1. Name/Phone Number/E-Mail: TD Howarth/560-9650/tdhowarth@suddenlinkmail.com
2. District number: #3
3. How long have you lived in Nacogdoches ISD boundaries? Since Fall 1982
4. What skills, experience, or philosophy do you as an individual bring to the school board?
I am a Conservative East-Texan with Conservative East-Texas Christian Values. I have served on the NISD Board for 6 years and have volunteered in numerous capacities over the past twenty years. I have raised two boys who were NHS graduates, and I carefully watched my father-in-law, retired County Judge Ocie Westmoreland, as he dealt with lean budgets, Commissioner’s Court’s and other important issues regarding governance issues, and learned so much from him in that regard. I consider myself a servant-leader, and I listen much more than I talk. I have a BBA from SFA in Management. I love Nacogdoches.
5. What is your process to seek input and opinions from the community and all stakeholders on issues that come before the school board? As a Board Member there is such a fine line between seeking input and micro-managing. Our system is such that we can listen to any and all stakeholders’ issues and concerns, but as a Board Member, it is wrong for us to personally take action, other than to report the issue to the proper Administrator and then to follow-up to be sure the matter is fairly and equitably addressed. On the other hand, if an issue is something to be voted on by the Board, I try to get as much input from people who are knowledgeable in the particular area and do my homework, without crossing that governance line. For example, when we were going to vote on local EIC policy last month, I talked to two people on the District Advisory Committee, in addition to Administration, to better understand their line of thinking. I have been told numerous times by parents and other stakeholders that I am very accessible.
6. What specific goals and plans do you have for improving the quality of education in our district? The overall goal is to make Nacogdoches ISD the District of Choice in this area. There is not enough room on this paper to discuss all the ways to accomplish that, but a few are to hire and retain the best quality educators, hire a superior Superintendant that will collaboratively bring all of our campuses up to Recognized and then Exemplary status, keep an Assistant Administrator for Curriculum who is hard-working, accessible, and visionary and will help us close our Achievement Gaps, without “teaching down”. Also, continuing to improve our AP and Pre-AP classes, Dual Credit courses, and even extra-curricular classes, are keys to this goal. We have come so far in the past six years in many of these areas. For example, the AP and Pre-AP classes were on the verge of extinction several years ago, and the BOT not only supported retaining them, but strengthening them. Another major factor is having teachers that understand where all students are coming from, not just those that look like themselves, and to provide teachers vital training in this area.
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, and my voting record supports that 100%. As a matter of fact, that is one of the very specific goals that we recently discussed and re-prioritized in workshops and training over the past year, and is a top priority of this particular Board of Trustees for NISD.
8. Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not? I think teachers should be rewarded based on hard-work and being fantastic teachers, not necessarily based on success and/or failures of students on tests. When I first got on the Board, we spent 18 months successfully getting our teachers comparable pay to other local districts, and in most cases, exceeding other districts. It’s up to the Board to ensure that our vision of hiring the best possible teachers is upheld, then it is up to the Principals on a campus level to determine which teachers are deserving of renewed contracts, etc, but I do think it’s a slippery slope if you start rewarding compensation based only on test scores.
9. What do you see as the appropriate role of the board in comparison to the role of the administration? There is a very simple answer to an extremely complicated matter, and the NISD Board of Trustees spent hundreds of hours over the past two years in intensive training through the CRSS (Center for Reform of School Systems) in Governance Education. The Board hires the Superintendant, sets policy and adopts a budget. The Administration does everything else, top-down. By law, The Board does not micro-manage day to day operations, and our particular Board at this time is very adept at understanding the difference. At one of our recent Governance workshops, a renowned speaker on Texas Education put it wisely:”the Board is the rudder and the Administration is the captain of the ship”. The Board tells it where to go, and the captain and his crew take it there.
10. What ideas do you have to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals are heard and their ideas implemented? Do all we can to be sure that every campus has the very best Principal possible, and that the Principal’s and Central-Administrator’s have an open-door policy, that the fear of “retaliation” never be an issue in this District, and do all we can as a Board to promote and support open communication between Central Administration and all other Administrators. Continue a strong mentoring program for our young teachers and paraprofessionals. In extensive interviewing and reference checking on our new Superintendant candidate, Dr. Fred Hayes, by all regards, that is his strongest asset. Letting all employees have a voice and that their voice matters. You can’t necessarily implement all ideas, but you must listen.
11. What is your view on testing?
I am not a fan of exit exams, (TAKS), but understand the State’s mandate of same until otherwise legislated. As far as teacher’s testing on a campus level, I think that is where the individuality and passion of teachers comes in, as long as it is in line with the Curriculum of our District. Overall, I am a much bigger supporter of LEARNING than I am testing.
12) What one idea sums up your candidacy the best?
Servant-Leadership with an open mind and no personal Agenda other than doing what is best for all of our Students!
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