Corinne Fiagome

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Corinne Fiagome

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 5, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

University of Virginia, 2000

Graduate

Duke University, 2005

Personal

Birthplace

Dallas, Texas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Nonprofit consultant

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

Corinne Fiagome ran in a special election to the Mansfield Independent School District to represent Place 4 in Texas. She lost in the special general runoff election on June 5, 2021.

Fiagome ran for election to the Mansfield Independent School District school board to represent Place 7 in Texas. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Biography

Corinne Fiagome was born in Dallas, Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia in 2000 and a master's degree from Duke University in 2005. Her professional experience includes working as a nonprofit and social sector consultant and as a teacher. In 2019, Fiagome became the treasurer of the P.T.A. at her children's elementary school. She was a member of Leadership ISD from 2019 to 2020, president of the Ridge Trace Circle Homeowners' Association, and a fellow for Leadership ISD in Tarrant County from 2017 to 2018. She joined Women in Power Empowering in 2016, where she served as a board member, treasurer, and vice president. She became a member of the First Impressions Ministry at Crossroads Christian Church in 2013, the University of Virginia Alumni Association in 2000, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1998. She has been an active alumna of Teach For America since 2000.

Elections

2021

See also: Mansfield Independent School District, Texas, elections (2021)

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 4

Keziah Valdes Farrar defeated Corinne Fiagome in the special general runoff election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 4 on June 5, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Keziah Valdes Farrar (Nonpartisan)	50.7	4,465
		Corinne Fiagome (Nonpartisan)	49.3	4,343

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,808
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 4

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 4 on May 1, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Keziah Valdes Farrar (Nonpartisan)	35.6	4,953
✔		Corinne Fiagome (Nonpartisan)	26.4	3,673
	Submit photo	Meagan Sutton (Nonpartisan)	13.5	1,878
	Submit photo	Christine Beason (Nonpartisan)	8.1	1,133
	Submit photo	Brad Crane (Nonpartisan)	7.2	1,000
	Submit photo	Kevin Robedee (Nonpartisan)	5.1	712
	Submit photo	Denise Lunski (Nonpartisan)	4.1	573

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,922
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2020

See also: Mansfield Independent School District, Texas, elections (2020)

General runoff election

General runoff election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 7

Incumbent Courtney Lackey Wilson defeated Yolanda McPherson in the general runoff election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 7 on December 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Courtney Lackey Wilson (Nonpartisan)	52.9	5,244
	Submit photo	Yolanda McPherson (Nonpartisan)	47.1	4,662

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,906
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 7

Yolanda McPherson and incumbent Courtney Lackey Wilson advanced to a runoff. They defeated Corinne Fiagome in the general election for Mansfield Independent School District, Place 7 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Yolanda McPherson (Nonpartisan)	41.4	21,949
✔		Courtney Lackey Wilson (Nonpartisan)	39.4	20,839
		Corinne Fiagome (Nonpartisan)	19.2	10,168

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 52,956
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Corinne Fiagome did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an experienced nonprofit professional and project manager with a passion for education - and most important to my candidacy for Mansfield ISD Board of Trustees, Place 7 - I have three children currently enrolled in MISD: twin girls in elementary school and a son in middle school. I started my career in the classroom - serving two years as a high school English and Special Education teacher and three years at the college level as an instructor in a peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention program, a graduate student recruiter, and a teaching assistant for graduate-level courses. In the past 15+ years, I have held leadership positions in child- and family-serving nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma and Texas, which have provided me with an appreciation and understanding of community-based connections and supports for helping children and families succeed. I currently provide management and fundraising consultation to local mission-focused organizations. A DFW native, I graduated from south Arlington's James Bowie High School and was awarded a scholarship to the University of Virginia, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce, specializing in management and marketing. Later, I studied education policy and earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University.

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?

• Educational equity and excellence: I will work to ensure every student in every class and school across the district has access to a high-quality education.
• Shared decision making: I will elevate engagement and incorporation of students', parents', teachers', and other frontline district employees' perspectives in making decisions that affect their lives, learning, and teaching.
• Strategic allocation of resources: I will advocate for addressing our students' greatest needs while planning and adapting for growth as more families enter our district.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

For the past 20 years, I have been connected to education policy - beginning as a teacher, then as an education policy researcher and analyst, and later as a nonprofit and social sector professional in organizations providing early childhood education (for ages 0 - 5 years), child and family support services, and community engagement in schools. As a graduate of a top-ranked Master of Public Policy program and policy analysis practitioner, I am proficient with analyzing data to inform decision-making and creating budgets to support teams to produce policy results. I have continuously applied both my academic and professional experiences to supporting and expanding educational and social service programs that are efficient and effective in meeting outcomes that make children's and families' lives better.

As a mother of three current MISD students, I can personally identify with the need and desire to have parent and student voices represented on the school board to help keep district-level policy and decision-making connected to student- and family-level goals and experiences. The same is true for the voices of district employees and community members. We are all impacted by and contribute to our school district and thus deserve the opportunity to give input on the district's vision and progress toward achieving our shared goals.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my mother who is and has been a pillar of strength, support and encouragement for myself and our entire family. Because of her belief in the importance of high-quality, public education, I have gained access to great schools and opportunities that have positively impacted my life and the lives of my children for generations to come. I follow her example by working hard to care for my family and my community, while also finding joy in day-to-day living through my faith, family and friends.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The ability to actively listen to the people (e.g., stakeholders, constituents) who are impacted by a governing body's decisions is an essential characteristic for an elected official. As a board trustee, I will commit to being an active listener of the voices of parents, students, district employees, and community members, and to incorporating their input into my analysis, advocacy, and actions. I will build relationships with members of the broader community by opening doors to conversation in-person, by phone, or over email; attending community events; and reaching out to organizations who support children and families, including businesses who are local employers and/or contributors to job opportunities for students and families.

I am most excited about the opportunity to listen to groups of students, families, and community members who may not have the opportunity to get involved in typical community forums due to work schedules, having young children, or other commitments. Years ago, as a full-time working parent with twin toddlers and a kindergartener, it was extremely difficult for me to find a way to communicate with and hear from decisionmakers about addressing the concerns of parents who, like myself at the time, struggled with balancing child care and early childhood education costs, work, and engagement in my son's school. I will open communication channels for parents of young children, full time working parents, and other community members with limited time availability to share their experiences, thoughts and concerns with me in accessible ways that work with their schedule. I will listen and help make sure their voices are heard.

What legacy would you like to leave?

No one person - whether a teacher, parent, administrator, board member, or other invested community member - can achieve the goals we seek for our students alone. I am committed to a "we're better together" approach to serving students, which involves all district departments and levels of school employees, along with families and community partners. And as a community, we have much to celebrate. Our district and schools consistently score high marks on state accountability ratings. Many of our facilities - such as the natatorium, our performing arts center, and Ben Barber Innovation Academy - are state of the art. And our district and school leadership teams have created measurable plans for increasing the academic, social/emotional, and physical health of our children. If elected a school board member and member of the district's team of 8, I would like to leave a legacy of advocating for our district's continuous improvement in service to all students, and keeping MISD at the forefront of educational excellence.

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

My first memory of a major historic event was the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. I watched the event, which began as celebratory then turned tragic, from my 2nd grade classroom as a student in Fort Worth. I was 7 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was at age 15 or 16 at a K-Mart store in south Arlington. I worked there for 1.5 years, and only left to take a slightly above minimum wage job at Just For Feet - a short-lived athletic shoe store.

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

Right Hand Man, performed b y Christopher Jackson on "Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Soundtrack)

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

I completed a two-day Lone Star Governance course provided by the Texas Education Agency on school board governance. I understand and agree with the role of a school board member to set the direction of the school district through clear vision statements and measurable goals; evaluate progress toward the vision and goals; and hold the superintendent - who is the educational and operational leader of the district - and ourselves accountable for the results. If elected, I will faithfully act to fulfill these responsibilities both independently and collaboratively with my fellow board members, and will actively seek input from the community, especially students, parents, families, teachers, school administrators and staff.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I am deeply proud of and celebrate the diversity in our district. As a community, we come from a variety of backgrounds - races and ethnicities, languages and abilities, socio-economic statuses and more - that affect our daily lived experiences and needs. Every day as a member of the MISD School Board, I will seek to hear the voices of students, parents, teachers, staff, and other community members in order to inform my knowledge of their diverse experiences, needs, and desires. I will apply that knowledge with intention and purpose to promoting district policies and decisions that support excellent education for ALL students; parental involvement in their students' learning; and fair, transparent, and equitable workplace environments for teachers, staff, and administrators.

Our school board could help ensure better representation of diverse needs by becoming more diverse itself. The school board currently lacks racial diversity in alignment with the demographics of the district's students and families, or representation for families with young children. If elected, I will be the only board member who is a parent of current elementary students in MISD, along with a middle schooler. To my knowledge, I would also be the first Black or African American woman to be elected to the board in its history.

It is time for new voices on the board who will represent today's students, families, educational needs, and community goals for the years ahead. I am both personally invested in supporting student success and dedicated to our district's continuous improvement to the benefit of our entire community. I will advocate for policies and practices to ensure welcoming, fair, and transparent environments.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

The social-emotional and safety challenges our children face today are a threat to both their immediate and long-term well-being. We must direct more attention and resources to ensuring safe and secure environments for students - in schools, in communities, and online; and to addressing the overwhelming amount of trauma children and families are experiencing. Resources and solutions for social-emotional well-being and safety cannot be rolled out slowly, one school at a time. We must address these needs now, for all students, for our entire community.

I will advocate for policy and budgeting decisions that are strategic in directing resources to meet these needs. Furthermore, we must prepare and equip ourselves and our students with high-level critical thinking and collaboration skills and flexible resources to overcome unknown challenges when they present themselves.

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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