1. Name/Phone Number/E-Mail: Bobby Reyes/(936) 205-4042/rldelos1@yahoo.com
2. District number: At Large Position
3. How long have you lived in Nacogdoches ISD boundaries? 1 year. However, I lived and taught here 13 years, and I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University. My wife is a product of N.I.S.D., as she attended grades k-12 in Nacogdoches, and graduated from Nacogdoches High School.
4. What skills, experience, or philosophy do you as an individual bring to the school board? I taught math and coached for 37 years. I have taught math in grades 7-12 and I have also been an administrator for 14 years. All of my 37 years have been in public schools. I feel I have something to offer as a parent whose two children attended N.I.S.D. schools, as a classroom teacher, and as an administrator. I am a very good communicator and an excellent listener, both of which are vital in becoming a quality board member.
5. What is your process to seek input and opinions from the community and all stakeholders on issues that come before the school board? I will attend multiple N.I.S.D. events, and make myself readily available to anyone who has a concern or some praise of N.I.S.D. My home phone is available in the phone book, and I am open to any comments that any N.I.S.D. parent or tax payer might have at any time.
6. What specific goals and plans do you have for improving the quality of education in our district? As a Board Member, we can affect change in three ways. We are responsible for hiring and evaluating the superintendent, passing policy and setting the vision and mission of the district, and setting the budget. It is our job to work with the Superintendent and see that he works with administrators, teachers, and professionals in our district to ensure our kids are getting a quality education and are achieving at the highest level and to their maximum potential. Everything we do as a district begins with the superintendent and has consequences for the administrators, teachers/staff, and students. Dealing with the District’s policies and setting the vision, mission, and goals of the district allows us to create a vision of academic success for all students and prepare them for a world much different than ours. We must budget appropriately to support the programs we need to be successful. All of this ties into my belief that all children can learn and achieve at the highest levels.
7. Do you support the right of students to have a safe, secure and structured environment at schools? If yes, will you work with the teachers to see that environment maintained?
Yes, who does not? Having a safe, secure environment should be at the top of everyone’s list. This includes a safe environment not just in the hallways, the cafeterias, and the entire campuses, but this should be foremost in each individual classroom, where we can have a structured, learning environment. Individual classrooms must have a disciplined, structured atmosphere where the teachers can teach and the students can learn and achieve.
8. Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not? This is an extremely difficult subject. However, as long as we have had schools, we have had accountability- we just used to call those “report cards.” We all know test scores are one data point acquired on a specific day that conveys information about a student. One test does not measure academic growth, or achievement over time. Academic success and growth are why we are in the business as a school district, and student achievement is critical. We must have a balanced method of evaluating our teachers and rewarding them for student success – not just based on one test score from one particular time.
9. What do you see as the appropriate role of the board in comparison to the role of the administration? The board has three main functions: hiring and evaluating the Superintendent, setting the budget, and setting and approving school policies and setting the mission and goals of the district. The administration is responsible for carrying out the policies and working with the district personnel to ensure student achievement is at its highest level for all students. This includes having a safe, wholesome educational environment at all schools and school functions, including extra curricular practices and events.
10. What ideas do you have to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals are heard and their ideas implemented? By attending multiple events at all campuses, I would hope the teachers would feel comfortable approaching me with any suggestions, comments, or praises of the district. The teachers and students are the backbone of our district. We need to listen to them, because they are in the classroom where learning is taking place. They know the pulse of our district, our kids, and our parents.
11. What is your view on testing? Testing is State mandated and, therefore, is something that is required. While students do not need to just be taught the information tested, teachers must incorporate those skills into their classroom instruction. I do believe the change from the TAKS in high school to the end of course exams is a good move. This should ensure students are learning course material and not just preparing for the TAKS Test. Elementary and Junior High teachers are familiar with TAKS and have worked to prepare their kids for the information they need to know to be successful, and will continue to do so.
12) What one idea sums up your candidacy the best? I am a retired public school teacher, who wants to see N.I.S.D. have the best educational system in the state. With an open mind and open communication we can achieve this goal. It will take more than one Board member to do this. It will take all of us, the Board, the administration, the teachers, the parents, the students, the paraprofessionals, and all contract workers. I am willing to spend the time and effort to improve N.I.S.D. I would assume this is true for all of us running for these positions.
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