Two candidates have filed for one two-year unexpired term on the Salado Independent School District Board of Trustees, As a manner of introducing them to our readers, we asked the following questions. Their answers are below, in order of appearance on the Ballot for May 7 election.

As a manner of introducing them to our readers, we asked the following questions. Their answers are below, in order of appearance on the Ballot for May 7 election.

Question 1: Question 1: In March, Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Education Agency to create a Teacher Vacancy Task Force to address ongoing staffing concerns. What can Salado ISD do to recruit and retain quality teachers when there is a looming shortage? (150 Words)

Question 2: Do you think the Salado ISD Board of Trustees adequately supports classroom teachers in the district? What does that support look like? (150 words)

Question 3: Does Salado ISD pay teachers and support staff (aides, paraprofessionals) too little, too much or an appropriate amount? (150 words)

Question 4: Do you think classroom teachers in Salado ISD have access to appropriate technology and training to do their jobs? (150 words)

Question 5: Do you think administration supports teaching staff in our district? What does that support look like? (150 words)

Christi Carlson

Question 1: Recruitment and retention of quality teachers is vital to a successful school. Ensuring that student to teacher ratio is in a good range, aides and resources are available, as well as a good compensation and retention plan is in place. Having teachers that are invested in our community as much as our community is invested in them can also help with long term relationships, communication and understanding. Like Sam Dowdy said in the candidate forum- Listen to the teachers. Throwing expectations of more training or technology at them is not always ideal. Let them tell us what they need to be successful in teaching and advocate for them at all levels but especially at state and national levels where overreach is concerning.

Question 2: I think as individual parents, the board members are very supportive of  our teachers. As a board, I am worried that their main communication comes from SI who is not always astute to the details of the classroom and hallways. I do like that other admin has recently been added in attending the SB meetings, they now have a table they sit at and can be called upon. And while I hope, and overall think, our administrators are also advocates for their staff; I also know of situations where important things do not get brought to the board. It is a hard current norm and I am hopeful to be a change agent of improvement in that. 

Question 3: I am concerned that there is a disparity in market pay of the top part of our employees- all that fall under the category of central office vs the classroom teachers, aides and subs. We have some really tenured classroom teachers, they are certainly qualified for admin positions but stay with us on the frontlines, that needs to be valued. Most teachers will tell you, they really need their support staff, paraprofessionals. I am happy to hear that just last week news was released that teachers and paraprofessionals will be getting about a 4% pay increase as well as a full bonus come September. This is a great step in the right direction!

Question 4: Yes

Question 5: Overall yes, but I also worry that when issues are or need to be escalated up, there is fear of retribution rather than just safe open communication regarding the pros and the cons. We have to be honest and realistic, in pretty much all things, there are ways we are being really successful and ways we can really improve.

Chris Diem

Question 1: We need to be intentional in spreading the great news of Salado ISD, the past and current successes, and the future goals of the district. I have visited with teachers who come from other districts, and they are blown away by the support they get from their parents and community members when compared to previous districts they’ve worked for. While this has led to a teacher retention rate that is much better than the state average, we can’t take that for granted. When we do have vacancies, positions on job boards and attending career fairs at colleges and region service centers will certainly attract candidates, but I’d like to see the district hold an in-person job fair that offers interviews that day. Once hired, it’s imperative we provide teachers with the professional development and classroom support they need to grow as professionals and make them want to stay in Salado.

Question 2: In early January, as the district was doing everything it could to remain open, I watched as school board members manned the cafeteria at lunch and filled in where they could during the school day. When I was a principal in the district, I was blown away that board members would come on campus and ask what we needed; in the 4 districts I worked for, only one other time had I seen a board member do that. Being visible, listening to faculty and staff concerns, and not being afraid to engage in conversations is something I have personally witnessed current board members do and something that I would commit to should I be elected. Our teachers are on the front line with our students every single day and their voices must be heard and respected by the Board of Trustees. 

Question 3: This has been a constant struggle for Salado ISD, not by a lack of effort, but by the reality of our geography. I truly believe the district has done a great job doing more with less; of 11 comparable districts, we have the highest average teacher salary while bringing in the least amount of state funding. However, our competition for teachers is often large, 6A school districts who have starting salaries that are higher than our average numbers. While we may not be able to go toe to toe with those districts, we can continue to close the gap and continue to offer a pay scale that isn’t capped at the 20-year mark. This allows us to retain quality, veteran staff members who bring with them a career worth of expertise and passion to our district.

Question 4: Having recently served on the District Based Decision Making Committee, I know that providing access to professional development is a top priority for our district administrators. It is a balancing act to provide training while minimizing the amount of time teachers must be out of the classroom to receive it. As principal, I encouraged teachers to find professional development opportunities that they could then come back and share with the rest of the staff; this not only allowed for teachers to continue to be trained but taught them how to train others while being wise with district financial resources.

Technology needs to be a high priority for our district; as a parent, I have seen technology used very well as a supplement to my children’s lessons and allowed them to actively engage in lessons. However, our current school website needs upgrading to allow for better teacher usage and parent engagement.

Question 5: I have always been impressed that our district administration is so willing to receive staff feedback before making major decisions; on both DBDM and the Student Health Advisory Committee, I witnessed that feedback being discussed and the impact it made on subsequent decisions. This is one avenue of support; the other is being visible. This isn’t just for central administration, but for campus administration as well. In my most recent opportunity to serve as a Watch Dog at TAE, I lost track of how many times I saw administrators in the halls, in the cafeteria, and serving along side their teachers. As a former principal I know how imperative it is to not only be visible in classrooms for observations, but to be out and leading by example. In my conversations with teachers and through my own observations, this is a strength of our school administration.