PEOPLE John Allison Keller ISD’s interim superintendent
just a di erent scope and you get to see it from a di erent perspective. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT? I’m glad that I’m able to help out as the district looks for the next leader. Being able to carry on what Dr. West- fall had put in motion, and just kind of keep us focused in and steady on what we need to be doing for our students. WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO EDUCATION AND THEN ADMINISTRATION? Well, to be honest with education, I kind of back-doored into it. I didn’t start o with education as my major. I was hoping to go to medical school and then hit a physics class. That was a clear, clear sign that probably wasn’t in my future. I thought about what I wanted to do and who had impacted my life. Teachers and some of my coaches just came to the forefront. I thought “OK, I’m gonna I’m going to take a couple education courses and see what I think.” And as I got into it, I knew that’s what I wanted.
BY CODY THORN
John Allison, Keller ISD associate superintendent of education, was named interim superintendent during a special meeting held June 28. He will work with retired superintendent Rick Westfall, who will stay with KISD through Dec. 31 to assist in the transition of leadership. Allison’s rst day as interim superintendent was July 1. He started with KISD in July 2021, overseeing the education support systems, according to a news release. Allison recently sat down with Community Impact and shared thoughts on the 2023-24 school year. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. WHAT DOES THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR MEAN FOR EDUCATORS?
John Allison was named the Keller ISD interim superintendent on June 28.
MARK FADDEN COMMUNITY IMPACT
fun, I’m enjoying it. I had a couple of years where I wasn’t in this role, and that was nice, but to be able to do this, again is something I’m enjoying. WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO KEEP DOING THIS? You know, it gives you a pretty broad perspective and an opportunity to see entire district. In my previous role I worked with campus leadership and curriculum instruction and those areas that support our campuses and it’s a more narrow lens. I really enjoyed doing that. But as superintendent it’s
WHAT MINDSET DO YOU HAVE GOING INTO A SCHOOL YEAR? That’s one of the great things about being in this profession is we get a reset every fall with the new school year. You know, I don’t know how long I’ll be in this role. Whether the board will nd the candidate, potentially by December or it’ll be the end of the [school] year or how that’s going to look but I will be working with the board on their goals.”
This is always a fun but kind of cha- otic time because we know we’ve got kids coming here. It’s always exciting to have a new start.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE IN THE ROLE OF INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT?
When you’re acting in the role of superintendent, you’re the face of the district and there’s just a whole di erent set of responsibilities. So it’s
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