82: RISD PLACE 3 Candidates Q&A

Jill Clewis & Linda Duran are the two candidates running for Place 3 on the Rockwell Independent School District Board and here today in the Bunker for some straight talk in hopes of winning the vote of Rockwall County conservatives.
2:13 Introduction of Dr. Linda Duran
4:51 Introduction of Jill Clewis

1. Why are you running for RISD School Board?
7:56 Jill Clewis
10:40 Dr. Linda Duran

2. What do you see as the school board’s primary role and responsibility?
16: 11 Dr. Linda Duran
17:59 Jill Clewis

3. As a school board member, who do you see as your primary constituent and how do you intend to make sure that you are listening to their concerns? (Parents, Faculty, Administrators, Taxpayers…?)
18:49 Jill Clewis
20:05 Dr. Linda Duran

4. How often do you attend RISD School Board meetings and do you feel that the Board does a good job of representing constituents?
21:14 Dr. Linda Duran
22:13 Jill Clewis

5. In your view, what are the best attributes of Rockwall schools?
26:04 Jill Clewis
27:45 Dr. Linda Duran

6. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing RISD?
29:29 Jill Clewis

7. One of the principle duties of the School Board is to evaluate the performance of the superintendent and hold him accountable. How do you go about doing that?
32:27 Dr. Linda Duran

8. Is there a specific issue or set of issues that you wish to focus on if elected?
34:19 Dr. Linda Duran
36:20 Jill Clewis

9. Obviously the COVID pandemic has had a dramatic and ongoing impact on education. For instance, RISD instituted a hybrid model of learning where high school students with last names A-K attend school in person while those with last names L-Z attend remotely and then swap according to a posted schedule. There are also days when all students attend remotely. From your perspective, what has been both the downside and upside of this crisis to education, and what do you believe is the biggest long-term impact on Rockwall schools?
37:51 Jill Clewis
40:18 Dr. Linda Duran

10. Neighboring Garland Independent School District allows parents to choose which school their child attends. How would you feel about giving that right to RISD parents?
44:03 Jill Clewis
45:43 Dr. Linda Duran

11. Churches have been removed as a designated “gun-free zone” in Texas and last June, Delegates to the Rockwall County Republican Convention unanimously adopted a platform plank, opposing them, specifically the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibits law-abiding citizens from carrying guns on public school property. This platform position was then adopted by delegates of the Texas Republican Party and is part of the Republican National Platform. If the Texas legislature is successful in repealing the Act, would you support the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to lawfully carry a firearm on public school property? Why or why not?
47:14 Dr. Linda Duran
51:49 Jill Clewis

12. RISD posts nine outcomes that they hold as a goal for every graduate. If you were forced to choose just one, AND ONLY ONE, outcome from the list that best reflects your hope that every student might take away, which would it be and why?
53:36 Jill Clewis
54:38 Dr. Linda Duran

Closing Remarks
55:57 Dr. Linda Duran
58:38 Jill Clewis