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Michael Friedman (Texas)
Michael Friedman was the Place 4 incumbent on the Plano Board of Trustees in Texas. He lost in the general election on May 9, 2015. He was first elected to the board in May 2011.
Biography
Friedman graduated from Hillcrest High School in Dallas ISD. He is senior vice president of retail brokerage services for CB Richard Ellis, Inc. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas and a master's degree in design studies from Harvard University. He and his wife, Terry, a Plano ISD substitute teacher, have three children.[1]
Elections
2015
The general election on May 9, 2015, in the Plano Independent School District featured three seats up for election. In the Place 4 race, Yoram Solomon defeated incumbent Michael Friedman and fellow challenger Sharon Hirsch. Place 7 incumbent Missy Bender triumphed against Paul Kaminsky. Place 5 incumbent David Stolle was unopposed.
Results
| Plano Independent School District, Place 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Yoram Solomon |
40.4% | 3,797 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Hirsch | 32.6% | 3,061 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Friedman Incumbent | 27% | 2,542 | |
| Total Votes | 9,400 | |||
| Source: Collins County, Texas, "Election Summary Report," accessed June 15, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Friedman began the race with an existing account balance of $2,398.03 from his previous campaign. He reported $1,125 in contributions and $405.24 in expenditures to Texas Ethics Commission, which left his campaign with $3,117.79 on hand as of April 28, 2015.[2]
Texas school board candidates and officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2015, and July 15, 2015. In addition, candidates in contested elections were required to file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[3]
Candidates in contested elections who did not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, were eligible for modified reporting. If they exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates were required to submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceeded the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they were required to file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[4]
Endorsements
Friedman did not receive any official endorsements for this election.
What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Superintendent search
At the time of the election, Plano ISD was in the process of searching for a new superintendent after longtime educator and administrator Richard Matkin retired from the district in January 2015. In March 2015, the district named a lone finalist, Dr. Brian Binggeli, who oversaw Brevard Public Schools in Florida. The board pointed to Binggeli's leadership skills and commitment to students as reasons he stood out in the field of 103 candidates from 43 states. Binggeli has his bachelor's degree from Miami University, his master's in education from Virginia State University, and doctorate of education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The board plans for Binggeli to start in July 2015.[5]
2003 lawsuit
In 2003, a Plano ISD student was prohibited from giving out candy cane pens with religious messages to fellow classmates. The student's family opened a lawsuit against the district, claiming their student's religious rights had been violated. As a result, the suit prompted school districts nationwide to focus on their religion policies, in addition to a Texas law prohibiting religious discrimination. In July 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the student's family could not move forward with the case because they did not inform Plano ISD via certified mail, which was required by state law. The appeals ruling also stated that the family had contacted the district via mail, fax, and email with school officials responding.[6]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Michael Friedman Plano Independent School District. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Plano Independent School District, Texas
- Plano Independent School District elections (2015)
- Decreased success for school board incumbents in Texas; 1/3 defeated in largest districts (May 11, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Plano Independent School District, "Trustee Profiles," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Plano Independent School District, "Michael Friedman Campaign Finance Report," accessed April 29, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2015 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," September 1, 2013
- ↑ Plano Blog, "Plano ISD names lone superintendent finalist," March 5, 2015
- ↑ Plano Blog, "Yet another turn in the Plano ISD’s “candy cane” case," July 29, 2013
| 2015 Plano Independent School District Elections | |
| Collin County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 9, 2015 |
| Candidates: | Place 4: Incumbent, Michael Friedman • Sharon Hirsch • Yoram Solomon Place 5: Incumbent, David Stolle |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
