Courtney Runkle
Trustee, Single-Member
District 3
Q. What are your plans for lowering student failure rates?
Failure rates are definitely a concern. A comprehensive plan is currently being finalized in Hays CISD. This plan allows for a more robust summer school program than in previous years and will be available on additional campuses. Also included is the hiring of additional teachers for in person summer school and additional tutors and interventionists for Reading and Math. I am fully in support and will promote the initiatives being taken by Hays CISD to help decrease the current and potential failure rates.
Q. What kind of back-to-school plan do you propose if we are still in a pandemic this upcoming school year?
Hays CISD has a District Leadership team composed of teachers and community members across the district. This team was also chosen to be the Re-Entry Covid Task Force, a team I proudly serve on. This committee will discuss safety protocols on our campuses and bring those recommendations forward. That said, I believe in science and I trust that the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics will advise us appropriately.
Q. What incentives would you offer to keep your valued faculty members?
Our Superintendent, Dr. Wright and our board have focused on ensuring Hays CISD is employee friendly. Dr. Wright has brought forward several employee friendly policies and initiatives. For example, a sick pool leave was created allowing employees to donate local leave or state personal leave for use by the eligible employee that has exhausted all paid leave; Due-Process was created allowing the District to use a system of progressive discipline for at-will employees; Bus drivers have been given the option to increase their work day from five hours to eight hours a day; Referral incentives for employees; Retention bonuses for Child Nutrition and Custodial services. Additionally, committees have been created for transparency and accountability that include the Facilities and Bond Oversight Committee, Re-entry Task Force, Hays CISD Board and Superintendent Student Advisory Panel, Diversity Advisory Council, Transportation Leadership Council and monthly meetings with employee organizations. Dr. Wright and the board have made compensation a priority and I, too, will make that a priority.
Q. How would you help more students in the district prepare for college and future success?
College is certainly not for everyone and it is extremely important that we are providing resources and opportunities to all students regardless of their pathway. However, for those on the pathway to college, providing dual credit classes helps to prepare our students by offering college credit courses at no cost. Our Advanced Placement classes also offer the rigor of college level courses. We also offer a wide range of college readiness classes such as Path and G-Force. We also have an amazing and growing CTE (Career & Technical Education) program that provides our students with opportunities to explore careers and earn certifications while still in high school. Hays CISD has partnered with the Kyle Fire Department allowing our students hands on experience and training that provides them the opportunity to get hired when they graduate. Hays CISD offers many options to prepare our students for college, a career or the military.
Richard W. Cronshey
Trustee, Single-Member
District 3
Q. What are your plans for lowering student failure rates ?
When students progress each year, K-12, from one grade to the next without retention, they are much more likely to be successful in their education. Retaining students does not appear to help students. Students who fail the state mandated tests still do better without retention. Lower class sizes and summer instruction drastically help students catch up. So much of learning is developmental with students. Students learn at different rates according to their individual development. Students can catch up as their developmental capacities increase.
Q. What kind of back to school plan do you propose if we are still in a pandemic this upcoming school year ?
The mixture of in-class and virtual learning has been quite innovative during this school year. It is rough on teachers who have to do both virtual and in class at the same time. Parent do not send their children to Kindergarten to learn their shapes and colors. Socialization skills are essential to all students’ development. Even secondary students need this socialization to become functional citizens. This pandemic has made virtual education a new and innovative part of education. Even when all students will physically be back in the classroom, virtual education will be a viable option for some students. If we are in a pandemic this next school year, continuing to do what we are doing now will work, but the best of all worlds is an in school experience with a small option for the very few who may need virtual learning.
Q. What incentives would you offer to keep your valued faculty members?
Students benefit from advanced technology, state of the art facilities and increased parental involvement. However, the most important item you can give students is an intelligent, well-trained, well-compensated, well-treated teacher. If the districts take care of the teachers, the teachers will take care of the students. The two most important help for teachers is to lower class sizes, lower student / ratios.and Teacher pay. Also pay teacher stipends for extra duties, Studies also show the #1 reason that people leave their jobs in any profession is not just working conditions or pay, but horrible bosses. Let us make sure that principals are of the utmost quality who treat teachers well and support their teachers.
Q. How would you help more students in the district prepare for college and future success ?
We already have a good program of college and career readiness for high school students. Greater Career and technology classes and choices ensure that students can be more prepared to enter the workforce after High School graduation. All students can benefit from post-secondary training. If that training is a 2 year, or 4 year college training, or the armed services, let us give students a chance when they graduate to earn a better wage.
Donyé Curry
Trustee, At-Large
Q. What are your plans for lowering student failure rates?
Ensuring that we are providing strong tier 1 instruction (high quality differentiated classroom instruction that meets the needs of all learners by the classroom teacher).
By making sure all instruction is student centered.
Making sure students are collaborating with teachers and each other.
Making sure the work is rigorous.
Q. What kind of back-to-school plan do you propose if we are still in a pandemic this upcoming school year?
Making sure teachers are well equipped to handle the job.
Making sure in person and virtual learners are all included in the instructional piece.
Make sure teachers are trained well on blended learning and instruction.
Having admin model what they expect to see in the classroom from their teachers.
Have a team of campus leaders and admin spearhead the plan.
Q. What incentives would you offer to keep your valued faculty members?
Find ways to enhance their positions.
Offering more roles in which they are able to collaborate.
Offering leadership roles on the campus level.
Making sure they are compensated accordingly.
Accommodating their personal needs (child care on campus, affordable child care, etc).
Giving them a voice.
Listening to their concerns.
Helping with resources in regards to mental health and safety.
Q. How would you help more students in the district prepare for college and future success?
Seminars on everything College with real life experienced people to guide.
Practice tests, and test prep sessions (SAT, ACT).
Courses on time management.
College Visits/Guest Speakers.
Teaching them to advocate for themselves.
Helping them understand GPA.
Helping them navigate college websites in order to familiarize themselves with admissions.
Will McManus
Trustee, At-Large
Q. What are your plans for lowering student failure rates?
We've talked a lot about COVID learning loss and how to get our students back on track. Our board has committed to funding what Dr. Wright and his team need to keep the catch-up time as short as possible. We don't want months to turn into a year or even more. We're going to take concrete action, and some of the proposed ideas are expanding summer school, adding interventionists, and adding tutors to campuses that need them.
Q. What kind of back-to-school plan do you propose if we are still in a pandemic this upcoming school year?
So far, we have followed the guidelines established by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Texas Education Association also has its own set of protocols that we must follow. I expect that we will continue with that and do what's best for our students and staff. It may not look the same for each campus, but we'll have to wait and see what happens this summer with the rollout of vaccines before making a final decision. The District Leadership Team (primarily teachers) will continue to play a vital role in crafting how we respond.
Q. What incentives would you offer to keep your valued faculty members?
We've recently implemented several employee-friendly incentives, including a retirement incentive based on years of service and leave buyback at retirement. We also started offering due process for at-will employees. We want our people to stay, and we're always looking for ways to better their work lives.
Q. How would you help more students in the district prepare for college and future success?
Our CTE program is already being successful with this by getting many of our students career-ready in fields like automotive tech, OSHA certifications, cosmetology, barbering, and a firefighter academy, to name a few. Our goal is to get each student on the right path, and when they leave our district, they are ready for whatever comes their way. The TEA tracks our success with CCMR - Career, College, & Military Readiness - and we have seen steady improvement in all areas. I'm super proud of our students and teachers!
Bert Aguin
Trustee, At-Large
(No photo available)
Q. What are your plans for lowering student failure rates?
Mandatory reduction of classroom sizes to no more than 18 students.
Propose and fund additional school construction to meet the growing need in our county.
Afterschool programs. Remote and in-person.
Funding of technology programs.
Diagnostic education testing extended to all students.
Learning Disabilities testing should be offered to all students at no cost to parents.
We need to identify students who need the extra help early on in their educational journeys.
Redirect funding to supply grants for disadvantaged students whose families can not afford school supplies & equipment. We shouldn't stop a student from learning because the parents can't afford a musical instrument or medical stethoscope.
Band Equipment
Art Supplies
Sports Uniforms
Books
Laptops
Q. What kind of back-to-school plan do you propose if we are still in a pandemic this upcoming school year?
I have seen firsthand how remote learning has failed Hays CISD. Countless students are left to figure things on their own, failing and slipping through the cracks. No one was ready for this; our technology and the support around it were a complete failure, outdated technology, and poor resource management; our school system has missed the mark, just to put something in play.
I propose standing with revised CDC guidelines; Students return to our classrooms, and in-class lessons resume 100 percent.
We should also allow parents/students to opt into remote learning if they wish, but the default should be classroom learning.
We should use this summer break to study and implement a new learning platform, train our staff.
Provide parent training for those who opt into remote learning.
Provide onsite rapid covid testing, and vaccine referrals for staff as needed ( not required )
Provide Remote counseling sessions for students and parents over the summer, and prepare them for in-classroom attendance or remote.
We stay in adherence to state and federal guidelines regarding PPE use.
Q. What incentives would you offer to keep your valued faculty members?
Increase Pay based on merit and class success - School Year Review.
Provide pay incentives for faculty educational growth.
Create a Sub to Teacher Program - With Paid Tuition.
Provide Unlimited PTO for faculty.
Q. How would you help more students in the district prepare for college and future success?
Expansion of High School/College Credit classes.
Partnerships with ACC and Pipeline with Texas Universities.
Provide in-school testing prep for all students.
Work with nonprofit organizations in connecting students with resources.
Build magnet programs that provide the student with actual college courses and certifications for the real world.
Aviation - Flight and Maintenance
Medical
IT Management
Computer Coding Bootcamp
Partner with local companies to offer work experience to our high school students.
