This video is from the Southlake Foundation Candidate Forum, which took place on October 2. It is important that the community is aware that our school board is currently under siege by a political action committee. Southlake Families, a partisan, “unapologetic judeo-christian” organization backed school board trustees Hannah Smith and Cam Bryant, and they have selected Andrew Yeager as their candidate for place 7.

According to Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)- a voluntary, nonprofit, statewide educational association that serves & represents local Texas school boards & of which all school boards are members including CISD–... -school board trustees are to put the interests of their community’s youth first.

TASB says, “The individual school board member’s major responsibility is to study issues facing the district, evaluate needs and resources, and…vote in the best interest of all STUDENTS.”

“As a parent, business executive and alumni interviewer at Stanford University, I can confidently tell you that Stephanie Williams brings strong values, an impeccable education background and diversity of thought to the CISD school board... If you look at any top University, which I know many of our community strive for their children, it is much more than reading, writing and math that gets them in. I can tell you that diversity of experiences are critical, and Stephanie embodies this philosophy.

Thanks to the work of the SROs and others in our community, we are fortunate that our children are physically safe at school. And, as seen in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, our students’ basic needs for shelter and food are well met along with their need to feel physically safe. However, safety is more than just physical.

Why have I chosen to run for CISD school board trustee in the special election? Because the students have gotten lost in the fray. Most of my adult life has been spent as an educator & volunteer with public school students. I have advocated for my own children & empowered them to advocate for themselves.

As I watched the school board become more partisan & blatantly political, I could no longer stand back.

While fashion has changed over the years, one thing that has remained a constant is my passion for education.

I’m a formally trained educator with a master’s degree and have spent time as a public school classroom teacher. I taught 6th grade, both in an elementary and middle school setting. In elementary, I taught all subjects; in middle school, I taught language arts. I then taught 4th grade.

“Our family believes in the mission & power of public education. As an educator, Stephanie will bring much needed perspective to the CISD board that puts students first... "All of our dragons will benefit from her leadership and experience. #VoteForStephanie” -Current CISD PTO President and Mom of 3 Dragons

Thank you for inviting me into your homes, meeting for coffee, and letting me share with you, your friends, and your families how I plan to put all Dragons first, ensuring all students feel safe and have access to leading-edge learning. This is a grass-roots effort and we need all the help we can get! We are facing a PAC (political action committee) backed opponent which means deep pockets and political influence.