Q&A with Magan Estill, candidate for SISD board of trustees, place 2.
Updated: Apr 18
Q: What do you believe is the most important role of a school board member?
A: The most important work of school board members involves setting policies, overseeing district finances, hiring and evaluating the superintendent and ensuring the district's compliance with state and federal regulations.
The key role is representing the interests of the community and advocating for the needs of students.
Q: What are the biggest challenges currently facing Stephenville ISD?
A: Like all districts, SISD is facing challenges with a changing landscape in parenting. Screen addiction and social media have become increasingly prevalent. That is a huge challenge.
Our district is charged with educating our children, and our families are charged with the responsibility of raising their children to be productive members of society.
Sadly, we are struggling as parents to control behaviors and expect the schools to fix what we cannot as parents. Parental accountability and responsibility prove to be a challenge for educators on all campuses.
Q: What are the SISD’s greatest strengths?
A: Our teachers! We have amazing teachers and support staff who are passionate about education.
Our teachers are top notch and their abilities in the classroom are the foundation for the success in our district.
Q: What do you see as your priorities for SISD?
A: Priorities I see for SISD: teacher retention, early intervention and additional specialists on each campus.
Two of the greatest needs in our classrooms are emotional support and behavior modification. Our teachers must focus on high-quality instruction, and they can no longer fill the multiple roles of instructors, social workers and psychologists.
We need more hands on deck to support our educators, and to fill the growing need for interventions.
Families are suffering, and we should position our campuses to provide the needed assistance for their children.
Q: Have you ever worked with a board? If so, describe the experience. If not, what do you envision about the experience?
A: Yes, throughout my entire career, I have worked with boards.
Serving in both volunteer and professional roles on boards, I have a rich history of making calculated decisions in board rooms.
From banking to non-profit, my experience with a board of directors’ spans over 30 years.
Q: When you find yourself with a minority opinion while discussing a board topic, how do you proceed through the process once a decision has been made?
A: Being the “odd man out” does not bother me. If I am steadfast about a topic, and my fellow board members have a different opinion, that’s fine.
A board full of “yes men” is not a healthy board.
I am not a yes man: I make my decisions based on facts and information provided. If that means I find myself in the minority, I am comfortable enough to be just that.
