EDUCATION
2022 EDUCATION EDITION
PUBLIC INTERVIEW During a July 25 board meeting, Round Rock ISD trustees asked several questions of interim Place 1 Trustee Kevin Johnson. Here is a sample of questions and answers that may have been edited for length and clarity.
Board appoints Kevin Johnson to Place 1 following departure of Jun Xiao
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
When we think about the steps that were taken for COVID[-19], the one thing ... I disagreed with is that there should have been more due diligence done to take a look at what could have been done to avoid the learning loss and closing the school district. A decision I did agree with [was] having a [school resource o cer] or a Round Rock ISD police force. Johnson: Place 5 Trustee Amy Weir: During the past school year, what was one decision of the board you agreed with, and one you disagreed with and why?
Place 6 Trustee Ti anie Harrison: What is the role and responsibility of a school board member? How does that di er from the superintendent and administration?
at the July 25 meeting. Johnson is a former Stony Point High School teacher, district admin- istrator and Texas Education Agency Career and Technical Education coor- dinator. He is now a senior adviser at Advance CTE: State Leaders Con- necting Learning to Work, a nonpro t advocating for career and technical education nationwide. Absent Xiao and Place 2 Trustee Mary Bone, the board appointed John- son in a 4-1 vote. The lone “no” vote came from Place 7 Trustee Danielle Weston, who said she opposed the short term of the appointment and use of district resources in the process. Johnson will occupy the Place 1 seat until the November board election, when voters will decide on ve of the seven board seats. Johnson said he intends to run in November. The candidate who wins Place 1 in the election will serve out the rest of the term, which ends in 2024.
O cials appointed Kevin Johnson to ll the Round Rock ISD board of trustees Place 1 seat that was vacated due to the June resig- nation of former Trustee Jun Xiao.
When you think about the role of a school trustee
Johnson:
and a steward of the taxpayer dollars, that we’re accountable to the taxpayers, ... I think that’s a great system. It’s the greatest system in the world when you think about how you get to vote for the individuals that represent you, and that those individuals are accountable for those decisions.
Kevin Johnson
“I will say that I’m excited and ecstatic about being here and also [want to say] what it has meant to me and my family to live in this commu- nity,” Johnson said ahead of his July 25 interview with the board. “I’m happy to be here.” A total of 25 people submitted applications to be considered for appointment to the position. That pool was narrowed to four nal- ists—Johnson, Ken Zornes, Alicia Markum and Cassandra Hulsey—who answered questions from the board
Board President Amber Feller: The Round Rock ISD school board works under a Lonestar Governance Model to help us remain focused on student outcomes. How can a school board trustee know if its goals are being accomplished and its policies are being implemented, and if appointed to the position of Place 1 trustee, what steps will you take to ensure these remain your focus?
It is the responsibility of this board to hold those administrators and the superintendent accountable for whether or not those goals are being
Johnson:
met. It’s not only asking for those reports, but talking about the data itself when we look at the root causes, and then we have a discussion about the strategies that are being implemented to ensure those goals are being met.
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • AUGUST 2022
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