The Katy Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. held its school board candidate forum at Powerhouse Church, 1818 Katyland in Katy, on April 11, with eight candidates ready to take questions from the organization’s members. Position 3 candidate Haider Razvi was unable to attend due to a commitment to fulfill his military obligation through the Army reserves, organizers told attendees.

About 50 people attended the live event, with many more watching the livestream on Facebook. Also present at the forum audience were two current KISD board members – Vice President Rebecca Fox and Secretary Dawn Champagne; Victor Perez, former school board president also attended.

The event was moderated by sorority member Rashida Weaver, who read some prepared questions and also included questions from the audience.

After candidate introductions, candidates were asked what past experiences had prepared them for being a board member. Hesterly said, “I’m just a humble school teacher – a man on the front line doing the best he knows how,” with institutional knowledge of what does and doesn’t work. Taylor summarized her experience in education, including teaching, governance, development of executive strategy, and familiarity with TEKS and curriculum; she also spoke of her work in organizational efficiency and use of dashboards and data to track progress. Asonye said she started with the bond advisory committee, listening to teachers and looking at budgets for all the campuses. Professionally, Asonye said that she is a governance, risk and finance expert, which translates to skills needed for board oversight. Greene said that the first qualification for every candidate was that they were a Katy ISD resident. He outlined his experience as a Lions Club president and as a political consultant. Davidson said that he was a scientist and geologist who transferred to the business side, developing people and building teams as well as evaluating risks. On the volunteer side, he listed board membership on Keep Katy Beautiful and serving at Manna House in Brookshire. Silverio said that he did not have the best qualifications but that he was a recent KISD student, graduating from Paetow High School. He described his experience as a retail manager and his study of past school board meeting videos. Shipley described his professional experience in working with large data sets for national retailers in order to guide decisions and said he was passionate about service. Nieto said that he was the son of a teacher, a success coach at University of Houston and a community organizer, and called for a new direction for the board.

Asked how they would get input from educators, community and parents, Nieto said he had been knocking on doors in the three-county area; he was also hearing stories from teachers who were afraid to speak up. He said that he wanted to set up a series of bi-monthly or quarterly town halls throughout the district. Shipley said his approach was through listening and that every school was different. He also endorsed the idea of listening circles or other feedback loop to provide to the board. Silverio said that there were issues that the superintendent was not addressing and that the district needed to listen to teachers, also endorsing the town hall idea. Davidson said that as a candidate he was getting candid

feedback from teachers and that board members had to be ready to receive that feedback. Greene acknowledged the presence of two current trustees in the room and noted that trustees attended events all the time, providing an opportunity to provide feedback. He also recommended the development of an anonymous reporting app for staff to be able to safely provide feedback. Asonye said that she wanted to hold listening sessions and to view a report of complaints, which she said would tell a story and indicate trends. Taylor said that the superintendent already meets with various groups but that it was important to share what was heard and what actions would or would not follow. Hesterly said that with today’s technology it was easier than ever to share information and opinions but that those methods needed to be communicated.

Candidates were then asked what challenges Katy ISD was facing. Hesterly named the budget deficit and financial shortfall, which could be changed by having many voices lobbying at the state level. He also described the issue of retaliation within KISD for those who choose to speak out. Taylor listed financial challenges, teacher retention, paying employees a living wage and providing affordable benefits. She also included academics, noting that the district currently has a “B” rating after years of being rated “A.” Katy is on the cusp of transformation, Taylor said, and challenges need to be addressed in new and innovative ways. Asonye listed the challenges of lower enrollment in the district as well as the voucher program as “real threats” to the district. She also asked for a shift away from politics and the need for lobbying for increased funding. Greene said that the district had the ability to do more and needed to educate the community on the value of the district. Davidson said that the legislature meets in 2027 and there is advocacy to be done between now and then. Silverio said that a zero-based budget was needed. He said that vouchers did not affect anyone and that, according to a conversation that he personally had with Governor Greg Abbott, they were designed to protect public schools. Silverio said that he wanted to negotiate for better insurance solutions. Shipley said that he grouped the challenges on business side included declining enrollment, an issue which he said needed more study. Shipley also said that more support was needed for non-college career paths. Nieto added the issue of bullying, which he said was getting little or no response from school administrators. He also recommended looking at what other ISDs are doing to solve problems similar to the ones KISD is facing

The moderator’s last question was about addressing school safety. Greene said that he learned from KISD Police Chief David Rider that each campus now has a Level 3 security officer, but that there is dramatic competition from other districts who are trying to recruit those officers away from KISD. Davidson mentioned other recent improvements including controlled access to campuses and also mentioned the role of the district’s mental health resources in dealing with troubled students. Silverio described a shooting incident which took place on campus while he was a student re and mentioned the identification badges which are now required. Shipley said the district had done a number of good things, adding double-door entries and the RAPTOR system. He said mental health and sidewalks and crosswalks are also safety concerns. Chromebook usage is also an issue, Shipley said. Nieto said that board members needed to ensure that students had all the resources they need, and that students needed to feel safe as well as to be physically safe. Hesterly said that cyberspace was also a safety concern, as was mental health. Taylor said that safety measures mandated by the state needed to come with appropriate funding from the state. She added that the district needed to support counselors so

that they could develop better relationships with students. Asonye said that safety changes had been made as a result of the last bond and that there is a state mandate for a three-point seatbelt on school buses; she also underscored the importance of mental health.

The first question from the audience was asked only of one candidate per position and related to support from outside groups. Hesterly said that he was self-supported and received no support from other groups. Asonye said that board members were elected by constituents and that they were “grounded in community,” putting personal beliefs aside. Silverio said that he did not have a political agenda but was here to serve the students of KISD.

The next audience question was answered by “second position” candidates and related to restorative justice in schools and the role of mental health. Greene said that students that go to the OAC should not be penalized forever. Shipley said that children in the district live in a variety of circumstances and that school is often their safe place.

Candidates were asked to evaluate several statements on school vouchers. Nieto said that he was against school vouchers and that schools needed to be prioritized, not privatized. Shipley said vouchers were not good for public schools and that as students move out of public schools, funding is lost and costs remain fixed. Silverio said that vouchers were not affecting state funding. Davidson said that he viewed vouchers through the public school lens; he stated that public schools must be ready to educate every student. Greene said that although he disagreed with vouchers but that they are here to stay. He recommended lobbying in Austin to raise the public school per-pupil allotment to the same level of the per-student voucher of $10,000. Asonye said most of the people who have applied for the vouchers are already in private schools. She noted that schools in Tallahassee qualify for funds from the Texas voucher program. She said a parent she spoke with called the voucher program “the new segregation.” Taylor said that schools that receive vouchers have zero accountability financially or for academic results and that they did not have to accept children with special needs. Hesterly compared the certification requirements for a public school teachers to the lack of requirements for teachers in private schools. Public schools exist to educate students while private schools exist to make money, Hesterly said.

The moderator asked how candidates would ensure that all schools would receive equal support, noting that there seemed to be inequity between schools on the north side of the district compared to the south side. Every school and every community has different needs, Taylor said, adding that the question should be “What do they need in order to turn things around?” Davidson said that there were two questions: what can we do about the evaluation of data, and are things being equally distributed. Nieto said that representation matters and that for the past two decades there hasn’t been a board member from the north side of the district. A lot of working families live in the northeast quadrant, and “we need to meet them where they are at in order to find out how to support them,” Nieto said.

The last question related to consequences for speaking out. Hesterly said that he joined the union after going to work for CyFair ISD and stating that Katy ISD does not have a union and that as a board member, the would advocate for that. Taylor said that short-term solutions needed to be identified and that leaders needed to respond and act. Asonye said that “we have to start with the culture at the top” and look at reports of incidents. Greene that teacher needed to be listened to and that their planning

periods needed to be protected. Davidson said that mechanisms needed to be provided for honest feedback and trends needed to be pulled out and plans put together, with progress reported back to the staff. Silverio said trustees needed to acknowledge what is going on and that there needed to be a formal policy of “no retaliation,” along with teacher surveys. Shipley said that listening circles were critical and that feedback needed to be anonymous. Nieto also said that unions needed to be supported and that teachers needed to be supported as they come forward to say what is happening.

The forum concluded after candidates’ closing remarks.

Additional school board candidate forums coming up include the April 16 event at 6 p.m. at The Dryer, 5339 E. Third in Katy. For more information on that event, go to https://www.facebook.com/TheDryer. The forum held by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce took place on April 14 after the Katy Times went to press for this issue.