Disagree

While we should aim for students being completely comfortable coming to schools and parents for advice and help related to sex ed and these topics. They should have other places where they can go to for help so as to avoid concerns over being judged or punished, and facing serious consequences that could affect them for the rest of their life.

Strongly Disagree

Agree

I believe that it is a students right to express their beliefs so long as they do not actively harm or hurt other students.

Disagree

It is not discrimination to avoid working with businesses or organizations, that choose to take a stance against gay rights, and are proponents of stripping away peoples rights to marry who they love. By working with these companies our district would be taking a clear stance against the LGBTQ+ community and in turn, further alienating students.

Strongly Disagree

Students have the right to practice their own beliefs and express their ideas in school, this includes praying.

Agree

Disagree

Government funding of education is fundamental for bettering the future of our students. I believe that we should work towards the goal of Universal Pre-K. However before we do this we need to secure the funding we need for our current schools under the district. We must ensure that our current programs are being utilized at their highest potential, and are stable before we expand our programs. The only way we can do this is by increasing the funding going into public education. I believe that once we accomplish this we should implement universal Pre-K as this has been shown to be a strong indicator of future success, and these opportunities should be open to all, not just those whose parents can afford them.

The function of the school board is to anticipate the needs of the district and its students to support and bolster the education of our children. This includes but is not limited to looking for ways to alleviate our busing, staffing, and teacher shortages, as well as creating policies to address important social impacts on students such as LGBTQ+ information and providing access to student support. In addition the board helps allocate, and approve the budget. The board also makes major decisions related to zoning, and opening new schools, such as the new CTE school Debbie Smith. As such if I were to be appointed to the Board I would push for more CTE programs within existing schools. A more open and friendly environment for LGBTQ+ students. Reducing overhead costs so we can allocate funds to staff, such as bus operators, teachers, custodians, and counselors. The board provides an opportunity to listen to students' needs and concerns, and enact change to alleviate the socio-environmental hardships our students face.

Curriculum in Nevada is largely set by the state and federal government, I believe that this is largely as it should be as this allows for larger scrutiny on curriculum which leads to generally less biased classroom materials. However this does not mean I believe local school districts should have no say. I think it is essential for them to have a limited role, so that parents can have an outlet for what they feel is wrong in the classroom or provide feedback on important areas of education for our students on a local level.. As for resources used for teaching it I believe that the district should do their best on listening to what teachers need on an individual basis so that they can be best supported for their individual style.

I believe the established order of operations works. The only thing that should be changed is the time of the meetings so that more parents and students can attend and have their voices heard.

I will not list these in a particular order of importance. All of these subjects, aside from Critical Race Theory, which is taught in post-secondary education, are equally important to a well rounded K-12 education.

Agree

It is imperative that our American Principles such as Liberty and Equality are taught. We must teach the whole of American history using this information as a lens to identify where we as a country failed these ideals, and how these failures have led to systemic issues that remain pervasive to this day.

Disagree

Parents should be able to opt their students out of sex education and SEL, if that is what they deem best, however if they are not opted out, the student should partake in the class as normal.

Disagree

Funding for our district is a constant issue, and right now we should consider looking for as many ways to support our students and staff as we can. If we have to take money from the federal government and surrender a slight amount of control then we should seriously consider it.

Neutral

While I'm not familiar with these programs specifically and can't comment on their attributes, I believe it is important to teach the whole of American history through a lens that is critical of the lasting effect that slavery and racial division has caused.

Agree

Parents should always have the right to decide what is best for their student, and as such be able to decide, and play a role in what schools their children attend.

Strongly Disagree

A school is not a place for guns. Teachers are educators, and are not trained to handle a crisis situation using guns, nor should they be. That is the job of police, not teachers. Teachers' concern should be the education, safety, and well being of their students. Adding a firearm to a classroom directly increases the potential for danger in that classroom.

Yes I believe that vaccination mandates should be allowed in schools. Vaccine mandates have been a requirement for school attendance for decades. It is the only way to prevent mass outbreaks causing life long injuries to children, and a serious disruption to classroom instruction as students are at home sick, unable to learn. This is not and should not be controversial. Vaccines for students are necessary for their safety, and stable education. Students must not see the horrors of polio, smallpox, and measles ever again.

Neutral

I support the information provided by health officials and the CDC. Currently, that information is that we do not need a mask mandate at this time. If that changes, I will support the change.

No.

Disagree

Lean Liberal

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2022/05/03/5-candidates-running-washoe-school-board-district-f/7417342001/

I am a current student of Washoe County graduating in June. I love the district, but have experienced first hand many of the frustrations that teachers and students have. I know my, and many of the district’s teachers, work second or third jobs just to make ends meet, and I have felt the impact of my friends and classmates missing school because there is no bus this week. This is an infuriating failure of our district and I want to help. I am called to run because I want to improve the district for all of us. I want to make the district as great as the people it serves.

When I was younger I was raised Lutheran-Christian, which instilled in me a belief in peace, kindness, and empathy for others. I now consider myself nondenominational and understand the importance of personal religion and spirituality, as such students should be allowed to individually express and explore any religion of their choosing. Schools should be an environment open to all religions.

Strongly Agree

I believe that trans women are women, and trans men are men. From my perspective as a student, high school sports are about the bonds we build with our peers and fellow competitors, as such the opportunity for trans women or men to participate alongside their fellow gender should not be infringed upon.

Sexual Education should both be taught by parents and the school district. While I believe it is important for parents to engage in conversations regarding dating, sex and sexual education with their children, I believe that the school district has an opportunity to foster an environment where students can feel open to ask questions that may be awkward, or uncomfortable to ask a parent. I also believe that if a parent wishes to opt their child out of sex ed it is their right to do so. I believe that our districts sex education content covers most of what we need already, however, there is one area we should strive for improvement in, which is allowing for more discussion on gender and sexual identity starting in the sixth grade, and every year after. This needs to be implemented so that students can understand who they are, and understand and empathize with LGBTQ+ classmates. Currently LGBTQ+ students consider suicide at three times the rate of their peers, with 35% of transgender youth reporting attempting suicide. This needs to stop. The persecution and othering of these children is leading to deaths, and we need to be there to support them.

Sex Education is a very important and essential part of a holistic education that prepares students for life outside of school. We need to accept that high school students will engage in these activities whether we teach them about it or not, and they need to be prepared on how to be safe. This is why we need to teach proper use of contraceptives, consent, abstinence, sexual orientation, gender identity, human anatomy, the reproductive system, abortion methods and side effects, stages of pregnancy and fetal development, as well as sexual acts. Of course many of these should be saved to be taught in high school, such as sexual acts, but, if we address sexual and gender identity begining in middle school we could help kids understand who they are and save lives. Many students are not exposed to these ideas, and grow up frustrated and as if they can’t be who they want to be, which leads to many students taking their lives. If we can help alleviate this epidemic of suicide in the LGBTQ community then we must take action. As well as this contraception teaching has been shown as a key way to reduce teenage pregnancies, teenage pregnancies lead to higher rates of poverty, and often perpetuates the cycle of poverty. If we refuse to properly teach these, and outlaw this education then teenage pregnancy is our fault, and we have failed as parents, and educators.

Choose not to answer

This is not related to being a school board member.

Neutral

We should continue with the districts current policy with this.

Strongly Disagree

Accepting students for who they are is very important and teachers need to use preferred pronouns and names to show that they accept and understand students. Trans women and men are respectively women and men, and should be respected, and treated as such.

Choose not to answer

This is not related to being a school board member.