Q&A: Meet the Katy ISD Position 4 candidates ahead of the May 6 election

In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?

We have amazing teachers in KISD. They are a huge part of our district’s success. In addition to better compensation, we need to find ways to lighten and streamline their workload, including incentivizing professional development in high-demand areas and making sure other compensatory measures are both meeting their needs and reflecting their value. Every classroom has different needs, and teachers are the experts on what changes are needed to foster a better learning environment.

In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?

A retention strategy includes listening to teachers’ needs, leveraging master teachers and supporting new teachers. Increasing teacher pay is also necessary, and we must seek innovative and fiscally responsible ways to do this. For recruitment, we must continue to develop programs to support teacher certification, engage our alums majoring in education as a pipeline, and partner with local universities and colleges’ teacher prep programs, including those at [historically Black colleges and universities], to identify potential new teacher recruits.

In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?

Teachers and support staff require a healthy, safe and supported work environment. The focus should be on lessening the distractions that impact delivery of the TEKS curriculum while providing the necessary tools to do their job well. A competitive compensation and benefit package is key for retention as well.