Interview: Candace Perkins
Candace Perkins is a candidate for KISD Board of Trustees Position 3, running against incumbent Ashley Vann and challenger Dr. David Velasquez.
Which issues in specific caused you to get involved in the race?
The main issue which caused me to run was merely seeing our teachers struggle so much. Hearing parents tell their seniors who are entering into college “Don’t major in education, you won’t be able to support yourself on a teaching job.” That REALLY burns me up and makes me so sad. Our teachers, all teachers are so hugely important to the future of us all, yet we treat them often as bottom of the barrel workers. Expecting them to over work themselves for underpay. Not only do they need more monetary support, but I’d love to see them get more support from within their individual schools as well as from the BOT.
In a Community Impact Newspaper article, you stated that underpaying our teachers is a prime concern for you. Having been a student at KHS in recent years I certainly agree; teachers are often paid around $50k a year while football coaches make six figures, and the superintendent is paid $375k. Overspending is a strong concern among the constituency, with many feeling that their school district taxes have become too high as a result of large bonds, such as the football stadium. The last I checked, KISD is over $1 billion dollars in debt. What would your approach to the budget look like?
Well that is one thing that REALLY concerns me. I get it, we’re in Texas…in Katy Texas at that, our football is dealt with in such high regards. I’d likely be banned from Katy altogether if I suggested lowing a coaches salary…but what I can suggest is raising our teachers salaries to be even comparable to our coaches. My budget plan would obviously focus on raising teachers salaries, as well as moving money around for extra programs in our schools, helping boost and expand our bilingual programs, and offer more and various training seminars for our teachers in specialized areas. Also make some much needed improvements to some of our schools that so desperately need it.
Many votes are undoubtedly going to be influenced by the issue of the stadium, the final cost of which came out to be over $70 million dollars. Do you agree with your opponent Dr. Velasquez in his assessment that the bond was “jammed down the taxpayers’ collective throats”? Would you oppose similar instances of unnecessary spending?
I would oppose similar instances of unnecessary spending, absolutely. I do agree that the way the bond was proposed was not completely forthcoming with exactly what was going to be done with that money, or how much exactly was going to be spent on the stadium.
As a result of all of the excessive spending, some such as myself worry that the budget could be cut in ways that directly affect the students and teachers, as they have in the past. In 2011, students walked out in an unprecedented protest against the school board for cutting teacher jobs.
I am terrified of that happening. I would do anything and everything I could to prevent that from happening. The last thing we need is for our teachers to make even less than they already make, and or for more programs to be cut due to over spending in other unnecessary areas. I would throw myself on the line to try and prevent a budget cut from directly impacting our teachers and students.
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Traditionally, school board members have the mindset that they are only there to represent the parents of the students. However, students reach voting age in high school, and are thus a part of the school board constituency as well. Would you be willing, or even able to reach out to students, to give their voice weight in the school board’s decision making process, and to leverage pressure against poor school board decisions?
Absolutely! I think that while the parents voices are very important…the students are the ones who are there in the schools. They see what could be improved upon, what isn’t totally necessary, and what they need that they’re not getting or don’t have. I definitely think it is VERY important to reach out to those students who can vote and hear what they have to say…and also to the ones who don’t or cannot vote. Their voices count just as much and they need representation as well.
Would you reject any contributions that could be considered inappropriate or quid-pro-quo? There have been instances of school board members (legally) taking money from non-individuals and later acting in their interest.
I would absolutely reject any “payouts” or anything else you want to call it. I think that is just dirty money used for the absolute wrong reasons. This is a volunteer position, and should be entered into because that person truly cares and is passionate about helping our students and teachers and community. Not because they are interested in making money on the side or just getting their name out there in a political sense, or to boost their business.
The school board had a media policy in place from the year I was born (1995) to this very January, which only allowed the board president to speak to the media. What practical purpose could this have served aside from snuffing out dissent? Would you oppose similar censorship policies?
You know, I have differing views on this. On one hand I feel like I can understand that it could get confusing if you have several different members of the board speaking to the media on different issues and they have different opinions or views on. The board, while they often times don’t agree on every issue, should at least come across as if they do to the public. They should present a unified front in support of our schools. Yet on the other hand I do agree with you that it could quite possibly be a way to make sure only what they want people to know about gets out. But on a different note…there really shouldn’t be stuff that the public “can’t know about”. I mean these are our schools, our children, and our community. We should advocate for total transparency.
Your campaign differs from Dr. Velasquez’s in that he highlights the inefficiency, irresponsibility and lack of transparency of the school board, while your message is largely about assisting and protecting teachers. Do you agree with Dr. Velasquez’s sentiments about the incumbent board? Where would you draw distinctions between the two of you?
Well I have seen that Dr. Velasquez has a quite hardened opinion or views of the current board. I would say that it’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes. Three years on the board is and should be long enough to make some major improvements and differences; which from all the things I’ve read and seen, the majority of people feel that nothing great has really been done. I completely understand that you cannot simply get elected and change a million things at once. However I would hope that you could shake things up and get them moving in a positive direction. Or at the very least set a plan in motion for that up flow of movement. I think largely (with some exceptions) this current board was put in place to push through the stadium. Now that that’s said and done, let’s get some new members in there to make some important improvements and changes to what is truly important to KISD.
Anything you’d like to add?
I don’t think most people realize what all encompasses running for and or being on the BOT. It’s really not just some fluff position where you can take money under or over the table, get your name out there, take a bunch of pictures to be featured on the KISD website, or in the Katy News.You’ve got a huge responsibility to represent the students, teachers, staff, and community to the absolute best of your ability. You have to (or should) make them the number one priority and main focus in all the decisions that are made. It’s a very scary thing to think of the amount of responsibility that comes with this position, and while I am certain that I cannot please everyone, I am also certain that I would sleep very well at night knowing I was making the best decisions I possibly could, and standing up for the right things for our students, teachers, and community.
