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"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." -Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Four years of service to this school district has been dedicated to stepping into really uncomfortable territory for Public Education. This board, led by Fred Brent, decided to do what is difficult because it benefits every child. The opposition wishes to cache in all the chips and tackle an objective that bears no value to those of us with skin in the game.

If you have not voted I ask that you mark your calendars for Saturday, May 1st. This election will determine the opportunities your children will have in GISD, their future is what we are voting on!

www.wilco.org/elections

Elections Williamson County Inner Loop Annex Elections Department 301 SE Inner Loop Ste 104 Georgetown, TX 78626 Driving Directions

Please let others know that this boards vision for the future of GISD is what you believe in; get out and vote for Ben Stewart and Tim Carr.

“If you exclude the way of being smart that I am good at doing, you eliminate my chances of being accurately perceived as successful and kill my motivation to work on the things I need to improve”
-John Tanner-

Thanks for the support Mr. Logan!!!

Ben Stewart and Tim Carr: Kids in GISD, Technology Savvy

There have been a number of letters written to The Sun about the upcoming GISD School Board election, many based on “feelings” or personal friendships. I like to look at all the available facts when making decisions, so here are some pertinent facts about GISD:
1. Trustees should be attuned to a holistic view of the GISD experience. Focusing solely on STAAR scores misses a number of critical metrics: Graduation rates (GISD 95% vs. 93% for Region 3 and 90% statewide); dropout rates (GISD 0.5% vs. 1.4% for Region 3 and 1.9% statewide); SAT scores; scholarships awarded (for example, four JROTC students earned full Navy scholarships, an unusually high number for a district our size); college acceptance rates at preferred schools; and a CTE focus that prepares students for real world careers and/or the military. There are 25 CTE pathways offered, and total of 69 CCMR (College, Career and Military-Ready) programs offered. Many GISD students are winning competitions and achieving national recognition. Some of these metrics reflect how the GISD holistic approach is helping those who are not focused on college, who often are the most likely to drop out and not graduate. Keeping them interested in school and persevering through to graduation will have a significant positive impact on them the rest of their lives.
2. For those who are college-bound, GISD pays for all students to take the PSAT: Those who score high enough are exempted from taking the STAAR test, and the state assigns an “Average” score for these students, who are among our best and brightest. It is commendable that GISD does this for our students, although doing the right thing tends to bring the overall STAAR scores and ratings down.
3. In the 2018-2019 school year, 90% of GISD graduates that year took either the SAT or ACT (vs. 75% for the state), which are primarily for college-bound graduates. For the most recent two years reported (2017-2018 and 2019-2020), the average SAT scores for GISD students were approximately the same or above state levels. ACT scores for these years were above both Region 13 and state averages (almost 3 points higher in 2019 than the state average). GISD had a National Merit Scholar last year and has a history of Merit Finalists. This data clearly indicates that GISD students are receiving the necessary instruction for them to succeed in their college careers.
4. GISD students earned the equivalent of over $1million in community college credits before graduation through dual enrollment, dual credit and Advanced Placement credits. These are real savings for GISD students and their families.
Last year during the COVID crisis, shutdown and transition to remote learning were done extremely well given the restrictions and short notice. In-person instruction was available from the first day of the fall semester, giving students and their parents the choice of in-person or remote attendance. This was a true stress test: Performance under a totally unexpected and traumatic crisis is a strong indicator of superior leadership, and GISD passed this test with flying colors. Over-reliance on remote learning will undoubtedly widen the achievement gaps among our student population which will be felt for years to come, therefore the recent announcement that in-person attendance will be the norm for the next school year is a positive step.
I believe that GISD students deserve the most modern, up-to-date facilities that are also cost-effective. One candidate has called GISD schools “Taj Mahals”. Comparing today’s state-of-the art school designs to what we experienced as students decades ago is not a valid comparison, nor one that leads to making the right decisions for our students.
Perhaps related to the Taj Mahal statement, one candidate has referred to the Citizens Advisory Committee as “hand-picked” by the Superintendent. This is patently false: Anyone who is interested was able to participate in the CAC process, as have 75 concerned citizens including three of the four candidates who are not currently on the Board. Dismissing the credibility of the CAC is not conducive to an objective review of the pertinent demographic and other data being presented in great detail to the CAC so that an appropriate recommendation can be made to the School Board for their consideration.
I believe that Trustees should be technology savvy: Technology has changed dramatically in the past few years and continues to change more and more rapidly. We need Trustees who are on top of technology trends. Remote learning brought this to the forefront and will be increasingly important. Yesterday’s methods and solutions won’t solve tomorrow’s challenges.
I also believe that Trustees should have a vested interest in the success of GISD: Trustees with children in GISD know first-hand the quality of the overall educational experience their children and their children’s friends are receiving. Those who have children in GISD have much more first-hand knowledge and “skin in the game” than those who no longer have children in GISD, or never did.
Taking all of this into consideration, I support Ben Stewart for another Place 7 term, and Tim Carr for Place 6. Ben has been a positive influence on the Board and GISD: He is technology savvy and has two kids in GISD schools. Tim Carr is also comfortable with today’s technology and has two kids in GISD schools. I encourage everyone to elect these two gentlemen to continue to build on and improve GISD’s overall record of excellence.

Gordon Logan
Chairman and Founder | SportClips

True accountability never has been nor will it ever be achieved thru standardized testing. Early voting starts April 19th thru the 27th and Election Day is May 1st. You have a choice to make!

Email to Ohio State Board of Education The email below as sent to Ohio State Board of Education members and other interested parties on April 14, 2021. It is in response to a quote from a communication that originated from a document ca…

As Election Day nears I ask that everyone turn their attention to GISD. I ask you to juxtapose the idea of a focus on College, Career, Military and Career and Technical Education vs. Focus on State Mandated tests. GISD is at a turning point, the choice is yours to make. Please take 5 minutes to read the blog post below.

Let’s finally be done with high stakes testing Let’s finally be done with high stakes testing and the accountability charade that gets wrapped around it every year. Accountability require...

GISD Place 7 Forum by Segcc- Southeast Georgetown Community Council and GCCMA. Thanks for hosting.

School Board Forum Place 7 2021

Thank you to Mr. Doug Lytton for the kind words!!! The Williamson County Sun