CANDIDATE Q&A
Get to know the candidates running in the election
Katy ISD board of trustees, Position 3
SHAWN MILLER
AMY THIEME
Occupation: mortgage lender Relevant experience: 20-year Katy resident; husband of edu- cator; operated own business; worked in nancial services 281-798-4216 www.bradford4katyisd.com BRUCE BRADFORD
Occupation: college professor Relevant experience: over 20 years teaching experience; served on bond committee; certi ed public accountant; volunteered for WatchD.O.G.S. program, PTA 281-290-5206 www.voteshawnmiller.com
Occupation: Realtor Relevant experience: former KISD math teacher; software trainer; business owner; served on Math Curriculum Search Team; substitute teacher www.thieme4kisd.com
In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?
Katy ISD board of trustees, Position 4 When looking at neighboring districts, Katy ISD salaries tend to lag. Another way to help with teacher performance and morale are district/administration commitment to e ective classroom discipline, smaller class sizes, protecting teacher planning periods and encouraging collaborative/team teach- ing. As a former teacher, I appreciated administrations that prioritized my instructional time with students. In addition, I would like to examine o ering half day teaching positions to recruit retired teachers.
Educate teaching candidates about the many positive reasons to join the district. Encourage the community to nd creative ways to reward teachers. Grow our own future teachers!
I believe that to recruit and retain high-quality teachers in Katy ISD we must pay teachers a higher salary and provide better bene ts. Teachers should also be supported in the classroom through technology and classroom support resources. In addition, teachers should be provided with quality professional development opportunities, mentoring and other programs that support high-quality teachers.
ERICA BRETTELL
CICELY TAYLOR
MORGAN CALHOUN
Occupation: stay-at-home mom, volunteer
Occupation: education admin- istrator
Occupation: mother Relevant experience: 10 years local church service; leadership for outreach ministry, including local organization partnerships; led anti-sex tra cking ministry; PTO, classroom volunteer www.calhoun4kisd.com
Relevant experience: parent of four; PTA board member; bond committee; Leadership Katy; U.S. Senate legislative assistant; work on local nonpro t 281-944-8835 • www.ericabrettell.com
Relevant experience: lifelong educator, 25+ years; Teach for America Corp member; Connect Community board member; Katy Keys mentor; PTA member 346-306-6295 • www.cicelytaylor4katyisd.org
In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?
Katy ISD board of trustees, Position 5 We have amazing teachers in KISD. They are a huge part of our district’s success. In addition to better compensa- tion, we need to nd ways to lighten and streamline their workload, including incentivizing professional development in high demand areas and making sure other compensatory measures are both meeting their needs and re ecting their value. Every classroom has di erent needs, and teachers are the experts on what changes are needed to foster a better learning environment.
A retention strategy includes listening to teachers’ needs, leveraging master teachers and supporting new teachers. Increasing teacher pay is also necessary, and we must seek innovative and scally responsible ways to do this. For recruitment, we must continue to develop programs to support teacher certi cation, engage our alums majoring in education, as a pipeline, and partner with local universi- ties and colleges’ teacher prep programs, including those at HBCUs, to identify potential new teacher recruits.
Teachers and support sta require a healthy, safe and sup- ported work environment. The focus should be on lessening the distractions that impact delivery of the TEKS curriculum while providing the necessary tools to do their job well. A competitive compensation and bene t package is key for retention as well.
Occupation: substitute teacher Relevant experience: KISD parent volunteer; participant in state legislative listening circles; former software and technolo- gy consultant; youth religious teacher; small business owner www.cuzela4katyisd.com MARY ELLEN CUZELA
SHANA PETERSON
Occupation: retired educator Relevant experience: 31 years as educator; academic language therapist; held leadership roles;
developed special education guidelines, trainings; served on campus advisory boards 832-377-7008 • www.shanapeterson4katyisd.com
In light of the national teacher shortage, what would be your strategy for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in Katy ISD?
Teachers generally don’t enter the teaching profession for the pay. They become teachers because they love to teach. So, I would rst focus on their job satisfaction by addressing their discipline concerns, adhering to classroom size limits, and decreasing their administrative workload. I want to pay Katy ISD teachers and frontline sta a salary comparable to surrounding districts, if not a bit more. Hiring back retired teachers and o ering part time options are other ideas.
The key is to make Katy ISD appealing for seasoned teachers and new recruits. Having competitive compensation packages needs to be a priority. When recruiting teachers, we need to start the hiring process early, attend university job fairs to se- cure incoming graduates, and work collaboratively with univer- sities to develop cohorts for education. Resources, workshops, and support should be easily accessible. We need to empower teachers so they can do what they do best—teach..
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