Robin Deferrari

I was born and raised in Texas and graduated from Houston ISD before receiving my bachelor’s and MBA from Rice University. In my professional career I spent more than two decades in crude oil marketing trading, logistics and strategic analysis with Silverado Oil & Gas, Newfield Exploration and ConocoPhillips. As a Manager and Vice President of Marketing, I evaluated multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, improved oil margins and led cross-functional initiatives with engineering, operations, finance and commercial teams. ...

I believe I am the best candidate for this board position because of the variety of experience, background, and perspectives I bring. a. Parent Volunteer Perspective: Through my PTO experience, I worked with parents, teachers, administrators, and students and was able to firsthand assess the needs of our schools to make them successful. I have spent countless hours every school year physically serving in our schools reshelving books in the library, leading classroom celebrations, managing fundraisers and serving staff appreciation meals. ...

The three biggest challenges facing the Conroe ISD Board are weak financial planning, a lack of transparency, and not giving parents and teachers a meaningful voice in district decisions. First, CISD needs stronger financial planning and accountability. That is not what we are seeing today. Projections have not always matched reality, and instead of adjusting early and strategically, the district is now heading toward a deficit. Strong leadership means recognizing when circumstances change, shifting course, and making smart financial decisions before problems grow. My business experience has taught me to plan carefully, evaluate changing conditions, and make responsible adjustments while protecting classrooms, teachers, safety, and student programs....

Yes. I would support pursuing an annual independent third-party audit of the school district’s finances, major contracts, bond spending, and operational efficiencies. Taxpayers deserve full transparency regarding how their money is being spent, whether funds are reaching classrooms, and whether the district is operating responsibly. CISD already is subject to required financial reporting, but I believe the board should go beyond minimum requirements when needed to restore trust, identify waste, improve processes, and ensure accountability. Any audit should be conducted by a truly independent firm, presented publicly, and include clear recommendations with follow-up from the board and administration....

Parents are the primary decision-makers in their children’s education. Schools are important partners, but they do not replace the authority, values, or judgment of parents. Parents should have full transparency into curriculum, classroom materials, library books, online programs, surveys, and any issues affecting their child’s academic progress, safety, health, or personal identity. I believe parents should be welcomed, respected, and informed—not treated as obstacles. A strong school district should make it easy for parents to review instructional materials, communicate with teachers and administrators, raise concerns, and receive timely answers. When parents and schools work together, students benefit....

Common Core, CRT, Social Emotional Learning, and International Baccalaureate are different programs or frameworks, but they raise similar concerns when they move education away from core academics, local control, parental authority, and objective instruction. One of the biggest concerns I have about the adopted Bluebonnet curriculum is it was originally the Amplify curriculum, which was developed in New York around Common Core. Texas chose not to adopt Common Core, so I have serious concerns about taking a curriculum built around that framework, adapting it, and then bringing it into Texas classrooms.

I voted in favor of the 2023 bond to support students, address growth, and maintain our schools. Students should not be housed in overcrowded buildings or rely on portable classrooms as a long-term solution. The bond provided needed space, facility improvements, and maintenance to keep schools safe and functional....

Yes. I support removing harmful materials from CISD property through a clear and timely review process. Parents should be able to trust that school materials are age appropriate and suitable for students. I also support removing the educational exemption. Material should not be allowed simply because it is labeled educational if it would otherwise be considered harmful to minors.

CISD’s enrollment did not meet previous projections, which contributed to budget pressure. Those projections were made before Texas implemented its voucher program. By the time that policy changed the enrollment landscape, many of the district’s new facilities were already being built based on earlier growth forecasts. The district now has to adjust to the reality in front of it. I would closely review administrative costs, staffing, contracts, programs, and operational expenses to find savings without hurting classroom instruction. The priority should remain students, teachers, and core academics, with more conservative financial planning and the flexibility to respond quickly when enrollment changes.

Yes. As a trustee, I will support full compliance with Texas law and district policy regarding students, parents, and school employees. Schools should not socially transition children behind parents’ backs or promote gender ideology that conflicts with parental rights, biological reality, student privacy, or the values of our community. I believe parents - not schools - have the primary authority over their children’s upbringing, health, and personal identity matters. CISD should maintain clear policies requiring parental notification and involvement, protect sex-separated spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletics, and ensure classroom instruction remains focused on academics rather than political or ideological agendas.

No. I do not believe the SBOE should have final authority over every teaching material used in a local classroom. Texans value limited government and local control, and local school boards should have the responsibility to review what is actually being used in their schools. SBOE approval can provide a statewide baseline, but it should not replace local oversight. Parents should also have meaningful access to curriculum and a clear process for raising concerns. The state should set standards, but local communities should retain the authority to decide how those standards are implemented.

Parents should have full access to their child’s education. That means full access to curriculum, classroom materials, teachers, online programs, textbooks, lesson plans, library materials, assignments, surveys, and outside instructional resources. Parents are the primary decision-makers in their child’s education, and transparency benefits everyone. When parents know what is being taught and what their child is working on, they are better able to support learning at home, reinforce expectations, and work with teachers when challenges arise. That partnership helps both students and teachers succeed.

As a former athlete and the mother of a female athlete, I will protect girls in sports by supporting and enforcing policies that keep girls’ athletic teams based on biological sex, consistent with Texas law. Female athletes deserve fair competition, equal opportunity, safety, privacy, and the ability to compete on a level playing field. Every student should be treated with dignity, but protecting dignity does not require sacrificing fairness, safety, or opportunities for female athletes.

Yes. I believe sexually explicit, obscene, or legally harmful materials have no place in CISD classrooms, libraries, or campuses. As an individual trustee, I would take every step available within my authority to ensure concerns are reviewed promptly, policies are enforced, and materials that violate Texas law, district policy, or age-appropriateness standards are removed.