Rod Velez
Non-Partisan | Florida
Candidate Profile*
Liberal
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Rod Velez
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Broward County Public Schools School Board, District 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
McArthur High School, Hollywood, Diploma, 1989
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
BSA CubScouts, DenLeader, BSA Scouts
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
n/a
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
n/a
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
LIBERAL (7)
Florida Education Association
Florida LGBTQ+ Democractic Caucus
Dolphin Democrats
Broward Teachers Union
Concerned Citizens of Broward County
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Broward Teachers Union and The Broward County AFL CIO
Debbi Hixon, Broward School Board Member Seat 9 Countywide
Broward County Council of Professional Firefighters
The Sun Sentinel
Hispanic Vote
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Shevrin Jones (2021)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
American Federation of Teachers (2022)
National Education Association (national, state & local affiliates) (2022)
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (1/1/2022 - 1/31/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (2/1/2022 - 2/28/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (3/1/2022 - 3/31/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (4/1/2022 - 4/30/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (5/1/2022 - 5/31/2022)
- $1,000.00 contribution from Broward Teachers Union
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/1/2022 - 6/17/2022)
- $500.00 contribution from Niki Velez (City of Fort Lauderdale)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/18/2022 - 7/1/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/2/2022 - 7/15/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/16/2022 - 7/22/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/23/2022 - 7/29/2022)
- $25.00 contribution from Sarah Leonardi (BCPS School Board)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/30/2022 - 8/5/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/6/2022 - 8/18/2022)
- $1,000.00 contribution from Florida Education Association
- $1,000.00 contribution from Florida Education Association
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/19/2022 - 8/26/2022)
- $50.00 contribution from Adam Gruber (Hollywood Commissioner)
- $50.00 contribution from Adam Gruber (Hollywood Commissioner)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (8/27/2022 - 9/9/2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Voter Record from the Florida Department of State indicates candidate's Political Affiliation is Democratic (as of 6/23/2022).
Election Voting History for Rod Velez during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- No voter history
**Voter history is not considered during panel evaluations.**
Participated in Broward County School Board District 1 Candidate Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Broward County, the Broward County Council of PTA/PTSA, and the Urban League Young Professionals Network (9/22/2022)
Participated in Broward School Board District 1 Debate (9/5/2022)
- Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidates; Statement of Candidate (4/21/2021)
- Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidates (Amended) (6/13/2022)
- Candidate Oath; Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests (6/13/2022)
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Disagree
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Neutral
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Agree
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
It has been a standard practice in funding education for years, the federal government and the state and local government help fund our public schools and should continue to do so.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Agree
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.
Neutral
Students should not be allowed to pray in school.
Neutral
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The school board hires the superintendent, directs the superintendent, and makes policy for the school district that impacts students, teachers and all stakeholders.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The school board and teachers
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
they should not be restricted unless they are inappropriate in their comments or behavior
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
all of the above
American civics education should emphasize our nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.
Neutral
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 Disagree
it is important the we give our students a complete education for their own personal health and safety. Parents always have the right to opt out.
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Strongly Disagree
We need the support of our federal dollars to provide resources and programs to our students and classrooms
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.
Neutral
I am not familiar with those mentioned but I support an accurate teaching of our state and nations past, including slavery and the reality of the horrors of racism. We teach it so it never happens again.
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
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
n/a
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Neutral
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
I believe parents have a responsibility along with the teachers. Currently in my school district I believe they have appropriate curriculum at each appropriate age level
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
I agree with all of the above, except teaching about abortion side effects. I do not believe we need to teach about sex acts and the pleasure of sex to our students. Sex Ed is important so students know their bodies, know what can happen as a result of their actions, and what options they have available to them.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Neutral
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Disagree
In certain cases as in a life or death situation, I do not believe consent should be obtained before treatment.
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Strongly Disagree
Sometimes, the only person a student can talk to and trust is a school employee such as a counselor or teacher. This is important for a student to have this resource since this group has such a high suicide rate and many are rejected by their parents.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
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, for sexual misconduct. Yes, for felony. My girlfriend at the time, was renting out a spare room to someone that she worked with. I was staying at my girlfriends house that night. It was around 11 PM at night. I wasn’t drinking nor doing drugs (I don’t do drugs). My girlfriend and I were trying to go to sleep, I had to get up early for work the next day. The guy that rented the room along with his two friends were drinking and being very loud. My girlfriend went out there several times and ask them to turn down the music and keep the noise down, she must’ve went out there at least three times. Finally, I went out there and ask them to keep it down. The guy that rented the room from her, got in my face and pushed me and then we began to fight. I fought him off and then his two friends got a hold of the car steering wheel lock (the Club) and were coming at me. Fearful for my life, I told my girlfriend to bring me my gun. As soon as I got the gun, they backed away. I told my girlfriend that I was going to leave before something bad happened. I told her to call the cops and I will be back when they get here. As I was getting in my car, the same guy that started the fight hit my car with something. The gun was under my seat at this time, I got out of the car and we begin to fight. I hit him and he fell to the floor hitting his head, he was laying unconscious. The other two guys said that I hit him with the gun, which was definitely not the case. They took us down to the police station and questioned us. We were detained overnight and my girlfriend bailed me out the next day. I did not spend one day in jail. There were no long-term injuries and everyone survived. It was a life-threatening situation. I did not have the knowledge or finances to fight it. I was threatened with minimum of 10 years in prison. The prosecuting attorney offered me a plea deal for aggravated battery with 2 years of probation. My attorney advised me to take the plea, so I did. 28 years ago.
A candidate's personal moral values should not be relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
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?
Liberal
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
n/a
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
n/a
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
When the disease is a major threat to the students health or others in the school setting. I strongly believe in vaccinations and even as a child I was required to be vaccinated before entering school. I believe the science.
I support mask mandates.
Strongly Agree
As long as the science backs it up.
