Election Day · November 3, 2026
Mike Randolph for Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees, SMD 9

A strong neighborhood school is what makes a place worth belonging to. I’m running so ours is good enough that families choose it, teachers stay, and no kid has to leave for the education they deserve.

Mike Randolph, candidate for Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees, District 9
About Mike

A dad and a neighbor, running for our kids.

I’m Mike Randolph, a dad with two boys in our schools and a Del Valle neighbor. I’ve spent my career helping people and organizations grow, and I’ve seen the same thing over and over: when our schools thrive, everything around them does too. Our kids do their best work, our teachers feel supported, and our community grows stronger. I’m not a career politician. I’m a parent and a life-long educator with real skin in the success of our schools, and I’d be honored to bring that to our Board of Trustees.

  • Founding president of the Gilbert Elementary PTO. I built a parent group here; I didn’t just join one.
  • A family of educators. My parents, my brother, my in-laws, and my wife are all educators. I grew up in and around schools, and I’ve supported educators my whole life.
  • A background built on developing people. I hold a master’s in education, I led talent and performance programs at Tesla as it doubled in size, and I co-authored a book on leadership, Courage Over Fear. I serve as president of ATD Austin, our local community for people who develop others.
  • A dad who believes in the promise of public education. My kids will grow up in Del Valle schools, including our new high school.
For Del Valle
Why I’m running

A school worth choosing is a community worth belonging to.

I’m at my best when I’m of service to my community. In 2024, I helped start the PTO at Gilbert, because I watched good teachers buy supplies out of their own pockets, positions get cut, and kids lose out when excellent teachers voted with their feet. We built something because our kids needed more support.

I’m not going to tell you everything’s fine in our district. You already know it isn’t. But I’m not interested in only pointing at what’s broken. A strong neighborhood school is the anchor of a place worth belonging to, and I want ours strong enough that every family, however long you’ve been here, has a school worth choosing.

Where I stand

Four things I’ll keep coming back to.

Not a laundry list. Just the things that matter most, in plain terms.

Governance

A board that works for our kids

Every kid deserves an excellent education, and the board’s job is to make sure our educators have the tools to deliver it, and that our community clears the barriers in the way. When the board gets stuck fighting itself, it stops serving our kids. I’ll help get it unstuck.

Teachers

Keep the good people

A kid can’t learn from a revolving door of teachers. Keeping and developing good people is what I’ve done for a living, and I’ll bring that to this board, because the adults in the building are what make a school worth choosing.

Attendance

Every kid in a seat

Kids can’t learn if they’re not in class. I’ll work with local government, community organizations, and our administration to knock down the barriers that keep students home, like transportation, family support, and community funding. Every empty desk is a missed opportunity to learn, and funding our district loses. Getting every kid to class starts with understanding why families struggle to get there, and how our community can help.

Our fair share

Our biggest taxpayer should pay its fair share for our kids

Tesla is the largest taxpayer in our district, and the deal that caps what they pay won’t last forever. As it comes up, I’ll make sure Del Valle’s kids get their fair share, and that every one of those dollars lands where it belongs: in our classrooms. I’ve worked inside a company like that. I know how these agreements get written, and I’ll make sure ours is written for our kids.

There’s more to the job. Enrollment, budgets, and new buildings all matter, and I’ll bring the same clear-eyed, plain-spoken approach to all of it. Let’s build a district that’s grounded today and reaching for what’s next.

Get involved

This is a neighbor-to-neighbor campaign.

I can’t do this alone, and I don’t want to. We have a chance to build the school district our kids deserve. Come knock on doors, host a conversation with neighbors, put up a yard sign, or just stay in the loop. I’d love to hear from you.

Or email me directly:
info@mikefordelvalle.com