Debra Schmidt
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Tenure
2023 - Present
Term ends
2027
Years in position
1
Debra Schmidt is a member of the Falcon School District 49 school board in Colorado, representing District 2. She assumed office on December 6, 2023. Her current term ends in 2027.
Schmidt ran for election to the Falcon School District 49 school board to represent District 2 in Colorado. She won in the general election on November 7, 2023.
Schmidt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2023
See also: Falcon School District 49, Colorado, elections (2023)
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 2
Debra Schmidt defeated Candace Lehmann in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 2 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debra Schmidt (Nonpartisan)  | 57.6 | 3,348 | |
| Candace Lehmann (Nonpartisan) | 42.4 | 2,462 | ||
| Total votes: 5,810 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Schmidt received the following endorsements.
- Frmr. Falcon Sch. Brd. Memb. Ivy Liu (Nonpartisan)
- Colorado Conservative Patriot Alliance
- D49 Guardians
- Smart Choice Colorado
- Darcy Schoening - Frmr. El Paso Cnty. Moms for Liberty Chair
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Debra Schmidt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Schmidt's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am the co-owner of a small business since 2001. I keep books and team manage resources and materials. This includes wisely purchasing tools, products, and materials and being responsible with company funds. I feel these skills will translate well into a school board position. I've been attending my school board meetings for 2 and a half years so I am familiar with the many other responsibilities of board members and how meetings progress. I want our children to get the best education possible.
- I support better parent-school partnerships. We need to craft policies that strengthen parental involvement and decision making. When a student is struggling academically or emotionally parents are the first call to be made. Then as a team all involved caring adults gather and discuss all options for the student which leads parents to informed, well thought out, common sense decisions.
- I support full transparency. Currently there are many programs and curricula that parents never see, or never see all of. Some of this is due to contracts that school districts sign with publishers and creators of these materials. These contracts use "proprietary" or "copyright" language which results in lack of full transparency. Parents have a right to see the entirety off all educational content.
- I believe schools need to teach core academics through the neutral lens of confirmed facts. Our academic scores are terrible resulting in a huge disservice for our students. We can teach our students that every human being has inherent value and should be treated fairly. We can teach our students the failings of America as well as the best of America. We need an informed citizenry that is capable of self-governance. In order to accomplish these things the students need to be able to read and write.
Education and Free Speech
I admire my husband the most. He is open-minded, fair, and waits until all the facts are in before making a decision. He looks up not down. I have followed his example as best I can for 42 years. It has served me well.
The race for the school board is supposed to be non-political.
Humility. Honesty. Doing what is best for the community. No under the table deals. Realizing you are serving for a limited time, after that then it is time for different people to serve.
• Curious, Open Minded, Solution Oriented
• Ask questions and Listen
Giving students the best education that we possibly can. Being a good steward of taxpayer money. Treating students, parents, teachers, administrators, taxpayers, and community with respect and dignity.
I'm not after a legacy. I simply want our students to have a well-rounded education so they can become informed citizens capable of self-governing.
Civil Rights Act was signed. I was in Kindergarten. Teacher sat us down and told us to treat everyone with respect. We all said OK and I that is how I have always treated everyone.
Sacking groceries, then cashiering at King Soopers when I was 16. I stayed in the grocery industry for 4 years. Bought my first car, all car insurance, gas, maintenance I was very proud a young age
Too personal.
To listen, research, and learn in order to make solid, well-thought out decisions for the students.
Everyone. Students, parents, teachers, local business owners, and taxpayers
By supporting policies that are focused on supporting the needs of all. Every person has something to offer. we must treat all with respect.
Attend events, talk to people, listen, offer possible solutions, discuss. Target is not a word I would use.
Some teachers can teach a class outside, under a tree with nothing more that a pen and paper. Some teachers are better at unlocking imagination and making learning fun. Some teachers may be more stoic and down to business. All are correct. All teachers benefit from parents being involved.Unfortunately the true measure of good teaching will be when the student is an adult, successful in their family and professional lives. Advanced teaching methods need to be shared for understanding.
Comprehensive History and Civics. If we do not teach our students how our government works, or what life was like under a system of government like those of Mao and Stalin, how will they know to avoid them? I'm not sure why these subjects were removed or minimized. I think K-12 education is where students start seeing and growing into what interests them. I think some technical training is good but I also do not want students pigeonholed into something that they find out later they have no interest in.
I would start with the budget. The National Center for Education Statistics has shown that from 2000 to 2019 Administrator jobs increased by 88% but Teachers and Students only increased by 8%. This is a big imbalance to me and I would be looking at that. We all have to use our budget wisely, let's start there.
Define safety.
Creating that respectful, dignified environment that I spoke of above. Help people see the good. Help kids know that their country was not founded on lies and slavery and is not racist to the core. Help them see that the person sitting next to them does no hate them. Help them see that their dads who happen to be men are not toxic. Give them hope not despair. We can message negative things or positive things and we will receive back whichever one we put out.
Two pickles fell out of a jar onto the floor. What did one pickle say to the other? Dill with it!
BEDD and BEDH. We need to remove the changes that were made to those policies last year. Both changes limit the public's ability to address their elected board members. As far as new policies, I think we should take a slow walk on implementing anything new.
An environment that focuses on academics. An environment that lifts all and values all without sacrificing learning.
Covid massively upended life in America.Forced masking, closures, and experimental vaccine mandates are viewed by many as government overreach. I was not attending meetings directly following Covid so I can only go on what I have heard from others. I believe our district complied with health regulations. In the future we still need to comply with health regulations. As with anything, educating ourselves in proven ways to reduce the spread of any disease is beneficial.
Listen. Parents are the #1 factor in the success of their children. Parents have their children in their lives longer than anyone. Parents need to be validated in a world that is working hard to minimize their role in children's lives.
Too often I see unnecessary bickering and outright cruelty coming from board members that are publicly directed at each other. NO ONE wants to work in a place like that. People are more inclined to join a team that values a respectful environment where there is trust and people are given the dignity to hold their views without repercussion, name calling and insults.
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.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
