Layla Collins sets eyes on Hillsborough school board seat: ‘I’ll never back down’

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Army Veteran Layla Collins, wife of Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, has set her eyes on the Hillsborough School Board District 1 seat, which is on the ballot this November.

In an interview with Florida’s Voice, Collins said if elected, she will “do the right thing for our children” and will “never back down.”

Collins served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, primarily in special operations. She acted as a liaison between the U.S. Army and government agencies throughout her career and said she oversaw the security clearance process, policy implementation, development and intelligence oversight.

Previously, Collins said she was “blessed” with the opportunity to serve and was able to “do what a lot of women in my generation were not allowed to do – which is to go into what we’ll call the ‘objective’ or ‘target.'”

“If I’ll pull a bad guy out of the house, because he’s hiding with the women, and I didn’t put fear and let it stop me then… you better believe I’m not going to let it stop me from doing what’s best for our children,” Collins said.

Collins said during her extensive career, she “had to make tough decisions in very stressful situations” which she believes “develops leadership.”

“And that’s something we need right now,” Collins continued.

In her experience as a counterintelligence professional, she said she brings a “unique perspective” to the board.

“I’m a problem solver. I have an extensive career in policy adherence, understanding how to employ and use policy and doctrine and making tough decisions,” she said.

Her husband, Jay Collins, is currently representing the Florida Senate in District 14. They have been married for over 23 years and have two sons.

“We have young sons – and as someone that’s deployed throughout the world, you start to see the effects of what an education can do for you and children that don’t have the opportunities that our children have – how it’s hard to break out of that,” Collins said.

Additionally, Collins brings prior experience as a substitute teacher to her candidacy.

“I saw so many wonderful teachers, that were working hard to give our kids the best that they could, but I saw so many things – that with the right communication, and the right processes and understanding of policies and laws – we could do better and I wanted to help that,” she said.

If elected, Collins will aim to “restore public trust and accountability, advocate for reasonable spending and better planning, prioritize forecasting and solving problems before they happen, empower parental control in education and engage in parental involvement,” according to her campaign website.

She also will work to “enhance skilled workforce training,” and “prioritize and invest in early childhood development programs.”

Collins said currently, there is a lack of “leadership” on the school board that is “willing to step into the fray and actually dig deep and find a way to solve problems.”

“We do have people trying that are doing their best and doing good things, but we need more of that, when we need our numbers to increase so that we have the ability to fix things like the budget, communication, and to have those leaders,” she said.

Instead of “complaining about the issues at hand,” Collins said she wants to “contribute to the solution.”

“We can’t keep chasing issues and putting out fires, we need to look at what the systemic problem is and fix it at the root and right now that’s not happening,” Collins said.

Collins said the board needs to focus on “literacy” and “early education.”

“Only about 50% of our third graders read at a proficient level. Every year beyond that, it becomes more difficult to catch them up,” Collins said.

She believes it is “important” to elect people “who have proven that they’re going to do the right thing, and represent their communities.”

“I want to serve our community, I want to solve problems, and I will always put what’s best for our children and our community first,” Collins said.

Collins is running against incumbent Nadia Combs and Julie Magill. The school board election is a nonpartisan race and terms last four years.