KSST Sent These Questions to District 12 BOE Candidates: Jamie Kohlmann’s Responses

Here are the questions and responses given by candidate Jamie Kohlmann.

1) If proposed school vouchers legislation passes, how would it affect district 12?

The State Board of Education does not have any ability to directly influence school choice legislation. However, if the legislature passes school choice, parents would have the ability to send their kids to schools of their choosing – and as we’ve seen in states like Florida, this competition can help improve public school performance. As to the financial impact, that would depend on the specific bill as passed by the Legislature.

2) How would the alternate plan to vouchers, called the Education Emancipation Act, affect the district?

The SBOE cannot directly influence legislative issues. That said, in general I am in favor of anything that relieves Texans of increasingly burdensome property taxes. Furthermore, it would likely alleviate some concerns from private school parents on government overreach and strings that could be attached to voucher programs. My only concern with this proposal is that it relies on a property tax system – and personally, I’d like to see our legislature get rid of the property tax in Texas!

3) Do you think School Districts should cooperate with home school families to let their children participate in public school athletics and other programs?

More choice is always better. My sister-in-law homeschools her six kids in Iowa, and in that state, homeschoolers have full access to activities within their district. It’s a boon for their family’s kids and also expands the talent pool for district schools. And if homeschoolers chose not to participate, they could exercise that right.

4) Some people are calling for Public Schools to include financial literacy education for all students. Is this an obtainable goal, or are public schools currently overwhelmed?

There are already financial literacy standards in place for Texas public schools. It is an important life skill that has an impact that lasts far after graduation.

5) If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?

1) Increased student performance – currently, 81% of instructional materials in Texas public schools are below grade level, a failing of the current Board. We must better align instructional materials with state standards to raise student performance and lessen the planning burden on teachers.

2) A strong, pro-Western Social Studies Curriculum. The previous board kicked those standards down the road after allowing the TEA to fill the working committees with leftists. We must ensure our kids are taught True History aligned with the Texas Values that make our state great.

3) Increased transparency. Right now, it is very difficult to track how our SBOE members vote. We need more votes on record so constituents can hold their representatives accountable. The SBOE should emulate the state house by implementing voting machines, a visual vote display and recording of all votes. .

6) Recently, several arrests have been made in Texas involving school district staff/educators involved in sexual misconduct with students. Do you think this is somehow linked to districts having trouble finding qualified employees/teachers?

Possibly. I think another factor is that extreme gender ideology has crept into our schools under the watch of the existing Board. This gives a passive green light to perverts. We must remove that from our schools. When we do, we signal that Texas schools are not places for predators.