Author: John Schmidt
Published: April 23
Tensions are running high in the current GCISD school board election. A group of parents has organized in opposition to the incumbents, bringing high emotion to the race.
Their emotion stands in contrast to the district’s performance. GCISD remains one of the top academic districts in North Texas. It is ranked #2 in the region and is widely recognized as the #1 district to teach in. At the same time, the current board has made difficult financial decisions. With more than 1,900 empty elementary seats, closures were not just reasonable, they were necessary. Even after those changes, more than 600 seats remain unfilled. Continuing to fund unused space was not a sustainable option.
Still, frustration over those decisions has found a visible outlet.
For more than a week, a local parent has stood outside schools holding a sign blaming the incumbents for the efforts to right size the district through consolidations. It is a clear attempt to build support for challengers, and it is well within his rights.
But signs have now become a flashpoint.
Supporters of the incumbents responded with messaging of their own. Instead of handheld signs, they used an A-frame sign and wore T-shirts. The message focused on statements from challengers indicating they may be open to tax increases. The reaction was immediate. When the A-frame and t-shirt appeared near a school, the pushback was strong enough that police were called. And at polling locations, the shirts and signage drew protests from challengers, who argued the messaging was unfair while their own messaging somehow was not.
That raises a question.
If one side can stand outside schools for days with messaging that blames the board, why is the other side met with outrage for responding?
It increasingly appears the standard is not about whether signs are appropriate, but whether the message is liked. The challengers have been comfortable using signs that criticize the incumbents. Yet when the incumbents or their supporters respond with messaging of their own, the reaction shifts quickly. The difference is not the presence of signs, but the content of them.
Disagreement is expected in an election. Strong opinions are part of the process. But consistency matters. If public messaging is acceptable for one group, it should be acceptable for another.
Those challengers… What a bunch of Snowflakes!
Vote for AJ, Mary and Dianna!!!
They’ll do what’s right for GCISD
