Strategically Planning for the Future
Dear Team MISD,
Thank you to all who attended our first Strategic Plan Town Hall meeting at Montgomery High School on Thursday evening. The excitement behind the work to develop our Strategic Plan is a testament to this community’s desire to elevate and position our school district as the “Premier” district in Texas. The Strategic Plan will serve as a roadmap to how we get to “Premier”.
The feedback from the Town Hall meeting has been very positive. During the breakout session portion of the meeting, there was active listening and authentic conversations occurring throughout the five groups. It was exciting to see a diverse group of stakeholders come together to discuss how we can further improve our district through the Strategic Plan.
Development of the Strategic Plan is being led by a Task Force of district leaders in conjunction with district parents, staff, students and community members. The plan will align with the MISD Board of Trustees’ adopted goals for the district. The five district goals, which were finalized in October 2020, are as follow:
- Goal 1: Academic Achievement: MISD will provide a challenging curriculum, assess individual student achievement and support efforts to ensure excellent academic performance.
- Goal 2: School Safety: MISD will vigorously enforce policies and procedures that promote a safe and orderly environment.
- Goal 3: Operations and Finance: MISD will responsibly manage the use of financial and operational resources in order to sustain equitable funding to support academic excellence and to provide safe, efficient operations of the district.
- Goal 4: Human Capital: MISD will recruit, support, develop and retain highly qualified and effective personnel.
- Goal 5: Communications and Customer Service: MISD will provide proactive and frequent engagement with employees, parents, and community to ensure effective communication, superior customer service, and a strong culture within the district.
I entered Montgomery ISD as Superintendent with an intentional commitment to listen and learn from students, parents, staff and community stakeholders. That’s why it’s important to me that all who want to participate in the development of the strategic plan are provided the opportunity to have a voice. We plan to host two more Strategic Plan Town Hall meetings before it’s adopted by the Board in May.
Please mark your calendars for our next Strategic Plan Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at Lake Creek High School.
With appreciation,
Dr. Heath Morrison
MISD Budget Town Hall Meeting – Tuesday Feb. 9
On Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 6:00 p.m., we will host a Budget Town Hall meeting in the Board Auditorium of the MISD Education Support Center. This Town Hall will provide an overview of the district’s annual budget and our process for the 2021-22 school year.
As we work on a budget for 2021-22, and beyond, we are committed to complete transparency in how we develop and ultimately approve a district budget. As I have shared previously, continuing to focus on employee compensation is one of my top priorities.
Additionally, it’s important that our budget process is in alignment with the development of our Strategic Plan. I encourage all who are interested to remain engaged and informed as we work on our 2021-22 district budget. Please join us and share your thoughts and priorities for the district’s budget.
COVID Rapid Testing Initiative
Our voluntary COVID Rapid Testing program has been a success and has received extremely positive feedback. We’re pleased to continue to offer this cost and time saving benefit to staff and families. To date, we have provided nearly 200 rapid tests – at no charge – to students and staff. This program would not be successful without the dedication of our outstanding school nurses. I want to thank our Director of Special Programs Dr. Amy Busby and all of our dedicated nurses who have made this testing initiative possible.
As a reminder, the voluntary tests are available for employees on campus and by appointment at the District’s Education Support Center. Testing for students is only available by appointment at the District ESC.
You can learn more about the voluntary COVID Rapid Testing program and schedule an appointment for a test on our website by clicking here.
A Retirement Reception for the “Grand Bear”
A special thanks go out to all who attended Bobby Morris’ retirement reception on Tuesday at MHS. Bobby leaves an impressive legacy in MISD, having worked in the district for over 22 years. He joined MISD as Principal of Montgomery High School in 1998 and went on to join district administration in 2009 as Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services and eventually our Chief Operating Officer in 2015. Bobby’s accomplishments throughout his remarkable career have had a positive impact on thousands of students and their families.
Coming into MISD, Bobby became a trusted voice for me. Bobby’s input and wisdom were always in the best interest of our district, and I learned so much from him in a short period of time. Bobby will be forever missed in the MISD family. His impact on our students, families, and this community will be felt for many years ahead.
At the reception, I especially enjoyed the MHS Madrigals performance singing the MHS Alma Mater.
A Farewell and Congratulations to Teresa Tipton
It is with excitement, but also great regret, that I announce Teresa Tipton has accepted a career advancement opportunity and will be departing MISD in February.
Teresa has spent the last 13 years as a dedicated member of our Finance Department, where she served as the district’s Benefits, Leave and Worker’s Compensation Specialist. Many recognize Teresa for her strong dedication to Team MISD. Those who worked closely with her would tell you that Teresa always had a genuine passion to serve MISD staff and improving our district. What makes Teresa special is not only her vast knowledge in all areas of employee benefits and leave, but also her ability to provide the employees of MISD outstanding customer service.
While she was not seeking another opportunity, Teresa’s hard work in MISD positioned herself as a sought after candidate for an Account Executive role with FBS. FBS is our Third Party Administrator that assists us with creation, compliance and maintenance of all health and supplemental employee benefits.
Teresa’s departure is a huge loss for us, but she will always be a member of the Montgomery Family. Please join me in thanking Teresa for her contributions to our district and wishing her the best as she moves into the next stage of her career.
The MISD Premier Blog 