Lori Kirkpatrick

Lori Kirkpatrick

Contact

Personal website

Lori Kirkpatrick was a candidate for District 2 representative on the Dallas Independent School District school board in Texas. Kirkpatrick was defeated in the by-district runoff election on June 10, 2017.

Elections

2017

See also: Dallas Independent School District elections (2017)

Three of the nine seats on the Dallas Independent School District board of trustees in Texas were up for general election on May 6, 2017. In District 2, Lori Kirkpatrick and incumbent Dustin Marshall defeated Richard Young, but neither of them received a majority of the vote. Because of this, they faced off in a runoff election on June 10, 2017, where Marshall defeated Kirkpatrick to retain his seat on the board. In District 6, incumbent Joyce Foreman defeated challenger Phelesha Hamilton. Because District 8 incumbent Miguel Solis was the only candidate to file for that seat, the race was canceled. Solis won re-election by default.

Results

Dallas Independent School District, District 2 Runoff Election, 3-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Dustin Marshall Incumbent	66.27%	6,328
Lori Kirkpatrick	33.73%	3,221
Total Votes		9,549
Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Runoff Election," accessed September 20, 2017

Dallas Independent School District, District 2 General Election, 3-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lori Kirkpatrick	49.79%	5,265
Dustin Marshall Incumbent	47.04%	4,974
Richard Young	3.18%	336
Total Votes		10,575
Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Election," accessed September 20, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Dallas Independent School District elections

Kirkpatrick reported $20,118.79 in contributions and $3,658.93 in expenditures to the Dallas Independent School District, which left her campaign with $16,459.86 on hand as of April 28, 2017.

Endorsements

Kirkpatrick was endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:

• National Education Association
• Stonewall Democrats of Dallas
• East Dallas Votes
• Dallas County Tejano Democrats
• Dallas City Council member Philip Kingston
• Our Revolution

Kirkpatrick was also endorsed by former officials and community members. Click here to see a list of her supporters.

Campaign themes

2017

Candidate website

Kirkpatrick highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:

“	As your Dallas ISD District 2 Trustee, I will: • Work to improve teacher retention by implementing an evaluation system that is fair and adequately compensates all of our dedicated teachers. • Work to establish a Community School concept for our struggling schools. • Fight against any program devised to take taxpayer dollars and divert them to private education entities. • Work to expand Early Childhood Education to ensure that all of our Dallas ISD children are Kindergarten ready.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

The Dallas Morning News survey

Kirkpatrick participated in the following survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News. The questions provided by The Dallas Morning News appear bolded, and Kirkpatrick'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 office because public education is under fierce attack. I expect my trustee to be committed to DISD and public education. I am 100% committed to DISD as evidenced by the fact that I send my daughter to DISD. This is in stark comparison to my opponent who has school-aged children all of whom are in private school. Additionally, I am opposed to diverting public money to private schools unlike my opponent who voted against a resolution opposing vouchers and the A-F grading system.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

If elected, what two issues would you give the most attention and resources?

“	Struggling schools. I will work to implement the Community School concept for our struggling schools. This concept is evidence-based and shown to transform struggling schools into thriving schools. DISD is primed for such a concept in that it currently utilizes many of the components that are typically incorporated in a Community School. Teacher morale/retention. In DISD currently 42% of teachers have zero - one year of teaching experience and 52% have five years of experience. Teachers with whom I have met feel very deflated due to the TEI evaluation system. I understand from them that many of their colleagues have left and won't return due to this system. Teachers deserve to be paid fairly for the extraordinarily difficult job of educating our children. I will work to ensure we provide a fair evaluation system and thus pay so that we can maintain a quality educator at the helm of every classroom.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

For non-incumbent trustees: Have you attended any school board meetings? If so, what have you learned about how a board member can be effective?

“	Yes I have attended school board meetings. To be an effective board member it is important to be educated on the issues, maintain a respectful demeanor and consider the opinions of those you disagree with as well as those with whom you agree.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

As you look around the country, what innovative ideas would you recommend for improving classroom performance?

“	I would like to see the community school concept implemented in the low performing and lower socioeconomic schools and I would like to begin building a mentoring program between DISD and the business community to help children define their career goals.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

Given the current funding structure, how does Dallas ISD 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?

“	Examples of current programs in place are Accelerated Campus Excellence, Early Childhood Education, Collegiate Academies and Choice/Best-fit schools. DISD is engaged in public-private partnerships to educate both students and families, boost participation and bring awareness to the importance of early childhood education for example. The District also provides free meals to all students to ensure the nutritional needs are met. Before considering any tax increase, I would want to see a top to bottom analysis of processes to identify waste and streamline the way DISD operates.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

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?

“	The collegiate academies are proving hugely popular with I believe around 5000 applicants this year. The opportunity to obtain an associate’s degree seems to be having a positive impact on graduation numbers. The level of preparedness is assumed to be improved and will be assessed over time as the program evolves. The DOI initiative is being formed and depending on the specifics of the final proposal could be impactful for this initiative.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

What schools in your trustee district have been particularly effective in getting every child up to grade level in reading and math?

“	Rogers has had great success in improving reading and math performance with the implementation of the personalized learning curriculum. Milam, Williams, Lakewood, Stonewall and Longfellow are also performing well in these areas.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

How would you assess Dallas ISD’s current school choice efforts, and what changes, if any, are needed?

“	Based on recent PASA report, DISD will need to concentrate on maintaining and growing student enrollment in the years to come. I agree with the expansion of choice schools in DISD. This program serves as an avenue to grow student enrollment while also allowing students to attend a school that is the best-fit.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

Dallas ISD is rapidly expanding its collegiate academies. How can the district ensure that it is creating high-quality programs, not just growing quantity?

“	The program is partnering with reputable industry leaders and our established community college district whereby students are participating in internships and have the opportunity to gain employment. Having these experts will ensure quality both in program content as well as practical application. Following outcome data will guide program curriculum and any needed adjustments to maintain quality and success of the program.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

What is your view of the Teacher Excellence Initiative?

“	I think it is deeply flawed and needs a major overhaul. It is a factor in poor teacher morale, teacher turnover and hurts DISD when it comes to attracting new teachers. Education must remain a collaborative endeavor and should not artificially cap the number of teachers that can reach the top ratings, thus incentivizing those with less experience and those just becoming experienced while leaving the truly experienced teachers without the same opportunity to advance and gain fair compensation.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

How do you assess Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's tenure since he rejoined the district?

“	I think he has managed a difficult situation well; that is guiding a large, high-poverty urban district with continued funding shortages. He continues to seek creative, innovative methods to improve the District. A survey last fall indicated three-fourths of District employees are more confident in the direction the District is headed.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

Where do you stand on the importance of early-childhood education? Would you support increasing class-size ratios by one or two students at the middle school and high school level in order to introduce or expand pre-K?

“	Quality Early Childhood Education is very important for continued student success. I would like to see other avenues explored for pre-K expansion before moving to increased class sizes.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

What resources are lacking in schools in your trustee district? How could the district deliver services in the most cost-effective manner?

“	Facilities are an issue in some schools, with JL Long and Woodrow Wilson being particularly crowded. In general, special education is under-resourced, as are counselors. Now there is a proposal to cut school librarians to save money. There has been an absence of a curriculum guide with the exception of Title I schools, which given the number of inexperienced teachers in the District would be quite helpful.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

In what ways can DISD’s communications with parents in your trustee district be improved? Likewise, how can parental involvement in your trustee district grow?

“	As a parent, I feel that DISD communicates in an effective manner via phone calls and text messages in both Spanish and English. On occasion short notice is given of upcoming programs when more lead time would be beneficial. I think parental involvement is crucial to each child’s education and more community outreach will need to be done. Being a welcoming district will help. I am advocating for the development of the community school approach as an effective way to increase parental involvement. Also, the development of sister schools and/or organizations to reach out to schools with low parent involvement I think would be impactful.	”
—Lori Kirkpatrick (2017)

See also

• Dallas Independent School District, Texas
• Dallas Independent School District elections (2017)

External links

Suggest a link

• Dallas Independent School District
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page
• Twitter account