Carrie Buck

Carrie Buck was born in Sioux City, Iowa. Buck's earned a bachelor's degree from Montana State University in 1995, a master's degree from the University of Phoenix in 1998, and a Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University in 2006. Her career experience includes working as the president of the Pinecrest Foundation; as the executive director and lead principal of the Pinecrest Academy of Nevada; as an adjunct faculty member at multiple higher education institutions; as an area chair and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) curriculum writer with the University of Phoenix; as an English language learner specialist and instructional coach with the Clark County School District Southeast Region; as an adult English as a second language teacher with the Nevada Association of Latin Americans; as a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine teacher with several elementary schools; as a casino attendant with Banana Bay Bar and Grill; and with the Safeway grocery store deli service department in Bozeman, Montana.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the wife of a Henderson, NV police captain and the mother of four boys. My two oldest sons are both serving in the Armed Forces, and my two youngest sons are in High School. I am a career educator, now working as the Principal and Executive Director of the Pinecrest Foundation. I also have extensive eperience teaching English Language Learners (ELL) and Adult English as a Second Language (ESL) for several schools and institutions across Southern Nevada. I was also principal of C.T. Sewell Elementary School, where during my tenure, the school went from "failing" to being a National Distinguished Title 1 School in 2013-2014.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I have always considered myself a champion for educational opportunity. I have dedicated my life to transforming failing charter schools into shining examples of educational success. I believe firmly in exanded funding of Opportunity Scholarships which would allow more underprivileged families to send their children to schools that are the best fit for them. I have also introduced legislation that would require Nevada's lowest-performing schools to be put in receivership by the State Department of Education. This would allow positive transformation rather than allow schools to continue failing our kids. Finally, I believe that parents are the only ones empowered to make critical decisions about their child's education.As the spouse of a police officer, I have always been passionate about public safety issues. I have sponsored legislation to tighten restrictions and strengthen penalties for human traffickers and traffickers of fentanyl. I have also been working closely with a coalition of organizations and individuals to help prevent child trafficking in Southern Nevada. Our efforts focus on educating children and families on the warning signs of child trafficking, recognizing a trafficker and their methods, consolidating resources between volunteer efforts for efficiency, and mandatory training on victim interaction for EMS and first responders.I will always be a fighter for a stronger economy and affordable housing. I have sponsored legislation that would reform licensing requirements for cosmetologists in the state to allow more to enter the industry without burdensome regulations. I have also introduced legislation to reform the Dept. of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation so that when Nevadans fall on hard times, their requests and complaints would be dealt with more efficiently. With inflation soaring, I have observed the cost of living and cost of housing skyrocket. With homeownership in the area on the decline, I am committed to finding opportunities to save Nevada families' hard-earned money.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I find myself most passionate about issues surrounding education, public safety, and the economy. As an educator, I believe my expertise can be invaluable to conservative education policy in this state.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I recently wrote a children's book called "Coco Goes to Carson City," in which the main character, Coco, named for my family pet, teaches young students about legislative process, how a bill becomes a law, and how a senator represents them. I use this as a teaching tool in a number of Southern Nevada schools.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, Integrity, and Patriotism. Elected officials may only be considered truly effective when those that they represent feel as though they are adeuqately represented by the actions and votes of that member. That elected official must live in an honorable way, being held to a higher ethical and moral standard, which instills a spirit of trust in the people that he or she serves.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I listen to the wise counsel of others around me. As an educator, I value the possibility to learn more and better ways to do things. Because of this background, I believe it makes me work well with other ideas, but still reach measureable goals for the people who have entrusted me with their representation.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As a state senator, I believe it is my duty to seek the advice and counsel from wise people and the will of the people who have elected me. I believe that they trust me to use my background, expertise, and belief system to the best of my ability to reach the policy goals that they desire.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

In Nevada, there is a great partisan divide between the state legislature and the current governor. But due to our Constitutional provision of checks and balances, the governor’s veto power can, and often does, act as a necessary check to unwise policy passed by the legislature. The relationship between a legislature and the Governor can be one in which the executive has the ability to suggest and help implement good policy, but is also appropriately controlled by the people’s house, the legislature.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

First, Nevada’s statistics regarding human trafficking and child trafficking are among the worst in the nation. With the tourism industry and the advent of national sporting events in the Las Vegas metro area, there also comes a rising threat to our state’s young people. This is exacerbated by homelessness and crime. Which is why I further believe that something must be done to combat our state’s affordable housing crisis. Many Nevadan families and young adults find it near impossible to combat rising inflation, all while building regulations continue to slow down building projects’ progress.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

While it can be helpful for legislators to have experience with the procedures and activities of the legislature, it is not necessary. I have learned many things as an incumbent that I did not know as a first time candidate, but I’m also not a career politician. I’ve been an educator for all of my adult life, which I believe has been the most beneficial asset in my service in the State Senate in the last four years.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It is definitely beneficial to build good working relationships with other legislators. For example, the prevention of human trafficking is a non-partisan issue. Because of good relationships with members across the aisle, a bi-partisan effort to pass common sense legislation addressing issues like this is much more efficient and effective.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I have found the work of several legislators to be inspiring, and do my best to model the best practices of those who are most successful in the representation of their constituency.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I ran for this office because I was motivated to make positive changes for the needs I saw in my community and in my profession as an educator. I consider my role as a State Senator purely as a service opportunity, not my profession. Because of this, I plan only to do the best I can at representing the people in Senate District 5, doing the work they have asked of me.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

As an educator and education administrator, I’ve encountered countless Nevada families and kids who want to seek the best educational opportunities that they can. I’ve seen the negative impacts of poor leadership, lack of accountability, and unwise policy in our education system. That’s why I’m committed to expanding funding for opportunity scholarships to allow greater access for educational choice for underprivileged families. I further believe in greater transparency and accountability for our schools’ performance standards, and I am committed to creating instructional models that help our students grow the most.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

While not directly a Constitutional provision, recent history has taught us that the executive is sometimes required to have emergency powers. However, this must not and cannot exist without the appropriate and thorough approval and check of the legislature.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Because of my work on the prevention of human trafficking in Nevada, it is my desire to see bi-partisan legislation passed in the next session which would require human trafficking intervention and victim communication training for EMS workers and first responders.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by numerous local economic and law enforcement organizations. Specifically for my pro-business views and policies, I have been endorsed by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, and for my tough-on-crime stances, I have been endorsed by the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, comprised of several police and law enforcement units.

What committees interest you?

As the current State Senator in District 5, I serve on three legislative committees: Commerce and Labor, Education, and Revenue and Economic Development.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I support endeavors to create greater transparency with government finance. The people deserve the right to know how money is influencing their own legislative processes.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

The State of Nevada currently has a ballot initiative underway regarding Voter ID in elections. Although this measure has been voted on numerous times in our state, I believe that voter ID is a necessary requirement in the interest of election integrity.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a mom and an educator. I was a teacher with CCSD as well as an ESL coach. I went on to become principal at C.T. Sewell Elementary in Henderson. In my time at Sewell we increased student achievement more than any other school in Henderson.

- English proficiency jumped from 35% to 81%.

- Math proficiency skyrocketed from 36% to 90%.

- Enrollment went up by 8 percent.

- Attendance increased to over 96 percent.

- Teacher turn-over dropped to less than 10 percent.

- Participation in parent/teacher conferences hit 100 percent.

We rejuvenated a dying school. It was such a wonderful experience to work with the families and staff at Sewell. I still visit the school occasionally and keep in contact with many of the teachers who worked with me.

In 2014, I moved over to Pinecrest Academy, a public charter school in Henderson. When I started we were one school with 700 students and a 3 star rating. By 2018 we grew to a four-site/eight-school network teaching over 4,600 students and a $35 million operating budget.

All four campuses earned a 5-Star rating last year, making Pinecrest one of the top charter school networks in the entire state.

My husband is a captain in our local police department. We have 4 sons. My oldest, Collen, is a Green Beret serving in the Army at Ft. Bragg. Colbie is serving in the Army Reserves and attending CSN. My two youngest sons, Branson and Barrett, attend the Pinecrest Academy.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Economic recoveryImprove educationIncrease access to healthcare

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We can do better in educating our kids. We must treat our teachers like the professionals they are and give them the tools they need to succeed.

Buck's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[19]

Better schools

Open door policy

Higher wages[20]