Below, I address a few of the questions I have received about my beliefs in serving as a member of the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees. I do not have a campaign consultant. I manage my own website, Facebook page, and respond to all questions personally. If you have any questions, please visit the "Contact Me" page. I am happy to address any additional questions you may have about me or my campaign~Julie Harlin
1) Political stresses in our country have led in some places to loss of confidence in school boards and administrators, and even disruptions of meetings. How should we be prepared to deal with such situations if they arise here?
Our local school district is a microcosm of our state and nation. What is happening across the county could happen here. We must continue to stamp out ignorance by communicating the truth with grace and humility. Unfortunately, there are many who seek to divide, who are more interested in personal gain or division rather than in creating a united community. They may use buzz words to create division or doubt–CRT, fiscal transparency, defund the police, etc.
The mere mention of these terms signals that there are problems when in fact, they are hot button issues sometimes used to create a false narrative about our school systems. When our community members hear these terms used in relation to public school environments, I hope they listen and evaluate the context carefully to learn the truth about their schools, their elected school board, and the staff who serve our children. I hope they also carefully consider the motivations in using those specific terms by candidates or political parties.
We have a rigorous curriculum system in our state. Our state not only requires that we teach the curriculum approved by Texas Education Agency, but we must also follow all state and federal laws related to how we educate children. School board members are required to continuously engage in training to learn about changes in laws and policy to ensure that we are focused appropriately on governing our schools in ways to support those laws and policies.
Our school district budget and amendments are approved in open meetings, with expenditures posted on an open access website. Our closed session section of meetings are posted in advance of an open meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meeting Acts, just as is done in our City Council meetings. Meetings are livestreamed, recorded, and posted online. Community members may engage in public comment at any called board meeting and may contact board members via email or phone which are also posted on our public website. Suggestions that there is a lack of transparency because of time spent in closed session is interesting. No action can be taken in closed session. Board members receive updates on confidential matters that are posted on the agenda typically related to personnel matters, students issues, or legal advice. Any action resulting from discussion in closed session is made in the open session, ensuring transparency of process while protecting confidential student and personnel data. The same laws that apply to school districts also apply to city councils.
I mention all of this because we are vulnerable to a false narrative when we do not understand all the many ways community members can engage in knowing the work of the school district. Though the board and the district have responsibilities to maintaining open communication with our community, our community members also have a responsibility to learn more about the issues, processes, and laws impacting our school districts. Our first arm of defense in preparing to deal with politically motivated stress and disruption is to be informed about what is actually happening in our school district rather than listening only to messages that purposefully ignite fear and division.
2) Is Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in our schools?
I see opponents and political parties use the term CRT often. I am not sure they know what it means. Critical race theory stems from higher education research and literature that seeks to explain social constructs and systems of power related to race. One of the underlying foundations of CRT is that racism is systemic in our country.
While that definition may get your attention and elicit an emotional response, now is a good time to mention that CRT is not part of our curriculum in public schools. The curriculum taught in our public schools is approved through an exhaustive process through the Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education. The Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency is appointed by the governor and the State Board of Education is elected.
I am confident that our Bryan ISD teachers teach the approved curriculum in our state which does not include CRT.
3) What do you see as the role of charter schools in our educational system?
According to the Texas Education Agency, charters were developed in Texas in 1995 to encourage more innovation since they are subject to fewer state laws than other public schools. Charters, when done well, can meet specific niche needs in communities.
Unfortunately, because of the reduced accountability, there have been many cases of waste, fraud, and abuse in charter schools in Texas and across the nation. This article from 2021 describes some of the waste, fraud, and abuse that has occured in Texas charter schools, noting that at least 72 of the 232 Texas charter schools that received money from the federal charter schools program between 2006 and 2014 were already closed or never opened at all. The amount received for these schools was about $24 million (DeMatthews & Knight, 2021).
From my perspective, there must be accountability and oversight for any entity that receives public funds for educational purposes. In addition, charters should be subject to admit and support every child who applies, just as public schools do.
4) What is your perspective on school choice/vouchers?
It is interesting to me that while we have so many responsibilities to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency, there are efforts underfoot to divert public dollars to private entities with no oversight or accountability. I am absolutely against any proposals that divert public tax dollars to private entities.
Private schools are private for a reason. They follow none of the rules imposed upon public school districts. They can hire anyone they want as teachers with no certification requirements; they do not have to accept any student who applies; they do not have to serve special needs students; they do not have to follow any curriculum requirements; they do not have TEA standardized testing or state accountability systems imposed upon them.
It is also interesting to note that an $8000 credit (which is what has been proposed and is more than we receive per student for average daily attendance), will not go very far in paying for a private education at most schools. The private schools in the Brazos Valley range from $10,000 per year to over $20,000 per year.
Lastly, I believe that parents already have a choice on sending their students to public, charter, or private schools. I am not in favor of using public tax dollars to subsidize those choices. The last year schools had an increase in the basic allotment was in 2019. Funding our public schools is critical to the success of our communities for the future.
5) How will you prioritize your limited funding?
It is no secret that school budgets are incredibly tight and the model for funding them ridiculously complex. The demands upon the budget are continuously strained by rising costs in almost every budget category. Families have seen increased costs in insurance, food, and supplies, just as school districts have. In addition, our state continues to pass many mandates which do not come with added resources. Lastly, over the last several years, the burden of funding our public schools has shifted from state appropriated dollars to our local tax payers. This has happened while the state’s budget surplus has continued to increase. Student learning, staff salaries, safety, and maintenance are all priorities that must be addressed with the limited funding received.
As a school district must continue to prioritize student learning and support those who support our students. Over 80% of our school district budget goes to staff salaries. While we were able to do a 2% raise this year, we recognize the need to do more. This also means that there is a very small pie for the other pieces that are necessary for our public schools to thrive.
Safety is always a priority. Bryan ISD has maintained an MOU with Bryan Police Department for many years. We are grateful for our relationships with our School Resources Officers and their contributions to keeping our students and staff safe. As part of a new underfunded state law requirement, as Board President, I led the effort to create a contract with a security company to provide armed personnel at every elementary and intermediate school campus.
Maintenance of our aging school buildings and bus fleet is a continued challenge, but a necessary part of the budget equation. Through conservative fiscal responsibility and transparency, Bryan ISD has been able to maintain an A+ financial rating while working to meet the many demands on the budget.
We are currently implementing our bond funds approved by voters in 2020. This work is overseen by the school board as well as the Bond Oversight Committee which includes parents, community members, teachers, and administrators. Passing a bond allowed us to build two new buildings (Sadberry Intermediate School and the Ruby Haliburton Auxillary Complex), make critical improvements to safety, and maintain many of our aging buildings.
Unfortunately, we are unable to “save in advance” for these types of capital expenditures. The state of Texas requires that we only keep 60-90 days of operating expenses in our fund balance. The only mechanism available to schools for these types of capital improvement is through the passage of bonds approved by our voters. I am grateful for the support of our community to ensure our buildings and infrastructures are up to date and well-maintained. I am also thankful that our fiscal responsibility and transparency allowed us to pass these bonds without a tax rate increase. And, just to be clear, school districts have no say your assessed property values.
6) Teacher recruitment and retention are becoming major problems nationwide. How should we be prepared to address them in Brazos County?
Across the nation, teachers are leaving the profession. Research indicates that there are many reasons for the departure. Low salary, difficult students and parents, and not feeling valued as a professional top the list of reasons why teachers leave.
In Bryan ISD, I recognize that we will always have some turnover. Teachers come to our district to support a partner who is attending Texas A&M University. When the partner graduates, they move because their partner receives a high paying job in another location.
Aside from that scenario, I believe we should aim to create a culture and climate that values and supports our teachers. Signaling value comes in many ways. It could be that value is signaled by the efforts of our school board and administrators to support increased starting salaries, retention bonuses, the teacher incentive allotment process, and increased dollars for more years of experience or education attained. Value can also be signaled in our campus communities–do our teachers feel a sense of belonging to their principals, their teaching partners, the staff at the school, and by the families in the school? Value can also be signaled in our community by businesses, churches, and families across our district.
I am grateful for a community with so much to offer. Downtown Bryan and our surrounding areas provide a thriving environment where people feel welcome and excited to join community activities. It is my hope that we have the type of community and school district that teachers hate to leave, where they feel valued and supported throughout their entire career.
7) What are your qualifications for the position of School Board member?
I have served as a member of the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees for the past seven years and currently have the honor of serving as Board President. I have lived in this community for almost 30 years and am fully invested in the success of our school district, our students, their families, and our community.
I grew up in a small town in South Texas. I am grateful for the many teachers, 4-H club leaders, FFA advisors, and others who poured into the shy girl I once was. I could not imagine then that I would have the opportunity to graduate with a bachelor and masters from Texas A&M University, and ultimately earn a Ph.D. I never could have imagined then that I would return to Texas A&M to lead the program I had graduated from, with opportunities to serve as speaker of the Faculty Senate and Associate Dean for the Graduate and Professional School, leading professional development efforts for graduate students and facilitating partnerships with Prairie View A&M University. I also conduct research and have grants aimed at improving student success in STEM fields.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in roles that impact my work and life spaces, but my most important role to date is that of mom. Watching my son grow into a wonderful young man has been the joy of my life. I believe that is true for all families. We all want what is best for our children. Though the paths might be different for our children, having opportunities to thrive are important to us all.
As a former high school ag teacher who led a teacher education program at Texas A&M, I am acutely aware of the impact of our local school district on our students, their families, and our community as a whole. The work of all of our staff, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, school nurses, counselors, and administrative professionals, are essential for the success of the students in our district.
Seeking ways to help our staff all feel valued as they support our students and their families is incredibly important to me as a board member. As a parent, I am thankful for every staff member who poured into my own son in his journey, k-12 in Bryan ISD. His success now at Texas A&M is a tribute to their efforts that I am forever grateful for.
In am excited for the future of Bryan ISD. I have worked to significantly improve graduation rates, increase the opportunities in advanced academics and career and technical education, and improve family engagement in our schools, post covid. The Essential 8 Character Development program, a homegrown program aimed at ensuring our students develop the skills necessary to succeed and thrive, along with the Student Ambassador Program, happened with the help of my leadership. I am thrilled to support our outstanding athletes, fine arts programs, and career and technical programs.
Last year the district earned the highest rating ever received by the Texas Education Agency while earning an A+ financial rating every year I have served.
There is always more work to do. We cannot rest on these successes. We must leverage those successes to continue to find ways to ensure every child is fully prepared for success in work and life, able to leave with the skills necessary to earn high wages and contribute to our community as valued citizens.
Board members are elected as Trustees. I am humbled by the honor to serve in this trusted role and am thrilled at the prospect of continuing to serve our community in the future. My role as a board member is to provide oversight to the school district and our one employee, the superintendent, to ensure that children and their families remain the center of all of our decisions. Children first. Always!
1) Political stresses in our country have led in some places to loss of confidence in school boards and administrators, and even disruptions of meetings. How should we be prepared to deal with such situations if they arise here?
Our local school district is a microcosm of our state and nation. What is happening across the county could happen here. We must continue to stamp out ignorance by communicating the truth with grace and humility. Unfortunately, there are many who seek to divide, who are more interested in personal gain or division rather than in creating a united community. They may use buzz words to create division or doubt–CRT, fiscal transparency, defund the police, etc.
The mere mention of these terms signals that there are problems when in fact, they are hot button issues sometimes used to create a false narrative about our school systems. When our community members hear these terms used in relation to public school environments, I hope they listen and evaluate the context carefully to learn the truth about their schools, their elected school board, and the staff who serve our children. I hope they also carefully consider the motivations in using those specific terms by candidates or political parties.
We have a rigorous curriculum system in our state. Our state not only requires that we teach the curriculum approved by Texas Education Agency, but we must also follow all state and federal laws related to how we educate children. School board members are required to continuously engage in training to learn about changes in laws and policy to ensure that we are focused appropriately on governing our schools in ways to support those laws and policies.
Our school district budget and amendments are approved in open meetings, with expenditures posted on an open access website. Our closed session section of meetings are posted in advance of an open meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meeting Acts, just as is done in our City Council meetings. Meetings are livestreamed, recorded, and posted online. Community members may engage in public comment at any called board meeting and may contact board members via email or phone which are also posted on our public website. Suggestions that there is a lack of transparency because of time spent in closed session is interesting. No action can be taken in closed session. Board members receive updates on confidential matters that are posted on the agenda typically related to personnel matters, students issues, or legal advice. Any action resulting from discussion in closed session is made in the open session, ensuring transparency of process while protecting confidential student and personnel data. The same laws that apply to school districts also apply to city councils.
I mention all of this because we are vulnerable to a false narrative when we do not understand all the many ways community members can engage in knowing the work of the school district. Though the board and the district have responsibilities to maintaining open communication with our community, our community members also have a responsibility to learn more about the issues, processes, and laws impacting our school districts. Our first arm of defense in preparing to deal with politically motivated stress and disruption is to be informed about what is actually happening in our school district rather than listening only to messages that purposefully ignite fear and division.
2) Is Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in our schools?
I see opponents and political parties use the term CRT often. I am not sure they know what it means. Critical race theory stems from higher education research and literature that seeks to explain social constructs and systems of power related to race. One of the underlying foundations of CRT is that racism is systemic in our country.
While that definition may get your attention and elicit an emotional response, now is a good time to mention that CRT is not part of our curriculum in public schools. The curriculum taught in our public schools is approved through an exhaustive process through the Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education. The Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency is appointed by the governor and the State Board of Education is elected.
I am confident that our Bryan ISD teachers teach the approved curriculum in our state which does not include CRT.
3) What do you see as the role of charter schools in our educational system?
According to the Texas Education Agency, charters were developed in Texas in 1995 to encourage more innovation since they are subject to fewer state laws than other public schools. Charters, when done well, can meet specific niche needs in communities.
Unfortunately, because of the reduced accountability, there have been many cases of waste, fraud, and abuse in charter schools in Texas and across the nation. This article from 2021 describes some of the waste, fraud, and abuse that has occured in Texas charter schools, noting that at least 72 of the 232 Texas charter schools that received money from the federal charter schools program between 2006 and 2014 were already closed or never opened at all. The amount received for these schools was about $24 million (DeMatthews & Knight, 2021).
From my perspective, there must be accountability and oversight for any entity that receives public funds for educational purposes. In addition, charters should be subject to admit and support every child who applies, just as public schools do.
4) What is your perspective on school choice/vouchers?
It is interesting to me that while we have so many responsibilities to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency, there are efforts underfoot to divert public dollars to private entities with no oversight or accountability. I am absolutely against any proposals that divert public tax dollars to private entities.
Private schools are private for a reason. They follow none of the rules imposed upon public school districts. They can hire anyone they want as teachers with no certification requirements; they do not have to accept any student who applies; they do not have to serve special needs students; they do not have to follow any curriculum requirements; they do not have TEA standardized testing or state accountability systems imposed upon them.
It is also interesting to note that an $8000 credit (which is what has been proposed and is more than we receive per student for average daily attendance), will not go very far in paying for a private education at most schools. The private schools in the Brazos Valley range from $10,000 per year to over $20,000 per year.
Lastly, I believe that parents already have a choice on sending their students to public, charter, or private schools. I am not in favor of using public tax dollars to subsidize those choices. The last year schools had an increase in the basic allotment was in 2019. Funding our public schools is critical to the success of our communities for the future.
5) How will you prioritize your limited funding?
It is no secret that school budgets are incredibly tight and the model for funding them ridiculously complex. The demands upon the budget are continuously strained by rising costs in almost every budget category. Families have seen increased costs in insurance, food, and supplies, just as school districts have. In addition, our state continues to pass many mandates which do not come with added resources. Lastly, over the last several years, the burden of funding our public schools has shifted from state appropriated dollars to our local tax payers. This has happened while the state’s budget surplus has continued to increase. Student learning, staff salaries, safety, and maintenance are all priorities that must be addressed with the limited funding received.
As a school district must continue to prioritize student learning and support those who support our students. Over 80% of our school district budget goes to staff salaries. While we were able to do a 2% raise this year, we recognize the need to do more. This also means that there is a very small pie for the other pieces that are necessary for our public schools to thrive.
Safety is always a priority. Bryan ISD has maintained an MOU with Bryan Police Department for many years. We are grateful for our relationships with our School Resources Officers and their contributions to keeping our students and staff safe. As part of a new underfunded state law requirement, as Board President, I led the effort to create a contract with a security company to provide armed personnel at every elementary and intermediate school campus.
Maintenance of our aging school buildings and bus fleet is a continued challenge, but a necessary part of the budget equation. Through conservative fiscal responsibility and transparency, Bryan ISD has been able to maintain an A+ financial rating while working to meet the many demands on the budget.
We are currently implementing our bond funds approved by voters in 2020. This work is overseen by the school board as well as the Bond Oversight Committee which includes parents, community members, teachers, and administrators. Passing a bond allowed us to build two new buildings (Sadberry Intermediate School and the Ruby Haliburton Auxillary Complex), make critical improvements to safety, and maintain many of our aging buildings.
Unfortunately, we are unable to “save in advance” for these types of capital expenditures. The state of Texas requires that we only keep 60-90 days of operating expenses in our fund balance. The only mechanism available to schools for these types of capital improvement is through the passage of bonds approved by our voters. I am grateful for the support of our community to ensure our buildings and infrastructures are up to date and well-maintained. I am also thankful that our fiscal responsibility and transparency allowed us to pass these bonds without a tax rate increase. And, just to be clear, school districts have no say your assessed property values.
6) Teacher recruitment and retention are becoming major problems nationwide. How should we be prepared to address them in Brazos County?
Across the nation, teachers are leaving the profession. Research indicates that there are many reasons for the departure. Low salary, difficult students and parents, and not feeling valued as a professional top the list of reasons why teachers leave.
In Bryan ISD, I recognize that we will always have some turnover. Teachers come to our district to support a partner who is attending Texas A&M University. When the partner graduates, they move because their partner receives a high paying job in another location.
Aside from that scenario, I believe we should aim to create a culture and climate that values and supports our teachers. Signaling value comes in many ways. It could be that value is signaled by the efforts of our school board and administrators to support increased starting salaries, retention bonuses, the teacher incentive allotment process, and increased dollars for more years of experience or education attained. Value can also be signaled in our campus communities–do our teachers feel a sense of belonging to their principals, their teaching partners, the staff at the school, and by the families in the school? Value can also be signaled in our community by businesses, churches, and families across our district.
I am grateful for a community with so much to offer. Downtown Bryan and our surrounding areas provide a thriving environment where people feel welcome and excited to join community activities. It is my hope that we have the type of community and school district that teachers hate to leave, where they feel valued and supported throughout their entire career.
7) What are your qualifications for the position of School Board member?
I have served as a member of the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees for the past seven years and currently have the honor of serving as Board President. I have lived in this community for almost 30 years and am fully invested in the success of our school district, our students, their families, and our community.
I grew up in a small town in South Texas. I am grateful for the many teachers, 4-H club leaders, FFA advisors, and others who poured into the shy girl I once was. I could not imagine then that I would have the opportunity to graduate with a bachelor and masters from Texas A&M University, and ultimately earn a Ph.D. I never could have imagined then that I would return to Texas A&M to lead the program I had graduated from, with opportunities to serve as speaker of the Faculty Senate and Associate Dean for the Graduate and Professional School, leading professional development efforts for graduate students and facilitating partnerships with Prairie View A&M University. I also conduct research and have grants aimed at improving student success in STEM fields.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in roles that impact my work and life spaces, but my most important role to date is that of mom. Watching my son grow into a wonderful young man has been the joy of my life. I believe that is true for all families. We all want what is best for our children. Though the paths might be different for our children, having opportunities to thrive are important to us all.
As a former high school ag teacher who led a teacher education program at Texas A&M, I am acutely aware of the impact of our local school district on our students, their families, and our community as a whole. The work of all of our staff, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, school nurses, counselors, and administrative professionals, are essential for the success of the students in our district.
Seeking ways to help our staff all feel valued as they support our students and their families is incredibly important to me as a board member. As a parent, I am thankful for every staff member who poured into my own son in his journey, k-12 in Bryan ISD. His success now at Texas A&M is a tribute to their efforts that I am forever grateful for.
In am excited for the future of Bryan ISD. I have worked to significantly improve graduation rates, increase the opportunities in advanced academics and career and technical education, and improve family engagement in our schools, post covid. The Essential 8 Character Development program, a homegrown program aimed at ensuring our students develop the skills necessary to succeed and thrive, along with the Student Ambassador Program, happened with the help of my leadership. I am thrilled to support our outstanding athletes, fine arts programs, and career and technical programs.
Last year the district earned the highest rating ever received by the Texas Education Agency while earning an A+ financial rating every year I have served.
There is always more work to do. We cannot rest on these successes. We must leverage those successes to continue to find ways to ensure every child is fully prepared for success in work and life, able to leave with the skills necessary to earn high wages and contribute to our community as valued citizens.
Board members are elected as Trustees. I am humbled by the honor to serve in this trusted role and am thrilled at the prospect of continuing to serve our community in the future. My role as a board member is to provide oversight to the school district and our one employee, the superintendent, to ensure that children and their families remain the center of all of our decisions. Children first. Always!