Diane Houser for DASD School Board Region 6

As a School Board Director, I will look for ways to encourage more positive parental involvement.

My Goals As School Board Director

School Board Directors are locally elected officials who work with the superintendent and other administrators to ensure that the school district operates in an efficient, effective manner. School Board Directors are responsible for making decisions that impact the lives of students, families, and the community.

Goals

School Board Directors must be independent thinkers who can thoughtfully direct administrators to achieve DASD School Board goals:

  • Improve academic success by defining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives
  • Make decisions based on data, evidence, and research, not on ideologies without basis in fact 
  • Execute sound and explainable financial decisions 
  • Provide students with the best possible education at an affordable taxpayer cost 
  • Solicit input from parents and other taxpayers to improve services 
  • Establish clear school safety protocols 

Questions From the Community

  • Why are many DASD students (up to 25-30%) not performing at proficiency level? 
  • How does social-emotional learning and gender ideology education lead to improved academic achievement?
  • How is the data from student surveys used? 
  • If tax increases are proposed, can some costs be trimmed that do not affect the students and the classroom? 
  • How are property taxes and tax assessments determined? Who sets the tax rate?
  • Can school safety be improved? Currently, an agency is contracted. How would full-time district hired security guards improve school safety? 

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Recommendations

If elected, I would get answers to your questions and recommend common sense, back-to-basics academic solutions that would enhance student achievement and wellbeing, positive collaboration with parents and taxpayers, and fiscal accountability. 

  • Request to observe current educational methods being practiced
  • Inspect the curriculum and surveys
  • Engage with parents, taxpayers, students, and teachers, reporting concerns to the board
  • Focus the budget on the classroom and students rather than the administration 

Children are our most valuable resource

Every child is unique and special. Teaching should be tailored to the individual needs of every student (inclusion) not custom-made to a group’s wants (exclusion). Students must be prepared to meet the challenges of this ever-changing world and become productive, self-sufficient citizens. I believe that the future of our children depends on effective leadership from our school boards. I am asking for your vote and the opportunity to serve you. This all-important Municipal Election is November 4, 2025. 

There is a difference between parental engagement and parental involvement

Parents working together with the school on a strategic plan is parental engagement. Parental involvement is when there is positive collaboration with the classroom teacher, when parents have full access to the curriculum, know what their child is expected to learn and how they can help their child, and can communicate with the classroom teacher over any concern and know that their concern is being heard.