Harleton ISD Staff Talk
December 2015
Topics Covered by the School Board December 2015
- Recognized Students of the Month from each campus
- Consent Agenda items were approved by general consent, including: Board minutes from November 10, 2015, regular meeting; obligations and vouchers; financial statement; and donations.
- The superintendent's report was presented, consisting of the following: current enrollment; Equity Center newsletter; Leadership Teamtimes; Commissioner letter.
- Community Christmas invitation December 10, 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Elementary.
- Heard the Building and Grounds report
- Update on Blended Learning Grant
- Notice of status of Board Training Requirements and Hours Earned
- Harrison County CAD Ballot Count
- Harrison County Road & Bridge
- Presentation on Project Based Learning - Lou Krudewig
- Discussed Steering Committee Update
- Discussed Tennis Court Proposal
- Heard Texas Academic Performance Report from Angel Johns
- Approved the Highly Qualified Teacher Report for 2015 - 2016
- Approved the Resolution to Governor Abbott concerning the next Commissioner of Education
- Approved Local Policy Update 103
- Set January 5, 2016 at 7:00 PM for Special meeting on Policy Review
- Hired Shonda Irvine to teach Health Science at the high school
FROM THE DESK OF DR. COLEMAN
Wow! Can you believe that we are about to finish our first semester of school? Time has really flown by this year. In a few days we will be releasing school for the Christmas Holiday. Please, take this time to rest and rejuvenate, spend time with friends and loved ones, and prepare yourself for the upcoming semester. Enjoy your time away! You’ve earned it!
Yesterday, Governor Abbott named Mike Morath as the new Commissioner of Education. Mr. Morath has served on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees since 2011. I am pleased to see someone with some educational background; however, Mr. Morath is a strong proponent of School Choice. It is no secret that the governor and lt. governor are pushing for some form of a school voucher program. The appointment of Mr. Morath just confirms this more.
The upcoming primary election in the spring will be important for our east Texas area. Senator Kevin Eltife has announced that he will not seek re-election, and there are 3 contenders for his seat. Senator Eltife has been willing to stand up to the party and others in order to do what is right for our unique area of the state. We will need to elect someone willing to do the same. The three contenders are Bryan Hughes, David Simmons, and Red Brown. I would encourage you to find out what you can about each of the candidates so that you can make an informed decision when going to the polls. The primary will be the election. Whoever wins the primary will win the general election so it is important that you make your vote count at the primary.
Did you know that only 750,000 people voted in the last election in Texas? Of those, only a portion voted in the primary election. That means that the people elected to office only represent less than 5% of the population. It is currently estimated that there are 600,000 teachers and retired teachers in the state. If this group would commit to vote, this group could have sway over the elections. I ask that you visit http://www.txrea.com/ and click on the “Care Enough to Vote” link. There you can find ways that you can become involved. I ask that each of you pledge to vote in the upcoming primary election. We have to give the 5.5 million students in Texas public schools a voice.
Harleton ISD
Email: shepherdcheryl@harletonisd.net
Website: harletonisd.net
Location: 17000 Texas 154, Harleton, TX, United States
Phone: (903) 777-2372
Twitter: @HarletonISD