What Makes a Qualified Candidate?

What makes a qualified candidate?

Qualifications are not subjective. You either have them or you don’t. So, what qualifications should a candidate for school board have?

The only positions more important than school administration are parents and teachers. School boards shape fiscal and educational policies. They determine not only what your children learn and how they learn it, but how resources are provided for that education. The first responsibility of any school board is fiscal responsibility. Without money there are no teachers, no schools, and no resources. If a school board is running a multi-million dollar budget deficit, then something is clearly not working and a new perspective is needed.

Electing candidates and supporting incumbents who maintain the status quo and refuse to change patterns of irresponsible spending behaviors need to be told by parents and other concerned voters that they are failing. What is the best way to do that? Elect a new candidate!

The most qualified candidate should be passionate about helping children, forward-thinking about improvements and methodologies, innovative about new approaches to resolve stagnation, and above all, know what works and what doesn’t from a real world perspective.

Plano ISD needs a candidate like Steve Navarre. He is impassioned about improving the districts ratings, processes and educational opportunities because he has children in the district. His experience in the IT industry is a testament to his forward-thinking and innovation because he knows what it means to solve problems dealing with millions of dollars in resources and plan for the future. And, he is knowledgeable about business decision-making and knows that the best intentions are not enough if it means failure.

The children of Plano ISD deserve someone dedicated to the betterment of their schools. They deserve more than the status quo that has resulted in a $17 million dollar budget shortfall that will further degrade their educational options. They deserve a candidate who is not looking for another feather in their cap. They deserve a candidate not looking to toot his own horn shouting, “look at everything I do.” Instead, they deserve a true business leader with real business experience. They deserve someone who will standing up and say that Plano ISD needs to make a change. They deserve Steve Navarre.

And that is why...I’D VOTE FOR STEVE!!!

Blog by Diana Carroll
Carroll Creative House



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My Answers to the Eagle Forum Questionnaire for School Board Candidates

I challenge all school board candidates to answer and publically post their responses.

http://www.eagleforum.org/questionnaire/school_board_q.html

I will gladly discuss the details behind why I answered these question for all that ask. Recently I sat down with a parent to discuss this questionnaire and other topics. I am open to all ideas that lead to better Plano schools.

School Board Candidate Questionnaire

ACADEMICS

1. Do you believe schools should give primary emphasis to teaching basic skills (e.g. reading, grammar, spelling, arithmetic) rather than social or psychological matters?

Yes

2. Do you support the use of intensive, systematic phonics to teach first-grade children how to read?

Yes

3. Do you support the goal that children should be able to read by the end of the first grade?

Yes

4. Do you support the teaching of abstinence as the norm for unmarried teenagers and as the only truly effective way to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases?

Yes

5. Do you believe the topics of homosexuality and alternative lifestyles should be excluded from the classroom?

Yes

6. Do you support teaching that the use of illegal drugs and the unlawful use of alcohol are "wrong"?

Yes

7. Do you reject classroom instruction that downgrades American sovereignty, limited constitutional government, or private enterprise?

Yes

POLICY

8. Do you support local control of education, with accountability through the local school board, rather than federal control exercised through federal and state bureaucracies and business partnerships?

Yes

9. Do you reject federal control of curriculum through the Goals 2000 and School-to-Work laws?

Yes

10. Do you oppose the establishment of school-based health clinics, which may perform examinations, provide immunizations and medications, and dispense birth control devices and abortion referrals, without parental consent or knowledge?

Yes

11. Do you oppose the collection and maintenance of data on student health, performance, attitudes, behavior, and family, as well as academics, in computerized databases?

Yes

12. Do you oppose allowing the school district to deduct money from the paychecks of school employees and forward it to political funds without the annual written consent of each employee?

Yes

PARENTS' RIGHTS

13. Do you believe in the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children?

Yes

14. Do you support a school board policy allowing parents the right to inspect and review instructional materials and methods?

Yes

15. Do you support a school board policy forbidding psychological evaluations, testing, treatment, or physical examinations of students without prior written parental consent?

Yes

16. Do you believe parental consent should be required prior to giving information and care to students regarding sexuality and reproductive health?

Yes

17. Do you oppose requiring students to answer nosy questionnaires about sex, drugs, suicide, and family behavior without prior written parental consent?

Yes


18. Do you support the right of parents to homeschool their children?

Yes



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Meet My Team - Diana Carroll

Diana Carroll Biography, Advertising Consultant - Diana Carroll is a highly versatile advertising and marketing professional. Born and raised in Houston, she graduated from the Art Institute in 1991 and began a productive advertising career shortly thereafter. Combining her innate creative ability with top notch project management skills, she has excelled at insuring on-target, on-time and on-budget advertising and marketing solutions for her clients. She moved to Dallas in 2002 and worked to set up and manage the Creative and Production Services department for a local niche agency in Addison, Texas until this past December. Currently contracting, she strives to give her clients effective creative and superior production services.Although Diana currently resides in Carrollton, she is passionate about children and their needs as she is a devoted aunt of three nephews ages 13, 11 and 1 and two nieces ages 8 and 1-month.


If you like to volunteer for my campaign, please contact me at Steve@IdVote4Steve.org


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Meet My Team - Jane Hansen

Jane Hansen Biography, Campaign Treasurer - Jane Hansen is a licensed Texas CPA with 24 years of experience. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1984, passed the CPA exam in the same year, and moved to DFW to start her career. Her specialty is taxation, but she also has extensive experience in general ledger accounting, cash management, payroll and budgeting. During her career she has worked in public accounting and various industry positions. She was Tax Manager with one of the largest DFW local firms, Henry, Held & Reilly LLP, for 7 years. She left the firm in 2004 when she was employed by a long-term client, who is still her employer.

Jane resides in Plano, and has a vested interest in making sure our school system is the highest quality possible.


If you like to volunteer for my campaign, please contact me at Steve@IdVote4Steve.org


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Meet My Team - Neal Rapoport

Neal Rapoport, Campaign Adviser - Neal is a seasoned entrepreneur. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1991, and moved to Dallas in 1993 and Plano in 2000. Neal started a popular deals & coupons site in 2004 and just sold it in 2008. Prior to that, he has been part owner in 2 consulting businesses, and worked for companies such as Microsoft & CompuCom. Currently Neal is in the process of looking at new business opportunities as either an angel investor or starting another business himself.

Neal also resides in Plano, and has 3 children in the Plano School District, so he is very supportive of Steve’s initiatives to make the schools even better.

If you like to volunteer for my campaign, please contact me at Steve@IdVote4Steve.org


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Meet My Team - Steve Trew

It takes a team to smoothly run a campaign. I have been blessed with strong grassroots supporters with diverse backgrounds. I would like to take the time over the next few blogs to introduce those people that support my campaign daily with their hard work. The first profile I would like to share is Steve Trew, my campaign photographer. You will see him snapping away in the background at almost every event.

Steve Trew Biography, Campaign Photographer - I began my love affair with photography when I was about 13 years old when my parents bought a Pentax K1000. Carrying it with me everywhere I went, I had my parents subscribe to every photography magazine I could find. I began my formal education in photography in high school and continued into college. At 18 I started shooting professionally for Sears. After a couple of years with them I got a job working in a darkroom for a company that made manuals for the Army. While working there I began freelance work, mostly shooting aspiring models and weddings. After taking a four year hiatus from shooting professionally to serve in the US Air Force, I jumped right back into photography as soon as I could helping local photographer Bill Bunch with dance and sports portraits. Later, I worked for a couple of studios in the Dallas area all the while shooting freelance once again. Photography has been a lifelong passion and I see no end in sight.

If you like to volunteer for my campaign, please contact me at Steve@IdVote4Steve.org


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Transparency

While Plano ISD budget deficit swells to over $17 million, taxpayers have a right to know where the money goes. My campaign stands on three platforms: accountability, communication, and transparency. This video post by Michael Quinn Sullivan shows my values on fiscal transparency that is needed in Texas schools.






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Campaign Pictures

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Thank You T-Mobile

I want to send a big Thank You to T-Mobile for providing the G1 phone for me to use in my campaign at thier cost. The power of the G1 phone gives me the ability to answer voter emails, update Facebook, post to Twitter, text message event information to supporters and blog important issues during my campaign without being tied to my laptop. Technology is amazing!

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The Papers are Filed

This morning I finally filed the papers for me to be on the May 9th ballot for the Plano School Board Trustee Place 6 elections. Unlike most every other candidate that filed Monday, I spend most of this week in Austin and wasn’t able to file until my first full day back in town. While in Austin I met with several North Texas State Representatives, officials from several North Texas counties, various committee staffers and a meeting with one of Governor Perry’s staff. All those meetings took me well into the afternoon on Wednesday. It was a great experience that morphed from a couple days in Austin for Collin County Days into a fulltime mission for me to talk and listen to everyone I could. I have a long road ahead of me in this campaign with biggest step taken today. Here I come!


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A Day of Accountability

Strategies for the future and fiscal responsibility were on the agenda at the 2009 Tri-County Legislative Luncheon in Austin this Monday, February 9. Steve Navarre, candidate for Place 6 on the Plano Independent School District Board of Trustees, attended this exciting two-day event focused on the interests of Collin, Denton and Grayson Counties in North Texas.

Meeting with community and school leaders from his area, Mr. Navarre spoke about the need for accountability, communication and transparency in Plano ISD’s school dealings and for all public school systems in Texas. Keynote speaker, Governor Rick Perry, lauded Texas’ ability to resolve fiscal deficits without federal intervention. Like Governor Perry, Steve Navarre believes local school systems should heed this message. "We must take lessons from the private sector and govern ourselves responsibly in these trying economic times," said Mr. Navarre, "It is our duty to our children who are the future of our state and the nation."

Blog by Diana Carroll
Carroll Creative House

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Mr. Navarre Goes to Austin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWyEc7FAMTg

When I was child I vividly remember watching the old black and white movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. That movie has always moved me. Although the movie is fictional, I can see some of the same unbelievable things happening in both Washington and Austin today.
Even though I go to Austin this week without the drama of the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, it always plays in the back of my head. I am proud to be part of 2009 Collin County Days in Austin. I don’t go to Austin as an elected official or a government leader but as a concerned parent and a man dedicated to making sure educational issues are front and center.

What is most memorable to me is Jimmy Stewart passion. My friends and supporters will tell you that I do not lack any passion when it comes to education. Some may even tell you I can be too passionate at times. I promise to bring that passion to represent the people within Plano ISD not only within the school district but in Austin and Washington.

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The Campaign Begins

Yesterday my campaign for Plano ISD School Board Trustee officially began. Surrounded by my supporters, I announced that I will be running for the open seat in Place 6 in the May 9th election. My campaign will focus on my conservative values around accountability, communication and transparency, not only fiscally but in all aspects involving parents, teachers and administrators. This will be a hard campaign and every vote will count in this election. Over the next few months I look forward to introducing myself, sharing my values, and my solutions for Plano ISD to make it the best school district that we can make it.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions at steve@idvote4steve.org.


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