Question 1: What is motivating you to seek a seat on the District 4 Board of Education?

I am a firm believer in quality education. I would not have the opportunities that I do today apart from the training that I received in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. I have a deep appreciation for education at all levels. The school board serves a vital function in Pasco County to ensure that every child has access to quality education. Excellent schools are needed to prepare our children for a successful future. It is our responsibility, as citizens of Pasco County, to make certain that our schools, administrators, teachers, etc. are modeling excellence in all areas for the sake of our children’s education. It is that passion for excellence and a dedication to training the next generation that motivates me to run for Pasco County School Board.

Question 2: How do you view the role of a school board member?

School board members represent the largest group of elected officials in the United States. They set the policies of our public elementary, middle and high schools. The function of a school board member will range from friendly rubber-stamping sessions to passionate, heated debates with each other and the citizens of the community. Some specific responsibilities include approval of the annual budget and other monetary matters, oversight of student requirements, and provision of solid leadership, counsel and direction for administrators and teachers. A Pasco County School Board member is only one of five and must work to create teamwork and to build consensus. Board members need to maintain a close relationship with their local community. They should be involved in events happening locally and should be aware of the views of taxpayers, parents, school employees and students. School boards are nonpartisan. It is not a setting to “play politics” for personal gain. Further, it is not in the best interest of the county for a board member to be a teacher, principal, librarian, custodian or anyone else that works in a school in the district, as those positions will tend to produce a biased, distorted view of the needs of the schools and students. Board members must be willing to make changes and implement new strategies, while at the same time adhering to a balanced, traditional, quality view of education.

Question 3: What experiences have prepared you to be a school board member?

Since graduating from college in 2000 I have been deeply involved in providing education on a number of levels and standing up for the values of families. I served for four years as a middle school and high school music teacher, conducting bands, choirs, and ensembles. I have taught private music lessons to students of all ages for more than ten years. Among other things I am currently the director of a Fine Arts Academy where scores of students from three counties receive instruction. I have also had the opportunity to work with a number of students from Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties through the Hillsdale Youth Symphony. As the conductor and founder of the orchestra I have visited numerous middle and high schools where I have met scores of teachers and administrators, and have seen, first hand, the range of quality and opportunities that can exist from one school to the next. I have served on the pastoral staff of two large churches and am accustomed to functioning in board and committee settings. A part of those responsibilities has been oversight of large areas of the annual budgets. Further, I am in a unique position, as the President of the Faith and Family Values Club of Pasco County, to stand up for families. As a husband and father, I feel the pressure, like you, of having my values attacked on a daily basis. Nowhere has this been seen more prevalently in recent American history than in our schools. The education in our classrooms should be historically accurate and free from current cultural and political bias. As a school board member I will work hard to preserve that kind of quality education for our children.

Question 4: What are a couple issues that will be of utmost importance to you as a school board member?

In light of the school budget cuts of the past two to three years, and the projection of more this year, the financial well-being of our school system will be at the top of the priority list. I feel that there are areas of unnecessary spending that can be addressed to help balance the budget without compromising quality education. For example, I am in favor of the privatization of as many auxiliary services as possible: grounds keeping, maintenance, busses, etc. There are many services, like these, included in the current school budget that could be contracted in the private sector. I would rather see some of these areas cut back, before cutting sports and music programs, or failing to provide quality fascilities, which would negatively affect the growth and development of the students. We must maintain financial integrity in the face of the economic challenges surrounding all of us. I also intend to work hard for families. I believe that the future success of our nation is in large part dependent upon strong family units. It will be my relentless pursuit to encourage and equip parents to produce successful stable family environments. Finally, the safety and equality of all students can and must be of greater concern to the school board. My goal will be to make our schools safer and to find creative ways to encourage impartiality.

Question 5: Are your own kids in the public school system?

My wife and I are the proud parents of two wonderful boys. We are committed to providing the best possible education that we can for them. This is something that we will reevaluate each year. My younger son has not yet reached school age. My oldest son attends the private school at the church where I work as the music director. I greatly enjoy having my son in the same building that I spend much of my time and being able to occasionally see him throughout the day. I recognize that working in close proximity to him is a unique blessing that any parent would envy, and I do not take it for granted.