Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Lake Travis ISD Board of Trustees

Why are you running?

I was approached by friends, neighbors, and respected members of our wonderful community and was encouraged to run for this position. This is a daunting task, but the more I thought and prayed about it, I realized there is no mission more important than fighting for the educational excellence of our children. As a mom of four Lake Travis ISD students, I am passionate about ensuring that all of our children get the best possible education.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

No conversation can be had about academic excellence without recognizing the setbacks we faced from remote learning. We need to address learning loss from the past two years while recommitting to supporting our teachers who faced so many challenges. I propose a parent-teacher community committee, established by the Board of Trustees, to discuss and propose solutions on how the district can support and retain the best teachers. Teachers and parents interact every day to come up with solutions for students. Let’s empower these important relationships to support teachers as well.

What other priorities for the district are important to you and why?

The merits of a second high school have been debated for years. LT is a vibrant and growing community that has attracted thousands of families from around the country. My priority is having the most opportunities possible for our children. I will use a data-driven, measured approach to decide on any new schools. Through the work of a community led bond committee, I will thoughtfully consider all recommendations brought to the board. There are successful, highly ranked districts that utilize both large scale and multiple high school models. I will vote to do whatever is best for the kids in our district, using the opinions of parents, the financial realities and data projections presented.

Why are you running?

We moved to Lakeway for the school district for our three kids in 2009. Now our schools are facing problems that have been years in the making. Our teachers are demoralized and quitting, our schools are overcrowded, and our rankings have dropped. We can fix this only by being willing to identify problems and set higher goals. After two terms on Lakeway City Council, I've learned how to problem solve and build a consensus to get things done. We need fresh leadership with a vision of higher goals and accountability in order to be the standard bearer for other districts.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

Addressing the staffing shortage: we've lost principals, teachers, subs, cafeteria workers and bus drivers, with more leaving at year end. Teachers are burned out, overworked, and still underpaid compared to bigger districts. We are asking them to teach too many kids with not enough aides and have taken away their planning time. Couple that with the lack of affordable housing, rising gas prices, inflation, and a climate where teachers aren't treated as the professionals that they are. Our teachers feel unsupported. Patting ourselves on the back as the "destination district" doesn't ring true when there is a mass exodus underway.

Why are you running?

I am running for School Board Trustee for several reasons, but the most significant reason is that I love LTISD and I want to see that it continues to excel and be that destination district that so many have learned to love. I am not running to keep things status quo. I am running to continue to strive for perfection. Since 2012, when TEA implemented a new system to grade districts, LTISD has always received the HIGHEST marks that TEA offers. From 2012 to 2016 we have received Met Standard, which is the highest grade during those years. Since 2018 to the present, TEA uses a system that grades from A through F. LTISD received A grades in 2018 and 2019. TEA did not rank any district in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

My top priority is closing the gaps that were created when students were learning virtually and not learning in the classroom. We have assessed every student at LTISD by issuing Beginning of Year (BOY) tests to evaluate what the needs are for each student. And because of HB 4545, we have funds that will allow us to give 30 extra hours of accelerated instruction to each of those kids that did not do well enough on the BOY. Although a lot of our students will have completed those 30 hours of instruction by the end of the school year, some students may still need instruction; Summer School will provide another opportunity for students to get back on level.

What other priorities for the district are important to you and why?

As a fast growth district, smart growth is always a challenge. We need to pass the next bond in November of this year that will hopefully fund two new elementary schools and some form of relief for the high school. A bond advisory committee has been formed and have already met twice to discuss what is going to be in the bond for November. I know this group of committee members will absolutely do what is best for LTISD!

Why are you running?

My campaign’s theme is “A Fresh Start, Together” because after the last two years, we all deserve a chance to reengage with our community and rebuild what has been lost. Nowhere is that needed more than in LTISD, which is facing twin crises of overcrowding and understaffing. As a result, the success of our students suffers, reflected in our declining school rankings. We need a fresh start from our School Board, bringing new ideas to bear on these challenges. And we need nonpartisan, proactive leadership focusing on the needs of our students instead of dividing us with wedge issue politics.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

Our top priority must be solving our staffing crisis. LTISD already has numerous vacant teacher positions it cannot fill, bus routes it cannot run, and cafeterias it cannot fully staff. And if we do not act, it will get worse: a recent study showed that 66% of teachers are considering leaving the profession. LTISD needs a multi-pronged approach that includes reexamining teacher compensation and addressing the massive stresses teachers have been asked to shoulder during the pandemic. And the District must openly advocate for workforce housing, to ensure that teachers can afford to live here, in the community they serve.

What other priorities for the district are important to you and why?

We must address our rapidly worsening overcrowding problem, especially at the high school. The District’s own demographic studies five years ago accurately predicted LTHS would be over capacity by 2022, but unfortunately we did not use that time to engage with parents and determine what the community desires in a solution. Whatever form it takes, building a second high school will be a serious undertaking, and we must get it right. Last month, the District convened a bond advisory committee, and I support the hard work of our citizen members who are currently helping the District plan for the future.

Why are you running?

I have volunteered and served this community since 2006. The more I served, the more I realized how important it is to keep building on the educational excellence established in our schools; to be an advocate for the students and to foster accountability inside and outside the classrooms. Which led me to run for the LTISD School Board 9 years ago. I wanted to serve all the children, the community, and the district as a whole by volunteering at a level high enough to impact the largest number of kids in our district. I am still as passionate and excited about continuing to serve.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

Lake Travis Academic Excellence: We want our kids to receive an education that prepares them to lead exceptional lives and allows all kids to grow to their potential. We cannot address academic excellence by only discussing a second high school. We must address academics by meeting EVERYONE where they are and growing them to their potential. That means we provide in person classes and we work to fill the gaps that have been made in our district from COVID-19, virtual learning and from rapid growth. Students come to us from all over the United States and they come from varied academic programs with different curriculums. Closing gaps from moving into a new school district must be addressed, and we must support our teachers as they do this important work.

Why are you running?

We live in a wonderful community with amazing educators. I wanted to step up to serve our community as I have seen the need to address issues begin to compile and think we need a new voice, energy and vision on our Board. As a mom to two middle schoolers, I am particularly concerned with the overcrowded and understaffed environment they will be entering into in just a couple of years. I will bring my background to work with my fellow board members and the district to find creative solutions to elevate our district for our next phase.

What is your top priority for Lake Travis ISD?

The catalyst to me deciding to run is the issue of a 2nd High School solution. Our current facilities were not built for almost 3700 students. The class sizes are too big for our students and educators. More needs to be done to ensure our students have the best learning environments available and that our educators feel appreciated and supported for the professionals that they are. I will use my background in operations, process improvement, change management and transformation initiatives on the Board so that we can implement policies that make actionable and positive changes for our students and educators.

What other priorities for the district are important to you and why?

As our community has grown the need for positive community engagement is even more important. I will advocate for a Board that lets parents know they've been heard and are considering their concerns and suggestions. I will work to offer more opportunities for dialogue between board members and the community outside of board meetings. Let's work towards unifying our community where we can find common ground. Board members who are open to dialogue can better bridge connection and diffuse the contentiousness we've all witnessed in the past two years.