Everything Nac

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.

Click here to go to see the other candidate’s questionnaires

1. Name/Phone Number/E-Mail: Lisa Mize 936-560-5427 l.mize@yahoo.com

2. District number: 2

3. How long have you lived in Nacogdoches ISD boundaries?
I have lived within the boundaries of NISD for 46 years.

4. What skills, experience, or philosophy do you as an individual bring to the school board?
I have been an educator for over 20 years in Nacogdoches as a 1st grade teacher at Carpenter Elementary, Pre-K Master teacher at SFASU Early Childhood Lab, and faculty in Family and Child Development in the School of Human Sciences at SFASU.

Currently, I serve as Associate Dean for the Perkins College of Education at SFASU. I am responsible for all Student Teaching/Field Experiences, state and national Assessment and Accountability, and state certifications. I serve on various boards and committees with teachers, principals and school personnel, which allow me to hear and understand current, local, state and national issues.

I am also a proud parent of a 9th grader. What happens in our district has a direct impact on him and his future.

5. What is your process to seek input and opinions from the community and all stakeholders on issues that come before the school board?
In my current job, I hold meetings with the stakeholders. We discuss the issues, concerns, and impact of the decision. When key people are unable to attend the meetings, I seek them out by e-mail, phone, and personal contact. I would hope to do the same with issues that come before the school board.

Open, effective communication is imperative so all stakeholders understand the “why” behind the decisions made and feel the importance of their opinions. I would want to be fully aware of what the current situation involves, why the decision or change is needed, who is impacted, what the options are, and the views of those that will be impacted by the decision.

6. What specific goals and plans do you have for improving the quality of education in our district?
To listen to the teachers and each campus principal. Each NISD campus has a variety of important needs for their diverse student population and should have a voice in decisions for improving and maintaining academic excellence.

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?

I believe a safe, secure, and structured environment is imperative for the classroom environment and student success. I am committed to supporting teachers as they administer disciplinary actions to maintain and improve that type of environment.

8. Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not?
Yes. In a perfect world with unlimited budgets, I would love to see an ability to extend stipends to those teachers of high scoring classrooms. The stipend would be payment for their mentoring of teachers of lower scoring classrooms.

Teachers work diligently for test scores. They stay late, get up early, and wake in the middle of the night – to plan, change, challenge, and improve instruction. There is great pressure on testing and the teachers who teach in grade levels and classrooms that are identified for testing.

At the same time, I would not want it to be only individual awards. I would want to build collaboration into the award system. For example, the reward would increase based on the number of teachers who achieved these high levels. Teamwork is key.

9. What do you see as the appropriate role of the board in comparison to the role of the administration?
I feel that administration is often focused on their individual responsibilities. Finance is concerned about budget issues, HR is concerned about teachers in the classroom, Curriculum is concerned about books, curriculum and strategies, and Assessment is concerned about graduation rates and TAKS scores. I believe it’s the board’s responsibility to bring balance, to assure that curriculum doesn’t suffer because the budget needs changing or that teachers don’t suffer because of increased pressure of high stakes testing.

The board is elected by and held accountable to the district and community they represent. Its role is to guide, direct, and support, but not to micromanage.

10. What ideas do you have to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals are heard and their ideas implemented?
Board members should actively participate and be a part of:
Meetings such as this
Face book postings
Available by E-mail
Attend NISD events – swim meets, football games
Be visible in the community
Campus visits

11. What is your view on testing?
It’s a necessary evil. While it’s not the “do all/end all” solution, it allows us to evaluate our success and/or areas that need improvement.

12) What one idea sums up your candidacy the best?
• My goal is for NISD to be the “District of Choice.” A district that every SFA graduate and surrounding town teacher wants to teach in. I want Mr. Neal to be overwhelmed with outstanding applicants!
• I want families to move to our community, invest in local businesses, and retire here – so their children and grandchildren can attend our exemplary schools, graduate, and continue as productive citizens of our community, state and country!

Click here to go to see the other candidate’s questionnaires

Click a name to see how they answered

Teresa Castetter

TD Howarth

Zeke Martinez did not submit a response

Lisa Mize

Bobby Reyes

Dr. Alan B. Sowards

Election times and locations

Nacogdoches Independent School District General Election

Early Voting Information

Location:  C. L. Simon Recreation Center – 1112 North St. – Nacogdoches, TX 75961

May 2, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 3, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 4, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 5, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 6, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 9, 2011                        8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 10, 2011                       8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Election Day Information

Location:  T.J.R. Elementary School – 411 N. Mound St. – Nacogdoches, TX 75961

May 14, 2011         7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

1. Name/Phone Number/E-Mail: Dr. Alan B. Sowards, 936 468-1624 (work); 936 645-9742 (cell); asowards@sfasu.edu

2. District number: At Large

3. How long have you lived in Nacogdoches ISD boundaries? 16 years

4. What skills, experience, or philosophy do you as an individual bring to the school board?

My 38 years of experience in the public education system qualify me for this position. I have taught multiple content areas in grades K-12, supervised and evaluated teachers, reviewed and developed curriculum at the district and state level, and provided professional development training for teachers grade K-12. My doctorate degree is in Curriculum, Instruction and Supervision, with an emphasis in Science Education. I have taught in the College of Education for 16 years at SFASU. I have been responsible for supervising field experiences for university students in all elementary and middle schools in the Nacogdoches Independent School District and surrounding areas.

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 have been meeting with teachers, parents and community leaders to discuss their concerns regarding the education issues they feel are most important to them. I have two children at Nacogdoches High School and I visit with them and their friends. It is always interesting to get students perspective on what is happening in their schools.

I have set up an e-mail account, asowards4nisd@yahoo.com, which I have made available for anyone who would like to send me their questions or comments. I have also created a Facebook account with the same e-mail address hoping to reach all age groups in the community. My cell phone number has been made available on my Facebook account.

6. What specific goals and plans do you have for improving the quality of education in our district?

In my discussions with teachers and parents in NISD I believe that respecting and supporting teacher’s involvement in the decisions of education instruction in the classroom is essential. Teacher ownership is one of the key elements in providing academic excellence. We should do everything possible to help them be successful in their classrooms. Expecting and inviting more parental involvement in our schools is paramount. If what we have tried in the past hasn’t worked than we must try something else. We have to build trust between the parents and the school personnel. Parents must feel welcome in our schools and encouraged to participate. Discipline in the classroom is another issue that should be addressed. Student discipline should be consistent throughout the district and consequences enforced. Consideration should be given to promoting vocational and technological education programs as an option for our students.

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?

I believe as a community we are all responsible for securing a safe learning environment for our students. Parents must be held accountable for their children’s behavior if it disrupts the learning environment. Teachers must be supported by their administrators to determine what works best with their student population.

I will work with administrators and teachers to establish guidelines to make this happen.

Do you support the concept of rewarding teachers based on student test scores? Why or why not?

This is not a simple question. Not all teachers have similar students they are assigned to teach. Some teachers have more experience. There are many variables to consider. Test scores should not be the only factor used to determine rewarding teachers. Teaching to a test does not determine if a student is good at problem solving.

8. What do you see as the appropriate role of the board in comparison to the role of the administration?

I believe the board’s role is to work with the administration to determine the best strategies and policies that will benefit all students. I believe the administration should communicate and seek teacher input regarding the education curriculum that the teachers will be required to implement in their classroom.

Most importantly the board and the administration must be held accountable to the community in all decisions affecting the operations of the schools. Input by the community should be expected and encouraged. Listening and respecting others opinions should be the cornerstone of this school district. We may not always agree on the issues, but we must model to our children the importance of civility.

9. What ideas do you have to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals are heard and their ideas implemented?

I would hope that the school district already values the ideas that classroom teachers and paraprofessionals have to share. They are the closest to the students and knows their needs better than anyone else. We need to show our support to our teachers and ask them what we can do to help them in their classroom, instead of making them feel they are always being evaluated or monitored. The best thing we can do for our school district that will have the greatest impact on our academic success is to boost the morale of our teachers and let them know how much we appreciate their contributions.

10. What is your view on testing?

Testing might be considered a necessary evil. Most the testing is driven by state and federal requirements. Teacher creativity is lost due to the amount of time testing. There are other ways to assess student learning besides testing. Test moderation may be an answer. I’m not sure how we are testing students for problem solving or critical thinking using the current testing regiment.

12) What one idea sums up your candidacy the best?

Collaboration… We have to get more people involved in the process. More parental involvement; more support and respect for our teachers; better communication between our school district and our community; concerted efforts from everyone to address discipline concerns and parental involvement.

Click here to go to see the other candidate’s questionnaires

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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