Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of interviews with candidates in the Nov. 7 elections. Brent Small is running against incumbent Inez Rodriguez for the Portales School Board District 2 position.
Brent Small
Q: What made you decide to run for the school board?
A: I have two small children who are enrolled in Portales Municipal Schools. They’re in the first grade and pre-K. So, just my involvement with that and seeing the need to have a school board that's active and informed and has children in school, I think is an important thing.
Q: How are you qualified?
A: I worked in higher education administration for about 22 years. So, we follow very similar structures in makeup and governance and involvement with the state Legislature and funding. I think my history with that definitely makes me an asset for this type of position.
Q: What do you see as the school board's role in deciding what books are available in the school libraries?
A: School libraries should contain books that are supportive of the curriculum and should be approved through some process with the school board or school administrators. Books that are of some debate or are questionable, I think publishing those should definitely be scrutinized for content. There is a place for everything in our public schools, especially in our younger children. There's a place for things and there's a place not for things. But again, school libraries should only contain books that are supportive of that curriculum and that help to achieve the goals of that student and their learning outcomes.
Q: As a school board member, would you vote for the district to act independent of state mandates? If so, under what circumstances?
A: My response to that would be that it would depend. Obviously, we would not do or oppose anything that was in line with a state law or approved administrative code. But we would have to weigh our decisions in going against any type of order from the state into what the repercussions of that would be in the immediate or distant future. I would suspect that if a directive or guidance was given in accordance with law and statute, there shouldn't be a situation where that would arise. I think school districts have to be very careful in dealing with their state agencies and what the outcomes of that would be. Whether it's an order like we've experienced with COVID or just a change in curriculum, anything like that. Proper channels, proper oversight, proper adherence to legislation and administrative code have to be followed at all levels.
Q: If elected, what would be your No. 1 priority?
A: My priority would be to ensure that our students are meeting the learning goals and attaining the education that they should be at all levels. Putting other things aside to make sure that is our priority. Whatever those other things might be, our goal is to educate our students; to give them the best possible education we can to prepare them for the future. That's my goal.
— Compiled by Landry Sena, the Staff of the News
Inez Rodriguez
Q: What made you decide to run for the school board?
A: The reason that I'm running is because I have a big, strong passion for the children here in Portales. I'm very involved with the New Mexico School Board Association and I'm on the board of directors there and I like to go to all those meetings to see what I can learn, you know, to make sure that we are providing the best quality education and have compassion and understanding for all the students because we want them all to be successful.
Q: How are you qualified?
A: I think I'm qualified for the role because of my commitment in being willing to learn more and more of the changes that happen in the state. I'm serving here in Portales, but I'm also involved, like I said, in the state and trying to find out the new laws, the new regulations and just trying to keep on top of everything.
Q: What do you see as the school board's role in deciding what books are available in the school libraries?
A: I believe that’s a very strong issue right now. I think that we're striving to do our best to provide the best quality reading for our students. And we are involved in that. Of course, the superintendent makes those decisions and all that, but he's the communication between us and him. We make it possible when something is happening so that we're all aware. We just want the best for our students, the best reading.
Q: As a school board member, would you vote for the district to act independent of state mandates? If so, under what circumstances?
A: That's really an important issue, but I want to make the best decision that I can, and I will always support the district, and whatever is best for the district.
Q: If re-elected, what would be your No. 1 priority?
A: To continue doing the job that we're doing. Now, we are the policy making board and the organizational part of it. I want to stay on top of it and stay involved and do the best that I can for all students.
— Compiled by Landry Sena, the Staff of the News
