Joseph Ceasar
Non-Partisan | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Joseph Ceasar
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2023
Election
School Board
Race
Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees - At-Large Seat
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, B.S., 2001
University of Houston, Houston, TX, M.B.A., 2010
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Army, 1LT, 3
AFFILIATIONS
Legacy Institute for Financial Education, Founder and Executive Director, Lubbock Street Church of Christ
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees, 1
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
- Election Voting History for Joseph Jerome Ceasar from the Angelina County Election Administration during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- 2022 Primary election: Democratic
- 2020 Primary election: Democratic
- Voted in one Democratic Primary election 2016 - 2018
- Voted in one Republican Primary election 2016 - 2018
- Voted in two Joint elections 2016 - 2022
- Voted in three General elections 2016 - 2022
**Voter history is not considered during panel evaluations.**
- Application for a Place on the Ballot
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should 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 Agree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Strongly Disagree
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
I am for government funding of public education. However, I also believe in the autonomy of the districts in making decisions such as what curriculum should be used.
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
I do not condone any discrimination regarding an individual's believe about marriage because people have a right to choose what they believe. However, I personally believe that God reserved the marital union to exist exclusively between a man and a woman.
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The primary function of the local school board is to represent the community's interests as it pertains to the vision and goals of the district, and to set standards for the performance of schools and superintendents.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
In the State of Texas, the State Board of Education has the authority to choose the curriculum for local school districts. However, the local school district should have some veto power when it goes against the beliefs of the electorate. For example, the state should not have the authority to push down curriculum regarding student sexuality without the local board's approval.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
Parents should only be restricted from speaking in school board meetings if the parents' speech is personally directed, abusive, offensive, inappropriate, a personal attack, inappropriate, or intolerant.
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
Vocational Learning, Mathematics, Science, Information Technology, Language Arts, Personal Finances, American History, Foreign Language, Art & Music, Political Activism, Social Emotional Learning, Physical Fitness
Which more closely matches your view of America's founding principles? A) Liberty and equality. B) Slavery and racism.
Slavery and Racism
What does "equity in education" mean to you?
Equity in education means that every child is provided the means to succeed academically. Those who are lowest performing are not to be left by the wayside, but should be exposed to targeted interventions such as mentoring, tutoring, and after-school programs for support.
Written parental consent (opt-in) must be obtained before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
Strongly Agree
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Strongly Agree
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
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
This instruction should fully controlled by the parents.
All print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian. I believe all things pertaining to life and godliness has been provided to us by the Bible. I also respect other religious beliefs and do not discriminate on the basis of religion. However, I maintain that the expression of religion that does not bring harm to other people must be protected. Prayer in schools should be acceptable for students and teachers as a form of expression rather than sponsored by the school. All religions must be respected and protected. I believe racism and sexism are inherently immoral and wrong. I believe discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, religion, or creed are also immoral.
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
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
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
I believe sexual education should be exclusively reserved for the parents.
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
N/A
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
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 are relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Strongly Agree
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?
Choose not to answer
As it pertains to religious values, I am very conservative. As it pertains to fiscal policy, I am lean conservative. As it pertains to social issues, I lean 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?
Schools should follow the guidelines from the CDC regarding mandatory vaccinations. However, parents should be able to apply for waivers if they conscientiously object based on their religious values.
I support mask mandates.
Neutral
Mask mandates should only be justified if the percentage of students/teachers who have been infected reaches a threshold the board sets with a recommendation from school administration
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.
Agree
