Bay Area Houston

Thanks to Albert Wittliff for answering these questions. I have not heard back from Trustee Jeff Larson but will update if I do.

Vouchers
How will the passing of a voucher bill affect CCISD? Do you support vouchers? Why/why not?
A: I oppose vouchers because they take already limited taxpayer funds out of the public school system and provide it to private organizations.  Those private schools can pick and choose their students and are not held to the standards of public schools.  As funds are reduced in public schools the only choice to address the shortfalls will be additional taxes or bonds.  So it will cost more to provide less.  Vouchers don’t work.  

Chaplans
Do you support allowing religious leaders to replace counselors in CCISD school? 
A: Religious choice is important for families and should be kept at home or in houses of worship.  School counselors need to be professionals focused on the skills needed to support students. 

Guns in school
Do you support arming CCISD employees? 
A: No.  As a career law enforcement professional I know that more guns create a more dangerous situation.  Accidents happen and when they involve guns it can be devastating.  Additionally it could provide access to a gun that wasn’t there before.  I don’t think the additional burden should be put on teachers and staff.  Having professional law enforcement officers in for form of SRO or SLO is the right way to address this need.  

Fundraising
School districts candidates across the state are being funded by out of district PACs including CCISD. Would you accept out of district PAC, partisan political donations, or help from out of district organizations?
A:  Out of district PAC money has no place in the non-partisan school board.    

Partisan politics
Partisan politics fueled by out of district PAC money has caused divisions within the community. Do you believe partisan politics has a place in CCISD?
A: The board should be moderate and cooperative, not partisan. 

Book bans. 
What are your thoughts about our public school libraries and the push to ban books?
A: Libraries are a cornerstone of any learning environment and should be staffed with professional librarians.  These librarians can make sure to curate the collections so that appropriate books are available at an appropriate age.  This should be done in collaboration with teachers and parents.  Further, there is a committee in place to address specific titles for review.  As a general rule, book banners (or burners) are on the wrong side of history.  

LGBTQ Issues
Our gay community has been under attack by anti-gay organizations some right here in the CCISD area. What are your thoughts about our gay community within CCISD including our teachers, parents, and students? 
A: I believe everyone has the right to live and love as they choose and everyone should be safe and respectful. 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 at 7:16 am and is filed under Political. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.