Q&A
1. What do you hope to accomplish?
In recent years, the district has made decisions that have created instability through uneven resource allocation, rushed school closures, and policies that make it harder for teachers to do their jobs and for students to thrive. With a significant budget shortfall ahead, it’s critical that we make thoughtful, transparent decisions that prioritize students.
Ultimately, my goal is to help ensure that every decision we make as a board centers students. This will strengthen our schools, support our teachers, and give every student the opportunity to succeed.
2. What is your position on vouchers?
I do not support the use of public funds for private school vouchers. Public education funding should remain focused on strengthening our public schools, which serve all students and are accountable to the community. Many private schools are not held to the same academic, financial, or nondiscrimination standards, including requirements related to the separation of church and state.
Texas SB2 directs public funds to private schools that may not accept all students—including those with disabilities or from diverse backgrounds—and are not accountable to taxpayers in the same way public schools are. It diverts resources from public school districts and, in practice, often subsidizes tuition for students already enrolled in private schools. The impact is predictable: students who rely most on public education—especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds—lose the most. For a district like Spring Branch Independent School District, which is already working to address resource disparities, this only compounds the challenge.
I believe we should continue to look for ways to better support students with special needs and provide families with appropriate services. However, those solutions should strengthen public education, not shift resources away from it.
3. What is your position on book challenges and library access in SBISD?
I oppose book bans. Removing books because they address race or include LGBTQ+ perspectives limits students’ access to knowledge and undermines an honest education. It marginalizes students who deserve to see themselves reflected in what they read.
Parents already have the right to guide what their own children can access. Removing access to books for everyone based on personal opinion alone is not appropriate. Of course, there are and should be guidelines. As a board member, I would insist that every challenge follow a clear, consistent, and transparent process and push to bring educators and librarians back into the process. I would advocate for narrow implementation, protect professional review, and reject broad or automated approaches that remove books without context.
Students are best served by access to a wide range of ideas. That is what I would work to protect.
4. What does Board leadership look like for you?
My approach to school board leadership is straightforward: be clear about priorities, use data to guide decisions, and follow through with communication and community involvement. It also means working with other trustees and the community to build alignment around what improves outcomes for students.
Where I think the board can improve is in consistency. We have the data and the goals, but we don’t always use them to drive decisions, and implementation across campuses vary. One concrete step I would take is to establish a clear, public progress framework focused on student readiness, building on existing CCMR measures and incorporating a small set of key metrics to track progress along the way. This matters because gaps don’t start in high school. If emergent bilingual students are not fully supported in the early grades, those gaps widen over time and show up later in graduation and readiness outcomes. It is important to note that all of this should be done with the input from the community.
This is not about creating new goals, necessarily. It is about using the ones we already have to guide decisions, track progress, and ensure follow-through. Over the next three years, I would push for regular reporting by campus and student groups, including early literacy and language development, so we can see where students are falling behind and respond sooner.
When progress is visible and tied to real outcomes, it becomes much harder to ignore gaps and much easier to focus on what actually helps students succeed.
5. How will you address school safety?
Safety is non-negotiable. This means both physical security and creating an environment free from discrimination and fear. I will support initiatives that enhance school security measures while simultaneously fostering a culture of kindness and belonging where students can focus entirely on their education.
The most effective way to improve safety is prevention. That means investing in counselors, social workers, nurses, and behavioral supports, and expanding restorative practices that keep students engaged and accountable without pushing them out of school.
6. How will your leadership focus the board's discussion on student outcomes when making budgetary decisions?
Budget decisions should be tied directly to student outcomes and be supported by data, not made in isolation, nor tied to broader religious or political agendas.
That starts with asking clear questions before any major decision: How does this impact student learning? Which students are affected, and how? What does the data tell us about where support is needed most?
I would push for budget discussions that are anchored in measurable outcomes, including early literacy, language development, and college, career, and military readiness. That means looking beyond overall averages and focusing on results by campus and student group.
It also means being clear about tradeoffs. When cuts are necessary, we should prioritize protecting the programs and supports that have the greatest impact on students, especially those who rely most on school-based resources.
Also, transparency matters. The community should be able to see how decisions connect to outcomes and understand the rationale behind them.
7. SBISD's board has faced criticism for a lack of transparency and community engagement, particularly from Spanish-speaking families. What would you do differently to make board governance more accessible?
Right now, the issue isn’t whether engagement tools exist. It’s whether they’re being used in a way that builds trust.
We have surveys and formal processes, but many families feel decisions are already made before input is gathered. The public comment structure, tight sign-up windows, and limited dialogue reinforce that feeling, especially for working families and Spanish-speaking communities.
What I would do differently is focus on timing and access. Engagement has to happen earlier, before decisions are formed, and in places where families already are, not just at board meetings. That means smaller, community-based listening sessions, held at flexible times, with translation available. It also means attending PTA meetings and partnering with the PTA leadership team to create two-way communication channels.
I would also push for clearer follow-through. When the district asks for input, it should report back on what was heard and how it shaped the decision. That’s where trust is built or lost.
The tools are there. The gap is in how consistently and intentionally we use them to bring people into the process in a meaningful way.
8. Aside from compensation and benefits, what policy changes or enforcements do you propose to draw new teachers to the district and retain current educators?
Teacher attrition in SBISD isn’t hard to understand, the district has created conditions that make it difficult for teachers to stay.
Over the past few years, repeated restructuring, a $35M budget shortfall, and the elimination of more than 300 positions have created real instability. When librarians, specialists, and support staff are cut, that work doesn’t disappear, teachers do it. At the same time, teachers are managing more complex student needs, including language barriers and behavioral challenges, often without the support they need to be successful.
Inflation means that while pay has increased, real income hasn’t. It’s less than it was in 2015. . But beyond compensation, what I've learned most from educators is that the job itself has become harder to sustain.
If we want to retain and attract our teachers, we have to change. That means making decisions with enough lead time and transparency so campuses aren’t constantly in flux. It means rebuilding the supports that allow teachers to focus on instruction. It means ensuring teachers have access to behavioral, counseling, and language support so they can meet students where they are.
It also means taking a hard look at what we’re asking teachers to do outside the classroom, like compliance, testing, and administrative tasks, and being willing to scale back what isn’t directly tied to student learning. At the same time, we need to understand how resources that are currently in place are performing. Does it all work together to create the best environment for student learning.? Teachers should have a consistent, structured way to provide input before decisions are made, not after the fact.
9. What do you believe is the most important issue facing students today, and what is their greatest need from the school system?
For me, the most important issue facing students today is instability, both in their lives and in their schools.
Students are dealing with economic stress, mental health challenges, and rapid changes in technology, while schools are being asked to do more with less. In a largely Hispanic district, immigration concerns and language barriers add another layer of stress, making it even harder for some students to focus on school. Overcrowding is an issue in some schools, while others are underpopulated.
What students need most is consistency and support. That means stable classrooms, strong relationships with teachers, and access to the services that help them stay engaged and succeed. They need to know the adults in their lives can be trusted.
It also means being honest about where students are struggling and responding early, through literacy and language support, mental health services, and learning environments where students feel respected and included.
10. What is your approach to curriculum and learning?
I support evidence-based learning that prepares students for the real world. Our curriculum should encourage independent thinking, problem-solving, and a deep engagement with the world around them. We should strive for excellence in every subject area to prepare students for college, career, and life.
Have another question?
Jeri is committed to transparency and open dialogue. If you have a question about her vision for SBISD or her campaign, please submit it below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.