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Irving ISD trustee candidates stress COVID measures, teacher retention and remote-learning improvements
Summary
Trustee candidates at the League of Women Voters forum emphasized student and staff safety, support and pay for teachers, stronger parent involvement using remote tools, and transparency; trustees said the district follows CDC guidance and posts daily case dashboards.
Candidates for Irving ISD Board of Trustees emphasized safety, teacher retention and family engagement during a League of Women Voters forum that covered COVID protocols, online learning and transparency.
Multiple candidates said the district should follow public-health guidance and prioritize safety. Trustee Rosemary said the district is "following all protocols, national, state, the CDC" and pointed viewers to an ISD dashboard that reports daily counts of staff and student cases. Jose, a trustee candidate, said the safety of students and staff should be the first priority and said the board must "lean very heavily on the advice of public health authorities." Michael Kelly and other candidates praised hybrid and remote options that give parents a choice.
On staffing, candidates agreed competitive pay and a supportive work environment are essential to retain teachers. Trustee Rosemary, drawing on school-administration experience, warned that losing veteran teachers is costly, while Jose and others called for professional development and culture-building to keep educators.
Candidates urged using tools developed during the pandemic to boost parent involvement, including Zoom meetings, parent liaisons and flexible scheduling. Charles suggested continuing remote access methods developed this year so parents can more easily participate in school activities.
An audience-submitted question raised transparency concerns about whether any candidate had accepted a separation agreement exceeding $300,000 and whether nondisclosure would affect fitness to serve. Candidates responded that transparency is important; Charles said he has "never had a situation where I felt like I was misled by the district." No candidate disclosed such an agreement during the forum.
In closing, candidates pledged to support teachers, students and fiscal prudence; the moderator reminded viewers about early voting and Election Day and pointed them to vote411.org for election information.
