Monday, February 23, 2009

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



Political advertising authorized by Steve Navarre

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for giving straight forward answers to these questions. It very much helps me decide who to support. Although I will not be supporting you, I genuinely appreciate your courage, clarity and openness in answering these. I wish more candidates would be willing to do the same.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete