Fort Worth school board District 8 candidates
Brianna C. Guerrero
Campaign website: www.BriannaGuerrero.com
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Education: University of North Texas, Early Child Education
Have you run for elected office before?
No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Texas Association of Future Educators 2015-2017,2019 Student Vice President 2017 AVID 2016-2017 Student President 2017
Interfaith Welcome Committee 2018
Our Lady of the Lake University Chapel Choir 2017-2019
Our Lady of the Lake Historical Society 2018-2019 Secretary 2018
Somos MAS 2018-2019
Folxlorico 2019- present
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding?
No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding?
No
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Elva Warwick, Cecilia Guerrero, Leslie Medrano
Why are you seeking this office?
I am a proud product of FWISD schools, but during my time in the education my family and I suffered along financial and emotionally. Once I graduated high school I chose to become an educator to teach the truth and give back to the community that gave to me. Once enrolling in classes I began to see the disparities in the school system, at a larger scale, and realizing that it not only targeted my family and I but students of color compared to white students and it made me angry. This catapulted me into this solidarity work and activism. The reason I am seeking this position is because I want the students in my community to have better opportunities than those I was afforded, to have a representative from the community that listens to the community and is accountable, honest, and transparent in the delegation of the school district in promoting student success.
What are the biggest challenges facing your district?
Discipline, Communication with families and community stake holders, Providing Access to High Quality Instruction.
What would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1. School level budgeting and funding based on the students needs to ensure that success and opportunities, as well as the implemented practices that are tailored to particular schools.
2. Develop a cohesive communication strategy so community members and families are at the forefront of district policies.
3. Promote cultures of equity within the curriculum and instructional practices that foster student and community engagement like the inclusion of Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Disability Studies.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
I am not seeking this position for personal interests other than to gain experience. I am coming in not as a standout individual from my community, but a reflection of it. It is because of my community and experiences here in Fort Worth ISD that I seek to improve the public education system and address the systemic racism that has actively affected our school system and communities for years. Aside from that I want to create safe spaces for students and teachers to increase student outcomes and find individuality within the curriculum and instruction.
What are the biggest challenges facing your school district overall and the specific schools you seek to represent?
Fort Worth ISD has been a leader locally in our Fort Worth community and nationally among urban public school districts for their approach to addressing systemic racism in education. The truth for many children with Black and Brown skin is that schools are not always safe spaces for them with high expectations that nurture their natural hunger for knowledge. As a majority Latino community, FWISD District 8 deserves a representative that doesn’t back away from discussing the needs of the children here. This includes disproportionate discipline rates, unnecessary referrals for isolation in special education classrooms, lack of gifted and talented opportunities, and directing students of color towards trade programs instead of preparing them for college.
If you have children, do/did they attend school in the district?
N/A
What’s the best way to help students recover from learning lost to the pandemic?
Teachers are going to and have to face the student outcomes that are already at a disproportionate rate on Literacy and Math even before COVID-19, especially during the summers which target economically disadvantage students. There is only so much more work the teacher can do to help combat this problem, which can cause a lot of stress on the teacher as well as the students. The best option would be providing more quality after school and summer programming that focus on literacy, math, and social-emotional outcomes of the students. This programming would also ensure efficient teachers that help create rigorous academic curriculums that targets on the most needed instruction.
As the pandemic wanes, how should Fort Worth schools use virtual instruction, if at all?
This provides different forms of how to provide virtual instruction which includes blended/hybrid learning for certain curriculum, and using designated days like snow days and testing days. The possibilities are being investigated but I see it being used in a near future.
Should the district attempt to significantly raise teacher pay? If so, how much, and how would you pay for it?
Yes, teacher should at least be paid 70,000. No matter what grade level a teacher works in, the demands and low pay of the teaching profession can make it hard to stay, even for teachers who are dedicated to the profession. Ensuring this raise and create opportunities for professional growth. This would help with teacher retention and ensuring student outcomes. This comes from House Bill 3580 that proposes to set the staring salary to 70,000.
School district taxes are the biggest driver of homeowners’ property taxes. Should the district try to reduce taxes and if so, what would you cut?
Funding in Texas remains inequitable by relying on homeowners’ property taxes. They district should reduce the amount of taxes and develop revenue sources that remove sale tax exemptions from businesses excluding health and childcare, and relieve the burden on local taxpayers.
How would you rate the performance of the superintendent and his leadership team? What changes would you like to see him make?
He was been doing well, but there still could be some improvements. Since 2015 he has focused on maintaining positive school outcomes focusing on literacy, math, and college/career readiness. Overcourse these numbers will be low again due to the pandemic and instruction time loss, but other problems I would like to see him address it the discipline rates and how that contributes to lost instructional time and school to prison pipeline.
What problems do you see with the district’s communication with parents and the community, and/or with its transparency of operations? What would you do to improve that?
In District 8 there is a need for a cohesive communication strategy to be developed so community members and families are at the forefront of district policies. Especially in my community, I noticed a lack of communication that comes due to language barriers, access to internet, scheduling issues, especially with working class parents. This has had an effect on the policies that have been put into place that do not reflect the needs of the communities. As a trustee I would be at the forefront of developing a communication strategy that is in English and Spanish as well as offer Town Meetings/ Community Forums that are scheduled later in the evening and occasionally during the weekends offering childcare and meals to combat working class residents who are usually unable to attend do to family obligations.
Anael Luebanos
Campaign website: www.anaelluebanos.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Accountant
Education: Master of Business Administration, Texas Wesleyan University - Bachelor of Business Administration, Texas Wesleyan University
Have you run for elected office before?
Yes - Fort Worth ISD School Board, District 8
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Fort Worth ISD School Board, District 8 - Elected in 2017
Co-Chair of Nuestro Kimbell Hispanic Advisory Committee - 2017 to present.
Member of the Hispanic Advisory Committee for the Stock Show and Rodeo - 2011 - present.
President of the Federacion de Clubes Zacatecanos - 2011 - 2016
United Hispanic Council of Tarrant County 2019-Present. This organization is one of the premier Hispanic civil rights organizations in Tarrant County.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding?
None.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding?
None.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Good Government Fund, PSEL PAC, Paul Andrews Jr.
Why are you seeking this office?
I am seeking re-election to the Fort Worth Board of Education because my work fighting for the long-forgotten residents and students of District 8, is not finished. District 8 is diverse and geographically large with higher income neighborhoods in the far North such as Berkeley Place, and Bluebonnet Hills. The rest is composed of heavily Hispanic and Spanish speaking working-class neighborhoods like Rosemont, Greenbriar, Hubbard Heights, Brentmoor, and South Hills. My personal story of overcoming language and financial barriers and succeeding through the transformative power of education is a story that must be replicated in the FWISD. My goal is to continue to work to ensure that we remove barriers for parental engagement and make the FWISD a starting point to success for future generations.
What are the biggest challenges facing your district?
Our immediate challenges are overcoming the damaging impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on our FWISD students and teachers. Students have fallen behind and our teachers have been faced with the difficult task of having to teach both in-person and online classrooms. Other teachers have had to choose between the career they love and potentially risking their or their families health and wellbeing.
Beyond the immediate challenge of this pandemic, our district is not performing up to standards academically. Certain categories of progress can be seen, but it is not enough. We need to focus community-wide on improving the FWISD to be a first-choice option for parents in our district boundaries.
What would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1.We must recover successfully from this pandemic and navigate both the academic and mental health challenges it has imposed upon our student populace.
2.The district must recover attendance numbers to match the pre-pandemic levels. This must be accomplished with improved educational outcomes for students and presenting more attractive choices for parents considering both charter and private school options.
3.The FWISD must aggressively attract and retain the best teachers possible for classroom instruction.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
I have a proven record of grassroots engagement with parents, teachers, and community members focused on a hands-on approach to solve problems and address inequities in District 8 neighborhood schools. For example, I have worked tirelessly door-to-door during this pandemic to identify students and parents needing assistance with online learning, computer access, and connectivity.
I care about my community, I enjoy and feel uplifted when I am serving others, and I am passionate about improving children’s lives. The impact is often generational.
What are the biggest challenges facing your school district overall and the specific schools you seek to represent?
Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge facing the FWISD is loss of attendance numbers. We must to re-engage our our students enrolled virtually or in person; we need to get our students back in school. The biggest challenge facing District 8 schools remains the barriers to parental engagement and involvement with their children’s education at home and on campuses. With the help of our parents, teachers, and the community, we will help our students succeed.
If you have children, do/did they attend school in the district? If not, why not?
My son Rafael (7yrs old) is in 2nd Grade at South Hills Elementary. My daughter, Ana Paola, (6 months old) will follow Rafael in the Pre-Kindergarten program at South Hills Elementary when she turns 4 years old.
What’s the best way to help students recover from learning lost to the pandemic?
Every child must receive individualized assessments with teachers, and counselors, to best determine any areas of remediation needed. High Schools students particularly need credit recovery and summer school options to keep them on track to graduation. After school tutoring will be necessary. Younger students will benefit from summer camps, after school tutoring, and programs like a Reading Buddies program. Additionally, we will need the support of parents and members of the community. Regular and effective communication among parents, students, teachers, and administrators is crucial to help all students, but especially our students with the greatest learning loss.
As the pandemic wanes, how should Fort Worth schools use virtual instruction, if at all?
Options must exist for certain students to remain with virtual instruction due to medical need, or for particularized reasons. The vast majority of students, however, will greatly benefit from full in-person academic instruction.
Should the district attempt to significantly raise teacher pay? If so, how much, and how would you pay for it?
I believe that the taxpayer-approved TRE funds should be used in part to boost base teacher pay in the FWISD. We are not only competing with other public-school districts for our teachers. Charter Schools and Private schools also try to pry the best teachers from the FWISD. In this competitive environment, the FWISD must provide attractive compensation and benefits to retain the best teachers.
School district taxes are the biggest driver of homeowners’ property taxes. Should the district try to reduce taxes and if so, what would you cut?
I feel confident that with the passage of federal stimulus funding for local governments and schools, the FWISD will receive additional funding from the federal government and the Texas Legislature. I do believe that the FWISD should seriously consider moderate tax rate decreases modeled perhaps after what has been done at the City of Fort Worth to alleviate the growing tax burden on our residents.
How would you rate the performance of the superintendent and his leadership team? What changes would you like to see him make?
Supt. Kent Scribner has been a great ambassador to the City for the FWISD. He is a strong leader with many admirable attributes. However, it is undeniable that academic performance has not met expectations for too many students in the FWISD. He must take steps to address this issue and the need to improve our overall attendance figures.
What problems do you see with the district’s communication with parents and the community, and/or with its transparency of operations? What would you do to improve that?
This is a subject that I am passionate about. District 8 parents for too long have not been engaged sufficiently in the education of their children at the FWISD. Cultural and linguistic barriers have compounded this problem. I realized that for many parents from Mexico and South American countries, their presence alone on campus to meet with teachers could be misinterpreted as an indicator that their child had gotten into trouble. This notion is persistent with many. Flyers, emails, robocalls and texts in both English and Spanish were needed to clearly communicate that parents were welcome (in pre-pandemic days) to meet with teachers and to volunteer at school. PTA meetings and after school functions and programs must be late enough to allow for parents to finish their work day. I will increase the opportunities for two-way feedback and communication. When we properly communicate with students and parents, student engagement and parent involvement are greatly improved.
