Karen Daniel
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive election coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This board member is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.
Karen Daniel is the Place 3 representative on the DeSoto Independent School District school board in Texas. First elected in 2014, Daniel won a new term in the by-district general election on May 6, 2017.
Daniel participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Elections
2017
Three of the seven seats on the DeSoto Independent School District board of trustees were up for general election on May 6, 2017. Place 3 incumbent Karen Daniel defeated former board member Van Stripling and challengers Demetric Brown and Jeremy Woods. Tiffany Clark defeated Place 4 incumbent Jerry Hall, DeAndrea Fleming, and Krystal Denise Sams in the race for the Place 4 seat. In the race for the Place 5 seat, incumbent Aubrey Hooper defeated challengers A'Londa Barber, Laneshia Jordan, and Darrell Porter.[1][2]
Results
| DeSoto Independent School District, Place 3 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Karen Daniel Incumbent |
40.12% | 828 |
| Demetric Brown | 38.76% | 800 |
| Van Stripling | 13.52% | 279 |
| Jeremy Woods | 7.61% | 157 |
| Total Votes | 2,064 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Election," accessed September 20, 2017 | ||
Funding
Daniel reported no contributions or expenditures to the Dallas County Elections Office as of May 1, 2017.[3]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Karen Daniel participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[4] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on March 29, 2017:
| “ | My goals for DeSoto ISD include recapturing academic excellence, providing a safe student environment, and preparing students for future success.[5][6] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Texas. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Budget is always most important, as this drives everything else. We must recapture academic excellence in DeSoto ISD; we are an athletic powerhouse, there's no reason we can't also be an academic powerhouse. We must find, hire, keep and value the best teachers; teachers are the cornerstone to all other professions. We must promote and ensure future readiness for all DeSoto students.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (March 29, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should defer to school board decisions in most cases. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion contributes to the safety of all students and should be used on a case-by-case basis. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers |
Candidate website
Daniel highlighted the following statement on her campaign website:
| “ | As a wife, mother, teacher, and Christian community member, I take pride in my many important accomplishments in each role. I spent a total of 44 years in the classroom, 33 of which were in DeSoto ISD. My own three children attended DeSoto schools from kindergarten through graduation, went on to graduate from college, and now serve their communities while experiencing rewarding careers. I have enjoyed decades of supporting DeSoto academics, athletics, and fine arts by attending countless games, meets, productions, and performances. I am active in my church, homeowners' association, and other community activities.
I am a strong proponent of public schools, specifically DeSoto ISD schools. Education is extremely important to me, and I believe all students should have the opportunity to receive an excellent public education in an environment that is conducive to learning. All students should be afforded the opportunity to have a well-rounded education that will prepare them for successful futures. I believe students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the school board are all accountable for this education. For me, public education is a career, a calling, and a passion. Having retired from teaching, I was led to continue serving our community by election to the DeSoto School Board in 2014. Please vote to re-elect me, Karen Daniel, on May 6, 2017, so that I may continue to fight for academic excellence for DeSoto students! Early voting starts April 24.[6] |
” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[7] | ||
The Dallas Morning News survey
Daniel participated in the following survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News. The questions provided by The Dallas Morning News appear bolded, and Daniel's responses follow below.
Why are you running for this office, and why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
| “ | I am running for re-election to DeSoto School Board Place 3 in order to continue pursuing my goals of providing all DeSoto students the opportunity to receive an excellent public education in an environment that is conducive to learning, and that will prepare them for successful futures. I believe students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the school board are all accountable for this education. I have the educational experience necessary to understand how a school district should optimally function, as well as the professional degrees (B.A. in English and History from the University of Texas at Arlington, M.Ed in Public School Administration from the University of North Texas) to support my decades of experience.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
If elected, what two issues would you give the most attention and resources?
| “ | The two most important positive changes I support for DeSoto ISD are bringing education standards up by building a more rigorous curriculum and holding all involved accountable for students' performance under the improved curriculum; and hiring the best teachers who are fully certified in their specific teaching field, i.e. hiring top performing teachers certified to teach English, to actually teach English.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
For incumbent trustees: What have you learned from your board service that you believe makes you more effective?
| “ | Three years on the school board have provided countless hands-on learning opportunities and direct experience in many governance areas, as well as the opportunity to actively participate in many continuing education courses provided through the National School Boards Association and Texas Association of School Boards. In addition, I have completed Roberts' Rules of Order coursework, which facilitates the effective process of board workshops and meetings.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
As you look around the country, what innovative ideas would you recommend for improving classroom performance?
| “ | There are many, many innovative ideas and programs already available within our district, however in order to improve classroom performance, we must find a way to streamline these many programs into a few well-executed, well-funded, and well-understood programs that can be correctly and effectively implemented and administered.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
Given the current funding structure, how does your district meet the academic needs of its low-income students? Are you willing to ask voters to approve a tax increase to create or expand these programs?
| “ | I am not willing to ask voters for a tax increase, because it is more important to facilitate good stewardship of current tax dollars, which should include a shift in funding too many district programs to instead focusing on hiring the best teachers and paying them respectable salaries, while holding them accountable for meeting the needs of all students.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
Many districts are exploring creative ways to save money or shift costs to parents and students. What creative measures would you favor or oppose and why?
| “ | I believe parental responsibility in raising children includes sharing in the costs of extracurricular and enrichment activities, as well as providing mentoring and tutoring services. These services shouldn't be entirely the responsibility of the district.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
The state has adopted an A through F accountability system for district and campuses. Do you favor or oppose this system and why?
| “ | The new A-F system is flawed, however it is still a step in the right direction from the old "Met Standards/Improvement Required" ratings system, as the old system only encouraged performance up to a minimum standard and did not reward performance above that minimum. The A-F system also gives a better idea of how our top leadership is functioning. I would like to see a more rigorous curriculum implemented, and then see all involved (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the school board) held accountable for academic performance.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
How would you assess the district’s efforts to improve graduation rates and increase the number of students prepared for college? What further improvements would you advocate?
| “ | I advocate directing more tax dollars to hiring more highly qualified teachers in order to decrease class size and enable teachers to spend more time with students.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
What schools in your district have been particularly effective in getting every child up to grade level in reading and math?
Daniel did not respond to this question.
How would you assess your district’s current school choice efforts, and what changes are needed?
Daniel did not respond to this question.
How would you assess your superintendent’s performance?
| “ | Main areas for improvement include communication challenges with school board in its entirety, and lack of accountability required from top leadership.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
Where do you stand on the importance of early-childhood education? Would you support increasing class-size ratios at other grade levels in order to introduce or expand pre-K?
| “ | I place high importance on early-childhood education, beginning at age 3 or 4; however, I do not support increasing class sizes at any grade level to accommodate increased early education classrooms. We need to dedicate more funding to hiring more teachers, and aim for decreased class sizes instead.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
What resources are lacking in schools in your district? How could the district deliver services in the most cost-effective manner?
Daniel did not respond to this question.
In what ways can your district’s communications with parents be improved? Likewise, how can parental involvement in your district improve?
| “ | We need to implement the requirement for increased planning time for creation and publication of district calendars and events, and then have multiple publication points such as paper copy distribution, campus postings, online postings, etc.[6] | ” |
| —Karen Daniel (2017)[8] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ DeSoto Independent School District, "Board Member Election," accessed February 19, 2017
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Unofficial Cumulative Results," accessed May 6, 2017These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Campaign Reporting," accessed May 1, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Karen Daniel's responses," March 29, 2017
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Karen Daniel for Desoto School Board Place 3: About page," accessed April 19, 2017
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 The Dallas Morning News, "Voter Guide: DeSoto ISD, Place 3," accessed May 3, 2017
| DeSoto Independent School District elections in 2017 | |
| Dallas County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 6, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Place 3: • Incumbent, Karen Daniel • Demetric Brown • Van Stripling • Jeremy Woods Place 4: • Incumbent, Jerry Hall • Tiffany Clark • DeAndrea Fleming • Krystal Denise Sams Place 5: • Incumbent, Aubrey Hooper • A'Londa Barber • Laneshia Jordan • Darrell Porter |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
