WISD Honors Board during School Board Recognition Month

     Governor Rick Perry has proclaimed January School Board Recognition Month and Waller ISD (WISD) is joining other districts across the state to gratefully acknowledge local trustees’ unfailing commitment to our communities and schools.
     “Waller ISD is fortunate to have an outstanding group of community members leading the District by serving on the Board of Trustees. Each of our seven Board members is very successful in their own business and graciously dedicates their time and expertise to leading Waller Independent School District,” said WISD Superintendent Richard McReavy.
     “As a District we are thankful to have a Board that works so hard to provide excellence in education. All of our members support every aspect of the District. They are relentless in keeping the interest our students at heart,” said WISD Assistant Superintendent Danny Twardowski.
     As citizen leaders, school board members face complex and demanding challenges. Yet, few people fully understand the scope and far-reaching implications of board members’ responsibilities. Their job is to establish a vision for the education program, design a structure to achieve that vision, ensure schools are accountable to the community, and strongly advocate continuous improvement in student learning. That job entails an endless string of meetings and school functions to attend; reams of reports, agendas, proposals, and other information to read and study; and a host of difficult decisions to make.
          Waller ISD’s Board members – Robert Carvell (President), Dr. David Kirkpatrick (Vice-President), Bo Pierce (Secretary), Paul Wood, David Kaminski, Bryan Lowe, and Shaun Nelson – contribute hundreds and hundreds of hours each year leading WISD without receiving any compensation for their efforts.
     Their time spent in board meetings represents just a small fraction of the hours they spend leading Waller ISD. They work hard at seminars and training sessions to keep informed of the latest trends in educational leadership, are deeply involved in community activities, and spend many hours in the schools and at extracurricular events. These seven men know when to laugh and when to be serious; they are very knowledgeable and well-respected members of our community, they represent it well, and they are dedicated to educational excellence for the children in Waller ISD.
     “I believe that it is important for everyone to serve their community in some capacity. I believe in the educational process and the children of our district.  Being on the school board allows me the opportunity to serve my fellow citizen in a constructive and progressive way. I believe our current administration has positioned our district as a leader in education. With programs like dual language and the emphasis on the gifted and talented program, Waller ISD will remain a leader in education,” said Trustee Shaun Nelson.
     They can alternately be described as having the most important volunteer jobs in the country; yet school board members are just ordinary citizens with extraordinary dedication to our nation’s public schools.
     “Even though as taxpayers, we all do our part in supporting our education system, I also believe that we have an obligation at a local level to support the Teachers and Administration that are charged daily with the education and development of our children. We continue to place more and more restrictions and obstacles on the very system that we ask more and more from. As the husband of a former teacher and as a proud parent of WISD students, I am in great debt to WISD, and will continue to support those who serve and are employed at WISD. I do not consider it an inconvenience but rather an honor,” said Board Secretary Bo Pierce.
     Waller ISD recognized its dedicated Board during its regular meeting Jan. 8. At that time each member was presented with a certificate, folder, and multiple posters from students at each of WISD’s seven campuses. Please take a moment to thank our local school board members for making the time to share their vision and voice about the future of our children. We proudly salute these education advocates as they provide leadership for student achievement, academic programs, district funding, and school facilities.