Who's Running: Durham Public Schools Board of Education

Gabby Rivero is a parent of students currently enrolled in Durham Public Schools. She is a longtime Durham resident.

Gabby is the founder of a therapeutic dance company.

Rivero’s is a program manager at the Hunt Institute, where she works on national programs for education leadership. She was appointed by the Governor to the DRIVE Task Force (Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education), which works to increase teacher diversity across North Carolina. She is the founder of Express & Release Therapeutic Dance and serves as a board member for the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce.

Gabby is the founder of a therapeutic dance company. She currently serves on the citys recreation advisory committee.

Supports enhancing school facilities and resources, though specific details on her stance are not provided.

- Supports enhancing school facilities and resources, though specific details on her stance are not provided.

School Facilities & Resources

As of January 2, 2026, Gabby Rivero did not have a website or any information online.

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Gabby Rivero

Gabby Rivero is a parent of students currently enrolled in Durham Public Schools. She is a longtime Durham resident known for her advocacy in social justice and mental health.

Rivero’s career focuses on education policy, business, and the arts. She is a program manager at the Hunt Institute, where she works on national programs for education leadership. She was appointed by the Governor to the DRIVE Task Force (Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education), which works to increase teacher diversity across North Carolina. Additionally, she is the founder of Express & Release Therapeutic Dance and serves as a board member for the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce.

Rivero is a community advocate with experience in local government advisory roles. She currently serves on the City of Durham’s Recreation Advisory Committee.

As of January 2, 2026, Gabby Rivero’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Alejandra Gracias

Buket Urgen

Lauren Sartain - UNC School of Education

Lauren Sartain is originally from Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree in government and history from the University of Texas at Austin, and a master's degree and doctorate in public policy from the University of Chicago. Lauren lives with her two children in Durham.

Lauren works as an associate professor of education policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously worked as a researcher at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research.

Lauren's campaign for Durham County School Board, District 3 is her first run for public office.

Supports making public information about improvement and construction projects available in a well-maintained database to allow the public to monitor building maintenance needs and district priorities.

Supports making improvement and construction project information available in a public database.

Supports shifting building maintenance responsibilities to Durham County, citing inefficiencies in the current management by DPS.

Supports shifting building maintenance responsibilities to Durham County, citing inefficiencies in the current management by Durham Public Schools.

- Supports making improvement and construction project information available in a public database.
- Supports shifting building maintenance responsibilities to Durham County, citing inefficiencies in the current management by Durham Public Schools.

For Candidate Lauren Sartain on Issue access to education: Supports expanding aftercare access and building community partnerships to enhance academic support for students.

Supports expanding aftercare access and building community partnerships to enhance academic support.

- Supports expanding aftercare access and building community partnerships to enhance academic support.

For Candidate Lauren Sartain on Issue teachers: Supports providing job security and creating stable teaching teams using local funding during fluctuations in student enrollment.

Supports providing job security and creating stable teaching teams using local funding.

For Candidate Lauren Sartain on Issue teachers: Supports developing clear and transparent pay scales for teachers.

Supports developing clear teacher pay scales.

Supports modernizing payroll to eliminate paycheck mistakes and provide flexibility over pay periods.

Supports modernizing payroll to eliminate paycheck mistakes and provide flexibility.

- Supports providing job security and creating stable teaching teams using local funding.
- Supports developing clear teacher pay scales.
- Supports modernizing payroll to eliminate paycheck mistakes and provide flexibility.

For Candidate Lauren Sartain on Issue school-curriculum: Supports pausing unnecessary service contracts and limiting non-mandated standardized tests, unmanaged technology contracts, and additional curricula.

Supports pausing unnecessary service contracts and limiting non-mandated standardized tests, unmanaged technology contracts, and additional curricula.

- Supports pausing unnecessary service contracts and limiting non-mandated standardized tests, unmanaged technology contracts, and additional curricula.

For Candidate Lauren Sartain on Issue student-wellbeing:  
Supports affordable and available after-school programs to keep students safe and parents at work.

Supports affordable and available after-school programs to keep students safe and parents at work.

- Supports affordable and available after-school programs to keep students safe and parents at work.

Lauren Sartain

Peter is from Durham, North Carolina. He attended public schools in Durham. He has a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also completed graduate studies in the United Kingdom as a Marshall Scholar. He lives with his three children in Durham.

Pete Crawford earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the United States Military Academy, a master's degree in development studies from the London School of Oriental and African Studies, and a master's degree in war studies from King's College London. He lives with his three children in Durham.

Pete currently works as the co-founder of Acre, a real estate startup, and as an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy. He served in the U.S. Army for 19 years.

Peter Crawford's campaign for Durham County Board of Education Member, District 3 is his first entry into politics.

Peter's campaign for Durham County Board of Education Member, District 3 is his first entry into politics.

Supports fiscal responsibility in budgeting, ensuring every dollar spent in the school district is tied to a measurable outcome.

Supports fiscal responsibility in budgeting, saying "every dollar we spend must be tied to a measurable outcome."

- Supports fiscal responsibility in budgeting, saying "every dollar we spend must be tied to a measurable outcome."

As of January 2, 2026, Peter Crawford’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Believes in setting high proficiency goals for students in reading and math.

- Believes in setting high proficiency goals for students in reading and math.

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Peter Crawford

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 

Durham County Board of Education Member, District 3

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