Vara Kuppam

Vara Kuppam

Contact

Personal website

Vara Kuppam was a candidate for Place 5 representative on the Coppell Independent School District school board in Texas. Kuppam was defeated in the at-large general election on May 6, 2017.

Kuppam participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.

Elections

2017

See also: Coppell Independent School District elections (2017)

Two of the seven seats on the Coppell Independent School District board of trustees were up for general election on May 6, 2017. Incumbent Thom Hulme defeated former candidate Ronald Hansen for the Place 4 seat. David Caviness defeated Vara Kuppam for the open Place 5 seat, for which no incumbent filed.

Results

Coppell Independent School District, Place 5 General Election, 3-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
David Caviness	66.40%	2,277
Vara Kuppam	33.60%	1,152
Total Votes		3,429
Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Election," accessed September 20, 2017

Funding

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

Kuppam reported no contributions or expenditures to the Dallas County Elections Office as of May 1, 2017.

Campaign themes

2017

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

Vara Kuppam participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on April 14, 2017:

“

I will be addressing three areas that fill the needs of CSID (1) growth (new and organic), (2) technology risks, and (3) converting Coppell from family oriented community to educational hub. Growth: In 2016 alone, 1110 homes on sale; each year 350+ new homes added, 356+ students adding to schools within Coppell ISD which is 2.63% growth year over year. With this growth Coppell ISD demographer projects: 13,000 students in ISD by 2018 and by 2012, it would be 14,201 students which means 1,831 additional students will be added to ISD. Today, we are catching up the curve with temporary solutions and we need to act now in addressing the current and future needs. Technology: Technology is changing every day and ISD is adding more technology to schools. With my 20 years of experience on digital space, I can help and direct ISD in evaluating and filtering the products to have right amount of technology in school as well safeguard students, teachers, and parents from technology risks. Academic Excellence: We need to be proactive instead of being reactive for any policies that come from Austin. We need to learn from other ISD successes, create appropriate training environment for teachers, and better prepare our students to compete in this complex, competitive, and interconnected world.

”

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
1	Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
2	Closing the achievement gap
3	Improving post-secondary readiness
4	Improving education for special needs students
5	Improving relations with teachers
6	Expanding arts education
7	Expanding school choice options

“	None	”
—Vara Kuppam (April 14, 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.)
No.
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 only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement.
Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement?
Yes. Not 100% however there should be some way of measuring students performance. Any method will not be perfect when it starts however we need to support and refine to make it better.
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?
Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district.
Should teachers receive merit pay?
Yes. It should go as a bonus not a base salary.
Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program?
No. We as ISD board members have no control on it and it happens in Austin. However, we need to be prepare from now onwards. By just saying I don’t like voucher to make few citizens happy or to get vote is not my way of doing things. If it’s not today it may come in future however we need to focus to address it from now onwards. AS per Texas Education Agency (TEA) there are 1,247 ISDs in Texas and with voucher system all these ISDs get into competition mode with private schools. Dallas Morning News projects that if this happens and in the first year 15,000 students may move out from 5.2 students in Texas. This would cost 5,400/student (regular), 6,800/student (from low-income family), and 8,100/student (for disabled). Which means on an average 6,500 (+/- $300)/student dollars goes to private school however, considering our ISD brand and great teachers and parents, I strongly feel there will be very less amount of students who will be planning to move out of Coppell ISD. On similar lines, let’s consider two schools in Dallas ISD (School of Talented and Gifted rated #1 in nation and School of Science and Engineering is rated as #4 in nation – US News). Even there comes new private school I don’t think parents prefer to take out of those two schools. To certain extend I see ranking but the key point is to learn from their successes, create appropriate training environment to teachers, and better prepare our students to compete in this complex and inter-connected world.
How should expulsion be used in the district?
It should be used as a last option before that as a board member, I would (1) see child’s school record, (2) talk to the school’s witnesses, (3) Make a list of witnesses, (4) A strategy for the hearing, and (5) ask for help if not able to get complete information/details. Again, this is the last option after careful analysis.
What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration?
Student-teacher ratio

Candidate website

Kuppam highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Encourage service opportunities I firmly believe that the task of getting young people to think beyond themselves and to serve their community begins in the home with daily, meaningful contact between parents and their children. Beyond the home, I would like to see parents, students, teachers and administrators build stronger community ties, discovering in the process some of the sources of stress that divide and trouble us and then present these issues to the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees for consideration. Establish closer ties between our learners and the business community Ours is a growing, vibrant community filled with highly successful entrepreneurs and businesses. Increasingly, the activities of our businesses are global in scope, and I believe it is essential for our learners to know and to appreciate diverse cultures and different ways of doing business around the globe. To encourage this awareness, I will give my strongest support to the "Partners in Excellence" program. I will also work to establish even closer ties between our learners and our business community with emphasis on creating real-life projects to help today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders. Support growth along with realistic budget planning As our community grows, our educational system must grow as well. Growth, however, is dependent on sufficient funding. Thus, we must prepare contingency plans so that even if our funding varies, we can still meet the current and future needs of our learners and make Coppell ISD a model for school districts throughout Texas. Encourage global thinking and contact We live in an increasingly interconnected world, and our learners must be prepared to succeed in that world. I would, therefore, encourage international student exchange programs and when funds permit, assist both learners and teachers in attending international conferences and competitions. Their participation, I believe, would not only expose them to different cultures but encourage them to think globally while also working to build a stronger community locally. Encourage innovative but safe ways of using technology to enhance learning I firmly believe that technology can be either a curse or a blessing. Used improperly, it can be a source of stress and even harm. Used wisely, it can open unlimited vistas and learning opportunities. Working as I do in Information Technology, I would like to help the Coppell ISD set up a volunteer organization in this field. This group of volunteers would work to implement security and safety measures to protect our learners, while at the same time expanding the use of technology. Among other things, I hope that these new approaches to technology will enable us to establish innovative programs that help our young people learn in their own style and at their own pace.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

The Dallas Morning News survey

Kuppam participated in the following survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News. The questions provided by The Dallas Morning News appear bolded, and Kuppam's responses follow below.

Why are you running for this office, and why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?

“	My Goals as a Member of the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees I strongly support the recent initiatives of the Coppell ISD, Partners in Excellence and Pinnacle 2020. As a member of the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees, I want to accomplish a number of things to move our district forward in pursuit of the goals of these programs. Encourage service opportunities. I want to encourage our learners to think beyond themselves and find ways to serve our community. A topic that intrigues me is the huge amount of food that we waste in this country, and among other things, I would like to see our learners, teachers and administrators find ways to save food, recycle more materials and reduce hunger in our community. Establish closer ties between our learners and the business community. Ours is a growing, vibrant community filled with highly successful entrepreneurs and businesses, and I want to establish closer ties between our learners and our business community, with emphasis on creating real-life projects to help today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders. Support growth along with realistic budget planning. As our community grows, our educational system must grow as well. Growth, however, is dependent on sufficient funding. Thus, we must prepare contingency plans so that even if our funding varies, we can still meet the current and future needs of our learners and make Coppell ISD a model for school districts throughout Texas. Encourage global thinking and contact. To prepare our learners to succeed in a complex, global economy, I want to encourage international student exchange programs and, funds permitting, assist both learners and teachers in attending international conferences and competitions. Their participation, I believe, would not only expose them to different cultures but encourage them to think globally while also working to build a stronger community locally. Encourage innovative but safe ways of using technology to enhance learning. Technology can be either a curse or a blessing. Used improperly, it can be a source of stress and even harm. Used wisely, it can open unlimited vistas and learning opportunities. I would like to help the Coppell ISD set up a volunteer organization in this field. These volunteers would work to implement security and safety measures to protect our learners, while at the same time expanding and encouraging the innovative use of technology. My hope is that these new approaches to technology will enable us to establish programs that help our young people learn in their own style and at their own pace. In the end, my basic message to voters is this: I believe in this community with all my heart and soul, and I hope that you will believe in me and give me your support to serve you on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees. -Vara Kuppam	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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

“	I was raised with a phrase in the Sanskrit language, 'Matha, Pitha, and Guru Devo Bhava,' translated in English as, 'Mother, Father and Teachers are equivalent to God'. I strongly believe that the difference that effective teachers and staff can make for students is immense and extends past the classroom. Many studies have shown that students with highly effective teachers are significantly more likely to attend college, make bright careers, and live a better life. Also, having effective teachers throughout elementary, middle, and high school can significantly close the opportunity gap among students. Nothing, including technology can replace the teachers and the staff of the schools. My first priority is to retain and address the needs of teachers and ISD staff to make Coppell ISD a blessing for students and parents. Secondly, there is lot of stress among children, teachers, and parents which needs to be identified and addressed. I will work towards identifying and addressing it. I plan in finding and fighting the root to this issue by any means necessary. I believe the stress originates in a school structure that lacks diversity and culture appreciation among each other. I will search for other reasons the school structure is no longer developing the students, but I know the struggle of diversity is the first of many issues I must take on with full force.	”
—Vara Kuppam (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?

“	For non-incumbent like me first needs to understand the system, connect with people and system, defining the future vision/state that aligns with district and state education plan, identifying the gaps, presenting the gaps and transformation solution to stakeholders, and finally executing the plan to fill the gap. This is where my professional experience and last 40+ years of educational experience (life time learner and currently pursuing doctorate in business administration) will help in taking Coppell ISD to next level.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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

“	Encourage service opportunities. I want to encourage our learners to think beyond themselves and find ways to serve our community. A topic that intrigues me is the huge amount of food that we waste in this country, and among other things, I would like to see our learners, teachers and administrators find ways to save food, recycle more materials and reduce hunger in our community. Establish closer ties between our learners and the business community. Ours is a growing, vibrant community filled with highly successful entrepreneurs and businesses, and I want to establish closer ties between our learners and our business community, with emphasis on creating real-life projects to help today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders. Encourage global thinking and contact. To prepare our learners to succeed in a complex, global economy, I want to encourage international student exchange programs and, funds permitting, assist both learners and teachers in attending international conferences and competitions. Their participation, I believe, would not only expose them to different cultures but encourage them to think globally while also working to build a stronger community locally. Encourage innovative but safe ways of using technology to enhance learning. Technology can be either a curse or a blessing. Used improperly, it can be a source of stress and even harm. Used wisely, it can open unlimited vistas and learning opportunities. I would like to help the Coppell ISD set up a volunteer organization in this field. These volunteers would work to implement security and safety measures to protect our learners, while at the same time expanding and encouraging the innovative use of technology. My hope is that these new approaches to technology will enable us to establish programs that help our young people learn in their own style and at their own pace.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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?

“	Local governments and district should align their action items to the long term vision and evaluate the projects or needs of low-income students. These projects need to be analyzed and evaluated through workshops by inviting related stakeholders. During the workshops, one way of analyzing the projects is by placing the projects into four quadrants (urgent and important; not urgent and important; urgent and not important; and not urgent and not important). The projects that fall in first quadrant (urgent and important), needs to be further analyzed using cost-benefit analysis to find the feasibility of each project. Upon performing the analysis, order of execution (priority) needs to be set. Now that we know the projects and investments needed to execute, we need see if taxes collected is sufficient or needed additional dollars to execute the projects. In case it demands additional dollars then further analysis is recommended to see if any projects can be parked or moved to later quadrants. When the deep analysis is completed and the deep analysis report demands additional dollars through taxes or debt approach is considered. It’s very important to know the type of capital (tax, debt, or both) that needs to be considered and how much need to be raised. Raising the taxes or debt needs to be considered as a last option.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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?

“	The equation has two sides. On one-side, the number of units/households are exponentially increasing and district appreciation on each house has also increased getting additional taxpayer dollars into tax bucket. However, on other-side the needs are growing (both operational and capital/new investments) and further adding inflation rate to it may demand same or more dollars to run the system. It’s very important for a (board) person who can understand the vision, capable of predicting current and future needs by identifying the gaps as well laying the transformation plan and budgets which impact the local taxes. This is where my experience, expertise, and educational background help to project and balance the need either to keep taxes same or increase the tax only when it's needed.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

The state has adopted an A through F accountability system for district and campuses. Do you favor or oppose this system and why?

“	I need additional data points to make any comments.	”
—Vara Kuppam (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?

“	I was raised with a phrase in the Sanskrit language, 'Matha, Pitha, and Guru Devo Bhava,' translated in English as, 'Mother, Father and Teachers are equivalent to God'. I strongly believe that the difference that effective teachers and staff can make for students is immense and extends past the classroom. Many studies have shown that students with highly effective teachers are significantly more likely to attend college, make bright careers, and live a better life. Also, having effective teachers throughout elementary, middle, and high school can significantly close the opportunity gap among students. Nothing, including technology can replace the teachers and the staff of the schools. My first priority is to retain and address the needs of teachers and ISD staff to make Coppell ISD a blessing for students and parents. Secondly, there is lot of stress among children, teachers, and parents which needs to be identified and addressed. I will work towards identifying and addressing it. I plan in finding and fighting the root to this issue by any means necessary. I believe the stress originates in a school structure that lacks diversity and culture appreciation among each other. I will search for other reasons the school structure is no longer developing the students, but I know the struggle of diversity is the first of many issues I must take on with full force. Addressing above two items will improve graduation rates along with technology in playing an active role by defining the personalized education system for students to learn in their own style and pace	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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

“	I need additional data points to make any comments.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

How would you assess your district’s current school choice efforts, and what changes are needed?

“	I need additional data points to make any comments.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

How would you assess your superintendent’s performance?

“	I need additional data points to make any comments.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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?

“	Play an active role in defining the personalized education system using technology for students to learn in their own style and pace will help to adjust or modify class-size ratios.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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

“	I need additional data points to make any comments.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

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

“	I firmly believe that the task of getting young people to think beyond themselves and to serve their community begins in the home with daily, meaningful contact between parents and their children. Personally, something that intrigues me is food waste, alongside hunger in our community. Tragically, we throw away about 40% of the food we produce each year. I would like to see students, parents, teachers and administrators in the Coppell ISD working together to find ways to reduce food waste, encourage more recycling and work with organizations that help feed people in need in our community. I firmly believe that technology can be either a curse or a blessing. Used improperly, it can be a source of stress and even harm. Used wisely, it can open unlimited vistas and learning opportunities. Working as I do in Information Technology, I would like to help the Coppell ISD set up a volunteer organization in this field. This group of volunteers would work to implement security and safety measures to protect our learners, while at the same time expanding the use of technology. Among other things, I hope that these new approaches to technology will enable us to establish innovative programs that help our young people learn in their own style and at their own pace. Building up volunteers and parental involvement for a reason and cause will keep the motivation rolling for longer period of time.	”
—Vara Kuppam (2017)

See also

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

External links

Suggest a link

• Coppell Independent School District
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page
• LinkedIn profile