Bulldogs lose two during the week

Lindsay got the win over Howe, 6-4 on Tuesday thank in part to a 2-run first inning Parker Pecina started for Howe on the mound and allowed three earned runs in three innings He walked three and struck out three Lindsay pitching scattered five hits by Howe But the Bulldogs took advantage of four walks and a timely error to come up with four runs RBIs in the game for Howe came from Bryce Krantz, Jalen Thornton, and Nathan Duffee

Howe also used pitchers Garret Johnson (2 innings), Lane Stracener (1 inning), Dyson Dillard (1 inning), Luis Chacon, and Mason Riggs

On Friday, it was a 3-run first inning by Leonard that put the game squarely in their hands Howe's Dylan Hughs got the start and went 3 2 innings, allowing three earned runs - allowing five hits, three walks, while striking out one Arturo Lowder came in to finish the game with 2 1 innings allowing one earned run

Howe again was limited to four hits in the game, however, Dillard, Garrett Grigg, and Riggs each had 3-baggers Howe RBIs came by Krantz, Riggs, and Dillard.

Howe's JV tied Lindsay, 1-1 on Tuesday and beat Leonard, 6-2 on Friday

Tuesday night's game was a pitching duel with Kolbe Lappin going three solid innings for Howe, allowing only one run on three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts Luke Lopez and Brett Burnett had the team's only two hits Layton Elvington scored the lone run On Friday, Kolby Windon struck out 13 batters in six innings, allowing only one run and walking two Parker Pecina and Ayden Norton had two RBIs each to lead the charge

The Lady Bulldogs lost to Leonard on Friday, 7-5 on the road No other information was available

School Board

family we have lived in the school district since April 2001 (18 years) Both of our daughters, Hunter and Harley have had the privilege of growing up and attending school in the Howe school district, and have benefited greatly from it!

Question: In what school or district activities have you been involved?

Shadden - Having three grandchildren in our school, I attend numerous school activities I am currently on our District Improvement Committee I support our Ag Boosters, help with PTO meals and have volunteered in elementary classrooms

Doty - Howe Athletic Booster Club Treasurer, Howe Band Boosters, Howe PTA Treasurer, Volunteering time and services at the school including running concession stands, keeping stats, fixing meals for various student activities, and pulling band trailers among many others I have also been involved in many other organizations in the Howe community I have been on the boards of Howe Youth Softball, Howe Youth Basketball, and coached many teams in each of these organizations In addition to this, I am currently serving as the Finance Chair at FUMC Howe

Hayes - I have volunteered on a yearly basis in activities such as working with Coach Simmons with the elementary kids for their fitness test, Preparing for field day, and the actual field day event I volunteer every year for fall festival activities and at times concession stand I've also been head coach of one of the Howe baseball teams.

Leakey - Fall fest and other fundraisers, Fifth Quarter, coaching youth sports, great days of service, and church youth group

Brockelman - While in the past my professional career kept me traveling much of the time when at home, I did have the privilege of providing support to our community's volunteer softball coaches, serving in concession stands and helping with set-up and clean-up at school and community events

Question: How much time will you/can you give to board service?

Shadden - I will be able and willing to devote all the time necessary to be a competent Board Member.

Doty - There is not a specific amount of time that is required I will put in the time necessary to understand the issues, concerns, and come prepared for all meetings. I want to be informed and understand the pros and cons before I make decisions

Hayes - This the theme of my board campaign Since I am retired, I have unlimited time to devote to this position Seven days a week 24/7 I want to be known as the most available board member ever to have served

Leakey - As much as is needed to represent the public and the students effectively

Brockelman - Fortunately, I am at a point in my professional career that I have more time to commit to

Continued from page 2 service to our community, and am willing, able and ready to give as much time as is needed in order to help our community’s educational system flourish

Question: What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country?

Shadden - Funding: Providing quality resources for our staff and students.

Keeping Our Schools Safe: Keeping and/or creating a safe environment that promotes student learning

Doty - Funding will always be at the top of the list As a district, you can only spend what you have coming in Those funds must be prioritized and spent in the most efficient manner The Texas House has recently passed HB3 increasing the Basic Allotment to the districts by $900 per student At the time of this writing, it still must go to the Senate for deliberations There is still a lot of work to be done, but the state is trying to address the funding discrepancies among districts and hopefully school districts will eventually see some funding equality across the state.

School safety is a huge challenge to overcome in the country While Howe ISD has created their own police force, many school districts aren’t fortunate enough to be able to fund such measures State and Federal government will need to determine how to fund the extra safety measures that are unfortunately necessary in today’s society

Hayes - The answer to both these questions would be money Trying to do what needs to be done within our budget constraints We continue to need smaller class sizes with a limited amount of space Thankfully the current board has addressed the space issue, but we must continue to look ahead 10 years from now on our future growth needs I'd like to see a continued increase in not only teacher pay but support staff so our good teachers are not forced to leave for higher paying districts

Leakey - STATE State intrusion into our schools is costly on many levels From STAAR Testing to Robin Hood Laws, local school boards need to band together to combat the lobbyists that are hampering our educators COUNTRY Nearly any level of federal intervention into local matters only complicates the process We can make better decisions for what our children need here than someone that has never lived here

Brockelman - The world is being driven more and more by technology. As a result of this, there will be a need to integrate technology with traditional teaching methods in the classroom This poses several challenges in my mind Teachers will be faced with learning how to use these technologies and it may prove difficult to integrate with teaching styles School districts will face the challenge of implementing relevant technology And of course, there is the issue of funding While some districts may have the money to invest in technology, others may not

I think funding for district initiatives will likely be an issue in most districts, especially as classrooms become crowded Howe elementary is a good example of one of our schools that has outgrown itself and created the need for a new building Fortunately, our district is able to fund a new building But other districts across the country are being forced to increase class sizes in existing buildings At some point class sizes become too big for teachers to effectively manage and teach. This leads to high levels of stress and a high workload for teachers and ultimately robs our students of valuable learning

Question: What are 2-3 strengths of which our district can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?

Shadden - Very effective leadership: our Superintendent, School Board members

Great staff: teachers and staff that care about their students, push them towards success Everyone working for/with our students being a positive role model

Outstanding students: who are positive and proud to represent Howe through numerous activities and are Proud to be Howe Bulldogs!

Doty - Our district currently has a Board and Superintendent that is open-minded enough to address needs as they arise and focus in the right areas.

With having 2 kids that have gone completely through Howe ISD from K-12 and one more going into 9th grade, I’m very proud of how our school district places emphasis on extracurricular activities and encourages students to participate Staff at all levels work with students and ensure that students can participate in band, athletics, UIL activities, cheer, FFA, and many others No limit is placed on how many activities each student can participate in and their successes in these

The district has done a good job ensuring that our financial resources are not wasted Howe ISD has not always been in great financial shape, but our Board and current Superintendent have ensured that funds are managed appropriately

Hayes - After graduation, I always referred to my experience of growing up in the Howe school system as one of being in a private school within a public school setting All the teachers knew each individual student individually and cared for each of these students We have a good athletic program in which kids can grow, mature and make forever friends I'm proud to have been a student all my years through the Howe school system

Leakey - 1. Our high school was awarded five of the seven academic distinctions from the TEA, more than any other local school This shows that our administration and teachers at the high school have done a great job by the current measuring apparatus The high school has also had great success in robotics, one-act play, band, winter guard, and other extra-curricular activities The young men and women are learning skills to help them in life through these programs 2 The success that our student-athletes are enjoying lately The fruits of the current physical conditioning program are showing in many sports Our track and basketball programs have won district and area championships. Further, several individual and team records have fallen this year 3 Continuity of administration in presecondary levels has been great The ability of the administration and staff to connect with and reach the students improves over time The children know their administration and have for several years, so they are naturally more comfortable. This also allows the students to understand the expectations for their achievement and behavior

Brockelman - There is no question in my mind that there is a strong sense of Pride in the Howe school district I believe this is an important strength, as I believe it leads to increased interaction, friendliness and a sense of wellbeing between people in the community This is also strength in that it makes the community more attractive to potential residents and businesses

I also believe that strong administrative support is a strength in our schools My spouse is a teacher in the Howe district I can say first hand that the level of administrative support she and other teachers receive is very important to them This is important because dissatisfied teachers are a strong predictor of high turnover, and high turnover is most certainly to lead to low morale in the district Because Howe ISD teachers are satisfied in their employment I believe that our children reap the benefits of strong commitment and quality education from teachers and staff

An additional strength I believe Howe ISD possesses is a high level of parental involvement in their child’s education In my opinion, the strength lies in the fact that student success, to some degree, is directly correlated to the level of involvement parents spend on their children’s education, both at home and through collaboration with teachers and staff I believe high levels of parental involvement tend to manifest through increased learning and motivation, as well as better behavior

Question: What are 2-3 needs that must be priorities for our district to address? Why do you see these as needs?

Shadden - Retain our highly qualified teachers and administrators, have our students prepared for the next step in their educational choices

Continue to keep up to date technology, so our students can use technology efficiently

Prepare for our continued growth, in student numbers, staff and new buildings.

Doty - The biggest challenge is managing the consequences of growth As the number of students grows, so does the need for more capital expenditures such as land, buildings, and equipment Managing and prioritizing expenditures is paramount during growth periods Growth also brings a more diverse population of students We need to ensure that EVERY student receives a