Plano ISD Board of Trustees Candidate Questionnaire Place 7: Missy Bender
What are the top three reasons you want to serve as a Plano ISD School Board Trustee? I have a very personal connection to my 7 years of service as a Plano ISD Trustee and my motivation to seek re‐election.. The education that I received as a graduate of Plano ISD opened a brighter future for me and my entire family. Upon my graduation from Plano East Senior High, I became a first generation college graduate. While I was still in college, my mother chose to pursue her college degree as well. She earned her college degree, and my two younger brothers then followed in these same footsteps. Our life today was transformed because of the doors that education opened for us. I am passionate about making sure that every child and family in Plano ISD receives that same life changing opportunity. If re‐
elected I would continue to pursue the following goals. 1) Prepare our students to excel in our rapidly changing world. The methods of working and living are different today than they were during our childhood. Students must know how to learn and re‐learn in order to be able to excel in our rapidly changing world and succeed in a career that may not have even been invented yet. 2) Provide new choices to students to personalize their learning experience. One size does not fit all, and I support the continued advancement of new instructional methods and learning options that can allow each student to find the personal learning experience that works for him/her. 3) Engage the community to accomplish these goals. The school district cannot succeed without the support and involvement of the community. I want to collaborate with our parents, businesses, students, and staff to develop shared solutions. Former State Senator Florence Shapiro, former Plano ISD Superintendent Dr. Doug Otto, and Collin College President Dr. Cary Israel have endorsed me because they respect my vision, leadership, and passion for continually improving education. We have no time to spare in our continued pursuit of excellence. What do you feel are the most important responsibilities of a trustee? A Trustee is the community’s connection to the oversight of the school district. As one member of the Board, a Trustee oversees the management of the school district, defines the strategic plan, sets the budget and sets the tax rate. In addition, I believe that a Trustee should keep a pulse on the community by becoming a part of the fabric of the community. A Trustee should visit with community groups to keep them informed about the district and listen to their concerns and ideas. I also believe that it is important to be connected with the other elected officials within whom we work. This would include local city councils and trustees in neighboring districts. We can work together to find creative solutions that we might not have otherwise found. Be an advocate within the local community and to our state and national policy leaders. This builds the capacity of all of these parties to be supportive of the decisions that are in the best interest of education. I spend a lot of my energy as a legislative resource for our legislators in Austin. Helping them make informed decisions helps Plano ISD. I also believe that is is important to be a favorable representative of the district in everything that I do. I do this by collaborating with other Trustees across Texas and represent Plano ISD through presentations at various conferences. I believe so much in improving education that other school districts across Texas ask me to lead them through strategic planning exercises to help them imagine a better future for their students. What do you see as the top opportunities and challenges in Plano ISD? I am enthusiastic about the opportunities before us, and I am confident that we can tackle the challenges at the same time. Opportunities – 1) We can scale‐up change to all campuses across the district based upon the lessons that we learn from the Academies that are opening this August. In particular, the Academy High School is an incubator for instructional ideas, and it will be instrumental in P a g e | 1 of 2 Plano ISD Board of Trustees Candidate Questionnaire Place 7: Missy Bender
bringing new learning experiences to all children across Plano ISD. 2) We also have the opportunity to provide professional development opportunities to teachers who would like to learn more about the different instructional methods used at the Academies. 3) Offer teachers more flexibility in the classroom. 4) Create relevant connections with to real‐life by identifying new school or program choices that allow students to personalize their educational plan based upon their interests and goals. Challenges ‐ Balancing efforts to prepare students for their future and not our past while a growing number of our students face economic disadvantage and our funds are dwindling present significant challenges. I believe that we need experienced thought leaders like me on the school board who are courageous and willing to continue moving this district forward and willing to find new funding mechanisms so that we can continue to thrive and not just survive. Why are you qualified to hold the position of trustee? Having served as a Plano ISD Trustee for 7 years I am the most experienced board member. In addition, I have a number of other professional and civic qualifications. • Earned BBA in Marketing from Southern Methodist University • Spent 12 years at Champion International, Amdahl, and IBM helping these businesses and their clients develop new strategic plans and implement systems and processes to implement these plans. I am now the Vice President of Governance Solutions for the Center for Reform of School Systems. • Invested 14 years in civic engagement in Plano and across Texas. Examples of this engagement include: • Graduate, Leadership Texas 2012 • Graduate, Leadership Plano, Class 23 • Master Trustee, Leadership TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) • Co‐founder of Trustees for Texas o Fellow, Center for Reform of School Systems • Member, Legislative Advisory Council, Texas Association of School Boards • Appointee to the Texas Education Agency’s Accountability Policy Advisory Committee • Member of North Texas Regional Consortium’s Trustee subcommittee • Member, National School Boards Association Federal Relations Network • Member of National School Boards Association (NSBA) • Member of North Texas Area Association of School Boards (NTAASB) • Member of Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) • Invited presenter at TASA/TASB Annual Conference 2010‐2012 • Invited presenter at Plano Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee • Invited presenter to Plano ISD Council of PTAs • Invited presenter at AVID National Convention 2012 • Invited instructor at Center for Reform of School System’s (CRSS) Texas Alumni Retreat 2013 • Selected national presenter at NSBA Annual Conference 2013 • Board member, Plano ISD Alumni Association • Chairman’s Council Member, Texas Health Resources Plano • Patroness, National Charity League • Member, Conner Harrington Republican Women’s Club • Confirmation leader, St. Andrew United Methodist Church Youth • Board of Directors, Daffron PTA • Board of Directors, Plano Metro Rotary Club • Board of Directors, Junior League of Plano • Board of Directors, Harrington Homeowners Association • Confirmation leader, Mission Trip Volunteer, St. Andrew United Methodist Church What is the most important thing you want to accomplish if elected? If re‐elected, I would like to build a collaborative, productive, rewarding relationship between the Board, school district, staff, business, and parent community. A strong partnership is the foundation for building community and the capacity to understand and support continuous improvement. In addition, when the community really understands the opportunities and challenges that the school district may be facing I believe that it is always willing to step‐up and provide support. Likewise, when there is a community need I also believe that the school district will step‐up and lend a hand of support. We need each other more than ever now, and I have the sense that all of these participants are eager to work together even more. P a g e | 2 of 2