James Hollis
Non-Partisan | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
James Hollis
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2023
Election
School Board
Race
Allen ISD Board of Trustees - Place 7
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point, NY, B.S. Engineering, 2006
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, M.A. International Relations, 2014
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, M.B.A., 2018
WORK & MILITARY
Army, Captain, 9
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
- Campaign Finance Documents:
- Appointment of Campaign Treasurer
- Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for additional educational purposes only.
OTHER INFORMATION
- Election Voting History for James Pawl Hollis from the Collin County Elections Department during time of residence in district and/or at current:
- 2022 Primary Election: did not vote address
- 2020 Primary Election: did not vote
- Voted in one General elections 2020
**Voter history is not considered during panel evaluations.**
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for additional educational purposes only.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Choose not to answer
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Choose not to answer
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Choose not to answer
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Choose not to answer
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
I believe Pre-K through 12th grade education is vital for the growth and success of the community. The earlier we can provide education to all of our students, the sooner we can begin their educational enrichment, identify students who need extra assistance to succeed, whether through SPED, 504, or any learning disabilities, and ensure their success. At this time, I do not believe the government should be funding public education in college.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Choose not to answer
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.
Choose not to answer
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The local school board’s function is to set the strategic vision of the school district. The school board needs to ensure that vision supports the growth of the district in the near and long term future, while it supports all students across the district so they all have the opportunity to take advantage of the great facilities and programs the district offers.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The authority of setting curriculum ultimately resides with The State Board of Education who write the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that the executive leadership bases their curriculum off of. Curriculum is a “living document” that is being edited, revised, and tweaked to best serve the student population. As part of the strategic vision the school should give guidelines to the curriculum of the district, but the tactical decisions and the specific details should be refined and set in practice by the executive leadership for the district and the educators.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
The school board’s main purpose is to work with the community and educational administration to improve student outcomes, and that being said, parents should absolutely be able to voice their concerns or speak to what they feel is necessary. Parents should only be restricted from speaking at school boards if they meet any of the following criteria: When the parent (or speaker) is using language that is threatening, offensive, intolerant, a personal attack, or violating FERPA (Family Educational Right Privacy Act).
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 Science Information Technology (Prepares students for the future) Language Arts Vocational Learning Social Studies (I have changed this to Social Studies as it’s more indicative of what students learn) Physical Fitness Social Emotional Learning (This helps students learn major life skills that are valuable to be a functioning member of society and to future employers: Conflict resolution, communication, responsible decision-making, etc.) Arts & Music Foreign Language Personal Finance
Which more closely matches your view of America's founding principles? A) Liberty and equality. B) Slavery and racism.
America’s founding principles are about liberty and equality, but it would be disingenuous to gloss over the unfortunate period of our history where slavery was the unfortunate norm. It’s important to recognize that many Americans worked tirelessly to end this institution, and while we are not a perfect country, as no one country is, we’ve made extensive progress since then and are continually a haven of liberty and freedom for those who seek it. We learn history not to be ashamed of our past, but to learn from the mistakes so as to not repeat them.
What does "equity in education" mean to you?
Equity in education means that every student is afforded the same opportunity to an education, resources, and treated equitably. No one can guarantee equal outcomes, but students should receive equitable starts.
Written parental consent (opt-in) must be obtained before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
Neutral
Parental consent is important for Sex Ed, but sexual education should be something that hits on “general” points. Unfortunately, students are being exposed to a lot of sexual things at an early age due to social media and their smartphones, so it would behoove them to be involved in helping their child understand what they are being exposed to. SEL is important as it teaches the child life skills that help make them a more productive member of society and to help ensure future employment.
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Neutral
Federal dollars help create equity in education for districts that cannot afford to give it to their students for a variety of reasons. Curriculum and the like is created at the state level and has little to do with federal dollars.
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
Parents should be given all opportunities and avenues of understanding to decide what is best for their child.
School boards are accountable to parents and taxpayers.
Strongly Agree
Do you believe students should have access to materials that graphically depict and describe sexual acts?
No
A line should be drawn when covering any type of material that contains sexually explicit materials. I don’t think students should have access to “graphic” materials of any kind.
All print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review.
Agree
Within reason, yes. As long as FERPA or copyright laws are not being violated.
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
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
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Strongly Agree
Any decisions concerning a students medical well-being, whether physical or mental, should be between parents, the students, and any necessary parties such as doctors, etc.
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Choose not to answer
I defer to state, local, and federal law.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Sex Education should be a joint effort between the parents and the schools. There is not a one size fits all answer, but there should be age appropriate sexual education starting in the later stages of elementary school. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of sex education including lower risk of STDS, lower teenage pregnancy, lowered risk of dating/sexual violence, more likely to be safe from/report sexual abuse, and more likely to delay sexual activity. Teens are becoming increasingly exposed to sexual acts via social media, their peers, and the internet, so it’s important for parents to be the first line of contact about this issue.
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; human anatomy/the reproductive system; stages of pregnancy and fetal development. Those are the most important topics for students as it gives them a broad overview of general and important sexual education topics. Parents are more than welcome to discuss other topics with their child.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Choose not to answer
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
I believe it is important to protect the sanctity of our elections and being able to prove who you are is the most basic way to protect them. If there are certain demographics that seem to have trouble acquiring photo ID, then we should ensure we provide all citizens the ability to acquire photo ID.
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 are relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Strongly Agree
I think this applies to universal values - kindness, empathy, trust, honesty, treating others as you wish to be treated, fairness, and willingness to do what is best for the students.
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).
I do not have any public information on my answers to any of the previous questions.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
No.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Disagree
While I respect the individual right to own a firearm, I do not believe a teacher should be carrying a firearm or any weapon onto a campus. While student safety is paramount, I think we should be smart about how we handle it. The Allen Police Department has done an absolutely outstanding job in protecting our students and it would be wise to defer to their’ expertise on the matter.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
While bodily-autonomy is important, vaccines should be required when it’s mandatory for the greater good of public health, specifically diseases such as Polio, Measles, Hepatitis B, Mumps, and Diphtheria. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled on this issue.
I support mask mandates.
Neutral
All official open meetings should be live streamed, recorded, and have transcripts available online for public access.
Strongly Agree
All votes should be roll call votes and recorded in meeting minutes.
Strongly Agree
Transparency is the best way to be accountable for our decisions and to help build trust with our community.
