In the aftermath, school leaders hosted listening sessions with students and parents and appointed a committee of 63 community volunteers to come up with a plan to make Carroll more welcoming for students from diverse backgrounds. conservative PAC sweep Tarrant County school board elections . Educators are worried the legislation would have a chilling effect on classrooms and hamper efforts to encourage students to be effective citizens. Why me? Candidate Stephanie Williams stands with supporters near Southlake Town Hall. School board candidate Andrew Yeager stands with supporters outside Southlake Town Hall on Nov. 2, 2021. You are inciting a mob to want to attack us, and I just think that its wholly unnecessary.. As part of our commitment to transparency of the election process, the district will post information including timelines, candidate applications, and other important information you may find informative and helpful. The town is changing. A person is ineligible to serve on a school board if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense under Texas Penal Code section 43.02(b) regarding prostitution. Each Council member is elected at large and represents the entire community. Tex. Local elections often come down to hundreds of votes but often have a lot more All candidates answered a Marquee candidate survey. "Unfortunately, my opponent and the PAC are willing to put false information out and willing to twist narrative and use fear-mongering and use division," she said. Southlake's population has tripled to more than 31,000 over the past three decades, driven in part by immigrants from South Asia drawn to the area by high-paying jobs and highly ranked schools. Mainstream reporting on the school board elections for Carroll Independent School Districta total rout for candidates who supported the planwas extremely negative in tone, all but accusing Southlake voters of endorsing racism. 2400 N Carroll Ave (Cody Thorn/Community Impact), Editor, Grapevine-Colleyville-Southlake, Keller-Roanoke-Northeast Fort Worth. Over 9,000 people voted on Saturday, three times as many as in similar contests in the past, NBC News reported. All Rights Reserved. Hannah Smith, an attorney and mother of four, defeated Ed Hernandez. Voters in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, gave school board and city council candidates who oppose putting critical race theory in public school curriculums 70 percent of the vote in an election on Saturday. 5.1.2023 9:31 AM, J.D. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); NEXT: If COVID-19 Herd Immunity Is 'Not Attainable,' Does It Matter? Neither Carroll ISDs public information officer nor representatives for Southlake Families returned requests for comment. Thats why you are seeing the turnout you are seeing," said voter Sabrina Mobi. He won the seat on his first time running for office. "So goes Southlake," a local conservative commentator warned in the weeks leading up to the election, "so goes the rest of America.". In the Southlake school board election, candidates in the city were divided between two camps -- a bitter campaign reflecting a growing countrywide divide over how to address issues of race, gender and sexuality in schools. Yeagers also openly campaigned against the so-called critical race theory. Texas town elects candidates opposed to school diversity plan, a proposal to combat racial and cultural intolerance in schools, a video of white Carroll high school students chanting the N-word, Texas town in spotlight after parents push back against diversity plan. Terms Of Use, (Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com), Rivian Continues To Hemorrhage Money Despite $1.5 Billion in State Incentives, Minnesota Is Poised To Join 22 Other States in Legalizing Recreational Marijuana, Oren Cass Notices One of Industrial Policy's Fatal Flaws, Regulators Seize First Republic Bank and Sell It to JPMorgan Chase, Pro-Lifers Pushed Too Far and Doomed 2 Abortion Bans. The Order of Election is posted in accordance with Section 3.004 and Section 3.005of the Texas Election Code and Carroll ISD Board Policy BBBA(LEGAL). When all ballots were counted, the April 4 election was decided by a . The city is 79% White, and the median income is about $240,000, according to the US Census Bureau. Jamie Williams Treasurer 2020 - 2026 jwilliams@solake.org. "I'm not surprised, but I'm disturbed," said Nikki Olaleye, a Black 12th grade student at Carroll Senior High School, who has been an outspoken critic of the school system's handling of racist and anti-gay bullying. An administrator was also caught on a recording suggesting teachers have books with opposing views on the Holocaust. ", Many colleges and universities have systems for reporting and tracking microaggressions; for the most part, this has been a disaster. The vast majority of school board elections nationwide are nonpartisan, meaning candidates are not required to state their party affiliation and there are no primaries. The voters have come together in record-breaking numbers to restore unity, Smith told NBC. . On the last day to file for a place on the General Election ballot, Friday, February 17, 2023, the Carroll ISD Administration building will remain open until 5:00 p.m. All Candidate Applications must be received no later than Friday, February 17, 2023 at 5:00 pmregardless of delivery method. Two trustees who support the plan, Carroll ISD board president Michelle Moore and vice president Todd Carlton, were indicted last month on charges of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. In May, two other candidates backed by Southlake Families PAC won seats on the Carroll school board in a bitter election that foreshadowed the nationwide fight over how to address issues of race, gender and sexuality in schools. Kushwaha, the founder of the anti-racism coalition, said she hopes that despite the results of the election, Carroll ISDs students will continue to have a voice. In the end, the contest was not close. A fun fact about Hannah is she has previously broken both of her arms both times from falling off monkey bars. An NBC News review of school board elections in 20 suburban Texas school districts revealed more than 40 candidates running campaigns focused, at least in part, on culture war issues that have monopolized national politics. Shes also turned down endorsements from Democratic groups and declined invitations to speak at partisan events hosted by both Republicans and Democrats. | The proposal also suggested creating the position of director of equity and inclusion to oversee the district's efforts. It's quite another to be on the lookout for any alleged microaggressiona concept that in some hands includes innocuously asking where someone is from. But I think it takes having a good representation of all to really make a school what it can be.. Candidates were asked, in 75 words or fewer, to state their top goal (s) if elected. The controversy is drawing national attention from prominent conservatives, including Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Dana Loesch, a Southlake resident and the former spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association. It has become a target of conservatives, with Texas lawmakers working to advance a bill that would ensure social studies teachers focus on traditional history and refrain from discussing certain concepts related to race and racism. The effort was, in part, a recognition of changing demographics. (NBC News is part of NBCUniversal.). I dont want to see any child taught to believe that they are a villain or a victim, she said when asked whether she was concerned with the way race and racism is addressed in Dripping Springs schools. The Southlake election results drew national attention, including on Fox News and other conservative outlets, and . That seems like a recipe for disaster. I feel like were definitely playing catch-up, Hansen said. "I don't feel like we're at a place right now where either side is talking to the other side. "What's most important to me is that we have dialogue," said Rudman, whose children attend private school. Southlake Families PAC, meanwhile, sent out mailers accusing the pro-diversity plan candidates of pushing for "radical socialism" in Southlake. 6:34 PM on May 4, 2021 CDT Updated at 8:29 PM on May 4, 2021 CDT. The last day to register to vote was Thursday, April 6. Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett Street, Fort Worth. "Southlake had opportunities to do it on its own, but the community decided not to do that.". If you are interested in becoming a City Council candidate, please visit our City Council - Running for Office webpage. His opponent, Stephanie Williams, a former teacher who supported the diversity plan, received 34.6 percent. So it's not going to be like this forever.". Southlakes incoming mayor, City Council member John Huffman, could not be reached by phone and did not return multiple requests for comment via email, which is his preferred method of contact, Southlake public information officer Pilar Schank said. Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. | Residents could begin filing to run for those. School board. "This was about protecting students," Willams said. Southlake Mayor John Huffman issued a statement suggesting that the federal investigation might have been launched to retaliate against the city for electing three school board members who opposed . The plan is in limbo after a mother in the district filed a lawsuit last year claiming that the board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act, and a Tarrant County judge granted a temporary restraining order barring the district from moving ahead with it. "Like I said, we'll get mad, and then we'll regroup and we'll figure out where we go now. Political observers, meanwhile, are watching these races as a test of whether battles over racism and LGBTQ issues will continue to drive turnout heading into the November midterms. Black residents make up less than 2 percent of the population in a city where the median household income is more than $230,000 and 74 percent of residents are white. Several parents said the plan would infringe on their Christian values by teaching children about issues affecting gay and transgender classmates. Place 5: A.J. "I don't want to think about that right now, because it's really, really hard for me. I feel like people are lobbing grenades back and forth, and to me, that's the most important thing that needs to be dealt with.". A pair of candidates running on a conservative platform for seats on the Grapevine-Colleyville board of trustees raised more than $47,000 combined for their campaigns as of Friday. She and Quintero have been endorsed by Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican whose congressional district includes Dripping Springs. The current school board has more liberal type, leftist views, which theres nothing wrong with that. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Digital and Print from the University of North Texas and began her journalism career at the North Texas Daily. CISD Administration Building Throughout the campaign, Yeager, a father of three, warned that the proposal and a list of additional demands published by a student activist group would ruin Carrolls tradition of excellence. The majority-white but quickly diversifying school system is one of the top performing districts in Texas. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. More than 9,000 voters cast ballots, three times as many as in similar contests in the past. Robbins declined to comment Tuesday afternoon, and Torres-Lepp did not respond to a request for comment. Updated Protesters gathered outside the administration building, holding signs with George Floyds last words, I cant breathe, before the board voted to make masks optional starting June 1. While there are seven Council places, they are not divided into geographic districts. A student holds up a sign against banning CRT holds up a sign as members of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School Board meet in Placentia on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. If you are voting by mail, your application to vote by mail must be received . "I don't want to think about all these kids that shared their stories, their testimonies," Hernandez said, growing emotional Saturday moments after having learned the election results. "I want to keep it that way.". In total, thats seven times more than what candidates raised the last time these two seats were up for election, three years ago. May 2025 - Place 6 and Place 7 will be elected. Southlake Style reported on Sunday that Hannah Smith and Cameron "Cam" Bryan, both of whom vocally opposed CRT, received nearly 70% of the vote in their respective races in the Dallas-area. Angela Jones, a Black Southlake resident and mother of four, said "just doling out punishment" won't be enough. Early voting begins Monday, April 24, and ends Tuesday, May 2. In the end, the contest was not close. Early voting began April 24 and runs through May 2 for the May 6 general election in Tarrant County. Yeager, a regional ad sales executive for NBCUniversal-owned TV stations, won 65.4 percent of the more than 9,400 ballots cast. And I'm just so grateful to hear of parents who are doing something. ", "The voters have come together in record-breaking numbers to restore unity," Smith said. The misdemeanor charge was linked to messages exchanged before an August 2020 board meeting to discuss the cultural competence plan, according to copies of the indictments. for an appointee to an office, the date the appointment is made; is registered to vote in the territory from which the office is elected on the date described above; and. Southlake Carroll ISD teachers told Holocaust lessons need 'opposing viewpoints'. Anna Caplan, Special Contributor. On the other, conservatives in Southlake rejected the school diversity plan as an effort to indoctrinate students with a far-left ideology that, according to some, would institutionalize discrimination against white children and those with conservative Christian values. According to Tarrant County Elections, Southlake's Town Hall saw the most early voters across the entire county by far with 7,000 ballots cast. The plan's been on hold. Williams and her supporters came up short Tuesday evening but is remaining hopeful. School board elections in Texas are non-partisan. VALPARAISO The Porter County Election Board voted Thursday against approving a a last-minute change to a polling site at Flint Lake Elementary School. To demonstrate the need for change, members of the student-led Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition collected more than 300 accounts from current and former Carroll students last year who said they had been mistreated because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. And what was ultimately developed was a vehicle, in my opinion, to introduce critical race theory.. 5.1.2023 7:00 AM, 2022 Reason Foundation | So to me, the whole equal, that is just a cue word for, youre going to try to put in critical race theory, one of the group members said in the video, referring to the academic study of systemic racism that conservatives have redefined to describe lessons on racism and gender that they find objectionable. All but one of the 11 Tarrant County conservative school board candidates, who were backed this year by several high-profile donors and big-money PACs, defeated their opponents during. Day said she believes her approach is resonating with voters. God knows your sinister agenda in trying to get a seat on a school board when you have no children, Anderson wrote to Markowitz in a recent Facebook comment. Markowitz, a professor of health education at the University of Houston, called Andersons allegations outrageous and said she just wants to ensure students have access to a wide variety of age-appropriate books, so they dont leave high school completely unaware of different issues, like abuse and alcoholism, gang violence, gun violence, and, yes, sex., Its exhausting to know that people are purposely slandering your name in a community where youve simply tried to do whats right for everyone for so long, said Markowitz, who unsuccessfully ran for the state board of education in 2018. And if that educated citizenry is being controlled by certain political ideologies, regardless of whether thats Republican or Democrat, then I would be concerned for what that means going forward.. Candidates in Saturday's Southlake City Council and school board elections are being called out for their previous support of O'Rourke, a Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S.. 2005-2023 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Whether they voted for me or my opponent, they want to be involved in the process," he said. Hansen, the director of Texas Blue Action Democrats, said the groups volunteers have been knocking on doors in Dripping Springs to ask progressive residents to vote in the school board election, but she confirmed that Day declined her groups endorsement offer. To burden them with enforcing a new system of tracking microaggressions and implementing an ever-changing standard of diversity and inclusion, at this moment, seems very insensitive to the job they are facing in the fall.. The results have the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition, a group led by current and former students, and others vowing to continue their push for diversity, equity and inclusion in Carroll ISD in spite of the election results. Were literally asking for our humanity to be recognized, she said. Hernandez, an immigrant from Mexico, said he worries about the signal the outcome sends to dozens of Carroll high school students and recent graduates who came forward with stories about racist and anti-gay bullying over the past two years. State Board of Education - The lesser of 2,000 signatures or 3% of active registered voters of a qualified political party within the state board of education district . With all 176 voting centers now reporting results, the May 1 unofficial vote counts are in from Tarrant County. For nearly 10 years, she wrote restaurant reviews for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and her work has appeared in 360 West, Eater Dallas, Edible DFW, A+C magazine, D CEO, GlobeSt.com and Houstonia magazine. is 18 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election or on the date of appointment, as applicable; has not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote; has not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities; has resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding the following date: for an independent candidate, the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate's application for a place on the ballot; for a write-in candidate, the date of the election at which the candidate's name is written in; or. One year after conservative parents began packing school board meetings nationwide to protest lessons on racism and library books dealing with sex, sexual orientation and gender, those issues are dominating May 7 school board elections across Texas, especially in the booming and fast-diversifying suburbs outside Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Carroll ISD - Andrew Yeager and Alex Sexton (both endorsed) Grapevine/Colleyville ISD - Tammy Nakamura (endorsed) and Kathy Spradley. . The school board election was one-sided; Candidates in favor of diversity plan "not surprised by the outcome" Southlake grabbed national headlines in 2018 over a racist video Receive our in-depth coverage of education issues and stories that affect North Texans. All but one of the 11 Tarrant County conservative school board . Yeager didn't respond to a message requesting an interview. | Neither incident occurred on school property, which limited administrators' ability to respond to them: Hateful speech is protected by the First Amendment, and it is proper to resist the notion that public schools' punitive powers should extend well beyond the campus. Candidates backed by the conservative Southlake Families PAC, which has raised more than $200,000 since last summer, won every race by anywhere from 70% to 30%, including two school board positions, two City Council seats and mayor. (Hannah Johnson/Community Impact), Reporter, Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake & Keller, Roanoke and Northeast Fort Worth. Her opponent Elisha Rurka earned 30.06% of the vote, or 2,800 votes. At a school board meeting in Southlake, Texas on Monday night, former student Jake Berman took the mic and uttered these powerful, and unfortunately necessary . Robby Soave Southlake Families PAC leaders did not respond to messages requesting an interview. "Southlake, we did it!" Smith exclaimed at a victory party on Saturday night. The intense partisan focus on these races has also led to harsh personal attacks and animosity not typically seen in small-town elections, according to review of social media posts and interviews with a dozen candidates. The idea is to prevent partisan conflicts from interfering with effective governance of local schools, but some Republicans nationwide are seeking to change that in the wake of fights over school shutdowns and other Covid policies. Mike Hixenbaugh is a senior investigativereporter for NBC News, based in Houston. For months, conservative parents packed school board meetings, decrying aspects of the proposal that they said would have created diversity police and amounted to reverse racism against white children. They also held signs calling for Moore, the board president, to resign. After Yeager is sworn in, trustees aligned with Southlake Families PAC will hold a 4-3 majority on the Carroll school board, giving the group power to shape the . Yeager has been representing Place 7 for Carroll ISD since winning a special election for the seat in November. Municipal elections are held annually on the first Saturday in May, as authorized by state law. Jones said she was disappointed by the election results, but she's not giving up. The fight in Southlake dates back three years, long before opposing critical race theory became a talking point among Republican politicians. And Im concerned about not only not addressing the needs of those kids, but perhaps even going backward.". Bryan, an aviation executive, won the Place 4 seat on the Carroll ISD board with 68% of the vote over Lynda Warner, a community volunteer. Southlake residents who live in Denton County can find election information at VoteDenton.gov, 1400 Main StreetSuite 460Southlake, TX 76092Phone: 817-748-8400, Southlake Town Hall is a Tarrant County Vote Center location, and qualified voters may vote at any polling location within Tarrant County during Early Voting and on Election Day. My conservative views right now are not represented on the current school board, Ashley McCombs said in an interview. The election made Southlake one of the first places in the country where candidates running on an anti-critical race theory platform have taken a school board majority. In one extreme example, a conservative school board candidate running in the affluent Eanes Independent School District in Austin has raised more than $160,000 for his campaign on par with what some candidates spend to win seats in the Texas Legislature. They handily chose a candidate who ran against a diversity plan that the district's been developing since 2018. More and more, you see these national partisan issues showing up in races down ballot, and thats especially true of school boards.. Tex. A special election to replace a board member of the Carroll Independent School District who resigned this summer definitively shifted the balance of power to opponents of the proposed Cultural Competence Action Plan. The plan was met with swift and fierce opposition. Several school board members said theyre worried about the way these changes could impact schools. Residents in Northwest ISD will also be able to vote on the district's $1.9 billion bond package. Candidates backed by the conservative Southlake Families PAC, which has raised more than $200,000 since last summer, won every race by about 70 percent to 30 percent, including those for two school board positions, two City Council seats and mayor. I will not co-parent with the government, the caption read in part. They really feel under attack on top of having an incredibly rough two years, really helping families hold it together by keeping schools open during the pandemic., I dont want to be hyperbolic, Day added, but I do believe that the future of public education is at stake., campaigned to ban graphic novels about Black middle school-age boys, attempts to ban the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act, attempts to ban books featuring LGBTQ characters and storylines, A Towering, Terrifying Demon Horse Isnt Even the Weirdest Part, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, Gwyneth Paltrow won't recoup attorney fees in ski crash suit, 'Zombie' misinformation: 'Rape Day' hoax resurfaces on TikTok, 'Very homophobic': Teachers' union leader Randi Weingarten says House hearing crossed the line, Factbox-U.S. debt ceiling standoff: Platinum coins, the 14th Amendment could be paths out, Fans in Dubai check in for Sunday Mug Shots, Lainey Wilson showcases her singular voice, desert cool at Stagecoach, First Alert Weather: CBS2 8 p.m. update 04/30/2023. 4:31 PM Jan 18, 2023 CST, The Carroll ISD board of trustees has three positions up for election this spring. satisfies any other eligibility requirements prescribed by law for the office. The people don't want racist indoctrination in our schools.Just look at Southlake, Texasover 9,000 people showed up to defeat a slate of Critical Race Theorists running for school board by a 70 to 30% margin.Local elections matter. Andrew Yeager, a TV ad sales executive, won a school board race against Stephanie Williams, a former teacher. Secretary 2020 - 2024 jmiller@solake.org. The plan called for mandatory cultural sensitivity training for all Carroll students and teachers, a formal process to report and track incidents of racist bullying and changes to the code of conduct to hold students accountable for acts of discrimination. The employee was referencing a bill passed over the summer requiring teachers to include multiple perspectives when teaching social events in history. In an interview, Barnard said she was running a campaign focused on our taxpayers, the budget, the expenditures and the curriculum., My campaign is nonpartisan, Barnard said, drawing a distinction between her run for school board and her personal political views. Antonia Hylton is a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. Having served on the district diversity committee, Jones said she believes all students would benefit from new educational programs to help students understand why it's wrong to pick on classmates based on their race, religion or sexual orientation. I really see that some of these issues, like CRT and the allegations that librarians and teachers are bringing inappropriate material into schools, are really having a huge impact on our teaching staff, she said.
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