80: RISD PLACE 1 Candidates Q&A

Sherry Packer & Bobby Gallana are the two candidates running for Place 1 on the Rockwell Independent School District Board and here today in the Bunker for some straight talk in hopes of winning the vote of Rockwall County conservatives.

2:14 Introduction of Dr. Sherry Packer
5:19 Introduction of Bobby Gallana

1. Why are you running for RISD School Board?
6:47 Bobby Gallana
8:52 Dr. Sherry Packer

2. What do you see as the school board’s primary role and responsibility?
9:56 Dr. Sherry Packer
11:56 Bobby Gallana

3. As a school board member, who do you see as your primary constituent and how do you intend to make sure that you are listening to their concerns? (Parents, Faculty, Administrators, Taxpayers…?)
12:34 Bobby Gallana
13:39 Dr. Sherry Packer

4. How often do you attend RISD School Board meetings and do you feel that the Board does a good job of representing constituents?
15:11 Dr. Sherry Packer
16:46 Bobby Gallana

5. In your view, what are the best attributes of Rockwall schools?
17:42 Bobby Gallana
18:25 Dr. Sherry Packer

6. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing RISD?
22:17 Dr. Sherry Packer
24:33 Bobby Gallana

7. One of the principal duties of the School Board is to evaluate the performance of the superintendent and hold him accountable. How will you go about doing that?
26:15 Bobby Gallana
28:21 Dr. Sherry Packer

8. Is there a specific issue or set of issues that you wish to focus on if elected?
29:26 Dr. Sherry Packer
33:23 Bobby Gallana

9. Obviously the COVID pandemic has had a dramatic and ongoing impact on education. From your perspective, what has been both the downside & upside to this crisis to education and what do you believe will be the biggest long-term impact to Rockwall schools?
36:35 Bobby Gallana
39:52 Dr. Sherry Packer

10. RISD instituted the “hybrid model of learning” where high school students with last names A-K attend school in person while those with last names L-Z attend remotely and then swap according to a posted schedule. There were also days when all students attend remotely. Do you think the hybrid model is here to stay and if so, what modifications can be made to improve it? If not, will classroom learning go back to the way it was before?
43:31 Dr. Sherry Packer
45:03 Bobby Gallana

11. Neighboring Garland Independent School District allows parents to choose which school their child attends. How would you feel about giving that right to RISD parents?
46:36 Bobby Gallana
47:23 Dr. Sherry Packer

12. Churches have been removed as a designated “gun-free zone” in Texas and last June, Delegates to the Rockwall County Republican Convention unanimously adopted a platform plank, opposing them, specifically the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibits law-abiding citizens from carrying guns on public school property. This platform position was then adopted by delegates of the Texas Republican Party and is part of the Republican National Platform. If the Texas legislature is successful in repealing the Act, would you support the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to lawfully carry a firearm on public school property? Why or why not?

50:04 Dr. Sherry Packer
53:17 Bobby Gallana

13. RISD posts nine outcomes that they hold as a goal for every graduate. If you were forced to choose just one (AND ONLY ONE) outcome from the list that best reflects your hope that every student might take away, which would it be and why?
54:06 Bobby Gallana
54:58 Dr. Sherry Packer

Closing Remarks
56:23 Dr. Sherry Packer
57:53 Bobby Gallana

Coming shortly:
-Links to both candidate’s websites