John Mathews
Prior offices
Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, At-large
John Mathews was an at-large member of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Texas. Mathews left office on June 3, 2021.
Mathews ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Texas. Mathews won in the general election on May 5, 2018.
Elections
2018
General election
2015
- See also: Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District elections (2015)
The general election on May 9, 2015, in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District featured two seats up for election. Place 3 incumbent John Mathews and Place 4 incumbent Richard Fleming were both running unopposed.
Results
Incumbent John Mathews won re-election without opposition.
Endorsements
Mathews did not receive any official endorsements for this election.
2012
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
John Mathews participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 6, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and John Mathews' responses follow below.[1]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
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1) Getting more community support for our schools and our programs.
2) Keeping the budget balanced.
3) Ensuring our students and staff feel comfortable and safe in our buildings.[2][3]
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What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
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I'm passionate about anything and everything concerning our school district!Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[3]
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Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. John Mathews answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
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Frank Shor and Bobby Burns. Frank, because he's helped me as a trustee more than anyone else. Sadly, he passed away last year. Bobby, because he's been our superintendent for the last 10 years and he's an outstanding leader with a passion for kids and teachers.[3]
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Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
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I don't really have a political "philosophy."[3]
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What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
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Integrity, honesty, and a passion for their position.[3]
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What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
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Since I've spent more than two-thirds of my life in this district, I believe my passion is unparalleled by all the other candidates combined. Plus, my 6 years experience of being on the board.[3]
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What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
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Doing whatever is necessary to ensure that our students receive the finest education we can provide.[3]
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What legacy would you like to leave?
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That I was a man who cared deeply about public education - which Thomas Jefferson said was "the cornerstone of our democracy."[3]
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What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
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I saw President Kennedy from about 10 feet away as his motorcade passed by me - and he waved at me. Then, after I got back to school;, the principal came on the loud speaker and told us he'd been shot. i was 16.[3]
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What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
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A butcher apprentice in a small neighborhood grocery store for two years..[3]
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What happened on your most awkward date?
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It was so awkward I'd rather not print it! In fact, I'd rather not even think about it![3]
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What is your favorite holiday? Why?
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Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Jesus. Being with my entire family.[3]
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What is your favorite book? Why?
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The Bible. Because it's the word of God.[3]
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If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
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Rhett Butler (from the movie Gone With The Wind) I liked his style.[3]
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What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
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My TV. Cheap entertainment.[3]
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What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
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"I Can Only Imagine."[3]
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What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?
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Good governance of a school district.[3]
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Who are your constituents?
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Everyone who resides within the boundaries of our district[3]
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How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?
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Realizing what those specific needs are and trying to meet those needs as best we can.[3]
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How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?
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Everyone knows I'm reachable. And how to reach me. The folks I "target" are our parents/guardians, our local businesses, our PTA's, etc.[3]
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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?
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We continually strive to improve our communications with parents, and continually urge them to become in their local school.[3]
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Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?
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We already have a very diverse group of faculty, auxiliary personnel, and administrators. We'll just keep on keeping on![3]
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What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?
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State funding. If I could address (and solve) that problem, I'd become a very rich and famous man![3]
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What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?
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When you're in a classroom (as I was as a principal) and see the "lights" come on kid's faces - you know the teacher is doing their job.[3]
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What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?
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Obviously, technology...but also (and maybe more importantly) how to get-along with all kids of people.[3]
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How might you improve the value of a high school diploma? What should a 21st century diploma reflect?
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Our diplomas today are much different than when I was a kid. I believe it's much more difficult to graduate from high school now more than ever.[3]
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In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?
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We have an excellent career technology program that only gets better every year.[3]
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What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?
What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?
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If teachers, staff, and students feel safe - education takes place.[3]
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How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?
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Recognize potential problems before they become big problems and offer any assistance needed.[3]
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What role do you imagine technology playing in (and outside) the classroom in the future? How would you prepare the district for this?
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Technology is here to stay and changes every day. We, as educators, need to be on the cutting edge of all technological advances.[3]
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See also
External links
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
John Mathews 
