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Michael Friedman (Texas)

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Michael Friedman
Image of Michael Friedman
Prior offices
Plano Independent School District school board Place 4

Education

High school

Hillcrest High School

Bachelor's

University of North Texas

Graduate

Harvard University

Personal
Profession
Senior vice president

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

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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

See also: Plano Independent School District 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 Green check mark transparent.pngYoram 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

External links

Footnotes