Julie Pickren

Julie Pickren was born in Houston, Texas, and lives in Manvel, Texas. Pickren's career experience includes owning a business. She has served on the board of trustees of the Alvin Independent School District.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I believe together we can ensure that each child's education prepares them to achieve The American Dream. Every Child is unique and has different educational needs. I am running for State Board of Education to ensure Every Child has an Equal Opportunity Education with Texas Values! God Bless Texas.

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?

No Critical Race Theory in Education for students or teachers. CRT is Socialism and will kill The American Dream for our children.Protect Parent's Rights. Children belong to their Parents, they do not belong to the government. Trust and communication must be protected between teachers and parents for children to be successful.Follow The Texas Constitution. It is imperative that we teach our children how to think instead of what to think so we can preserve our Liberties and Freedom.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I advised The Texas Legislature on the following bills that are now law -

Ban of Critical Race Theory in Texas Education, Protect Girls' Sports Bill, and The National Motto In Schools Bill.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The State Board of Education is crucial to the future of Texas and The Texas Econmy. Article 7 of The Texas Constitution states that a free and public education is necessary to preserve our Liberties and Freedom. The SBOE decides textbooks, curriculum standards, teaching certificate standards, and manages the Permanent School Fund.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I am a Christian. The Bible is a guiding force in my life and is a constant reminder of standards I try to live up to. My personal favorite is The Golden Rule - Treat others how you wished to be treated.

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

The Bible. Great books written by David Barton, Thomas Sowell, books and essays written by Booker T. Washington, and Dr. Carol Swain's 1776 Report.

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

Belief that America and Texas are Great and have made huge impacts for good in the world. Faithfulness to The Constitution of The United States of America and The Texas Constitution. Responsible to carry out the duties of the office. Willing to listen to people and be available to their constituents.

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

My business experience has contributed to my successes as an elected official. I understand complex budgets, building community relationships, and leading teams to success.

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

Justly consider all Charter School Applications. Rightly govern The Permanent School Fund. Streamline Teaching Certificates and Professional Development. Most of all, ensure Every Child has an Equal Opportunity to a Great Education.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Every Child in Texas has a great education so they can live out their dreams in The Greatest Country in the world. Every Child in Texas deserves the opportunity to live out The American Dream.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I clearly remember is President Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech in Berlin in 1987. Which lead to the subsequent fall of The Soviet Union. I was 13 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was when I was 16 years old working as a part time receptionist. I stayed in that position for 2 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Bible first. Other than that, I enjoy reading biographies. One of my favorites was an Exhausted Biography of Cleopatra which showed how her exceptional education was key to her success as Pharaoh.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

N/A. I'm thankful for who God made me and honestly life can be stranger than fiction.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

God's grace has been very good to me and my family. The Bible says "All things work together for good for those who love The Lord." In the struggles and the successes I have learned to be content and trust God.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Textbook selection is the most important because the textbooks that Texas adopts is what is used throughout the country.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The Permanent School Fund is the fund that guarantees Independent School District's Bond Debt. We need to examine how we can better serve taxpayers by reducing property taxes and I believe responsible management of The PSF can help.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe it is important for anyone seeking this role to have leadership experience and also understand how to work within a governing body. There are 5.5 million children in Texas that relying on the State Board of Education leaders to ensure they have a great education.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Knowledge of Education and how Texas Education works. Relationships with diverse communities and leaders to ensure Every Child is being served. Strong moral compass to guide decisions.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Silly Dad Jokes are always my favorite.

What do you call a cow with no legs?

Ground beef.

Campaign website

Pickren's campaign website stated the following:

Julie Pickren wants the best for our children and will do everything in her power to ensure that they receive a quality education. She pledges to focus on the following if elected:

Ban Critical Race Theory – Ban / Remove Critical Race Theory from every aspect of education in Texas. CRT is rooted in socialism and opposes Texas Values and the American Dream. All children are equal and deserve equal access to a college ready education, career ready certificate, or military preparedness to serve our country after graduation.

Follow the Texas Constitution – The Texas Constitution will be the driving force for Julie’s State Board of Education decisions. The Texas Constitution states the purpose of education in Texas is to “Provide a general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people.” It is crucial we teach children how to think, not what to think, so we may preserve our liberties and rights.

Create Opportunity Audits – Julie believes in Opportunity Audits. We have to ensure that every child, regardless of skin color, economic class, native language, or disability, has equal access to a great education. Providing every child with a great education is critical to student success.

Financial Responsibility – We owe it to our children to be financially responsible. The debt that schools incur today will be paid for by our children later. Julie will govern the Permanent School Fund with the understanding that tax dollars belong to the people and will advocate for property tax relief.[2]

—Julie Pickren's campaign website (2022)[3]

Pickren participated in [the profile publisher]'s 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

We are a rapidly growing district. So my top priority is making sure new schools are going where they will be the most utilized and be the most cost effective for the tax payers. A top priority also is making sure our schools have great leadership that inspire teachers and create a great environment of learning for the students.[2]

—Julie Pickren (2015)[4]

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:

Education policy

Click here to learn more about education policy in Texas.

Education on the ballot

Issue importance ranking

Candidate's ranking

Issue

1

Improving college readiness

2

Balancing or maintaining the district's budget

3

Expanding career-technical education

4

Improving education for special needs students

5

Expanding arts education

6

Closing the achievement gap

7

Expanding school choice options

Positions on the issues

The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from [the profile publisher] regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:

Question

Response

What is your stance on implementing Common Core standards?

"They should not be implemented."

Should your district approve the creation of new charter schools?

"We are a rapidly growing area so we are opening several new schools."

Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system?

"Yes."

Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement?

"Standardized testing is a good tool when used in conjunction with other forms of measuring achievement."

How can the district ensure equal opportunities for high and low achieving students?

"Every child should be treated equally and given the same opportunities."

How should expulsion be used in the district?

"Expulsion should be used for serious offenses to ensure the safety of other students as well as the integrity of education at district schools."

If a school is failing in your district, what steps should the school board take to help the students in that school?

"There would need to be an evaluation of the school's leadership and processes to identify the problems the school is having. Also, a meeting with the teachers would be beneficial because they are the ones in direct contact with the students and parents. Next, a meeting with the parents would be good so they can share their thoughts and ideas about how to fix the problem. I am sure the parents would appreciate the district listening to their concerns and taking action accordingly. A school failing is a serious issue, so I think it would require full attention of the administration and school board."

Do you support merit pay for teachers?

"Yes."

How should the district handle underperforming teachers?

"Offer additional training options."

How would you work to improve community-school board relations?

"I would work to improve communtiy school board relations by several ways. First, I would have more localized meetings. Our district spans a large area, so smaller meetings within different communities would be beneficial. Also, I think social media is important. It seems many times the community does not here the good happening in our schools. If each school has a blog that parents can subscribe to or a facebook page, then the parents can easily see what is new and exciting in our schools. Last, I would like to see more business involvement in our schools. Whether supplying professionals to guest lecture of by providing financial sponsorships in our schools."