Welcome Back!
Dear Team MISD,
Welcome back from Winter Break! I hope everyone had a chance to rest and recharge in preparation for an exciting second semester of the 2020-21 school year. I enjoyed my first Christmas in Montgomery with my family and had the opportunity to reflect on the incredible accomplishments you and our students achieved in 2020. I am truly blessed to lead such a talented and dedicated group of educators and I’m excited to take on the challenges ahead with you. Together, I know we’ll finish this school year strong!
As you’ve probably noticed, the MISD Minute looks a little different this week. Moving forward, I’ll share the MISD Minute here on the MISD Premier Blog, where we’ll also share stories, photos, and videos of the many amazing things happening on our campuses every day.
Thank you all for your continued flexibility, resilience, and dedication to our students and families during this unprecedented school year. Let’s all have a productive and safe second semester.
Sincerely,
Dr. Heath Morrison
School Board Recognition Month
January is School Board Recognition Month!
I would like to take a moment to recognize each of our seven elected members of the MISD Board of Trustees, Board President Trustee Matt Fuller, Vice-President Trustee Gary Hammons, Secretary Trustee Linda Porten, Trustee Trey Kirby, Trustee Shawn Denison, Trustee Mike Hopkins, and Trustee Laurie Turner, for their dedication to our students, families and staff.
Being a school board member is no easy task – it’s an unpaid role that requires individuals to volunteer personal time away from their own families and jobs to serve the community. Trustees spend countless hours reviewing district-related information prior to monthly board meetings and spend many evenings at district functions. It truly takes a dedicated public servant to be a school board member, and in MISD we are blessed to have seven trustees who truly care about students.
Please take a moment to recognize and thank our trustees on social media throughout January using the hashtag #ThankYouMISDTrustees.
On behalf of our entire district, I want to thank the MISD Board of Trustees for their service as we work to together to become the Premier School District in Texas.
Texas Legislative Session Begins Next Week
State lawmakers convene in Austin for the 87th Texas Legislature on Tuesday, January 12. In Texas, the State Legislature meets every other year for a 140-day regular legislative session. During the session, lawmakers will consider thousands of bills – many of them relating to public education.
It’s important that our lawmakers understand how legislation they are considering would impact school district operations, classroom instruction and, ultimately, student achievement. The MISD Board of Trustees has been working to develop a district legislative platform to present to state lawmakers this year, which will outline MISD’s policy priorities and position on the issues likely to be up for consideration at the state capitol this year. The Board is scheduled to formally adopt a legislative platform during its January meeting.
For MISD – and most school districts across the state – school finance is always at the top of the agenda. In 2019, Texas state lawmakers made significant improvements to the state’s school finance system in House Bill 3 by increasing state funding to public education. We are encouraging lawmakers to continue to make school funding their top priority and build on the momentum they achieved in 2019.
I urge you all to stay updated with what’s happening in Austin this year and remain engaged with our lawmakers. You can stay current on state legislation at Texas Legislature Online. If you don’t know who represents you in Austin, you can find out here.
Free Admission for Employees to MISD Athletic Events
I’m excited to announce that beginning January 9, 2021, all district staff may use their Employee Badge to gain admission to MISD home athletic events at no charge. This change will remain in place through the duration of the 2020-21 school year. Please note that with this change MISD remains in compliance with University Interscholastic League (UIL) COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines.
A special thank you to our Director of Athletics Clint Heard and his team for making this available to MISD staff.
Montgomery High School FFA Meeting
I enjoyed my visit this week to the Montgomery High School FFA meeting!
It was a pleasure to see our FFA students in action displaying their leadership and service. I also had the privilege of attending the FFA Booster Club meeting. Without generous support from parents and community partners, the outstanding programs we have in our district would not be possible. I’m thankful for the strong community support for Montgomery ISD students.
Thank you Montgomery High School 2020-21 FFA sponsors!
Loop cleaners
Mel’s Sprinklers and Landscaping
Dusty and Billy Norman
Hair By Edy
The Barbara Shop
C&J Electrical Construction
Raymond and Colleen Davis
David and Tabatha Mize
Tab’s Company
TexaSite
RCC Group
Woodforest
Bill Fick Ford
Culver’s
Miscellaneous Specialties Inc.
Jennifer and James Mallon
Cristalle and Dustin Smith
Tabatha and David Mize
Jamie and Chris Bohac
Husband Septic
RCC Group
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
Saturday, January 9 is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
Let’s take a moment to recognize and thank our women and men in the Montgomery ISD Police Department who selflessly serve our staff, students and families. I’m grateful for the work that Chief Stephen Phillips and his team are doing to ensure our campuses remain safe places where productive academic instruction can occur.
Our MISD Police Department is critical to our work to provide a high-quality education to the nearly 9,000 students in our district. You can learn more about the MISD Police Department here.
Thank you, MISD PD!
The MISD Premier Blog 