Fort Worth Families Forward

Families working to create a better education system for our children, no matter what it takes

Marvin Jose Diaz

by

Marvin Jose Diaz

District 05

Marvin Jose Diaz

District 05

Below are the full questions and all answers provided by Marvin Jose Diaz.

Purpose & Leadership

Why are you running for this position, and what qualifications do you bring?
I am a financial controller by trade having spent 26 years at the world's largest airline watching every penny and working in a team environment to spend money wisely. This is my first attempt at fulfilling my civic duties running as a candidate for city council in district 5. Originally from California, I have resided 15 years here "Where the West Begins" and I am very proud of the progress I have seen by Fort Worth. I seek to share my life experiences with the City and the residents of District 5. My professional education includes an MBA and a commercial pilot license. I have also served as the treasurer of my homeowner association and worked with city departments to aesthetically improve Trinity Boulevard in our neighborhood.

What are the top three priorities you will focus on if elected (list three maximum)?

  • Making clean, safe & family-friendly neighborhoods available to EVERYONE.
  • Working on state-leading public schools in math and reading comprehension, and also healthcare and food security opportunities.
  • Working on making home ownership a reality by continuing to grow economic investment in Fort Worth to improve job security and pay.

Candidate Commitments

Candidates were asked to rank their level of agreement with the following statements:

I will actively support policies that protect and expand families’ ability to choose the best school for their children, including charter schools and traditional ISD schools.
Strongly Agree

I will champion high-quality education by advocating for policies and resources that support the growth and success of all schools, including charter schools.
Strongly Agree

I will foster collaboration between charter schools, traditional ISDs, and local government to improve education outcomes and expand opportunities for families.
Strongly Agree

I will support city-led initiatives to improve school safety, including pedestrian safety, traffic management, and security measures around school campuses.
Strongly Agree

I will advocate for increased mental health resources for students and families by supporting city partnerships and funding for school-based services.
Strongly Agree

I will push for transparent and consistent communication from city officials regarding education policies that impact families and schools.
Strongly Agree

Optional: Please explain any of your responses above.
As with the rest of our Metroplex, Fort Worth's School District is independent from the city government. Its policies and procedures and budget are out of the scope of city council duties. HOWEVER, the greatest impact the city council can have is to ensure that its own policies and programs for further economic development produce great property values. That, in turn, will allow proper funding for Fort Worth schools including its charter schools. So, the city council needs to ensure that the collective property values of the city continue to rise so that ALL schools within the city of Fort Worth are sufficiently funded for current and for future needs.No Response

Policy Questions

Public service requires balancing priorities that impact education, school safety, and community well-being. Candidates were asked to answer the following questions and provide a brief explanation for each response.

Will you advocate for policies that expand families’ access to high-quality public school options, including charter schools and 1882 partnerships (which allow school districts to collaborate with charter schools, universities, and nonprofits to expand educational opportunities), to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed? Yes

No one school can live in a cave all by itself. It is critical that ALL schools share their best results with the other schools. It is important that public & charter schools share with better funded universities and non-profit organizations so that no one is out there "re-inventing the wheel" when the knowledge is available at our fingertips. I call this "cross-pollination" and it is critical for our students' academic success.

Will you actively support policies and initiatives that ensure high-quality schools have the public and political backing to exist, grow, and thrive as education options for families in our city? Yes

When schools succeed, our students succeed, and our society as a whole succeeds. High performing students in math and reading is how we set them up for success in life. There is no sense in limiting ANY learning opportunities. I will support ALL all policies and initiatives to make sure our students succeed by making all high-quality school options available.

Will you support policies to improve transportation access for charter school students, including expanding bus services and ensuring safer walking routes? Yes

Again, a top priority of mine is to make available to everyone clean, safe & family-friendly neighborhoods--- all schools included. I will support policies that expand bus service and ensure safer walking routes to the extent our limited budget and city funds permit. Children crossing streets and speeding vehicles are a lethal combination and safety will always be priority #1 on my list.

Will you ensure that charter school families have a voice in city policy discussions that impact education, facilities, and community resources? Yes

Fort Worth city council meetings are held each Tuesday. We will expect to see you there.......and expect you to share your concerns and needs.

Do you support equitable access to city resources for charter schools, such as allowing access to vacant city-owned buildings and ensuring fair funding opportunities for facilities and infrastructure? Yes

Equitable access to city resources for charter schools to me means ensuring a level playing field. Additionally, fair funding means all interested education parties have the same access to information and opportunities to participate in any available funding. When something is available to the public, that means ALL the public and ALL the public needs to be informed about what the city is making available and under which terms....including city-owned buildings.

Will you support city initiatives to improve traffic and pedestrian safety around schools, including enforcement of school zones and investment in infrastructure like crosswalks and speed bumps? Yes

One of my top priorities is to make clean, safe & family-friendly neighborhoods available to EVERYONE --- all schools included. Children crossing streets and speeding vehicles are a lethal combination. I will participate in looking at every solution from every angle to make the pedestrian zones around all of our schools as safe as they can be.

Beyond general support, what specific actions will you take as a city council member to improve educational opportunities for all students, including those attending charter schools? (Open response)

Improving educational opportunities for all students means that we leave NO money on the table. I am a financial controller by trade and that will help me help the families by making sure we are aware and we have access to all federal, state and city grants. I will be looking hard at those opportunities. I will also be looking hard at ways to help parents get some of their time back so that they can continue being co-educators of their children. Continued economic growth of the city will attract more diversified jobs and continue to increase our average household wages. This in turn, will reduce the burden on parents (stop working two jobs and so much overtime) so that they too can improve their children's scholastic progress.

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