Julie Pickren
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Julie Pickren
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Bd. of Educ., Dist. 7
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Cornerstone University, Lake Charles, Theology
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Concerned Women for America, Contributor / Policy Advisor
Triumph Church Angleton, Contributor
Fresh Impact Church, Contributor
Texas Right to Life, Contributor
Fresh Impact Academy, Board of Directors, Contributor
Republican Party of Texas, Legislative Priorities Committee, State Delegate, National Delegate
Sagemont Church, Contributor
America First Policy Institute, Education Policy Leader
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Education Policy Advisor
Liberty University, Education Policy Advisor
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Alvin ISD School Board Trustee, 2015 - 2021
Brazoria County Republican Party Precinct Chair, 2016 - 2021
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (20)
Texas Right to Life; Conservative Republicans of Texas; Texas Values Action; Grassroots America: We the People; Ann Hettinger
OTHER (4)
*Texas Alliance for Life PAC (TAL); Dan Matthews; Bangar Reddy; Dave Rosenthal
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Texas Right To Life; Linda McMahon, Former Small Business Association Director; Conservative Republicans of Texas; BizPac ; Link Letter
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (8)
Briscoe Cain (2020); Donald Trump (2016); Ed Thompson (2020); Greg Hill (2019); Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2022)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Republican Women's Organizations (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Republican State Board of Education Nominee Blasts Proposed Curriculum Standards
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Agree
The National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES), co-authored by Planned Parenthood, which has been adopted by several school districts in Texas must be removed from our schools. NSES starts teaching sex education, which opposes Texas Values, to Kindergarten children.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Every child has the right to be born.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Agree
In education, our children should be taught there is only male and female.
The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings or court houses.
Strongly Disagree
If we ever needed The Ten Commandments displayed, it is now. Society needs reminders of God's Law to restore peace, justice, and safety.
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Strongly Agree
Teachers and students should be free to discuss the Bible since much of literature and history is based in the Bible.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
Peace through strength has been proven throughout history. When America is strong and respected, our citizens who work abroad, missionaries, smaller democracies, and Israel are protected.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
The Government ensuring everyone has a livable income will create Socialism and kill The American Dream. It will decimate our small businesses because they will not be able to compete with the government for employees. It will also have a negative impact on the middle class.
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
The Texas Constitution in Article 7 says the purpose of a free public education is to preserve our liberties and freedoms. It is our responsibility to provide an Equal Opportunity Education for all children in K-12 so they can achieve their American Dream. An Equal Opportunity Education includes college readiness, vocational training, and/or military readiness. It is imperative that every child in Texas, regardless of race or economic background, has equal educational opportunity so they can live The American Dream. Texas is the 9th largest economy in the world. If we are going to maintain that status, then we need to ensure our children has an excellent education while instilling Texas Values.
EDUCATION
Every state should mandate K-12 standardized tests and the use of teaching software which aligns with Common Core standards.
Strongly Disagree
While I do believe we need metrics to track student performance, standardized testing is not the best measurement. Standardized testing was set up to measure basic skills, but because there has been so much attached to state ratings, many schools now teach to the test. There are much better evaluation tools to measure student success and deficiencies that follow the student. When data follows a student, it is much easier to identify and correct gaps.
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
In Texas, we have school choice. Parents are free to choose private, home school, charter school, or public schools. Where the debate occurs is do the education dollars follow the student? I am for the dollars following the student where poor families are trapped in failing schools. Parents who live in poor areas that have failing schools need options. We must bring school choice to them because they can not afford to move to for a better education.
Before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL), they must opt-in with written parental permission.
Strongly Agree
I support the teaching of curricula (such as the 1619 Project, No Place for Hate, Second Step, etc.) that emphasizes slavery and racism as the foundation of American history.
Strongly Disagree
Critical Race Theory will destroy The American Dream for our children. Ultimately it will end advanced academics. We are watching this unfold in other states and in one ISD in Texas. We must replace Equity Audits (CRT) which measure equal outcome (Socialism) with Opportunity Audits. History is not about feelings or needs. History is a set of facts that should be taught accurately so we can build on our successes and not repeat our failures.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Neutral
I have a voting record, as a School Board Trustee, to allow school staff that has an LTC to keep a firearm in their vehicle. As a school district, we adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" policy because teachers often run errands after school and I wanted to ensure their safety off campus if they choose to conceal carry. Also, I am a proponent for The School Marshall Program where police response time is slow in rural areas and in districts where it makes financial sense.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Do you support mandatory vaccinations for children attending public school?
I do not support mandatory vaccinations. Medical decisions should be made by Parents.
I support mask mandates.
Strongly Disagree
I support Parents' rights to choose what is best for their child. Parents know if their child needs to wear a mask or not.
ABOUT YOU
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).
I have done a few interviews concerning education with Fox News Radio, Fox News Digital, Right Side Broadcasting, Voice of America, The Epoch Times, and NTD.
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
What books have had the most profound impact on your view of life?
The Bible. Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf. Fault Lines by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I enjoy reading biographies and have read over 100 biographies.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I am passionate about education because of my pro-life beliefs and my love for Texas. As a Pro-Life supporter, if I am going to say every child has the right to be born, then we need to offer every child in The Great State of Texas an Equal Opportunity Education. Education is the vehicle that gives every child a chance to achieve The American Dream regardless of their economic background, race, color, or religion. Also, Texas is the 9th largest economy in the world, with Russia being the 8th largest. If we are going to continue to grow Texas' economy then we need to offer a world class education to every child. A great education will lower crime rates, grow the economy, and lift many families out of poverty. But, it is crucial that along with providing a great education to children we must also teach Texas and America exceptionalism. Texas and America are exceptional and have made many contributions that have improved lives all over the world. Please visit my website www.juliepickren.com. God Bless Texas!
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
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
I am proud to have worked with great organizations and elected officials to pass the Protect Girls' Sports Bill. We must protect female athletes scholarships and their safety.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian. I believe The Bible is the inerrant Word of God and gives us direction for our personal lives, society, and government.
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
