Valerie Beals: I spend time with people in different types of social settings in El Paso to gain a decent understanding of the areas that are most important in the budget and how to benefit students of any economic status. I have had experience in managing budgets for religious youth groups to ensure funds are spent wisely. I have children and I speak with numerous parents in the district to know the importance of good curriculum/policies and how it directly affects the children and their ability to succeed.

Jacqueline Martinez: I am a 13-year veteran teacher. Curriculum decisions based on students’ needs is a skill I utilize on a regular basis. Additionally, I have first-hand knowledge and experience with how budgets affect my students and me in the classroom. Also, I am currently a participant in an Ed Policy Fellowship Program with Texas Tech University. I would leverage my first-hand experience as a teacher and the knowledge I am gaining from my fellowship to make decisions on adopting a budget and setting policy.

Valerie Beals: I will work to ensure that taxpayer funds are spent responsibly and transparently, while keeping property tax rates as low as possible for homeowners.

Jacqueline Martinez: Currently, parents pay a significant amount in property taxes and we have a responsibility to make sure this is going to the most important and impactful strategies that focus on providing more resources to the classrooms. With careful review of the district’s budget, we can find opportunities to cut spending in areas that are not showing an impact on student learning and outcomes. We need to be looking at how what is funded impacts students.

Valerie Beals: I think that our children in the El Paso Independent School District deserve the best education which means we have to have the best teachers. I care about the quality of education that our children receive and will make sure that our EPISD employees are well compensated and have the right tools and resources that they need.

Jacqueline Martinez: Fair compensation is a good start, however recruiting and retaining quality teachers goes beyond a pay raise. There are other factors that have contributed to the mass exodus of teachers such as micromanagement. I would support a policy that gives autonomy to teachers, protects their planning time, and limits paperwork requirements.

Valerie Beals: I am a big believer in traditional school settings. I know there are a lot of parents out there who are a lot like me and would like certain subjects to be left for the home. I feel that in order to keep children enrolled in public schools we need to remember that they are children and they need to have the appropriate education to move on to college.

Jacqueline Martinez: As a teacher, I’ve learned that school is not a one-size-fits-all learning experience, and I think the pandemic is forcing us to re-evaluate traditional schooling. As a school district, we need to cater to what families need. For some, that means traditional brick-and-mortar services, while for others that could be remote learning. I would support offering districtwide virtual learning services to address the enrollment decline.

Valerie Beals: In regards to existing curriculum or library books, the schools should monitor and limit controversial content to give parents the opportunity to teach these important facts in their home.

Jacqueline Martinez: The purpose of an education is to prepare students to be good citizens. This means access to library books and a curriculum that contains a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds. Parents have access to and can challenge books, but they should be addressed publicly and with all students in mind. I believe the process should also require that challengers first read the book cover to cover and provide citations with page numbers as to why it is inappropriate.

Valerie Beals: During 2020/Covid, many of our children fell behind and would love to continue to have the tutoring options available during and or after school to help our children continue to recover from any loss of progress during this time.

Jacqueline Martinez: I would support the addition of mental health professionals to schools. Ill-equipped school counselors are not enough. They are at a disadvantage in their efforts to help students because they too are understaffed and overloaded with non-counseling duties. In fact, 98% of Texas districts did not meet the Texas Education Agency’s recommendation of one counselor per 250 students. The standard alone is both insufficient and also a disservice to students.