School Board candidates discuss objectives
School Board candidates discuss objectives
Friday, 07 April 2006
Why are you qualified to run, and what will you do for the district if elected?
Don McCall, Place 1- I am currently serving as LISD Board Vice President and one of only 25 board members statewide awarded “Master Trustee” status by the Texas Association of School Boards in 2005. I have several “focus” areas including: teaching ethical behavior with the 10 Ethical Principles, a unique “distinctive” of our district that I believe enhances all other areas of education; hiring the best teachers and leaders committed to a culture of academic excellence and data driven improvement; using Just-for-the-Kids data to focus resources and curriculum to achieve academic excellence, especially “creating a passion for math and science”; to continue to support the Fine Arts; and building the right schools at the right location - on time and on budget! As the district deals with unprecedented growth, just providing a “roof over their heads” and excellent teachers will be a huge challenge over the next few years and will require an experienced, focused and stable leadership team.
Richard Segina, Place 1 - I have two young children in LISD. Therefore, I have a long term vested interest in the direction that LISD provides not just my children but all of the children in the district. I have a corporate and municipal finance background and in working with fast growth technology companies. My background in collegiate and professional sports and sales management has taught me that no one person is bigger than the team. LISD’s focus on the 10 ethical principles is unique and a main reason we chose to live here. However, I believe we can improve in three key areas: greater transparency, collaboration and communication. Transparency means that the district must provide the community easy-to-understand data used to measure our children’s academic progress. We must work with the district and agree on a common definition of measurable goals to achieve academic excellence. We must frequently and honestly communicate with the community and vice versa on where we are succeeding, where there are areas of concern and how education is a joint effort with the administration and the parents.
Don Hisle, Place 2 - I have been a board member for the past nine years. I chair the facility, finance and policy committees. I retired from IBM after 30 years with most in middle to upper management. I have over 800 hours of management training while at IBM. First is to continue to focus on academics. We as a board have made significant improvements over my nine years, and I see that continuing. Teacher salary is also important. We have come from middle of the pack for the Central Texas area to better than most over the past four years and I want to continue that progress to become the best and at the same time continue to manage the tax rates. Since LISD is growing, buildings and land must continue to be a concern. We must continue to be reliable with bond money when building schools, which have been on time and on budget. Also keeping the public’s trust by building what has been committed.
Elizabeth Frey, Place 2 - My thorough knowledge of LISD after regularly attending school board meetings since 1992 and my participation in volunteer activities has given me insight that will help in guiding our district into the future. I have been a substitute teacher and served as PTA President at C.C. Mason Elementary and on the LISD Council of PTAs as Parliamentarian and School Board Candidate Forum Chairman. I have participated in district committees and I am currently participating in the yearlong Leadership LISD, which the district is using to educate community members on the inter-workings of the district. I co-founded Academic Advocates in 2000. Working to continue to improve academics in our district will be a priority. The work place is changing and education must keep up with the changes and prepare children for the workforce whether they go directly into the workplace, technical/trade school or a university. Our greatest challenge is our tremendous growth. We must learn to better utilize our resources to meet these challenges while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.
Aaron Johnson, Place 2 - I have a degree in Economics and I am a member of the Texas Bar Association, so I appreciate the legal standards that frame the operation of our schools. I’m a business leader at Dell and understand first hand the business environments that constitute the marketplace in which our children will compete for employment. I’ve observed board meetings and have participated in zoning projects. Of all these qualifications, the one that matters most is my love for my children. That relationship drives me to ensure our children receive the highest quality education: an education that challenges, inspires, and exposes kids to the world. Our district and our children are capable of more than they are accomplishing today. My primary focus as a board member will be on academic achievement. I advocate increasing teacher salaries. We need to hire the right teachers and motivate all our teachers to grow with us. I also advocate decreasing class sizes where education and development stretch and challenge our students most. I will advocate greater openness, greater transparency, and greater candor in the communication of the board and administration with parents and the community. Growth rates compel the board to look farther ahead and be more pro-active in acquiring land and preparing to accommodate new students.
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