What motivated you to run for office?
I am running for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I am running because my experience as a trial lawyer gives me a unique perspective that I hope will be valuable for the board and the school district. Coppell ISD’s school board is composed of seven volunteers, most of whom have full-time jobs, among a host of other commitments. That means we need board members who can learn quickly and are not afraid to make tough decisions based on what they are learning. I do those things every day in my work at McKool Smith. One of the things I love most about my job is getting to speak to incredibly smart, talented and hard-working engineers and experts who are developing some of the world’s most innovative technologies so that I can help protect their inventions. Those conversations are often extremely similar to school board meetings where administrators and consultants present to the board on various issues so that the board can develop a plan and decide on the best path forward for our kids and our district.
I am also running because I believe deeply in the value of public education. Our entire community benefits when we lift up every child with a quality education and provide an even playing field for our students. Coppell ISD has long been an exemplary public school district and I am committed to putting in the work to make sure that standard for excellence continues long into the future.
How has your background prepared you for this role?
I am a trial lawyer, a native Texan and a father to three young children. I have spent more than a decade analyzing and litigating complex financial issues for my clients, resulting in winning verdicts and settlements worth over a billion dollars. While at the University of Chicago for law school, I also undertook a heavy course load from the University’s Booth School of Business. If elected, I will leverage my experience to drive accountability, efficiency and results for the district.
Ultimately, I am trained as an advocate. It is what I do every single day in my job: I use my voice and my words and my reasoning to fight for my clients. I am not afraid of hard conversations when we have deep issues to resolve for our 13,000 students and 900 teachers and staff. I am prepared to defend CISD locally and in Austin. I believe I have unique skills that enable me to be a passionate champion for CISD.
What are the most urgent issues facing CISD right now?
My top priorities as a school board trustee would be to address the biggest challenges facing CISD: navigating state constraints to provide for our teachers and flat or declining enrollment.
How do you plan to address those issues?
So much of what we do in CISD depends on decisions made in Austin. So first and foremost, I will continue advocating for CISD with our state legislators. But regardless of the decisions those legislators make, we must continue providing competitive salaries and cost of living increases to our teachers. But given our financial constraints, we must also work to provide attractive benefits and non-monetary perks for our teachers. We can do that by providing leadership opportunities, professional development training and trying to help solve work-life balance challenges. Our culture is important too. I am confident that if we make our teachers feel valued and supported, they will lead classrooms where our students grow and thrive.
Due to rising home prices, the demographics of our district are shifting. Fewer families with young children are moving to the area, which has caused lower enrollment in our elementary schools. As a result of these changes, the district is closing Pinkerton Elementary School at the end of this school year and is considering other options for the future, such as further school closures, changes to program offerings or expanding the current open enrollment program. I will approach these issues with a forward-thinking mindset, so that our decisions today position CISD well for the future. We must thoughtfully plan for our changing demographics and do it openly and with the community’s input.
What do you think makes Coppell ISD unique?
CISD is the best school district in Texas. We have a wonderfully diverse community, filled with talented students, teachers and staff. We have a large enough district to provide exceptional choice programs – which we must continue to prioritize – while being small enough that our students can develop meaningful, authentic relationships amongst themselves and with their teachers. There is no better place to call home.
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