MARFA –– About 30 parents, teachers and community members gathered in the Marfa ISD auditorium last Wednesday for an open forum with Superintendent Stephen McCanless and administration to hear his vision for the district, voice concerns, and offer suggestions and praise for the new superintendent.
McCanless opened the evening by sharing his approach to leadership and his role as superintendent.
“Leadership is about defining who you are and figuring out your place in an organization. Marfa ISD is headed up and it’s headed in the right direction,” McCanless said. “A superintendent comes in and they set expectations. They provide a vision – it’s like a roadmap, ‘How are we going to get from here to here?’”
Elementary Principal Rosie Martinez also waxed optimistic about Marfa ISD’s trajectory –– emphasizing key differences between last year and the current term, boiling it down to intention.
“We’re going into the classrooms a whole lot this year. In the past, they may have been happening, but not with intent. We kind of just talked about it and let it go. Now we’re talking about it and we have a plan attached to it,” Martinez said.
Before taking questions, McCanless offered another view on leadership: “I don’t have a problem telling somebody I don’t have an answer for tonight; I’ll get back to you. One of the worst things a leader can do is to make up an answer just to make it look like we’re giving you an answer … so tonight we might have to tell you give us some time on that.”
Community questions concerned “walkthroughs” –– when the district’s leadership team visits classrooms to evaluate teachers and students –– data analysis of testing, getting kids to take tests seriously, parental involvement and more.
In response to a parent’s concern about the district’s lack of music education, McCanless confirmed they had posted a band director position across the state and they had some interest, but exercised caution: “I’m not just going to hire anybody…we’re going to wait until we find the best person.”
Genie Wright asked what percentage of MISD teachers are currently uncertified, a concern that has plagued the tiny district for years, especially after its loss of “district of innovation” status last fall due to a series of low TEA accountability scores. McCanless didn’t have an exact number, but in a follow-up with The Big Bend Sentinel, confirmed the district currently employs 21 teachers. Of those 21, he said, seven are certified with TEA at the elementary level, with three enrolled in a Texas alternative certification program (ACP), which allows them to hold a temporary state credential that allows them to legally teach. Nine junior high/high school teachers are certified, and two are in an ACP program and will complete within a year.
McCanless also added that all teachers enrolled in an ACP are monitored by a field supervisor and receive the same observations and walkthroughs and are held to the same standards as certified teachers.
Another comment from parent Beck Dugan suggested that school board meetings be accessible by Zoom or another platform for those parents and community members who cannot find childcare or attend in person for any reason. McCanless said his previous board meetings were livestreamed and saved on YouTube, and would bring the suggestion to the board, emphasizing the importance of transparency. In districts of 10,000 or more students, districts must post recordings of the meetings online, but Marfa ISD currently only makes audio recordings for legal purposes.
McCanless said he would happily bring the suggestion to the board next meeting, scheduled for Monday, October 19. Marfa ISD School Board still has two seats to fill and is accepting letters of interest.
District leadership also handed out QR codes to an anonymous open-ended survey to provide feedback, which will be used to help focus Marfa ISD’s vision.
“A school system cannot be successful if there’s no structures, organizations and expectations. It just can’t. That’s why I feel confident we’re not going to be a D again,” McCanless said.
