Christina Smith (Indiana)

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Christina Smith

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, 2005

Personal

Birthplace

Lebanon, Ind.

Profession

Health educator/Case manager

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Christina Smith ran for election to the Indianapolis Public Schools school board to represent District 4. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Christina Smith was born in Lebanon, Indiana. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 2005. Her professional experience includes working as a health educator and case manager in mental healthcare.

Elections

2020

See also: Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana, elections (2020)

General election

General election for Indianapolis Public Schools school board District 4

Incumbent Diane Arnold defeated Christina Smith in the general election for Indianapolis Public Schools school board District 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diane Arnold (Nonpartisan)	52.1	6,304
		Christina Smith (Nonpartisan)	47.9	5,787

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,091
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Christina Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a mother of two current IPS students. As a member of the Indiana State PTA board, school PTA president, and local education activist, I have been able to develop skills and a passion for improving education. I have a bachelors degree in social work from IUPUI and professional experience in medical case management and mental health care. In my spare time I enjoy volunteering at my childrens school, and gardening with my two dogs.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• All students deserve an equitable education, where there needs are met, so they can be successful no matter where they live. This means equitably funding schools, ensure all classrooms staffed with permanent teachers, ending unfair enrollment policies, using proven models for improvement, and providing needed resources to struggling schools.
• Clear, honest, and timely communication and engagement with parents and community members is essential. School Board members must be willing to listen to parents and community members. They must be a part of the decision making process, not just special interests.
• Cut the IPS bureaucracy and use more of our tax money at the school and classroom level to help students learn.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

- IPS has successful schools and programs. I will insist that we are replicating these as well as bringing in other proven methods to help struggling schools and improve student outcomes.

- The IPS School Board has too often taken the easy way and brought in unproven ideas just so they could say they were doing something different.
- The safety and education of the students of IPS are too important to be left to people and organizations that may not have the best interests of kids as their highest priority.
- For far too long schools have been allowed to struggle and student performance has suffered greatly. We can no longer allow this to continue.
- IPS must end unfair policies and unfair funding of schools. This has resulted in some schools being starved of resources while others flourish.

- The School Board must make sure that we are doing what is best for all students, not just what special interests want.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

School board members need to be able to look at the information presented to them and do their own research to find the facts. They need to ask tough questions and have answers before voting. For too long I have seen most members of the IPS School board rubber stamp whatever the administration has put before them. While the school board has the ultimate vote, all stakeholders should be involved in the decision-making process. Building relationships with parents, community members, teachers, and staff is essential to effectively running a district and making the best decisions. Encouraging and fostering authentic engagement is a vital component of building a great school district.

There are many different organizations in Indianapolis who seek to control the future of public education in the IPS district. These organizations are not all focused on what is best for students and families. While it is necessary for IPS to work with many of these organizations, it needs to be done in a manner that is beneficial to IPS. It is vital for a school board member to be able to see the big picture and agendas at play.

As elected officials board members are also the face of the district. They are not only decision makers but advocates representing constituents. They should be working with lawmakers and other elected officials to create positive changes that will improve education. Through my work as an education advocate, PTA board member, and as a parent I have been able to develop all these skills.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A school board member is a representative of the people first. They are elected to do what is best for the students, staff, and district, and to be good stewards of public funds. As such they are also tasked with guiding the district and administration in providing an equitable and excellent education to students. They play a role in monitoring academic achievement and improvement of student outcomes. The elected school board helps create, approves, and oversees the district budget. Guidance and decisions should be made in alignment with the principles, priorities, and strategic plan that they have put in place.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was almost six when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift off. We were watching at school and everyone was sacred.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Rocketman by Elton John

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

A school board member is a representative of the people first. They are elected to do what is best for the students, staff, and district, and to be good stewards of public funds. As such they are also tasked with guiding the district and administration in providing an equitable and excellent education to students. They play a role in monitoring academic achievement and improvement of student outcomes. The elected school board helps create, approves, and oversees the district budget. Guidance and decisions should be made in alignment with the principles, priorities, and strategic plan that they have put in place.

The board is also tasked with hiring and evaluating the superintendent. This is a crucial role since the superintendent is responsible for managing the day-to-day business of the district. The superintendent is accountable to the board for what happens within the district. This must be a collaborative relationship. It is essential that the superintendent's vision and management decisions are aligned with the principles, priorities, and strategic plan of the board.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

As a public-school district IPS should be fully operating in the public sphere. The community should be able to easily see where money and resources are going. Closed door meetings, limiting public discussion and involvement, performative engagement, special interests receiving preferential treatment, all need to stop. If we are to improve education for children in Indianapolis, we must have complete transparency, with no blind spots.
Not enough dollars are making it to the classroom. There is wasteful spending at the top levels of IPS, yet our kids go without. Schools were closed and consolidated to save money, yet we still have a large administration building downtown worth millions. IPS needs to be responsive to the needs of the community. We need school board members that will do their own research, ask the hard questions, demand answers and the truth, and hold the IPS administration accountable.

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

IPS administration and School board members have a duty to ensure that all students who walk through the door receive a world class education. Yet this isn't what is happening. Each year they abdicate their responsibility to students and say that they can no longer provide any education. If our administration and school board cannot run schools then they need to go. IPS states that they are doing everything that they can to help struggling schools and students. Yet even the basics of a full-time permanent teachers, stable leaders, and resources aren't provided. We need board members that will hold IPS administration accountable for the achievement of the students that they are entrusted to educate.
IPS school board members have said for years that communication and engagement with parents and the community need to improve. As a parent I haven't seen much change in 8 years. IPS continues to elevate the interests of businesses and special interests over parents, students, and the community that they serve. Discussions are held behind closed doors, leaving parents and the community out of decisions. All stakeholders need to be part of the decision-making process. IPS must encourage and foster authentic engagement, it is a vital component of building a great public-school district. School board members need to work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that all schools are meeting the needs of students. It is impossible for school board members to make informed decisions without knowing what is really happening, what people need, and the impact that it will have on everyone.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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