All four candidates for the District 1 Dallas ISD Trustee seat debated under one roof last night at Marsh Middle School. As evidenced by the Dallas Kids First PAC’s decision not to choose one to endorse, they each have a little something for every type of voter.

Michael Greenberg is your door-to-door kind of guy who seems to be out in the community and on the front lines of many issues being discussed. Elizabeth Jones is a data-driven, results-minded financial guru. Jennifer Levy is the less political outsider who people can more personally identify with. Roland Love, whose DKF PAC scorecard is on the lower end, seems laid-back and unlikely to ruffle any feathers.

On to the debate, which was quite civil. Only Greenberg and Jones took subtle jabs at each other. The candidates covered the current board, teacher evaluations, the dysfunctional human resources department and overcrowded schools in District 1. Read on after the jump:

Moderator Robert Wilonsky’s first question gauged the candidates’ opinions on the current board of trustees. Jones was critical saying, “There is too much time spent on things that don’t have anything to do with educating children.” Levy echoed the response that school board discussions can be too much about adult agendas rather than the kids’. Greenberg expressed concerned about the board’s often-sour relationship with the public. “It is crystal clear that the board is not communicating with its audience, and the audience is frustrated. [The board] is not reaching out to people as much.” Love says the board has come a long way in five to seven years, and most of the members are prepared to tackle tough issues.

The candidates offered varied responses when asked what they think the job of a trustee really is. Levy says the job is to govern the district and hire, fire and manage the superintendent. Love says the board should focus more on long-range planning. Greenberg offered the most dramatic response, saying that although technically their job is to hire and fire the superintendent, set policies and set the budget, that’s no enough. “The success of students falls squarely on the shoulders of trustees,” he says. Jones cut to the nitty gritty — a trustee must know what actions to take in order to carry out the mission, reading complex financial reports and translating them to the success of students. It’s all about the results.

In the same breath, Jones brought up the importance of ethics. Greenberg chimed in, saying, “I come in with no ties to industries that profit from the school district.”

A Degolyer Elementary parent in the audience wanted to know each of the candidates’ specific involvement in District 1 over the past year. Levy’s daughter actually attends Preston Hollow Elementary (District 2) because of a collaborative program for autism that isn’t offered at Pershing. Other than that, she has been to three school board meetings and read books about educational reform. Love donates his time to AIDS relief and low-income housing. “Whether that relates to DISD, I don’t know,” he says. Greenberg cited his heavy parental involvement in the Degolyer Dads Club and Leadership DISD, in which you have to pay to participate. Jones discussed her 100-plus hours of public hearings, helping to redraw the city’s council districts and how changing demographic patterns play a fundamental role in the success of schools.

Wilonsky moved on to DISD’s broken human resources department and asked the candidates how they would fix it. Levy wants to hire good recruiting who can attract more than what’s offered through Teach for America. Although it’s a good program, it’s not a fix-all. Greenberg says the HR department is just as important as the superintendent, and he agrees with all 21 recommendations from the STAAR Commission. Jones commented on how HR makes up about 80 percent of the district’s budget but has too much central control, citing cronyism as the root problem.

That afternoon before the debate, the board finally announced its pick for superintendent — Mike Miles of Colorado, who is a big supporter of student performance-based teacher evaluations. The candidates weighed in and mostly agreed that teachers shouldn’t be evaluated on data alone and that it’s more complicated than that. “The first challenge is to make sure it works,” Jones says. “A DISD teacher told me that her concern is that those doing the evaluations don’t understand the discipline of what she’s teaching.” Greenberg stressed that the board must do a good job communicating the plan to the teachers so they know what exactly what they’re being evaluated on. “Test data don’t show the growth of a child,” he says.

But what if there isn’t enough space for these children to grow? The next question tackled the issue of overcrowding at W.T. White. Greenberg noted that it’s not just W.T. White — Marsh and E.D. Walker middle schools are overcrowding, too. “In the next three years, the trustee will have to re-evaluate boundaries in District 1,” he says. “That’s a cold, hard fact. It’s an emotionally charged topic, and I have the perspective of a parent. We need to look at a five-year plan. I don’t see a bond program coming up any time soon.” Jones says the district has failed when it has overcrowded schools along with half-empty ones across the city. We need facilities that can support learning while optimizing the feeder pattern.

Another forum is set for 7:30-8:30 a.m. April 13 at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. TEDxSMU and D Magazine is hosting an education forum involving candidates from all three contested districts 6-8 p.m. April 10 at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff.

Election day is May 12. Early voting is April 30-May 8. The last day to register to vote is April 12.