| Job description | School boards are the governing bodies of their school districts. Term is three years. |
| Duties | Sets district goals and priorities Adopts and reviews district policies Publish annual educational performance report Hires and evaluates district superintendent Adopts district budget and monitors district finances Approves tax rate |
| Annual salary | Unpaid; reimbursed for official expenses. |
| Meetings | Monthly board meetings; special meetings called as needed. |
| ISD contact information | Contact Coordinator of Board Operations at juliemoye@misdmail.org or 817-797-8933. |
| Yolanda E McPherson | Email: omegad86@gmail.com |
| Courtney Lackey Wilson (incumbent) | Email: courtneyllw@aol.com |
Candidate Q&A
| 1. WHY ARE YOU THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson My prior terms, trainings, history with MISD and experience in the industry makes me an effective candidate. I have been a long time advocate of not just MISD but for public education. And have found myself fully submerged in the industry. Right now more than ever I feel it is important to have a trustee with experience in this seat. There has been so much and even more to come that require critical decision making with use of previous knowledge and discussions. By re-electing me you get experience and knowledge without exhausting time on training and catching up. |
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| Mis períodos anteriores, capacitaciones, historial con MISD y experiencia en la industria me convierten en un candidato efectivo. Durante mucho tiempo he sido un defensor no solo de MISD sino también de la educación pública. Y me he encontrado completamente sumergido en la industria. Ahora más que nunca siento que es importante tener un fideicomisario con experiencia en este puesto. Ha habido tanto y aún más por venir que requieren una toma de decisiones crítica con el uso de conocimientos y discusiones previas. Al reelegirme, obtienes experiencia y conocimientos sin perder tiempo en entrenar y ponerte al día. | |
| 2. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FEW PRIORITIES IF ELECTED? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson I know we feel we have seen so much change already but I really just want to keep eyes wide open. Yes, public school has proven to be a resource for virtual learning. However, there are so many other issues that have come about and I expect we will see them get worse before getting better if we do not address and try to forecast and prepare. Such as class sizes, lack of financial stability, staff retention and care, student safety and security (SEL), and proper use of facilities. I could go on because I am so passionate about public education and want the absolute best input and output. |
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| Sé que sentimos que ya hemos visto muchos cambios, pero realmente solo quiero mantener los ojos bien abiertos. Sí, la escuela pública ha demostrado ser un recurso para el aprendizaje virtual. Sin embargo, han surgido muchos otros problemas y espero que los veamos empeorar antes de mejorar si no los abordamos y tratamos de pronosticar y prepararnos. Tales como el tamaño de las clases, la falta de estabilidad financiera, la retención y el cuidado del personal, la seguridad de los estudiantes (SEL) y el uso adecuado de las instalaciones. Podría continuar porque soy un apasionado de la educación pública y quiero la mejor entrada y salida. | |
| 3. THE CURRENT PANDEMIC IS MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO OPEN SCHOOLS VERY DIFFICULT. HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE BOARD'S RESPONSE THUS FAR, AND HOW MIGHT YOU DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson Currently I am a member of the board. And of course I see things that could have been done differently but I also see things that were spot on. This has been unlike anything we have seen before and unfortunately the district is sometimes having to make calls and changes daily. It is a constant reassessment of how things are going and reevaluating processes. This constant changing, which often times are directives, worries me the most. Because it is without a doubt the hardest on our teachers and students. And they are and should be the priority for every district. |
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| Actualmente soy miembro de la junta. Y, por supuesto, veo cosas que podrían haberse hecho de manera diferente, pero también veo cosas que dieron en el clavo. Esto ha sido diferente a todo lo que hemos visto antes y, desafortunadamente, el distrito a veces tiene que hacer llamadas y hacer cambios a diario. Es una constante reevaluación de cómo van las cosas y reevaluar los procesos. Este cambio constante, que muchas veces son directivas, es lo que más me preocupa. Porque es sin duda el más duro para nuestros profesores y alumnos. Y son y deben ser la prioridad para todos los distritos. | |
| 4. WHAT POLICIES SHOULD YOUR DISTRICT PURSUE WITH REGARD TO SCHOOL SAFETY? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson Mansfield ISD has made safety and security a priority. First of all, MISD has been very fortunate to have a district police department. We have been able to create secure vestibules (on older campuses), check in systems from outside the entry, cameras and alarms and working to place a police officer on every campus. It is always something that can be improved upon in this ever changing environment. But MISD has made it a priority and will continue to improve. |
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| Mansfield ISD ha hecho de la seguridad una prioridad. En primer lugar, MISD ha tenido la suerte de tener un departamento de policía de distrito. Hemos podido crear vestíbulos seguros (en campus antiguos), sistemas de registro desde el exterior de la entrada, cámaras y alarmas y trabajando para colocar un oficial de policía en cada campus. Siempre es algo que se puede mejorar en este entorno en constante cambio. Pero MISD lo ha convertido en una prioridad y seguirá mejorando. | |
| 5. HOW SHOULD THE BOARD ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN ACCESS TO EDUCATION, TECHONOLOGY, AND RESOURCES FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS AND PARTICULARLY STUDENTS OF COLOR? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson Both districts that I serve and work for are fortunate to be able to work to provide every student with a device for online/virtual school. The staff works hard to identify those students, make contact and then provide them the necessities they need to be a successful student. It is not just technology, their outreach goes beyond that with providing resources for guidance in all areas, clothing, food, school supplies, etc. Often times it is the community working alongside the district in making sure needs are met. |
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| Ambos distritos en los que sirvo y para los que trabajo tienen la suerte de poder trabajar para proporcionar a cada estudiante un dispositivo para la escuela en línea / virtual. El personal trabaja arduamente para identificar a esos estudiantes, hacer contacto y luego brindarles las necesidades que necesitan para ser un estudiante exitoso. No es solo tecnología, su alcance va más allá de proporcionar recursos para orientación en todas las áreas, ropa, alimentos, útiles escolares, etc. A menudo es la comunidad trabajando junto al distrito para asegurarse de que se satisfagan las necesidades. | |
| 6. ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? | |
| Yolanda E McPherson |
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| Courtney Lackey Wilson I have three graduates of MISD and I am a proud product of MISD. After graduating high school, I attended Tarleton State University where I received my degree and teaching certification. I have a combined family of seven children with five nieces and nephews throughout the district. In these trying times I have some understanding from all aspects. The children in my family range from Kindergarten to college students. My youngest brother works for CISD and I work for CHISD. We are definitely experiencing it all. I say this so our staff and community knows although I do not know everything I do have some understanding of what we are all experiencing. My prior terms, trainings, history with MISD and experience in the industry makes me an effective candidate. I have been a long time advocate of not just MISD but for public education. And have found myself fully submerged in the industry. I am a current trustee but have served and volunteered in many other areas prior to being elected and until this day. |
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| Tengo tres graduados de MISD y soy un orgulloso producto de MISD. Después de graduarme de la escuela secundaria, asistí a la Universidad Estatal de Tarleton, donde recibí mi título y certificación de enseñanza. Tengo una familia combinada de siete hijos con cinco sobrinas y sobrinos en todo el distrito. En estos tiempos difíciles, tengo algo de comprensión de todos los aspectos. Los niños de mi familia van desde jardín de infantes hasta estudiantes universitarios. Mi hermano menor trabaja para CISD y yo trabajo para CHISD. Definitivamente lo estamos experimentando todo. Digo esto para que nuestro personal y la comunidad lo sepan, aunque yo no sé todo, sí entiendo algo de lo que todos estamos experimentando. Mis períodos anteriores, capacitaciones, historial con MISD y experiencia en la industria me convierten en un candidato efectivo. Durante mucho tiempo he sido un defensor no solo de MISD sino también de la educación pública. Y me he encontrado completamente sumergido en la industria. Soy un fideicomisario actual pero he trabajado como voluntario en muchas otras áreas antes de ser elegido y hasta el día de hoy. | |