Have you ever been arrested? Ever had any tax liens? If so, start & resolution dates?

No..

What is one significant way that your ISD can reform itself to increase educational achievement?

We must require a higher standard of accomplishment for students and provide a quality curriculum  which will enable them to be as successful in life as they can possibly be. They need to be challenged to apply themselves to learning, be taught to set goals and how to achieve them, to aim for personal excellence. All students can learn, but all are not alike,  and lowering the bar or “dumbing down” education across the board will not help students to succeed to their full potential if they are not taught the basics of a good education, with no Social Emotional Learning, no indoctrination to any particular political of social ideology, but rather to learn a trade or how to choose a career or field of work for which they are suited. Whatever happened to school counselors who helped guide students who needed that personal help? We need a return to the teaching of the basics of a good classical education reading and writing skills to include good self expression of ideas, critical thinking skills, math and money management, acquisition of a foreign language, civics, Texas History, and knowledge of our Texas and U.S. Constitutions, so we produce future voters, citizens of Texas and the United States of America, not globalist citizens of the world as the International Baccalaureate Academy is designed to do. We want young people who are proud to be Texans and Americans, who know that we have the greatest country ever in the history of the world. If we don’t teach it, model it, and educate them in it, then they may miss it altogether. Let’s pass the torch to the next generation.

What do you view as the top 3 issues facing your ISD in the next 5 years?

First, depending upon what happens with the current political situation, with many thousands of migrants coming into our state, we may be confronted with students who have no English skills, are lacking even the basic skills of reading and writing due to lack of educational opportunity in their own countries. As a border state, we will most certainly be presented with new challenges.

Second, we may have fewer students due to parents’ going to homeschooling/co-ops due to the interruption this past year in the regular classroom face-to-face learning environment, including face masks, use of Chromebooks for at-home classes or learning, other issues such as disruptions to family schedules, transportation and health concerns, as well as parents needing help with teaching their own students at home. Students learn best when they can interact with their teachers and other students in an open and less restrictive physical and social environment.

Third, I’m concerned with what seems to be a growing general trend in education towards disregard for parental rights. Students belong to parents and not to the state, and as such parents are entitled to expect and receive transparency in and full disclosure of changes to curriculum, school and/or state policies that directly affect them, proposed increases in taxes, etc. This, to me, is directly related to the mask mandates with which the majority of parents take issue. It is a proven scientific fact that children do not spread COVID, masks do not prevent COVID, but rather compound the risk of mask mouth and other illnesses, meaning that children with existing upper respiratory issues such as asthma should never be forced to wear masks. Magnolia ISD has forced children with these issues to mask up, resulting in more health issues, including mental health.

What makes you qualified for this office?  Name three main reasons you believe you’re the best candidate for this position?

I am a degreed, former certified teacher, parent and grandparent of students in this district, as well as a concerned citizen who has lived and paid taxes in the district for 35 years. As a native Texan, Christian, and Conservative Republican, I feel that I represent the values of most of the residents of the district. As a teacher I understand students, instruction, discipline, expectations, classroom management, and parental concerns and need for open communication with and respect for the parent. I feel that having personal on-the-ground classroom teaching experience is a positive on the school board.

Is this board currently fulfilling its obligations?

I feel that the district could improve its obligations to parents and students. I would like to see the first part of the monthly board meetings be concerned with concerns of parents, issues that need attention, issues to be voted upon and that parents and other interested individuals who come for the special awards, recognition of excellence in different areas, have an opportunity to hear any discussion, presentation of and voting on such issues. At present, most of the attendees leave after the awards are given.

What special interest groups have you belonged to or attended meetings of? Include business, social, civic, educational, environmental or any other cause for which you have advocated or supported with time or money.

 I support the ideas and philosophy of Eagle Forum, Alliance for New Americans (preparing prospective new citizens for the Citizenship Test which they must pass in order to become a U.S. citizen), Montgomery County Tea Party PAC, Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), Abolish Abortion Texas, Judicial Watch, American Center for Law and Justice, and Hillsdale College.

What is your role as a board member?

My role as a board member is to represent students, parents and teachers of the district.

What can school districts do to ensure more of existing education funds are spent on educational purposes, rather than administration and overhead?

There must be the expressed belief that the main purpose of schools is to educate children, not to promote the political or pet projects of the administration; therefore, there must be the fiscally conservative and responsible management of funds provided and allocated to educational purposes. There should be a transparent accounting of these funds as well as accountability for how they are spent.

What are the top 3 areas where the budget for this ISD needs to be adjusted?

I have not had the opportunity to evaluate this information, but it is a priority.

What is the appropriate staffing ratio of non-teachers to teachers?

I believe that is 1.3 nonteachers to teachers.

Do you believe a lack of funding from the state is the primary reason for lower educational outcomes compared to other states or nations.

No. I believe that lack of funding is not the reason for lower educational outcomes. Our Federal Government has been throwing money at education for decades … and to what effect? The outcomes have basically not changed.  What HAS changed is the lack of good basic curriculum that will build good American citizens. Our public schools and institutions have become indoctrination centers for liberal leftist political ideology disguised as “progressive” education, much of which is paid for at taxpayer expense without their consent.

Do you support using zero-based budget practices for every governmental entity, elected and appointed?

Yes, I would support zero-based budget practices as being more practical, conservative and fiscally responsible for every entity.

What is a proper balance of local and state funding?

I don’t have an answer for this question at this time, but will investigate and have an answer in the near future.

How much money does ISD have in their bank account for "contingencies"? How much is statutorially required to keep on hand?

The amount statutorily required to be kept on hand depends upon the number of students in the district’s schools, the amount of bonds, indebtedness, and other considerations. I have not had the opportunity to learn the answer to this question, but will make it an immediate priority.

The Texas Education Agency has a Financial Integrity Rating System for ISD's What is your ISD's rating for this past year? If it is not superior please discuss your plan to improve this rating?

The TEA has rated MISD as SUPERIOR, scoring it 98 out of a possible 100.

Construction costs of Schools is skyrocketing. At the same time the school square footage per child is also skyrocketing. Does the ISD need to build these amenity-rich buildings?

Under Texas law, any district that is building “amenity-rich” facilities such as natatoriums, fancy theaters, etc., must have voter approval as taxpayers usually foot the bill for such expenditures. It is my opinion that many such facilities are little used by most of the community or school population. They are there to appeal to a more wealthy audience who reside in areas that bring in large tax revenues.

Please discuss to what extent tax revenues should be used for non-academic programs/purposes. Please list all non-academic programs you support and suggested additional revenue sources.

There is a trend toward placing what I feel is an undue emphasis on what is referred to as social-emotional programs. I am not fully apprised of what programs MISD currently supports and will need to defer my full answer until I have had the opportunity to fully explore the issue. I do, however, believe that certain nonacademic skills are necessary for student learning, but that the majority of students in our district will not be affected by a dearth of these skills.

Please explain why or why not local taxing entities should be required to get voter approval for a tax increase.

If voters have to foot the bill, they must be informed. It is Texas law that voters be fully informed of any tax increases related to schools.

What needs in your ISD would justify a tax rate increase?

Nothing.

Should lawmakers require that local government entities hold a school tax ratification or school bond proposition election in November or is any time okay?

NOVEMBER ONLY. People expect to vote in the fall.

Do you believe the private conduct of a public official is relevant to that official’s suitability for office?

The private conduct of any individual who is a public servant or official is the key to that individual’s personal integrity. Character is the issue. There is no right to do that which is wrong … in public or in private. One’s morality will determine one’s choices. If a public servant is compromised, that person is vulnerable to corruption in other areas.

How will you improve the transparency and access to financial and other records of ISD for the public?

. I will aim to improve the transparency of and access to financial and other records of MISD by supporting the full online disclosure of such records, including the checkbook.

ISD's are one of the largest abusers to taxpayer funded lobbying. Will you commit to stop the funding of taxpayer funded lobbying?

Definitely yes. To me it is an egregious practice which invites other issues, controls, influences, and compromises which are deleterious to a school district’s integrity and therefore to its students, parents, and teachers.

School Districts have drawn a "Wizard of Oz" curtain over much of their curriculum in recent years with the replacement of text books with online curriculum. What will you do to make "full disclosure" of ALL curriculum to parents and ensure that parental notification of potentially controversial materials is 100% followed?

 I am a firm believer in textbooks in students’s hands. A text is an immediate reference resource and learning tool which gives confidence, provides a ready answer to questions, is a study tool for assessments, and encourages discipline and personal responsibility in caring for school property. With regard to “full disclosure” of ALL curriculum to parents, I am TOTALLY for parental notification of any new and “controversial”, radical, generally socially unacceptable texts or programs which promote any traditionally unaccepted norms of behavior, exposure to or experimentation with such materials, and that parents may opt out a student from any materials to which a parent objects. This is the parent’s legal right as the parent. It will be my mission to object to and expose the adoption of any such materials being considered by the district and to inform parents.

What level of school safety is appropriate? Please describe all the safety approaches you are aware of and your opinion of each.

I have reviewed the Campus Safety Guidelines at the District’s website. I believe it is comprehensive practical and sensible. It gives definitions of terms used, school responsibilities in case of certain occurrences, instructions to parents, “dos” and “don’ts” in the event of emergencies of various kinds. There are 18 Constable’s Office officers, at least one at each the 15 campuses, video surveillance, canine assistants, coordination with other agencies, response groups, making the District’s premises safe and prepared for what would be any and all emergencies.