Out on the Trail: School Board Candidates Speak Out

Eliz is running to be the first out LGBTQ person to serve on the Katy, Texas Independent School District Board of Trustees (ISD).  

“What inspired you to decide to run for your local school board?” 

As an educator of nearly two decades and graduate of Katy ISD, I’m running for the Katy ISD Board of Trustees because I believe education is the foundation of our society, affecting all aspects of our lives and community, and I believe that we can do better than the status quo. We must work together to improve the educational outcomes of our students, provide teachers with greater support and resources, and ensure parents are active participants in the educational process.  

Education has also been a constant factor in my life, and I believe that educational experience has one of the greatest impacts on an individual’s personal development. I earned my bachelor’s in Computer Science and Studio Art from Trinity University, two master’s degrees in Business and Healthcare from UT San Antonio and UT Health Science Center at Houston, and my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction-Learning, Design, and Technology from the University of Houston. I’m also currently pursuing my Master of Public Administration at the University of Houston to better understand the intricacies of policy implementation and public service agencies. I currently work as an instructor, corporate trainer, and author with the Princeton Review, where I’ve worked for the past 18 years helping students conquer the evils of standardized testing, and as an adjunct professor at The University of Houston, where I teach in the College of Education. I have previously worked for both the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on efforts to reduce adverse medical events. 

I believe that I can offer a fresh perspective that incorporates a student, teacher, and management views to address issues that currently plague the district. Furthermore, I believe that the current board of trustees is lacking in diversity, and as a gay woman of Jewish ethnicity, I believe that I can provide a unique perspective regarding the struggles faced by those who are ostracized or ‘othered.’ Only through the creation of a safe educational environment for all individuals will we see students succeed both in K-12 and society. 

How has your intersectional identity as a member of the LGBTQ community influenced how you run your campaign and organize? 

I am running to promote honesty, integrity, diversity, and inclusion on both the Board of Trustees and within the district as a whole. As a gay woman living in a traditionally conservative area, I have watched as Katy ISD has failed to include gender identity and sexual orientation into its non-discrimination code, block websites like The Trevor Project that could provide mental health support to students struggling with their identity and sexual orientation, and ban more books than any other district in the greater Houston area, the majority of which deal with LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized populations.  

 As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and one who did not have full parental support when I came out, I understand the need for such protections against discrimination, as well as the need to access services outside the home for support. In our campaign for the Katy ISD BOT, I have made clear that all individuals, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics must be afforded a safe space in which to receive their education. The aforementioned topics have made both national and international news, which has activated those in the area who are concerned about the lack of inclusivity in the district. Accordingly, folks have been energized to get involved in a campaign that is working to put the *all* back in y’all! 

What’s one misconception voters you’ve interacted with have about local school boards? 

Perhaps the greatest misconception among voters is regarding the importance the school board has on our society. Schools are the center of the community, and excellent education systems lead to improved quality of life for all who live within the district. A school board that promotes policies of diversity and inclusion will, naturally, attract a diverse workforce with a myriad of skills that can improve the local economy. A high-quality education system improves student outcomes which, in turn, allows individuals to pursue either a career or higher education upon graduation; both options increase the earning power of individuals that, in turn, leads to greater economic output. Furthermore, a high-quality education system teaches students a wide breadth and depth of materials that prepares them to be productive members of the global society in which we live, while also ensuring that students can understand perspectives outside of their own worldview and effectively communicate within our diverse society. Unfortunately, I have found that many individuals do not deem school boards as either important or powerful, despite the role they play in overseeing an education system that develops our next generation of leaders. 

Have you faced anti-LGBTQ bigotry on the campaign trail? 

There has been a lot of uproar among conservative members of the community regarding the LGBTQIA+ population over the past few months. While I have yet to face any discrimination or bigotry in person, social media has been a completely different story. A few of the candidates running for the Katy ISD BOT have been more than willing to express their bigoted beliefs, with one example provided below.  

There have also been individuals who work for elected officials who have shown their bigotry and hatred by advocating for denying access to any LGBTQIA+ websites, in an attempt to erase the lived experiences and existence of those of a different gender identity or sexual orientation. One candidate has gone as far as to say that the very existence of gay or transgendered people should not even be mentioned in school because students should not be exposed to talk about sexual practices in school. For example, if a kindergartener draws a picture of themselves with their two dads, the candidate believes that student should not be able to discuss their family unit. When questioned about this, specifically if a student or teacher should simply lie, the candidate responded that lies should be told; after all, he said, we lie to kids about the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. 

Suppressing the ability of students to discuss such issues is extremely problematic for early childhood development. Discussing one’s family structure, identity, and environment is a necessary developmental step for children developing a healthy sense of self-concept. Denying the ability of a child to discuss their family because one does not agree with a lifestyle choice is harmful to child development and can lead to major negative mental health a self-esteem consequence. There’s stark difference between discussing sex and discussing one’s identity and family structure. I hope that folks pay attention and vote for candidates who are working in the best interests of children, and not for discrimination and exclusion.

James has been serving on the San Leandro Unified School District Board of Trustees since 2018. Since then, James has been a strong voice for students, parents, and teachers all while protecting the dignity of LGBTQ people.  

What inspired you to decide to run for your local school board? 

I started out as a student leader – in the same year that I was the Student Body President of my high school, I concurrently served the San Lorenzo Unified School District as a Student Board Member. Two years before, I had advocated for the school district to implement the role, and when I was turned down the first time I persisted and was invited to write the Board policy with a group of stakeholders the second time ’round.  

We crafted the policy and the Board approved the creation of the role – I was then elected unanimously by the Board to serve as the first student in the over one hundred plus year history of the district. I also became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to sit with the Board. Nevertheless, I felt a sense of duty to continue my work in education advocacy and decided to run for the School Board in San Leandro at eighteen years old. I won and was ultimately sworn in as the youngest elected official ever in our city, and the youngest openly LGBTQ+ official in the State of California. Among other things, I was motivated by pushing for bridging the generation gap between the city’s elected officials, and putting student voice at the center of district governance. Nearly three and a half years later, I am the School Board President, and am proudly serving as a member of the Board of Directors at the California School Boards Association because just like I was as a Student Board Member, I’m still fired up. 

How has your intersectional identity as a member of the LGBTQ community influenced how you run your campaign and organize? 

Being an LGBTQ+ community member has been very important in informing my work in organizing and on the School Board itself. Our community still faces many obstacles at every level of government – especially in PreK-12 education. LGBTQ+ students are heavy hit by a lack of mental health resources, classroom support, and so much more. I’m honored to sit on a Board with two openly LGBTQ+ officials, but I know not many other communities can say the same – representation isn’t just important, it’s crucial.  

What’s one misconception voters you’ve interacted with have about local school boards? 

The one major misconception of School Boards: we do everything, from negotiating employee contracts to controlling the flows of school finance. When I was so fired up for change as a Student Board Member, I tripped over myself in advocacy because of the misconception I would be working with direct policy. It was instead more of an indirect work, as I’d come to find. A lot of aspects of what we do are done either by state officials or our school district staff. For example, School Board Members in California do not and cannot sit at the bargaining table – it is our cabinet and the union’s negotiating team that does this work. School Boards are largely observational and heavy oversight, where much of what we do is direction setting and conveying the will of the community. As I will tell any new School Board Member: our staff are the cornerstone of our work – they’re the drivers of the direction we set. Where we definitely have impact is in strategic planning, community relations, and advocacy. I will always tell fellow colleagues that our power lies in our community, yes, but in our state capitol too – our power in numbers can impact our community and the whole state if we get out and leverage our voices. 

Have you faced anti-LGBTQ bigotry on the campaign trail?  

Despite living and serving in a very democratically progressive area, I have found myself in situations with parents or community members attempting to argue that somehow, we are “pushing a Gay agenda,” and harming the education of their children. More often, I have faced individuals who may not respect their own identity – I am out, I am loud, and I am proud. They may say, “I don’t care you’re Gay,” or “I don’t need to hear that.” But, those students who may still be in the closet or even those out yet retreated need to see us own who we are. We’re here, and we’re going absolutely nowhere. “I’m Gay,” goes a long way for many of those watching/listening.