Douglas A Darling
Non-Partisan | Kansas
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Douglas A Darling
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2023
Election
General Municipal and School Board
Race
Leavenworth USD 453 Board of Education, At Large
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Army War College, Carlisle, PA, MSS, 2002
US Military Academy, West Point NY, BS, 1974
WORK & MILITARY
US Army, Major (ret), 21
AFFILIATIONS
Scouts, BSA, Troop 176 Committee, Scouts, BSA
HOAC Shooting Sports Committee, Scouts, BSA, Pack 3174 Committee
Leavenworth Lions Club, Member, National World War I Museum and Memoral
Voluteer, Henry Leavenworth Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, Youth Activities Coordinator
1st Baptist Church of Leavenworth, KS, Member, Doctors Without Borders
Contributor, American Cancer Society, Contributor
American Baptist Internationl Ministries, Contributor
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Member USD 453 Board of Education, 1995-1999
Member USD 453 Board of Education, 2003-2007
Member USD 453 Board of Education, 2013-2021
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Kansans for Life
OTHER INFORMATION
Candidate Douglas volunteering at local schools.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Disagree
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
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.
Neutral
School Districts should be allowed to belong to state associations that provide factual information to state legislature. BOE members and school employees should be able to discuss issues with state legislatures.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
State government should fully fund public education (to include special education) from Pre-K through 12th Grade. Federal and state governments should fund higher education for selected students that agree to public service as a payback for their education. Limited to areas of study (STEM+) where those skills are not available in the general population. That means that those willing to work in underserved fields and physical locations (i.e., doctors in rural areas).
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
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
Set policy and provide funding. Supervise its one employee--the school superintendent.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
Curriculum is policy so the BOE needs to approve the curriculum. Providing resources to implement approved curriculum is part of that process.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
When they try to go outside established timelines and formats during public comment portion of the meeting. School board meetings are for the BOE to accomplish their functions. Listening to parents is not the primary function of a BOE meeting. In Leavenworth KS BOE members are available to interact with parents in other forum than formal meetings. Their contact information is published on a regular basis in the local paper. They are unpaid volunteer members of the community.
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
You left out reading and English from your list unless you consider it as part of Language Arts. Without being able to read and comprehend, almost nothing else can be accomplished. Mathematics, Science, History/Civics, Personal Finance, Informational Technology, Physical Fitness, Art & Music, Foreign Languages, and Vocational Learning. The order of the last five need to change based on the individual needs/desires/interests of each student.
Which more closely matches your view of America's founding principles? A) Liberty and equality. B) Slavery and racism.
A. Individual liberty and legal equality.
What does "equity in education" mean to you?
It is a worthless term. Equality of opportunity is what is important for society.
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
Leavenworth USD 453 has offered comprehensive sex education for over 25 years. Parents can opt out their children from the course easily and that option has not caused problems. The curriculum covers many items that many parents are reluctant to discuss with their children. Since words have meaning, I don't know how you define SEL and will refrain from commenting on that item.
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Neutral
Local taxpayers don't want to pay for Title I or school lunch programs. Federal dollars pay for many enrichment programs through such things as Pell Grants and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. The key is to have responsible adults at the Federal level that will not defund local schools just because they have archery programs as part of their physical fitness program or offer hunter education programs after school.
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
However, there should be public standards that children should have to demonstrate mastery in some fashion. Especially if public funds are used in their education. That is the accreditation program that public school go through.
School boards are accountable to parents and taxpayers.
Strongly Agree
That accountability is demonstrated at each election. It is also achieved by legal action if the BOE violates law. We live in a republic, not direct democracy. (Democracy--rule by the mob--was not looked upon favorably by our founding fathers.) Two wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for lunch is not a good result for the sheep.
Do you believe students should have access to materials that graphically depict and describe sexual acts?
No
It is virtually impossible to shield K-12 students entirely from porn given its wide availability in today's course society. I don't think that public funds should be used to put such material in schools outside approved sex education classes. However, one objecting individual should not have the ability to cancel material (Song of Solomon) for everyone.
All print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review.
Agree
Students, parents, and legal guardians should be able to review digital material within the limits of copyright and fair use. This assumes that the individual is not requesting so much material that it puts a burden on teachers and staff. Joe Blow public trying to make a name for him/herself should not be allowed to burden staff. Costs associated with providing copies of print material should reflect the cost (cost of reproducing, staff salary, etc) to the district in complying.
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.
No
They don't have standing and in far too many cases are just trying to cause problems/make a name for themselves.
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I have been an American Baptist church member for most of my 71 years. As such I acknowledge that I have fallen far short of God's standards in some fashion almost every day. But I know that he still loves me despite my failures. I believe in duty, honor, and country. Duty to God, family, and my community. Keeping my personal honor clean is important to me. Service to country--local, state, and national--is also something I think God wants of me.
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
This is a special form of stupidity.
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Neutral
I think sexual transitioning of a student below the age of 18 is child abuse. However, if the student and parents choose to go that route and notify the district of the transitioning, then school officials need to use to alternative name.
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
An exception must be made if the student is being physically, sexually, or mentally abuse by a parent or guardian. School personnel are mandatory reporters of abuse in Kansas.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Parents are responsible. In most cases they subcontract that job to the school system. Towards the end of the 5th Grade year is the time to discuss what is happening or about to happen with puberty. High school (9-12 Grade) health classes are a better time to provide balanced information on the physical and emotional health outcomes of the sex act.
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 to include sexually transmitted diseases; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; human anatomy/reproductive system; abortion methods and mental and physical side effects; stages of pregnancy and fetal development; prenatal and postnatal care of mother and child; impact of single parenting.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
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.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should be allowed in female locker rooms and bathrooms.
Strongly Disagree
No school official should be involved in the social or medical transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Neutral
I answered this one previously. I think sexual transitioning of a student below the age of 18 is child abuse. However, if the student and parents choose to go that route and notify the district of the transitioning, then school officials need to use to alternative name.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
That photo identification is required to get into federal government buildings. It should also be required to voting. However, officials should make every effort to make that photo identification available to every US citizen at little or no cost.
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
Government by immoral people is not just government. Our founding fathers were pretty clear on this fact.
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?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
None
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I will use my judgement and experience to make decisions that are in the best interest of students, staff, and the public. I do not fear mobs.
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
I vote for individuals, not a party. I will hold my nose and vote for a donkey if the Republican is a jerk or worse.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Strongly Agree
Common sense. Criminals do not follow the law. That is why they are called criminals. The average mass shooting casualties with an armed citizen present lasts less than two minutes with less than three fatalities. The average with cops responding is more than five minutes with at least five fatalities.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
Public health. The US is seeing outbreaks of diseases that were licked years ago. Some of this is linked to uncontrolled immigration but vaccine resistant parents are part of the problem as well.
I support mask mandates.
Agree
Masks don't protect you. They protect others from you. Not wearing a mask just shows me that you lack consideration for others. This has been a problem since the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919-1920 which killed 50,000,000+ world wide. Covid 19 killed only 5,000,000+ worldwide. This includes people in Leavenworth.
All official open meetings should be live streamed, recorded, and have transcripts available online for public access.
Agree
USD 453 BOE has been doing this for years.
All votes should be roll call votes and recorded in meeting minutes.
Agree
Roll call votes slow BOE meetings down. All votes are done in open forum. The Leavenworth Times (local newspaper) reports individual votes for those that are not unanimous. Voters can review the live stream or ask board members or clerk of the board if they have questions on how an individual voted on a specific issue.
