Voters will head to the polls starting this month to elect their representatives on local town councils and school boards. In addition, there will be special elections on some ballots in southern Denton County.
Early voting for the Saturday, May 3 General Election runs from Tuesday, April 22 to Tuesday, April 29. Find more voter information on the Denton County Elections Administration website at www.votedenton.gov.
The Cross Timbers Gazette emailed questionnaires to candidates in selected contested local municipal and school board elections. Below is each candidate’s profile, listed alphabetically. Incumbents are marked with an (i). Complete candidate profiles are available at CrossTimbersGazette.com.
Board of Trustees Place 5 (3-year term)
Phyliciá Anderson, 37
City/Town of residence: Aubrey
How long have you resided in the school district you wish to represent? 16 years
Current occupation: Teacher
Education: Ph.D. in Literacy, Language and Culture (Texas Woman’s University)
M.A. in New Media Journalism (Full Sail University)
B.A. in Journalism-Public Relations (University of North Texas)
Previous or current service on governmental/communal/civic boards: Denton Educational Improvement Council Member
Literacy Research Association DSIG Treasurer
Associate Principal Committee Member
Campus Leadership Team Member
Graduation Committee Member
Curriculum Writing Team Member
Professional Learning Community Team Lead
What motivated you to run this position and why are you the best choice? Teachers have lasting impacts on the success students experience for years to come. As a wife, mother and educator with more than 13 years of experience, I have trained teachers, developed curriculum, implemented equitable literacy practices and championed teacher support and retention. I understand the challenges teachers face daily and know that when teachers have the resources, respect and trust they need, it is the students who reap the greatest rewards.
New policies are changing every day with teachers at the core of their implementation. My experience has awarded me the necessary skills to make informed, collaborative decisions that lead to data-driven solutions. If elected, I will work tirelessly to restore trust in educators, increase the safety and security of learning environments for all and strengthen partnerships to ensure every student has access to a strong community.
Do you have children enrolled in the school district you wish to represent? Yes, my husband and I have four children currently enrolled at the elementary, middle, and high school levels within the school district.
Mission statement: Every student and teacher deserves a safe and secure learning environment. If elected, I will work to strengthen partnerships between parents, teachers, administrators, and school safety teams to implement a data-driven approach to student discipline that is focused on growth, accountability and opportunity. The plan will have little to no impact on the budget and can be implemented immediately.
Candidate website: https://www.phyliciaandersonfordentonisd.com/
Candidate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572994967284
Charles Stafford, 72 (i)
City/Town of residence: Denton
How long have you resided in the school district you wish to represent? 46 years
Current occupation: Real Estate Broker
Education: Honor Grad from Lubbock Monterey H.S. 1970
University of Texas at Austin PLan II honors program 1970-1974
Previous or current service on governmental/communal/civic boards: Current Trustee DISD Board
Denton County Central Appraisal district
Former Director and Past President – Texas Association of School Boards
Treasurer – Mexican American School Boards Association
Founding Board President – Children’s Advocacy center
Founding Board President – Denton Public School Foundation
Denton Chamber of Commerce
Greater Denton-Wise Association of Realtors
Texas Association of realtors
National Association of Realtors
Board of Directors – Communities in Schools of North Texas
GOAL Youth soccer league
What motivated you to run this position and why are you the best choice? Public Education in Texas is at a crisis point. Lack of funding from the state is crippling our state’s schools. I have deep ties in the community and the experience we need to be successful. Experience matters. I have proven leadership skills and experiences which will help us through this dark time.
Do you have children enrolled in the school district you wish to represent? Four grandchildren
Mission statement: I promise to use all of my leadership skills and hard-earned experience to help Denton ISD continue to manage its growth in a fiscally responsible way; so that when the current crisis is behind us we will be poised to surge ahead.
Candidate website: https://www.charlesstaffordfordentonisd.com/home
Candidate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CharlesRStaffordDentonISDPlace5
