We were lucky enough to have Edwin Flores, who is currently running for his old seat as trustee for the 1st District in Dallas ISD. We will comment and respond in the morning, but we wanted you to be able to chew on this and digest over night. Read the Q&A after the jump.
1. You held this office before. Why did you decide to run again? I am running to return experienced leadership to represent District 1, to focus on student issues, and to make Dallas ISD one of the best places to work. I will bring back the voice of the voiceless, those thousands of students and parents who do not know how to engage with the school system.
2. What will be different this time compared to when you were a trustee before? It was widely recognized during my previous tenure as a Dallas ISD trustee that I was one of the reform leaders on the board. I hope to work again with the board and the superintendent to create positive change in our district.
3. How have you grown since you were last in office? What are some weakness you have overcome/eliminated over the past few years? I have learned to be more attentive and listen more carefully to those who may not share my same sense of urgency. We need to build on a foundation of respect and understanding to make sure we bring along the opponents of change. I have also learned that the board needs to be more engaged with the parents and community.
4. Why DISD Board of Trustees and not anything else in the fight for education? I am working on various fronts in the fight for great public education, however, the Dallas ISD board is the closest to home, personally (my kids attend Dallas ISD schools), as a taxpayer and homeowner, and as an involved member of the community. The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees has the most immediate impact in our schools.
5. What are some things you think DISD is doing well and where can DISD get stronger? The ongoing evolution of the principal and teacher evaluation systems is a great step forward. The expansion of high quality early childhood education will pay many, many dividends long-term. Dallas ISD has a great start in school choice and multi-language programs, programs that should be expanded to include more students.
6. What do you bring to the horseshoe that's missing? I will bring 7 years of experience and relationships to the board, with a fresh, outsider’s view of the internal workings of the district. I have two children who are Dallas ISD students so I have experienced our District 1 schools directly as a parent. I was also blessed to grow-up in a bilingual and bicultural family, which allows me to communicate directly with Spanish-speaking constituents from both a language and a cultural point of view. Being able to communicate directly with parents and constituents is essential to improve parental involvement, which leads to higher student achievement.
7. Can you share a story about a teacher that had an impact on you? My first teachers were my parents. My dad was a college professor and he always set high expectations for us, made sure we did our best, and made sure we went to the best school possible. My dad's parents only had a second grade education, as such, he made sure we appreciated the blessing of having access to a high quality education, that we respected our teachers at all times, and that we understood that education is the great equalizer.
8. Why should the voters choose you on election day? I am asking for your vote to bring back strong, experienced leadership to the Board of Trustees. That experience is based on my direct, personal history as a parent of the schools in District 1. Our daughters attended DeGolyer (where I was president of the Dads’ Club), Dealey, Marsh, and Booker T Washington. We have also hosted 5 foreign exchange students who attended WT White. My 7 years of experience on the Dallas ISD board will allow me to be effective from my first day on the board.
2. What will be different this time compared to when you were a trustee before? It was widely recognized during my previous tenure as a Dallas ISD trustee that I was one of the reform leaders on the board. I hope to work again with the board and the superintendent to create positive change in our district.
3. How have you grown since you were last in office? What are some weakness you have overcome/eliminated over the past few years? I have learned to be more attentive and listen more carefully to those who may not share my same sense of urgency. We need to build on a foundation of respect and understanding to make sure we bring along the opponents of change. I have also learned that the board needs to be more engaged with the parents and community.
4. Why DISD Board of Trustees and not anything else in the fight for education? I am working on various fronts in the fight for great public education, however, the Dallas ISD board is the closest to home, personally (my kids attend Dallas ISD schools), as a taxpayer and homeowner, and as an involved member of the community. The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees has the most immediate impact in our schools.
5. What are some things you think DISD is doing well and where can DISD get stronger? The ongoing evolution of the principal and teacher evaluation systems is a great step forward. The expansion of high quality early childhood education will pay many, many dividends long-term. Dallas ISD has a great start in school choice and multi-language programs, programs that should be expanded to include more students.
6. What do you bring to the horseshoe that's missing? I will bring 7 years of experience and relationships to the board, with a fresh, outsider’s view of the internal workings of the district. I have two children who are Dallas ISD students so I have experienced our District 1 schools directly as a parent. I was also blessed to grow-up in a bilingual and bicultural family, which allows me to communicate directly with Spanish-speaking constituents from both a language and a cultural point of view. Being able to communicate directly with parents and constituents is essential to improve parental involvement, which leads to higher student achievement.
7. Can you share a story about a teacher that had an impact on you? My first teachers were my parents. My dad was a college professor and he always set high expectations for us, made sure we did our best, and made sure we went to the best school possible. My dad's parents only had a second grade education, as such, he made sure we appreciated the blessing of having access to a high quality education, that we respected our teachers at all times, and that we understood that education is the great equalizer.
8. Why should the voters choose you on election day? I am asking for your vote to bring back strong, experienced leadership to the Board of Trustees. That experience is based on my direct, personal history as a parent of the schools in District 1. Our daughters attended DeGolyer (where I was president of the Dads’ Club), Dealey, Marsh, and Booker T Washington. We have also hosted 5 foreign exchange students who attended WT White. My 7 years of experience on the Dallas ISD board will allow me to be effective from my first day on the board.
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