GR Gordon-Ross
Non-Partisan | Kansas
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
GR Gordon-Ross
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2023
Election
General Municipal and School Board
Race
Lawrence Public Schools USD 497 Board of Education, At Large
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Doctor of Pharmacy, 2002
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lay Leader, Boy Scouts of America
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
School Board Member, 5
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Campaign Finance Reports
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Neutral
What trips me up in this question is "should be". Curriculum is set by individual school districts and sometimes outside speakers or resources are used to enhance or offset that curriculum. Planned Parenthood has no more or less a right to be in the space than anyone else.
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Agree
While human life begins at conception, so to does a woman have legal rights to medical care that is in her, her families best interest.
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.
Strongly Disagree
School districts should use taxpayer money to educate children.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
The government should be providing adequate funding to educate Pre-K through high school such that school districts have the resources they need to educate students, pay staff and teachers a wage equal to the work they do and provide facilities and materials with which to do all that.
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.
Agree
Just as they should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because they do not believe in that definition of marriage.
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The local school board has 4 main functions. 1.) Set the direction and policy for the district. 2,) Hire, evaluate, and renew and/or fire the superintendent. 3.) Set the budget 4.) On occasion deal with complaints that have processed all the way through the system and made their way to the Board.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The school district Learning and Curriculum committee with input from staff.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
When the board has determined to not allow public comment or when the individual is choosing to speak directly about a staff member or a student.
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
Core Subjects (Math, Science, ELA, Art, Music, PE), Advanced Learning Subjects (IT, Personal Finance, American History, Foreign Language), Social Awareness(Sex Education, Social Emotional Learning)
Which more closely matches your view of America's founding principles? A) Liberty and equality. B) Slavery and racism.
All people are created equal and that these people have fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly.
What does "equity in education" mean to you?
"Equity in education" refers to the concept of ensuring that all students have access to fair and just opportunities to succeed in their education, regardless of their backgrounds, socio-economic status, abilities, or other personal characteristics. It goes beyond the idea of equality, which simply means providing the same resources or opportunities to all students. Equity recognizes that different students may require different levels of support to achieve the same educational outcomes due to varying circumstances and needs. Equity in education aims to level the playing field and provide each student with the support and resources they need to succeed, irrespective of their individual circumstances. It acknowledges that different students may start from different points and require varying levels of assistance to reach the same educational goals. By focusing on equity, societies strive to create a more just and inclusive education system that promotes equal opportunities and benefits for all students.
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 Disagree
Opt-out is fine
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Strongly Disagree
I don't really understand what you're asking here.
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
Absolutely. If they wish to pursue a private education, they are free to do so. If they choose to pursue a public education, again, they are free to do so. But they can't make up their own rules at the same time.
School boards are accountable to parents and taxpayers.
Strongly Agree
That's why we have elections.
Do you believe students should have access to materials that graphically depict and describe sexual acts?
Yes
All of those words are subjective. One could argue that the Bible contains material that could be defined that way. So the better question is age appropriate material with a purpose.
All print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review.
Disagree
Again, the world "all" is to broad here.
Do you believe print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review, including those without children enrolled in school.
Yes
As long as you don't keep using the word "all", sure. Sometimes lessons change, things happen and plans have to change in a hurry and teachers have to be flexible and not worry about if they uploaded the worksheet to some online portal or not. They should just worry about teaching.
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
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 Agree
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Strongly Disagree
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
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
The primary role is parents and when is when the child is ready. But to many parents don't do it so having comprehensive sex education in schools ensures that every child gets at least some basic knowledge along the way.
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
Everything in the list of sex acts and pleasures of sex.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Disagree
The constitution established the framework for our system of government.
I support allowing public middle and high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Agree
Biological males should be allowed in female locker rooms and bathrooms.
Agree
No school official should be involved in the social or medical transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Disagree
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
A candidate's personal moral values are relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
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?
Liberal
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
Did not answer
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2014 Republican Primary 2014 General Election 2016 Republican Primary 2016 General Election 2018 Republican Primary 2018 General Election 2020 Republican Primary 2020 General Election 2022 Republican Primary 2022 General Election
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?
I can't even
I support mask mandates.
Strongly Agree
All official open meetings should be live streamed, recorded, and have transcripts available online for public access.
Neutral
Where possible
All votes should be roll call votes and recorded in meeting minutes.
Agree
Where possible
