Name: Deanna Wright
Office: Clark County School Board, District A
Party Affiliation: Nonpartisan office
Facebook: trusteewright
Twitter: @trustee_wright
Biography provided by the candidate:
Deanna Wright, a native of Southern California, relocated with my family to Henderson, Nevada, in June 1999. My husband, Jason and I were married in July 1991 and have two children, one a Clark County School District (CCSD) graduate, class of 2011, and the other a current CCSD student. After graduating high school in 1989, I transitioned to Fullerton College to study Travel and Tourism later working as a travel agent. Prior to my election to the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, Mrs. Wright was an active parent volunteer working on issues such as zoning, school safety, school start times, small schools committee, the PTA Reflection art program, school Harvest Festival committee, PTA school membership committee chair, standard student attire and served as school PTA President.
Trustee Wright was elected as the District A School Board Trustee in 2008, and re-elected in 2012.
I enjoy any family time. As a family we enjoy ocean sports, playing on the beach, movies, board games, and Scouting. Her eldest son is an Eagle Scout while her younger son is a Star Scout and active in his troop.
I believe that education is the best investment Nevadans can make for their future. Her firm belief is that investing in education now will help build a stronger foundation and economy for Nevada in the future. The mission of the Clark County School District; to ensure that all students will graduate from high school prepared for the work force, trade school, or college; is something that Mrs. Wright takes very seriously. She constantly works to secure more dollars for education, while also shaping policy to ensure meaningful and discerning changes for the District.
Question: Should the CCSD expand sex education?
CCSD must continue to make sure students are getting accurate/ factual sex education information. Just as medical advances are made we need to make sure that medical information being given is up to date and as accurate as can be.
Question: What should the district do about the teacher shortage it currently faces?
As a Board we need to continually check on our hiring numbers as we have done over the last year. Our HR team has worked with The State Board of Education and the NV Department of Education to remove some of the barriers that were keeping teachers from coming to CCSD. With the changes that are in place we are in a good place for this school year.
I hope as a community and a nation we need to repeat the teaching profession as a whole. The national teacher shortage is in part because of the lack of respect teachers get for the very important job they do. When a college graduate can graduate and make double that of a teacher with in a few years a lot of times paying the college debt off wins the career choice. This is a national conversation that I hope we continue to participate in and bring solutions to.
Question: What are your thoughts on the Education Savings Accounts, allowing per-pupil funding from the state to be used for private school tuition?
I do not believe in taking dollars that have been put into Public Education out for other services. ESA's do not serve our most vulnerable students and will not provide tuition for them to attend a private school. Its bad policy for Public Education.
Question: What issues, if any, do you see in light of CCSD redistricting into smaller precincts?
I am concerned with consistency issues with the amount of transience we have within the valley. As a Board we have some Civil Rights law issues as well as the lack of addressing the Student Achievement piece within the plan. These things can be worked out but the devil is in the details and more details need to be flushed out.
(Editor's note: The candidate's biography and answers were not edited for content or length)