Evan Berlin
Non-Partisan | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Evan Berlin
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Conroe ISD Board of Trustees, Position 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, B.S. - Journalism, 2009
Rice University, Houston, M.A. - Global Affairs, 2019
WORK & MILITARY
Jonell Systems, Marketing Manager, 1
Charter Manufacturing - Dura-Bar, Product/Market Manager, 3.5
Greene, Tweed & Co., Senior Market Analyst, 2
Cameron International, Senior Marketing Analyst, 1.5
Edgen Murray, Manager, Integrated Planning, 1.5
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., Manager, Corporate Marketing, 1.5
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., Marketing Coordinator, 0.8
AFFILIATIONS
Education for Tomorrow Alliance, Volunteer, Panel Member, Interfaith of The Woodlands
Volunteer, Young Professionals, Yes to Youth, Volunteer & Tutor
Angel Reach, Volunteer & Contributor, TCU Board of Trustees Student Relations Liaison Committee
Member, Rotary Club of The Woodlands, Member
Woodlands Charities, Volunteer, Gala Committee, Love Fosters Hope
Volunteer, Camp for All, YP Board Member, Volunteer
The Constellation Foundation, Chairman of the Board, Co-founder
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
N/A
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
N/A
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Please see candidate finance report.
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Campaign Finance Report - period of 7/16/2022-10/11/2022
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for additional educational purposes only.
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Neutral
CISD should base its decision on resources relative to student needs and parental support.
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Neutral
I am a former foster child and am adopted. My personal views do not affect my ability to serve as a CISD Board of Trustees.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Neutral
I believe education and community are synonymous and without a productive education system neither exist.
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Strongly Disagree
Any taxpayer money used to advance the intentions of one side over the other relative to a nonpartisan position is wrong. We must focus on the outcomes of education.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
CISD has been diligent about continuing its ability to educate all students and including the community. Funding is necessary to develop, maintain, and improve the educational system. The terms surrounding the amount of funding a district receives should be equitable and deployed for the best interests of all schools to support a balanced district in which all students receive the high-quality education they require and deserve.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Strongly 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.
Strongly Agree
Discrimination in any form is intolerable.
Students should not be allowed to pray in school.
Strongly Disagree
Individual prayer will exist in schools among all religions as long as there are tests, competitions, etc. CISD stands for ALL MEANS ALL.
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
To deliver the high-quality education its students require and deserve while representing the best interests of the community with student outcomes at the core.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The REALITY is the State has curriculum authority. In CISD: We have highly-qualified educators, counselors, and librarians in CISD who are dedicated to vetting the resources as prescribed by the State and consider alternatives to the recommendations of the State. In addition to our qualified staff in CISD, parents should have the final say in what resources their individual students encounter without hindering the educational experience of other students.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
Never. I do not believe parents should be restricted from speaking in school board meetings, and CISD has a very active parent community who frequently participate in meetings during the public comment agenda item. I encourage parents to continue to sign-up for public comment and address the board.
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
Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, American History, Art & Music, Information Technology, Physical Fitness, Personal Finances.
American civics education should emphasize our nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.
Neutral
I am proud of our founding on liberty and justice.
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
Parents should have control over what their students encounter, and in CISD parents do have the right to opt-in/out of certain courses.
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Neutral
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.
Disagree
Curriculums should support learning and based on age-appropriate material.
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.
I am a Christian and was confirmed in the Methodist church. I strongly value my relationship with God. My personal spiritual beliefs and values do not affect my ability to strongly and effectively serve our students and community.
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
The terms of this are regulated by the State. As a Trustee I will be required to uphold State Law.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Parents should determine when it is appropriate and in what capacity and topics their students are taught sexual education without hindering other students' access to educational resources.
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 support Sex Ed being available as an option parents choose when their students are taught and which topics are appropriate for their individual student. It is important Sex Ed is available as a resource and does not limit what is available, with parental approval. The basics of Sex Ed: Physical and emotional health outcomes; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; human anatomy/the reproductive system. Other topics should be available to students at the parent's discretion.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Neutral
Values are personal. This question does not relate to my ability to improve the educational outcomes of our students.
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
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Neutral
I believe teachers, diagnosticians, counselors, and parents should work together to establish the best educational experience for the student without impacting other students.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
All voters should follow the approved process.
ABOUT YOU
Which of the 11 objectives specified in the Texas Education Code is your highest priority?
The state's students will demonstrate exemplary performance in comparison to national and international standards.
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.
Neutral
A candidate, or elected official, for a nonpartisan position should not allow his or her personal moral values to affect the way he or she fulfills the responsibilities of the role. I believe this is especially true for School District Trustee elections. It is the responsibility of a Trustee to serve the best interests of the students, parents, educators, counselors, paraprofessionals, coaches, staff, and community.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Choose not to answer
This is a nonpartisan position. The job of a Trustee is to unbiasedly serve and reflect the needs and values of the community to deliver the educational experience students require and deserve.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://www.woodlandsonline.com/npps/story.cfm?nppage=73377
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I have dedicated my life to education and community advocacy and have spent years learning about student educational development. My experience uniquely qualifies me to serve as a Trustee. I am running for Conroe ISD Trustee Position 1 to maintain the District's focus on education and equitable access for all students to high-quality resources, programming, special education, and mental health services. We achieve a balanced District by focusing on education, supporting our community, and empowering parents and educators alike to establish a safe environment that promotes learning.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Neutral
My hope is we do not ever get to this point.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
Medical decisions for a student should be determined by the student's parent.
I support mask mandates.
Neutral
I believe people are capable of making their own decisions. When it comes down to a larger group, such as CISD, decisions must be made in the interest of our students AND families. We also must respect family values.
