May 10, 2022 Patron Presentation, Damon Barone
Greetings, Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.
The Alief School Board is interviewing candidates today, thus I wanted to showcase my knowledge of the responsibilities of being a good school Board Trustee.
Texas Senate Bill 1566 focuses on evaluating and improving student outcomes, the Texas Association of School Boards redefined the responsibilities of School Boards, and the State Board of Education updated the Framework for School Boards.
TASB states that School Board Trustees: Adopt goals and priorities, monitors success, adopts and reviews policies for effectiveness, hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts the budget, sets our tax rates, and communicates with the community.
Because the Board sets the vision and mission statement of the district, I want to focus on: Adopting goals and priorities, monitoring success, adopting and reviewing the effectiveness of policies, and communicating with our community.
During the November 19, 2019 school board meeting, the Board revised Board Policy AE educational philosophy. From my perspective, this revision lays the framework of how Alief ISD will operate; more importantly, how the Board will shape the practices of the district.
It has SMART goals, priorities for the district, stakeholder engagement practices, and requires monitoring student outcomes. The revised AE Educational Philosophy also aligns with the Boards core beliefs and commitments.
Those commitments include: the Boards actions will be taken through the lens of and based on the principles of equity. The Boards actions will be fiscally responsible. The Boards actions will support excellence in instructional practices balanced with social and emotional support for all students. The Boards actions will support meaningful relationships and meaningful work. The Boards actions will include monitoring results. The Boards actions will demonstrate support for all core beliefs and commitments.
Being a School Board Trustee is no easy task. The community trust that our School Board Trustees will make the tough decisions when needed, communicate truthfully to the community about the progress of the district, manage our tax dollars, and most importantly provide our children, all of our children, with a high-quality education that prepares them for college, career, and military readiness.
In closing, TASB says that Board members are the link between the school system and the public. As advocates for public education, board members help grow community support for public schools and report district progress by communicating openly and honestly with the community, students, staff, parents, and the media. If selected, I pledge to uphold the Boards policies, core beliefs, commitments, and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America, and of this state.
Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.