Lewisville ISD has similar hierarchy as a city or corporation. The board makes the decisions, and the superintendent executes them from the top down. DESIGNED BY CHELSEA PETERS COMPILED BY SAMANTHA DOUTY District HIERARCHY Community and board of trustees General counsel
of the district,” Cron said. “The single-most import- ant job of the superinten- dent is to keep students safe and to ensure that they are learning what they need to know to be successful and productive citizens.” The superintendent must always look to put the stu- dent needs first, she said. However, the Texas public school finance system is complex, and districts must live within the constraints of that system. Superintendents must also prioritize what is most important for their district and ensure that these needs are addressed in the bud- get, Cron said. At LISD, the superintendent oversees a $579.11 million budget. Despite managing a mul- timillion-dollar budget, the superintendent must tightly focus on student learning, Cron said.
CONTINUED FROM 1
and support, director of pre-K-12 cur- riculum and as a classroom teacher, according to a news release. Rapp was not available for an inter- view before press time. She started out as a math teacher at The Colony High School in 1996. Her first students laid the foundation for her career and instilled a dedica- tion in her to provide an environment where students can thrive, according to the district. “I believe public education is not only important to our democracy and keeping our communities strong but most importantly invests in the future by investing in all children,” Rapp said in a district news release. “To have a chance to make a positive difference in the life of a child each and every day is why I am proud to be a public school educator.” Rapp played a pivotal role in devel- oping unique learning pathways for students, including the establish- ment of LISD’s Programs of Choice, which includes the LISD STEM Acad- emy at the elementary and middle school levels; the Collegiate Academy at The Colony High School; robust world language programs’ and the tuition-based Discovery Academy, according to the release. Serving the district Lewisville ISD’s superintendent serves 49,253 students and more than 6,500 employees spread across 70 campuses. The role of the superintendent is to lead a school district and work with the board of trustees to create board policies that guide the district, said Deborah Cron, who is the GoLead11 Superintendent Program Specialist at Education Service Center Region 11. “In truth, the buck stops at the superintendent’s desk for all areas
Deputy superintendent
Superintendent
Schools
Chief executive director of accountability and evaluation
Chief human resources officer
Chief of high schools
Chief financial officer
Chief executive director of learning and teaching
Chief of middle schools
Chief communications officer
Chief executive director of organizational learning
Two chief of elementary schools
Chief executive director of student support services
Chief technology officer
Chief executive director of special education
SOURCE: LEWISVILLE ISD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
“There are many, many concerns and needs that seek to grab a super- intendent’s attention, and some of those will require the superinten- dent’s time,’’ she said. “However, the first and foremost work of the super- intendent should be on student learn- ing for every child.” One of the many “hats” a superin- tendent wears is developing a strong relationship with the board of trust- ees, Cron said. The superintendent and the sev- en-member board of trustees are collectively known as a district’s team of eight, former Richardson ISD trustee Kim Caston said. After her 14-year tenure with the RISD board ended in June, the Texas Edu- cation Agency authorized Caston to
provide team-of-eight training for districts statewide. “The team of eight is really most effective when the board and super- intendent lead and manage the dis- trict within their respective roles,” Caston said. The board and superintendent rela- tionship is a critical component to a successful school district, LISD board president Miller said. “The day-to-day operations of the district are the purview of the super- intendent, and the board provides oversight at a high level,” Miller said. “When the team of eight, as it is often called, is functioning well, there is open communication, respectful dia- logue, friendly differences of opinions and ultimately a dedication to work
through any issue as a team.”
Community responsibility Outside the boardroom, super- intendents must be active in the community and keep lines of com- munication open, Cron said. He or she also must be a conduit for par- ents to share concerns and praises. Communication is a key concern for parent Jennifer Hernandez, who lives in Carrollton and has a 9-year- old daughter in LISD. The pandemic has exacerbated a communication deficiency in the district, Hernandez said. Prior to the pandemic, she had no issues or con- cerns with how the district operated. As a parent, she wants the new superintendent to focus on student
Spring into Ballet Intro to Ballet • Ages 3-5 5 week session Performance & pink tutu included! Cross Timbers Rd. 2851 Cross Timbers Road, Suite 101, Flower Mound VISIT US TODAY!
972-539-7017 www.TurningPointeTX.com
ONLY $99
Bridlewood Blvd.
N
16
COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook