DeSoto ISD School Board Candidates
DeSoto ISD has been in the news a lot lately with the TEA audit, and residents are paying closer attention to who is running for the DeSoto ISD School Board. The list of candidates is in the same order as on the DeSoto ISD website. We’ve linked to the candidates Facebook or campaign pages, included their video interviews as conducted by DeISD Community Support.
Focus Daily News does not endorse candidates but compiled this for you to help you locate information for the candidates in one place.
DeSoto ISD Place 3 Candidates
Karen Daniel (Incumbent) – Application
Tongee Flemming – Application
DeSoto ISD Place 4
Tiffany Clark (Incumbent) – Application
Sabrina Mathis – Application
DeSoto ISD Place 5
Abe Cooper, Jr. (unopposed) – Application
Current DeSoto ISD Board President Karen Daniel-Place 3
Interview with Karen Daniel organized by DeISD Community Support- Ms. Daniel says on her campaign page, “This is the absolute best way to meet the candidates and hear what each candidate stands for and how the candidate supports DeSoto ISD students and the district itself. Of course, each candidate has a sincere desire to serve DeSoto ISD. Each candidate wants to be part of the team which is the school board, and wants to be a productive member of that team. I am asking the community to listen carefully to the answers to the questions and make informed decisions when it comes to voting for this year’s candidates. I am Karen Daniel, and I am asking for your vote for DeSoto School Board Place 3. I feel that I am the best candidate for this position. A vote for Karen Daniel is a vote for: Academic Excellence, A Safe/Disciplined School Environment, Future Readiness, Accountability. Karen Daniel, Place 3.”
From Ms. Daniel’s Campaign Facebook page: “My goals for DeSoto ISD include recapturing academic excellence, providing a safe student environment, and preparing students for future success.”
Tongee Flemming: Ms. Flemming has a campaign website, where she states:
“It is with a grateful heart and continuous enthusiasm that I announce that I’m a candidate for DeSoto ISD School Board Trustee, Place 3 and I solicit your vote in the upcoming election, November 3, 2020.
I’m the only candidate with a Budget, Contracts, Audit, and Grants background. I have a Bachelor’s in Business Administration; and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. I currently work for the Federal Government as Chief, Budget & Contracts Section. I’m a USAF Veteran, where I served as a Warranted Contracting Officer, responsible for reviewing/writing Contracts. I’m committed to excellence and making a positive impact, while doing the most good for the most people. I’d be honored to serve in this capacity for our children first, and for the betterment of our school district. As you know, our District has undergone financial mayhem due to TEA and the Attorney General’s findings of misappropriations of funds by the previous administration; and a lack of Governance by the 2015-18 Board members, some of which remain on the Board. I’d like to use experience to help turn things around by 1) targeting extra funding/Grants for the District; 2) assisting individual schools with Budget gaps and forecasting; 3) reviewing Budget policies with recommendations for tighter controls; and 4) recommending ways the District is able to manage its resources by identifying “acceptable” and “unacceptable” financial actions. I’d also recommend the District implement an Internal Audit Committee that would report findings to the Board Quarterly with the outcome of the Audit made available for the public’s review.
I believe we’re able to change the trajectory of our District’s finances with the right people at the helm and I will be the one who works as a team to ensure our children’s education comes first; and that the monies are being used for its intended purposes. Let’s face it, Budgets provide funding for salaries; programs; and school resources. I’m committed to serving, as was demonstrated in my 10 years in the Military. I continue to serve the community as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Federally Employed Women (FEW); and Tri-Cities NAACP. I pray our paths cross while I’m canvassing in the community; at a candidate forum; or other public community event in the coming weeks. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you have questions or would like more information regarding my platform.”
You can view her interview with DeISD Community below:
DeSoto ISD Place 4: Tiffany Clark (Incumbent) From Dr. Clark’s website: “I am passionate about our school district and the education of all of our students. I am running for School Board Place 4 because I want to be part of the solution in moving our students to reach greater heights. A great Civil Rights leader once stated “education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare today.”
Dr. Clark’s video interview with DeISD Community Support:
Sabrina Mathis: We were unable to locate Dr. Mathis on Facebook, but she does have a campaign website. She states she is running because,
“I’m a firm believer in family and our district functions like a family, full of spirit and compassion. Though I wasn’t blessed to have children of my own, I’ve made it a priority to care about all children as if they were my own. This includes striving towards educational equity for all students to meet their diverse learning needs.
As a past employee of DeSoto ISD, I understand that providing support to our school and district employees is the foundation for student success. Therefore, their personal and professional well-being is equally important. As a candidate for the school board for the DeSoto ISD educational community, working towards making sure that educators feel supported, respected, and empowered is of utmost importance.
It is important to me that we keep the education, safety, and well-being of each student at the forefront of our decisions. This includes ensuring that we continue to grow and support programs such as ESL, Special Education, Advanced Academics, and our foundational Tier 1 instruction. We must also maintain our focus on family/community engagement, innovative best practices, and preparing students for the future. Even with 22 years of experience working in education at all levels, I understand that achieving success for DeSoto ISD is a team effort. Therefore, it would be an honor to serve as a board member for the DeSoto ISD School Board, and I would appreciate your vote to serve in the Place 4 school board position.”
About DeISD Community Support
DeISD Community Support is a group of engaged DeSoto citizens who have begun meeting and organizing efforts in order to support and impact the DeSoto ISD School Board. There are several forums which are essential to inform the public about the field of candidates, we observed that the format may not provide enough time for each candidate to respond to all of the questions the community has or to go into as much depth as is warranted. So these interviews are held separately with each candidate, that agreed to participate, to answer various questions that came from YOU: THE COMMUNITY.
