Nathalie Lynch-Walsh
Non-Partisan | Florida
Candidate Profile
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Nathalie Lynch-Walsh
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
Broward County Public Schools School Board Special Election, District 5
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Lynn University, Boca Raton, Ph.D., 2006
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, MBA, 2000
Fort Lewis College, Durango, BA, 1995
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
School Board of Broward County, Facilities Task Force Chair, member since 2011 (volunteer advisory group), School Board of Broward County
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
School Board of Broward County, 2016
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (1)
Broward Teachers Union
OTHER (1)
Concerned Citizens of Broward County
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Broward Teachers Union
Concerned Citizens of Broward County
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
American Federation of Teachers (2016)
National Education Association (national, state & local affiliates) (2016)
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (5/1/2022 - 5/31/2022)
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/1/2022 - 6/17/2022)
- $100.00 contribution from Lori Alhadeff
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (6/18/2022 - 7/1/2022)
- Please note: The following information was received by iVoterGuide after Panel Evaluations occurred and is for additional educational purposes only:
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/2/2022 - 7/15/2022)
- $1,000.00 contribution from Broward Teachers Union (BTU) COPE-TIGER
- $1,000.00 contribution from Broward Teachers Union (BTU) COPE-TIGER
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/16/2022 - 7/22/2022)
- $250.00 contribution from Moms for Liberty
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/23/2022 - 7/29/2022)
- $100.00 expenditure to Broward Democratic Caucus of Florida
- $100.00 expenditure to Broward Democratic Caucus of Florida
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/30/2022 - 8/5/2022)
- $1,000.00 contribution from Florida Education Association
- $1,000.00 contribution from Florida Education Association
- Campaign Treasurer's Report (7/2/2022 - 7/15/2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Voter Record from the Florida Department of State indicates candidate's Political Affiliation is No Party Affiliation (as of 6/23/2022).
Election Voting History for Nathalie Lynch-Walsh during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- Voted in 0 Primary elections
- Voted in 0 Presidential Primary elections
- Voted in 3 General elections (2010 - 2016)
**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.
Disagree
I am a firm believer in being proactive rather than reactionary. Because teachers and other school personnel are not experts in reproductive health, I don't think I would be opposed to Planned Parenthood discussing birth control. This could be done without discussing abortion, but including the morning after pill.
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Disagree
As a School Board member my priority would be the protection of the student. I also believe in being consistent. I support the right of women who want children but can't to undergo fertility treatments, and I support the right of girls and women who are not ready to have children to make that decision. I don't think abortions should repeatedly be used in place of birth control.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Agree
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Neutral
Lobbying activities should benefit the students and taxpayers, not special interest groups
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
My undergraduate degree is from a state college. I support government funding of public education from Pre-k through college.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Disagree
At a parochial school, yes, at a public school no--unless the topic is world religions or some other appropriate discussion.
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
Broward Schools has an anti-discrimination policy and I'm not sure how this scenario would fit within that framework
Students should not be allowed to pray in school.
Neutral
I believe children can have their own private moments of prayer
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
State Statute dictates the powers and responsibilities of the School Board. It is the School Board's responsibility to determine policies and programs "consistent with state law" for the "efficient operation" and "general improvement" of the school system. The School Board is responsible for adopting standards and policies to "provide each student with a complete education program. The Superintendent makes recommendations upon which the Board acts and the Superintendent is responsible for operations. The School Board holds the Superintendent accountable for carrying out his or her responsibilities in a manner consistent with all applicable laws and policies.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The state has learning standards and the School Boards develop curriculum that meets those standards. HB 1467 requires a process by which a parent or community member can file a petition within 30 days after the District adopts an instructional material. It also clarifies that book adoption committees are open to the public and must include parents. Allowing parents and taxpayers to provide input and feedback seems a reasonable request, and should address recent concerns about books in Broward County.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
Never, unless they are genuinely disturbing the peace. While there may be reasonable time limits, Broward Schools recently set an overall 15 minute time limit even when there is only one person making public comments. This was done to limit input from opposing viewpoints. Certain Board Chairs have been known to allow those with shared viewpoints to go off-topic and over time limits. Those with shared and opposing viewpoints should be subject to the same treatment.
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
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Information Technology, American History, Art & Music, Foreign Language, Physical Fitness, Vocational Learning, Personal Finances, Social Emotional Learning, Sexuality and Gender Identity
American civics education should emphasize our nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.
Neutral
I found the 8th grade civics curriculum acceptable in terms of what was emphasized.
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
I believe parents should opt-out, not opt-in. Students who need these courses often have parents who are not going to submit a form. Parents who have strong opinions on the topics are more likely to complete a form. I do believe the district should clearly inform parents of their options.
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Disagree
As a district in desperate need of the ESSER and ARP funds to combat Covid learning loss and improve indoor air quality, right now I would not agree with this statement.
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'm not familiar with the curricula
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.
Agree
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I was raised Catholic, but do not practice. I consider myself to be agnostic.
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
Participating fully in sports is an issue that is still being currently debated internationally. The debate includes questions about how soon after gender reassignment, lack of testosterone levels, at what point in the process are they allowed to compete, etc. One solution proposed was open competition, which seemed like a reasonable compromise.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Sex education has been taught in public schools for decades. The Broward Schools curriculum covers different topics at different grade levels. I've always found the curriculum reasonable. Parents are allowed to opt-out if they don't want their children learning about sex from the school system. Of course there is always the risk of their children learning it from other sources.
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
Physical and emotional health outcomes; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; sexual orientation and gender identity; human anatomy/the reproductive system; sexually transmitted diseases, sexual exploitation - I'm not an expert in what is age appropriate, but the Broward Schools curriculum seems reasonable.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Disagree
I am uncomfortable tying religion to government.
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Agree
Unless a reasonably prudent person believes doing so would put the child at risk from the parent, as specified in HB 1557.
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Neutral
I agree on the actual transitioning, but I don't have a problem with the school, especially a teacher, using alternative names or pronouns.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly 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
A candidate's personal moral values should not be relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Disagree
Broward Schools is on its fifth Grand Jury investigation. Ethics and integrity are even more important than morals because there are people who do things they know are morally wrong, but they lack the ethics and integrity to do the right thing.
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?
Moderate
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Most of those topics are not applicable to Broward County Public School issues, so although I've appeared multiple times at School Board meetings and sent hundreds of emails over the past ten years, publicly available information may mostly support my being fiscally conservative.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I don't have to agree with you to listen and factor your concerns into my decision making.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Neutral
It depends on the teacher, the school, and the district. I would be concerned about the gun not being properly secured at all times and potentially harming those it was meant to protect.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
Students entering kindergarten are currently required to be immunized for immunization-preventable diseases so required immunizations are not a new concept. The current issue is more about immunization against a new, deadly virus. Given that vaccinations were not widely available during the first year of the pandemic, and both vaccinated and unvaccinated people have survived Covid, we may be past this debate. Overall vaccinations should be required when they are in the best interest of the public.
I support mask mandates.
Neutral
I think this was more of an issue in Covid Year 1, when little was known about the impact it might have once contracted. By year 2 more was known about the virus and vaccinations were available to those who wanted them. I would have probably supported masks in year 1 but not in year 2, when the debate seemed more about politics than public safety.
