Debbie Hixon, Widow Of Parkland Coach, Campaigns for School Board

by Sharon Aron Baron March 2, 2020

by Sharon Aron Baron March 2, 2020 20 views

By: Sharon Aron Baron

In 2018, Debbi Hixon lost her husband, Chris Hixon, who was among the 17 innocent victims in the horrific school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Now a candidate for Broward County School Board, Debbi, has hit the campaign trail, and on Wednesday evening, she met with parents and teachers in Parkland to tell them why she’s running for office.

A teacher for 31 years, including 27 in the classroom and the last four as a magnet coordinator at South Broward High School, Hixon is running for Seat 9 after Robin Bartleman’s announced she would run for the Florida House.

“I know there are a lot of good things about our system, but I also know there are a lot of things that are broken and need to be fixed.”

Commissioners Ken Cutler and Stacy Kagan, Simeon Brier, Debbi Hixon, Mayor Hunschofsky, Vice Mayor Bob Mayersohn, Theresa Brier, and Commissioner Rich Walker.

Debbi has two sons including one with special needs. She, along with them, all graduated from South Broward High School.

Safety and security is her biggest priority — which includes health safety. For instance, keeping teachers and students safe while working in buildings with mold issues.

She also believes code drills are essential, but they need to be age-appropriate.

Another one of her priorities is making sure teachers are more valued in schools.

“It isn’t just about more money; it’s about feeling valued. It’s about when someone throws something down the pipe at you, and they ask ‘how does that look in your classroom?’”

With the primary on August 18, Debbi is facing six other candidates and needs to win with 51 percent to avoid a run-off in November.

According to the latest reports, she has raised $34,473.50, and candidate Anthony L. Robbins has raised $35,000; however, those were loans to himself.

The event was hosted by Theresa and Simeon Brier, who wanted residents to meet Debbi because they felt compelled to help her campaign.

Theresa said, “She’s part of the Stoneman Douglas family. She’s our family, that’s how we feel about her.”

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Sharon Aron Baron

Sharon Aron Baron is a Parkland resident and editor of Talk Media. She has been covering Parkland news since 2012. Parkland Talk was created to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Parkland.