Tami Keeling           Victoria Independent School District 5

 
Your qualifications and/or reason for running?

I have the time to commit to this type of community service and give it the attention it deserves.  I am experienced, trained and dedicated to following through on the bond and the reformation of VISD. I have been an impartial voice for positive progress that benefits all students. 

What do you believe are the two most pressing matters for VISD and your thoughts to address?

 How will the district spend your $159 million?  It’s my view that we build and repair schools first. I pledge to keep VISD’s primary educational mission as my top priority as the school board makes these choices.

New, smaller schools are exciting, but buildings alone will not fix everything.  I will continue to support competitive pay for our teachers and staff.  It is time for the board to make decisions on student conduct and dress. Changes are necessary so that the campus staff and the teachers have the tools they need to provide a safe and productive learning environment for our children.

What can be done to better prepare VISD students for college or entering the workforce?

Appropriate and rigorous academics are needed in each of these areas.

By 2009, VISD will have a GT/AP program available K-12 at each campus.

In the career and technology area VISD is developing courses with an end of course certification that is a recognized industry standard. 

VISD has two new courses, Petro-Chemical Safety and Petro-Chemical Process Technology. The courses will be included in a Tech Prep program that allows students to claim nine hours of college credit. These Process Technology courses will provide a career path for students to find employment in a high demand area within the community.

What skills or ideas do you bring to ensure the new/upgraded facilities on the $159 million bond support learning?

 As a seasoned board member, I have shown that I have the skills and the ability to work with the board and superintendent to bring about positive change that supports learning in our facilities.

I have been involved with the construction plans for the new schools since the beginning.  I am concerned about the rising costs of inflation, and concerned about how far bond money will go.  I pledge to spend your tax dollars on building new schools and repairing existing facilities first, keeping VISD’s educational mission as my top priority as we make these choices.

How would you suggest the district address its dropout and truancy situation?

By convincing students that school has value, whether they attend a four year university, a community college, a technical school or enter the workforce after graduation.  I support strong academic pathways that lead to each of these destinations.

Debunk the myth that “there is nothing here for me.”

By building a culture in Victoria that expects our students to graduate, become responsible citizens, have the skills to get a job and the ability to pursue their educational dreams beyond VISD.  It’s a culture built on trust.  Trust that says, “We care and are here to help you be successful."

What are your thoughts on separate graduation plans in academics, career and technology, or fine arts?

I support strong multiple paths that serve VISD’s diverse student population.   Quality career and technology programs lead to jobs for students and address the critical workforce shortage in Texas.  I will advocate on behalf of students and employers that will benefit from career and technology education.  I will ask that the state legislature reconsider its current position and invest in career and technology education.  I am excited about the partnership between VISD and the business community.  Working together, we have developed two new courses for this fall.  This is a win, win partnership for our students, community and economic development.

How can overall student, teacher, campus, and district performance best be measured?

We can all agree that the TAKS system is not working.  There is an alphabet soup of assessments, none of which really measure a student’s academic growth.  TAKS, NCLB, and AYP, these all measure something different and tell very little about anything.  There are too many assessments and they should be reduced.
 
What can be done to increase academic rigor - especially in Gifted/Talented and Advanced Placement courses?

The Priority Action Team on Student Achievement has recommended G/T offerings for all elementary campuses next year for grades Kindergarten through Second. By 2009, all elementary schools will offer G/T instruction for grades K through Five.  Teacher training and implementation of this program is already underway. 

To support this work and increased rigor in AP courses, VISD must have teachers that are trained to teach advanced measures and compensate them accordingly.  Administration needs to be trained to evaluate accelerated instructional practices to ensure they meet curriculum standards.  I support exploring the addition of an International Baccalaureate program.