LOIS LINDSEY’S LOVE OF LEARNING

WRITTEN BY DAVID HICKS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

All of the namesakes in Allen ISD have a special connection to the school district, but Lois Lindsey has a unique perspective unlike any other. Mrs. Lindsey has worn three different hats by serving as a teacher, then a School Board member, and then a school namesake. Each of these titles has provided her with a special lens to see the school district from different viewpoints. Despite having these different viewpoints, Mrs. Lindsey’s sole focus remains on the well being of both students and staff.

Mrs. Lindsey grew up in Huron, Ohio, and the value of a proper education was instilled in her at a young age.

“My mother held teachers in high regard and we were taught to value and respect our educators,” Lindsey said. “So from an early age, based upon what my mother taught me, I knew I wanted to become an educator.”

Mrs. Lindsey earned her bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and then a master’s degree from Kent State University. She taught in the Ohio school system for more than 19 years before moving to the Houston area where she taught for Pasadena ISD for a year. Her husband, who worked in the oil business, found a new opportunity near Dallas, and Mrs. Lindsey’s legacy in Allen began.

“I started out as a substitute in Allen ISD, and then I became a teacher. I’ve taught a number of grade levels over my career, but I feel fortunate to have taught only first grade at Reed Elementary for the next 23 years. In fact, I was in the same classroom the whole time.”

During her teaching career, Mrs. Lindsey’s heart and devotion was poured into her classroom at Reed Elementary. As she began to near the end of her career, she knew that her desire to serve Allen ISD had yet to fade. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she could leave an impressionable mark on the district by serving on the Board of Trustees.

“As a teacher, you have a certain level of influence. But within a school district, some decisions can only stop or start at the board’s level,” Mrs. Lindsey explained. “So I knew that once I retired, I wanted to give back to my community and have a say in that decision-making process that included the voice of an educator.”

Mrs. Lindsey says that her time on the Allen ISD School Board was eye-opening in a number of ways.

“I knew a lot about the schools, but I was surprised to learn the areas in which a board had authority and the areas it did not. Sometimes, decisions had to be made that may not have been popular with a specific campus or group of teachers, but the school board has to make decisions that are for the good of the entire school district.”

Mrs. Lindsey’s tenure on the Board lasted for two terms ranging from 2007 to 2013. She recalls the construction of the new Eagle Stadium as one of the most “fun and interesting” times she experienced as a Trustee. At first, Mrs. Lindsey was opposed to the new stadium, but her opinion began to change as she heard more about the project.

“I began to learn that it wasn’t just about football, and so many other student groups would participate in that facility,” Mrs. Lindsey said. “We had outgrown our old stadium, that was clear. So I listened to the reasons why – and being able to listen is such an important skill for a board member to have – and I soon changed my viewpoint on the whole thing.”

At one point during the planning phase for the stadium, the district’s facilities director, Bobby Curtis, noted that Mrs. Lindsey hadn’t said much during the meeting. In her quick wit, she replied, “Well Bobby, I don’t know a lot about building a stadium. What I do know is that I plan to attend games well into my 80s, so you better be sure to put a lot of handrails throughout the place.”

Following the end of her second term, Mrs. Lindsey chose to retire from Board service. Soon after, she was honored with the recognition of a lifetime as she was chosen as the namesake of the district’s newest elementary school. Lois Lindsey Elementary School officially opened its doors on August 23, 2013.

Over the past decade, Mrs. Lindsey has served as a caring and supportive presence at the elementary campus. Justin Spies, Lindsey Elementary Principal, likens Mrs. Lindsey to a “celebrity” on campus every time she comes to visit to read to students or attend a PTA event.

“Everyone always wants their picture taken with Mrs. Lindsey because they love her so much,” Spies said. “Mrs. Lindsey, in her roles as both a lifelong educator and a school board member, serves as inspiration to our entire school. She has high expectations for all of us, but she presents it in her warm and caring personality. We are blessed to learn and work in a school building that bears her name.”