Questionnaire: Claudia Perez, candidate for Clint ISD Board of Trustees

Questionnaire for Claudia Perez, candidate for Clint ISD Board of Trustees

1.What motivated you to run for this position?

I have a son that is autistic, when we discover his diagnosis there was a lack of assistance from the district. I could have easily transfered him to another district but I knew that the possibility for this district to be great was there, it just needed a community involved leadership.

2. Please describe your personal and professional background.

I was born in Ciudad Juárez due to a family situation we had to move. We found a new home in California where I lived for over sixteen years. When my husband and I started growing our little family, we decided to move to a more family-oriented place, so we made Horizon our new home.

Most of my work experience is in Education, primarily with Parent Involvement. I am a strong believer of volunteering. I was responsible for the pantry in Agua Dulce which is administered by Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Whenever possible, I help out in the mobile pantries with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. Prior to COVID, I was volunteering at The Children’s Hospital.

3. How do you earn a living? Do you plan to continue if elected?

I am currently working through an employment agency. If elected, I plan to continue with my employment since it doesn’t interfere with my civic duties.

4. Please describe your education. Where did you get your high school diploma? What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned from where?

I graduated high school from Bell High School in California, where there was a diversity of cultures. I recently graduated from UTEP with a degree in Business Administration-Management. I am working on my MBA.

5. What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position?

I am a currently serving as first vice-president board trustee in Clint Independent School District. I also hold the chair position for The Far West School Board Association-Region 19. When my kids were in Head Start I served as part of Policy Council for about 4 years or so. This is were I was introduced to volunteering for the community, and I have loved it ever since.

6. If elected, what would be your three key priorities while in office? How would you fund these priorities?

One of my priorities has always been to have a partnership between teachers and parents, so that together we can create a well-rounded education system for our children.

Secondly, mental health is an important part of a child’s education. We need to teach them how to deal with their emotions and show them that there is always somebody there to hear them out or at least stand by them.

Third, a more community involved school board. For the board to be out and about, participate in school activities such as sports, debate or any other competitions that are important to our district students.

As you can see, these are activities which don’t require extra funding, and the one that does it is already in the works.

7. Have you previously run for office? If so, please list the positions sought and the outcome.

I currently hold the position of board trustee at-large which I ran for in 2016 and was elected.

8. Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? Have you ever had a civil judgment against you? Have you ever been in arrears on local, state or federal taxes? If so, please provide an explanation.

I have never been arrested and my taxes are up to date.

9. If elected, would you have any potential conflicts of interest that you are aware of that would impair your ability to serve? Please explain what they are and how you would avoid the conflict.

My husband is also a candidate for the Horizon district. Although we live in the same household and have similar ideas, he has a mind and decision-making of his own. And just how he respects and supports my decisions, so do I for him.

10. What are the qualities of a good public servant? How does your background and experience reflect those qualities?

I believe that to be a good servant, the candidate has to understand the community. Be open to listen to “all” its members regardless of their believes. A good candidate has to be open minded. Since I had the opportunity to work with low Income families and others that needed just a small push, I feel that I have acquire these qualities.

11. What are your values when it comes to a citizen’s access to government and transparency? Would you take calls from the media and agree to interview requests?

I believe that transparency is important, it helps create a trust among the community and the entities. I am always open to talk to the media as long as it is honest and un-biased.

12. Do you feel students are ready to go back to in-person learning or should they continue virtually? Do you feel your district’s schools are equipped for virtual learning?

My personal believe is that students should continue virtually as long as it is possible for them. I know that Clint Independent School District is well equipped for virtual learning, Thanks to Dr. Martinez's vision and mission, to move the district to a more technology prepare district we were ahead of the game when this unfortunate event hit the world.

13. What lessons were learned from COVID-19 and how can it influence improvements?

We learned that we were heading the right direction when it came to the technology investment the board had made.

14.Do you feel student athletes can begin safely traveling and competing?

We have the ability to keep our student’s safe in our community, but we don’t have the ability to predict other communities’ capacity to do the same.

15. Should school districts report positive COVID-19 cases by campus?

It is something that each district needs to see individually. We need to take into consideration the legal issues that can arise.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Questionnaire: Claudia Perez, candidate for Clint ISD Board of Trustees

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