1) Name/Phone Number/E-Mail: Teresa Castetter, 552-7332, acastetter@aol.com
2) District number: 3
3) How long have you lived in Nacogdoches ISD boundaries? 15 years
4) What skills, experience, or philosophy do you as an individual bring to the school board?
I have lived in Nacogdoches for 15 years. I am the mother of two children attending NISD. For the past five years, I have volunteered at Fredonia Elementary and witnessed the hard work and dedication exhibited daily by teachers and staff. I am also a member of NISD’s Student Health Advisory Council.
I graduated from Texas Tech School of Law in 1992 and worked at East Texas Legal Services for several years representing clients below the poverty level. I am familiar with the issues faced by school children and their families, both at home and in the schools.
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 plan always to be open to input from throughout the community, be it from teachers, parents, or other citizens. I think all ideas should be considered, and I am anxious to hear varying points of view. Not only will my door always be open, but I would encourage administration to always take seriously the needs and considerations of the parents, teachers, and community at large.
6) What specific goals and plans do you have for improving the quality of education in our district?
I hope to encourage parents and members of the community to actively participate in NISD, through volunteering in schools, participating in board meetings, and taking an interest in the curriculum being taught our children. I wish to engage our community in supporting our teachers and giving them whatever assistance they need in their difficult, yet vital, jobs. I understand difficult choices will be made by NISD given the state budget crisis. It is important that we make decisions with the needs of students, teachers, and staff in mind. These budgetary issues are likely to recur for several years.
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. As a mother of two NISD students, nothing could be more important to me than the safety and security of my children. I fully trust in the teachers of NISD to ensure that these needs are adequately met, and I will do anything within my power to guarantee that the resources necessary to accomplish this are available.
8) Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. While I understand that the state mandates the testing of children and the acquisition of minimal standards, I do not believe that anyone’s livelihood should be dependent on the performance of an 8 year old. Or a 13 year old. Or a 17 year old. Even the best students perform unpredictably. Factoring in elements such as hunger, lack of sleep, illness, or family problems, it is patently unfair to reward or punish a teacher based upon such precarious evaluations. It is simply not a fair evaluation of the teacher’s skills.
9) What do you see as the appropriate role of the board in comparison to the role of the administration?
In general, I see the role of the board to be that of hiring good people and allowing them to do their jobs. However, it is important that the board not relinquish its own oversight responsibilities and act as a mere rubber stamp for the actions of its administrators.
10) What ideas do you have to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals are heard and their ideas implemented?
Our teachers and staff are in the best position to provide us with useful and innovative ideas for our schools, as they are most familiar with the needs and progress of our children. Their voices should always be heard. It is extremely important to me that administration treats them with the respect and dignity that they deserve. All potential channels of communication should remain open between teachers/staff and policymakers. I, personally, will always have an open door.
11) What is your view on testing?
I think too much emphasis is placed on standardized testing. It is far more important to me that teachers be allowed to teach their subjects, and that children learn a vast array of important skills during the course of the school year.
Obviously, we need to comply with state mandates pertaining to testing and perform as well as possible, but no single test can adequately measure the true progress that a child makes during the course of the school year.
12) What one idea sums up your candidacy the best?
I would like to see parents, teachers, and administration working together, communicating openly, and supporting one another to ensure the best education possible for our children.
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