Zach Zayner
Non-Partisan | Texas
Candidate Profile
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Zach Zayner
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
Leander ISD Board of Trustees, Place 4
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Indiana University, Bloomington, Bachelor of Arts, 2006
Georgetown University, Washington, DC, Masters of Sciences, 2009
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Baltimore City VEX Robotics League, Founder / Technical Lead
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Campaign Finance Report - 30th day before election (period covered: 08/16/2024 through 10/05/2024)
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
OTHER INFORMATION
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Choose not to answer
What role should the school serve in helping a student with an unwanted or crisis pregnancy?
Schools should provide any support and information needed for students and parents to make educated choices.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Without small business and entrepreneurship, our nation would not have the resources that it has now.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
Without government funding, it would not be possible for most Americans to afford education, including me. The government should do everything in its power to educate our population and make us globally competitive.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Teachers should be required to refer to students by pronouns which are misaligned with their gender at birth even if it would violate the teacher's moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Agree
There is no original religious text that states this is forbidden. People should identify themselves as they choose.
EDUCATION
Abortion and gender-affirming providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Agree
Parents and students should be able to avail themselves of whatever organizations that fit with their beliefs. We shouldn't deny access to information but neither should we force specific services on our students.
Consistent discipline creates a safe and orderly environment, which is essential for student learning.
Strongly Agree
We still need to be aware of how our policies affect different groups in the district and should understand why it is causes disadvantages for specific groups.
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
Educators should give students a thorough education in America's founding documents and cultivate American patriotism.
Strongly Agree
Patriotism (love of country) is the bedrock of making America the country that it is today. While I don't endorse nationalism (unfailing loyalty), I fully agree that all students should understand our history and where we've come from. You can love our country and still not support all of its policies.
I support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Strongly Agree
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Disagree
Without federal funding, many schools in poorer states would not have enough funding to exist.
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): American History, Art & Music, Civics, Critical Race Theory, Foreign Language, Gender Identity, Information Technology, Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal Finances, Physical Fitness, Political Activism, Science, Sexuality, Social Emotional Learning, Vocational Learning
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Vocational Learning, Civics, American History, Art & Music, Personal Finance, Information Technology, Physical Education, Foreign Language, Sexuality
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Disagree
Parents should have options but the State should not be freely funding education outside public institutions. Sending money away from public schools only allows them to devolve further without funding. Public schooling is the bedrock of American innovation. It was established to give everyone that opportunity.
Which should students have: equity of outcomes or equality of opportunities?
This is a false equivalency. We should be first focused on equality of opportunities and then finding out how to achieve the highest level possible equity of outcomes.
Which type of written parental consent should be obtained before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE)? (A) Opt-In. (B) Opt-Out. (C) None.
B
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe that spiritual beliefs should be left out of politics and should be instilled at home. People should be judged on their core values, not their religious beliefs. I've met horrible people who used their beliefs to hurt others and amazing people who have no religious affiliation. The things that I value most are integrity, honesty, transparency, and be willing to listen to others regardless of the name associated with their religion or their political beliefs. Everyone should be invited to the table and different perspectives lead to better choices for all.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Parents but many don't know how or absolve themselves from this responsibility because it is a difficult topic. Schools should support the health and wellness of students through education. If parents feel that sexual education is not appropriate, they should be given the opportunity to opt out. We cannot deny resources to students because a select group of parents does not agree.
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) -- abortion methods and side effects; abstinence; consent; contraceptive methods; human anatomy/the reproductive system; physical and emotional health outcomes; sex acts and pleasures of sex; sexual orientation and gender identity; stages of pregnancy and fetal development
All of these. Information on its own is not the issue. Students should have the information about society that they need to understand their own beliefs with their parents. Denying information only leaves students confused when they encounter situation without their parents. Sexual education should allow parents to discuss these topics freely with a notice about topics in advance. If parents object, they should be able to opt out of specific topics.
Children have a right to reach maturity without chemical or surgical castration, which would damage their healthy bodies through surgeries and may cause infertility and a life-long dependence on cross-sex hormones.
Choose not to answer
Parents and children should have the right to make this decision with their doctor. Parents can choose to give their child medicines for ADHD, depression, and other differences. They should be able to make the best possible decision according to their beliefs.
Children have the right to be protected from hypersexualization (including drag shows and explicit materials) in schools and libraries.
Choose not to answer
Parents should be able to determine what their children can access. Allowing one group to determine what everyone can access goes against American values of freedom of religion, freedom of press, and the right to liberty.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman essential to the formation and sustaining of a civil and prosperous society.
Choose not to answer
It's unfair to choose a specific religion or culture's definition. America is about freedom from the government interfering in our lives and relationships. Government recognition of marriage should treat it as a contract with no religious implications.
Parents have the fundamental right to raise their child in accordance with their beliefs and values, including the right to make decisions about the child's education and healthcare.
Agree
I can't strongly agree here because of my experiences with medical abuse of a child. A parent denying a diabetic child insulin is abuse regardless of their beliefs. There are many examples of these situations and we need to account for those in any generalized statements we make. Where that line is may be difficult to determine but we should be willing to have those conversations.
Parents should have full and timely access to any and all records, including school and medical records, associated with their minor children.
Strongly Agree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
Incidents of voter fraud in the United States are rare compared to the number of ballots being cast. There are legitimate reasons why someone might not have an ID. If we are not providing an ID to every American free of charge, like a Social Security card, then we can't disenfranchise voters. That being said, I don't personally have a solution for this problem.
EQUALITY
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports.
Choose not to answer
Sports should determine their own specific rules for competition and regulate them fairly. Reasonable exceptions should be made for those who are inter-sex / transgender based on determined amounts of testosterone and estrogen.
Biological males should not be allowed to occupy women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, women's shelters, prisons, or sororities.
Choose not to answer
I have a sister who is transgender and this is a difficult topic for her. Regardless of the feelings of others, people who are transgender should have the opportunity to have a safe space too. Whether that means creating non-gendered facilities available to anyone who needs them or creating specific rules and guidelines as to where it is appropriate to mix gendered groups. Clearly being in same gendered facilities does not stop violence and rape from happening so we need a measured approach.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No.
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2014 General Election 2016 General Election 2018 General Election 2020 General Election 2022 General Election
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
2ND AMENDMENT
Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.
Strongly Disagree
Military and law enforcement are highly trained individuals who understand the rules of engagement. I would not trust a teacher to make the same decisions in a tense situation.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
In the event of a pandemic, school districts can mandate whatever health precautions they deem necessary (including masks and vaccines) to protect students and staff.
Agree
As someone with friends who are immunocompromised, it is imperative that we protect our students and teachers from any diseases or pandemics.
