Day is May 2.
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