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CISD Board of Trustees Working for Students in Our District and Texas
TRUSTEES CISD Board of
WORKING FOR STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT AND TEXAS
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When the Texas Association of School Board’s Bill Rutherford joined the Sept. 28 Board Meeting virtually, he mentioned the following numbers — one, five, 75 and 1,000 — should be important to the CISD community. According to Rutherford, those who board members.
Rutherford said these numbers as he recognized CISD Trustee Nichole Bentley for her completion of Leadership TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) and becoming a Master Trustee.
“Coppell ISD is the one board in the state of Texas with five trustees who are Leadership TASB graduates,” Rutherford said of Bentley completing the program Trustee Bentley joins CISD Trustees Thom Hulme, Leigh Walker, Tracy Fisher and Anthony Hill as Master Trustees. Master Trustees are the highest distinctions TASB members can achieve.
participate in the Leadership TASB program receive more than 75 hours of continuing education credit. The state of Texas only requires 10 hours of continuing education credit for school in August 2020.
CISD will soon have six Master Trustees, as Trustee Manish Sethi is part of the 2020-2021 Leadership TASB cohort.
5Five CISD Trustees completed Leadership TASB and became a Master Trustee, the highest distinctions TASB members can achieve.
Participants in the Leadership TASB program receive more than 75 hours of continuing education credit. The state of Texas only requires 10 hours of continuing education credit for 75 school board members.
LEADERSHIP
“Each of you has completed more than 200 hours in your Leadership TASB class, which amounts to more than 1,000 hours of training. That you did this for the school children in your district and the children in the state of Texas is truly phenomenal. On behalf of these children, I thank you for your dedication, work and advocacy on their behalf.” - Bill Rutherford
1,000
Each of the CISD Trustees has completed more than 200 hours in the Leadership TASB class, which amounts to more than 1,000 hours of training.
In addition to their training, Trustees perform additional duties for the district. One of these is approving the CISD Legislative Agenda prior to the 2021 Texas Legislative Session.
Trustees Bentley, Fisher and Walker make up the CISD Board Legislative subcommittee. Using the CISD core values of authentic relationships, collective engagement, great teaching and redefining success, CISD Trustees approved three priorities for the 2021 Texas Legislative Session on Sept. 28. These are school funding, local control and accountability, and social and emotional learning.
When discussing school funding, Fisher asserts that the state should maintain House Bill 3 funding at the level it committed to in the 2019 session.
In regards to local control and assessment, Bentley said the district does not believe in only high-stakes multiple choice tests like the STAAR test to measure student achievement.
“We want flexibility. We want control. We want multiple ways to measure kid’s success,” she said.
In terms of social and emotional learning, Walker said it is crucial CISD educates the whole child and redefines success away from the “GPA rat race.”
Walker added the district supports diversity and cultural awareness initiatives through staff and student education, and restorative teaching and disciplinary practices that treat all students equally and focus on building relationships.
Another important role of the CISD School Board is to adopt the district’s tax rate. Trustees voted to adopt a reduced 2020 tax rate for the district at its Sept. 14 Board Workshop. They approved a Maintenance and Operations tax rate of $1.0514, which is a decrease of $.0169, and an Interest and Sinking or Debt Service tax rate of $.2586, which is a decrease of $.004.
Overall, the Board approved a tax rate of $1.31 per $100 of assessed property value, which is an overall tax rate reduction of $.0209 per $100 of assessed property value.
For CISD Trustee David Caviness, the most important role of a school board member is to engage with, listen to and be the voice of the community that you serve. Because all Trustees are elected to at-large seats, they represent the entire CISD community.
“We work with the district to establish goals and hear results,” Caviness said. “Our community should know that we are here to serve them, our students, our parents and guardians, and CISD staff. We work to ensure the district has what it needs to best serve our children.”
NARDA Educator Feature: HOLGUÍN
Pinkerton Teacher Inspires Students to Be Citizens of the World
On the door of Narda Holguín’s classroom is a large “Bienvenidos” welcome sign, which is how she strives to make her students feel. “Because learning a language can be very intimidating, I try really hard to establish a relationship where my students feel comfortable, while they are being challenged,” says Holguín, who teaches Spanish and serves as an English as a Second Language facilitator at Pinkerton Elementary. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, Pinkerton encourages its students to learn new languages and experience different cultural and world views. This exposure gives learners the ability to empathize with the world in a different context and become internationally-minded citizens. “My goal is to give my students the ability to relate to others who do not speak their language and to teach them how to work and think through language,” Holguín says. “ I also hope to inspire them to pursue learning a different language in the future.” Holguín believes teaching is the most important tool human beings have to create a meaningful and thoughtful society. “As an educator, I cannot remain static and must be a lifelong learner,” Holguín says. “I walk side by side with my students, as I adapt and learn from each and every one of them every day.” Perseverance is another lesson Holguín shares with her students. After 20 years of waiting, she and her husband, Carlos,
became U.S. citizens in September. “As an immigrant in this wonderful country, I found myself seeking opportunities to impact my own community, as well as to inspire others to become powerful advocates in a globalized world,” she says. “Education is the starting point to everyone finding their voice, which is one reason I became a teacher.”
Holguín credits her life mentors, like her grandmother who was a chemistry teacher in Mexico, her elementary educators who made her bilingual and biliterate, her college professor who inspired her with his tenacity and her family for their love and support in the profession. “I model my teaching strategies after all of them.”
“I hope my learners remember me as a person they could count on and as their strongest advocate,” she says. “I strive to be an educator who went above and beyond to give my students relevant lessons to help them become global citizens.” looking for ways to improve their craft.
“I want our community to know how we really need them to educate our future, and that we are all partners in the learning journey of a child,” Holguín says. “Those of us in the teaching profession really love our children and will do our best to make them succeed.”
For Holguín, her students are her first and top priority when designing lessons, attending conferences and making connections.
“My students are my inspiration and really push me to do more and learn more so I can better teach them.”
Learn more about Narda Holguín
Community Partners Help TAKE CARE OF CISD FAMILIES
Many CISD families need additional support, service and help to take care of their children. This is when the district’s community partners — the Assistance League of Coppell, Coppell Cares and Metrocrest Services — step in and work with CISD to help our students.
“These three organizations have always been willing to help us serve our students in need,” says Jennifer Villines, CISD Director of Student and Staff Services. “With COVID-19, we have many more in need of assistance, and we are so grateful these groups are here for us and our families.” Since the spring, the Assistance League of Coppell has donated more than $4,000 dollars to help CISD families, including grocery gift cards in the spring and fall. “As a community, we can’t expect the teachers or the school district to carry the load,” says Bobbie King, who serves as the President of the Assistance League. “This is our way to continue to give back to CISD, which does so much for our children.” Coppell Cares also helps CISD families who are the most vulnerable. In the spring, Coppell Cares worked with several CISD families to give groceries to those in need. In addition, the group provided much needed rental and mortgage support. Coppell Cares also works hand-in-hand with Metrocrest Services in the Sack Summer Hunger project to feed CISD students over the summer.
“It has been said that children are our future. Coppell Cares helps provide for the future of our children by assisting in the issues of today helping in whatever way we can,” says Rev. Beth Kellner who leads the group and is an Associate Pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Coppell. “Caring for the students of the CISD and their families is
simply part of who we are.”
Metrocrest Services assists CISD families by providing food, rent assistance, employment counseling, school supplies and more. Metrocrest Services works to help those in need, while also providing the tools and resources necessary to get back on their feet.
“Metrocrest Services values our relationship with Coppell ISD, which includes support for CISD families seeking housing and food assistance, volunteer activities for students and food drives at schools to ensure the pantry stays stocked,” says Metrocrest CEO Tracy Eubanks. “This relationship is exemplified in our slogan, ‘Building a Stronger Community Together.’”
By Priyanka Bhutani CHS 10th grade student and intern for the CISD Communications and Community Engagement Department.
To ensure the safety of our students, CISD School Resource Officer Sgt. Byron Mitchell makes it a priority to connect with students to form strong relationships. “Going into this new role is not only opening new doors and shedding new lights on this profession; it is something that I am just honored to do,” said Mitchell, who became the sergeant over the Coppell Police Department’s School Resource Officers in February 2020. Mitchell has served with the Coppell Police Department for 19 years. “The students here are wonderful and the staff has welcomed me with open arms,” he said. Though he grew up in Lewisville, Mitchell feels as though he has lived in Coppell his entire life. He admires the community in the area and is so happy to live and work here. His wife, Devrry, is a teacher at CMS East, and his two children also attend CISD schools. “I come from a long line of preachers, teachers and counselors — my entire family, and I love people,” Mitchell said. “The kind of service that we provide to our community in Coppell was a big factor in why I wanted to live here and work here. Not only is it easier for me to do my job, but [even] when I am off duty, I am always on duty.”
Whether it is about driving, relationship issues, bullying, or drugs and alcohol, Mitchell talks with the students to give them advice and insight. “I want students to know that I am approachable and fair, and I won’t judge anyone no matter what, and I am a great listener,” he said. “We School Resource Officers are people first and someone kids can trust, because they see us every day, and they know that we are here for them.” Mitchell feels that it is imperative for students to be able to reach out to their School Resource Officers for help. “A lot of the situations today are media driven, and people have a vision of who a police officer is just based on the media,” said Mitchell. “The students have the ability to talk to us about their concerns and questions, because they realize that we are not like the media portrays us to be.” He hopes that through his connections to students at Coppell High School and throughout the district, that he can positively impact kids’ lives.
“I am so glad to be able to connect with people all over our community and provide people with the best options to help them in tough situations,” Mitchell said. “Any student can come up to talk to us, and if they have any issue at all, we will make sure and help them in every
way possible.”
