Denise Nystrom
Non-Partisan | Florida
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Denise Nystrom
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
The School District of Lee County School Board, District 6
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Baruch College, New York, Bachelors-Special Education, 1986
College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, Masters-Early Childhood Education, 1993
Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, Post Graduate-Leadership, 2003
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Estero Republic Club, Vice President, Lee County Republican Executive Committee
Member, Fort Myers Woman's Republican Club, Member
Florida Citizens Alliance, Volunteer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
N/A
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
N/A
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (4)
Stand For Health Freedom
Patriot Parents
1776 Projects PAC
Christian Conservative Coalition
OTHER (2)
United Christians for America
The Hispanic Vote of Southwest Florida
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (7)
Conservative Christian Coalition
US-FL Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce
The Hispanic Vote
United Christians for America
Stand for Health Freedom
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Donald Trump (2019)
Drew-Montez Clark (2020)
Marjorie Taylor Greene (2021)
Ron Desantis (2021)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (12/1/2021 - 12/31/2021)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (Amended) (12/1/2021 - 12/31/2021)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (1/1/2022 - 1/31/2022)
- $224.30 in expenditures to Anedot
- $224.30 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (Amended) (1/1/2022 - 1/31/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (2/1/2022 - 2/28/2022)
- $76.52 in expenditures to Anedot
- $268.75 distribution to E. Lee County Republican Club
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (Amended) (2/1/2022 - 2/28/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (3/1/2022 - 3/31/2022)
- $34.30 in expenditures to Anedot
- $250.00 distribution to Lee County Republican Executive Committee
- $30.00 distribution to Fort Myers Republican Women's Club
- $30.00 distribution to Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lee County Florida
- $34.30 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (4/1/2022 - 4/30/2022)
- $66.10 in expenditures to Anedot
- $100.00 expenditure to Cape Coral Republican Club
- $66.10 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (5/1/2022 - 5/31/2022)
- $92.00 in expenditures to Anedot
- $92.00 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/1/2022 - 6/17/2022)
- $86.20 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/18/2022 - 7/1/2022)
- $13.90 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/2/2022 - 7/15/2022)
- $6.60 expenditure to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/16/2022 - 7/22/2022)
- $7.60 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/23/2022 - 7/29/2022)
- $10.60 expenditure to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/30/2022 - 8/5/2022)
- $105.60 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/6/2022 - 8/18/2022)
- $46.40 in expenditures to Anedot
- $46.40 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/19/2022 - 8/26/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/19/2022 - 8/26/2022) (Amended)
- $191.60 in expenditures to Anedot
- $191.60 in expenditures to Anedot
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/27/2022 - 9/9/2022)
- $138.00 in expenditures to Anedot
- $138.00 in expenditures to Anedot
OTHER INFORMATION
Lee County School Board Candidate Forum (June 15, 2022)
Please note: this information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for additional educational purposes only.
Voter Record from the Florida Department of State indicates candidate's Political Affiliation is Republican (as of 6/23/2022).
Election Voting History for Denise Nystrom during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- No voter history
**Voter history is not considered during panel evaluations.**
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely not.
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Strongly Agree
At schools in grades K-12, students should be focused on learning critical thinking skills through Classic literature, Civics education, and Math, Science and Technology. School personnel should keep their personal politics out of the learning environment. However, when it comes to our first amendment rights, students should be able to speak freely and civilly abut matter of faith and Christianity.
School districts should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Students should not be allowed to pray in school.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Our Constitution is the supreme law of the land and gives their people God-given rights. In our Republic, capitalism has proven to be the best manner in which all people can prosper.
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Strongly Disagree
Lobbying is a political in nature and what the lobbyists are lobby for may not be in the best interest of the parents and children, or the community. It really depends on the issue.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
There are several types of governments funding, and government funding often comes with strings attached. Control over how government funds are spent should remail at the local level and reflect the value system of the constituents in a given area.
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The school board is the first step when it comes to oversight and management of the school district. Board members need to understand the United States Constitution, the State Constitution, Education statutes as it related to board policy and serves as the guidelines for implementing school practices and procedures. In this capacity, the school board can and should direct the superintendent to perform such tasks. The school board members are elected by their constituents, and therefore, should reflect the values of the community.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The curriculum is driven by State Standards. The role of a chief curriculum officer is to direct his or her staff to implement the curriculum based on those standards. A system is only as effective as the individuals in charge. The curriculum should not be divisive or bias and should be based on the principles of our country and the fact that we live in a Republic.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
Almost never. Meaning that they should behave civilly when speaking and should not behave in a threatening manner.
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): Mathematics, Information Technology, Science, Political Activism, Personal Finances, Gender Identity, Physical Fitness, American History, Critical Race Theory, Language Arts, Art & Music, Vocational Learning, Sexuality, Foreign Language, Social Emotional Learning
American History, Language Arts, Math, Science, Information Technology, Personal Finance, Vocational Learning, Foreign Language Art and Music, Physical Fitness. This was difficult as I believe that a well-rounded individual is involved with art and music, and/or physical education. Some of these subjects are equally important.
American civics education should emphasize our nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.
Strongly Agree
Our Republic, patriotism, capitalism, contributions to America, and the understanding that communism and socialism do not serve people well.
Before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL), they must opt-in with written parental permission.
Strongly Agree
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Strongly Agree
I support the teaching of curricula (such as the 1619 Project, No Place for Hate, Second Step, etc.) that emphasizes slavery and racism as the foundation of American history.
Strongly Disagree
None of these curricula are appropriate. They represent critical race theory and the normalizing sexuality and sexual orientation.
Parents are the ultimate authority in their child’s education and should be able to freely pursue whatever educational options they deem best for their child.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Strongly Agree
However, they need to meet the requirements set forth by the Guardian program in terms of training and evaluations.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
Under no circumstances. This is an issue of medical freedom which is something I support.
I support mask mandates.
Strongly Disagree
Research proves that masks are ineffective.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
A candidate's personal moral values should not be relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Strongly Disagree
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Lee County School Board Meet and Greet https://youtu.be/2JtHjgbOvNo An Introduction-Who Is Denise Nystrom https://youtu.be/Nw1jOlJCn2I Article-Denise Nystrom Becomes Assistant Superintendent https://theislandnow.com/news-98/sewanhaka-picks-2-administrators/
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I was a fourteen-year special education teacher, a three-year special education administrator, and an eight-year assistant superintendent of schools. I retired seven years ago and came out of retirement on January 6, 2021 because of ongoing, increasing concerns about what is happening in our country. In my words, "This is not happening on my watch." I started a website called Take Action Patriots and a corresponding newsletter that served to education community members about what was/is happening with the Lee County School Board. the laws Governor DeSantis passed, and issues relating to education and health freedom. I have attended all but a couple Lee County School Board Meetings fourteen months and have strategically organized a group of people that work to hold the school board accountable. I decided to run as a candidate because with my knowledge of State statutes, State education standards, board policy and labor law, I can it the ground running and navigate at the highest level.
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian. I am a value-oriented, moral person who respects others and treats everyone with kindness. I have integrity, am honest, and highly organized and efficient. I have a life-long deep faith based in Christianity with God-Jesus-Holy Spirit as my guide. My values are guided by my sense of morality, kindness, fairness and forgiveness.
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
Absolutely not.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
As a teacher myself who observed sexual education taught with parent permission, I do not have a issues with it as a subject in schools as long as it is taught as a biology and/or anatomy topic. An overall grade for this instruction is grade 7 about the time that puberty begins.
If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- Physical and emotional health outcomes; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; sexual orientation and gender identity; human anatomy/the reproductive system; abortion methods and side effects; stages of pregnancy and fetal development; sex acts and pleasures of sex
Human anatomy/the reproductive system, physical and emotion health concerns as they relate to positive decision-making, abstinence, stages of pregnancy and fetal development, contraceptive methods but with a focus on abstinence
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely.
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely not.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
And, we should return to paper ballots that require a signature using cursive writing.
