The Lake Creek High School robotics team 2854Y will soon take their talents to a global stage as qualifiers for the VEX Robotics World Championship. The team received the invitation to compete at the conclusion of the VEX Robotics Texas State competition and a year of virtual and in-person competitions.
“Lake Creek’s robotics teams began the school year with one goal in mind, return to the VEX Robotics World Championship,” Lake Creek Robotics Teacher Eric Moons said. “After each of these tournaments, teams would refine their robot and code to improve their world rankings.”
The competition consists of a challenge to build a robot for a game designed by the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee which allows students to use the engineering process to design, build and code competitive robots. The teams then compete in matchups with random teams at each tournament.
Competitors spend hours immersed in design, game theory along with pre and post-game analysis of their performance and their competitors in order to position themselves to be a dominant team in their competitive field.
“Being great at what they do is not the most impressive part to me,” Moons said. “Their willingness to share design ideas, strategies, tools and parts with random teams they compete with or against to help improve the robotics community and make the competition stronger, is what really sets them apart.”
The VEX Robotics World Championship will take place over the course of a week starting on Sunday, May 16th and running through Saturday, May 22nd.
This week the MISD Board of Trustees approved a compensation plan containing raises for the 2021-22 school year for all Montgomery ISD employees. I want to thank the many employees who reached out with kind comments and to express their gratitude about the board’s actions. While we intend to do more for our employees in future years, the work behind this compensation plan has truly been a journey, beginning with the 2% raises approved by the board in October.
When looking at making additional salary increases across the district, we needed several items to make informed decisions, including data and your input. Since October, we conducted an internal study of how our salaries compare to neighboring districts, engaged a third party to review how we staff campuses and district offices and provide options to become more efficient, brought in all campus principals to assist in our decision-making, visited with staff at all 10 campuses and the district office and held two budget Town Hall meetings. Having the necessary data to make decisions and receiving feedback from employees were extremely important to us as we developed this compensation plan.
On top of the 2% raises approved in October, we’re excited to have had the opportunity to put forward a proposed compensation plan with an additional $3,300 for teachers (about a 5% raise), and an additional 3% pay raise for all other district employees. While there still work to be done to make Montgomery ISD salaries in the region, we hope this shows our commitment to prioritizing staff compensation in our budgeting.
I wanted to point out a few additional important points about the compensation plan.
First, the compensation plan adopted by the board takes effect upon the start of your 2021-22 school year contract or beginning of the next fiscal year, depending on your contract length and type of employment. What this means is that you will begin to see the raises and increased stipends reflected in your paycheck at the start of your 2021-22 duty schedule, depending on the number of work days in your contract. For at-will employees, the raises will begin at the start of your work schedule beginning in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.
Second, we have received some questions regarding the adjusted teacher hiring schedule. The hiring schedule salaries have been increased to become more competitive in the region. The teacher hiring schedule was also extended from 22 years to 30 years. I wanted to clarify a few items on this. First, with the adopted raises, a current Montgomery ISD teacher’s salary is designed to be – at a minimum – higher than what is reflected in the new salary schedule. The hiring schedule salaries reflect what a teacher entering Montgomery ISD would be compensated. For example, a teacher with two years of experience, entering Montgomery ISD during their fifth year of teaching would now have a starting salary of $55,875. This figure was increased from the $52,242 outlined in the previous 2020-21 hiring schedule. Current fifth year Montgomery ISD teachers received the 2% raise in October and will have also received the additional $3,300, bringing their salary to start their sixth year of teaching in Montgomery ISD above the $55,875 listed in the teacher hiring schedule.
Next, I want to be clear that while the teacher hiring schedule has been extended to 30 years, employees with 30+ years of experience still receive the $3,300 raise, and any salary increases approved each year by the board. Again, the hiring schedule reflects the salary of an individual entering the district for the first time, not existing Montgomery ISD employees, whose salaries will be – at a minimum – higher than what is outlined in the updated teacher hiring schedule. It’s also important to note that, while uncommon, a 30+ year teacher entering Montgomery ISD would receive a higher salary than what is listed at the 30-year mark in the hiring schedule. A 30-year range is common across many school district teacher hiring schedules.
Finally, I want to point our that professional, administrative, and auxiliary salary scales were all increased in the newly-adopted compensation plan. Many of you have inquired about raises being based on the midpoint of your salary. With the increased midpoints, the adopted raises for employees will actually be greater than they would have otherwise been without this adjustment. An adjustment to the salary scales is not something that has occurred when raises were approved in the past. Increasing the salary scales is an important component of making all district salaries more competitive.
Again, highlights of the Montgomery ISD 2021-22 Compensation Plan include the following:
Current MISD teachers receive a $3,300 pay raise (about 5%), for a total increase of approximately 7% over 18 months when factoring in the 2% raise provided in October – for a total raise of $4,055.
All other district employees receive a 3% pay raise, for a total of 5% over 18 months when factoring in the 2% raise provided in October.
The teacher salary schedule has been extended from 22 to 30 years.
Salary scales have been increased (Minimum, Midpoint, Maximum). Raises are calculated based on the increased salary midpoint.
Stipends reduced in summer 2020 have been restored to their previous amount.
In the coming weeks, employees will receive a letter containing their projected salary for the 2021-22 school year. The Human Resources and Finance teams are working diligently to produce individualized letters to all employees. This is an enormous effort being put forward, and I want to express my sincere gratitude for their hard work on behalf of all district staff!
It was truly a pleasure to recognize our outstanding assistant principals during the Board of Trustees meeting this week. Our district is blessed to have this amazing group of leaders who play a key role in providing all students with a high-quality education. They work so hard each day to keep our campuses running efficiently and effectively, attend after-school and extracurricular events and always go the “above and beyond” – especially this year – to serve the needs of students and families.
Here’s a short video featuring Oak Hills JH principal Tim Williams and Montgomery HS Principal Dr. Andria Schur expressing their gratitude for our assistant principals!
;’
The final meeting in our MISD Strategic Plan Town Hall series will take place next Tuesday, April 27 from 6-7:30 pm at Montgomery Jr. High School.
As you may know, we are developing a three-year Strategic Plan in alignment with the MISD Board of Trustees’ five adopted district goals:
Academic Achievement
School Safety
Finance & Operations
Human Capital
Communications & Customer Service
The Strategic Plan is being developed by a district Task Force comprised of parents, MISD staff, students and other district stakeholders. The final Strategic Plan will consist of measurable key performance indicators surrounding the board’s district goals and will contain district initiatives and strategies intended to meet targets in the performance indicators. The final strategic plan will be adopted by the Board of Trustees in June and take effect at the start of the 2021-22 school year.
If you would like to provide your input regarding the areas addressed in the district’s goals, please join us for this important discussion!
Lake Creek HS VEX Robotics Team advances to global competition!
There was some great news over at Lake Creek HS this week that I want to “shout out”! This week, the Lake Creek HS VEX Robotics Team advanced to the global competition!
Lake Creek’s robotics teams began the school year with one goal in mind, return to the VEX Robotics World Championship. Throughout the year, students competed in virtual and in-person tournaments, and after each of these tournaments, teams would refine their robot and code to improve their world rankings. On Monday, team 2854Y, which is comprised of Garrett Denley, Niko Howell, Aiden Suarez, Colin Nerren, Colton Bailes, and Colton Jenkinson, accomplished their goal, and received their invitation to “Worlds”!
The VEX Robotics World Championship will take place over the course of a week starting on Sunday May 16th and running through Saturday May 22nd. Team 2854Y has been one of the top performing robotics teams across the globe throughout the whole season and has received much praise from other teams and coaches on the design of their robot.
Final Rankings:
World – 144th
United States – 101st
Texas – 7th
Gulf Coast Region – 4th
Way to go, Team 2854Y!
Pictured from left to right: Garrett Denley, Aiden Suarez, Niko Howell
Early Voting underway for MISD Board of Trustees May 1 Election
Early voting for the MISD Board of Trustees election kicked off this week! Two seats on the MISD Board are up for election on May 1.
Running for Board of Trustees Position 4:
Trey Kirby
Christina Sato
Jay Grimes
Running for Board of Trustees Position 5:
Linda Porten
Early voting dates and times are:
Monday, April 19 – Saturday, April 24 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, April 26 – Tuesday, April 27 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
For a list of early voting locations, visit the Montgomery County Elections website at www.elections.mctx.org.
MISD Education Foundation’s ‘Together we Grow’ is Saturday!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation’s inaugural Together We Grow community fundraiser tomorrow evening, April 24 at 7 p.m.!
Together We Grow promises to be a wonderful evening, all in support of the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation, which is essential to our work as a district. The Foundation provides students with college scholarships and funds innovative, forward-thinking classroom and campus projects and provides teachers with tools needed to enhance their ability to educate our students.
I want to thank all, especially MISD parents and Foundation board members Jessica Grace and Shannan Reid who worked “overtime” to make Together We Grow a reality. We’ll see you all on Saturday!
MJH first took the stage this year with One Act Play’s performance of “A Toby Show” by Aurrand Haris and advanced to district at Zone. While there, Lane Fields stole the show when he received Best Performer! Other Zone awards included:
All Star Cast- Owen Brown and Regina Chapa Espinosa
Honorable Mention- Adella Morton
All Star Tech- Kaya Daigle
At District, the accolades continued when the Bears earned District Champ status, and Regina Chapa Espinosa won Best Performer! Fellow cast members also took home titles including:
All Star Cast- Lane Fields, Owen Brown
Honorable Mention- Adella Morton, Gavin Cox
All Star Tech- Peyton Lawson
Rounding out the season, these fabulous performers had a special performance at the Crighton Theatre. And, Bear Production Director, Mrs. Lumpkin, was named MJH Teacher of the Year! Please help us give a round of applause to these talented up-and-coming actors, stage crew, and their director.
The Lake Conroe Area Republican Women hold an essay contest each year for local 5th grade students. The title of the essay is “My American Hero”. This year, Keenan students took home top honors.
Anna Bowers was the 1st place winner for Keenan Elementary American Hero Essay, sponsored by the Montgomery County Republican Women. She wrote about her dad, Buster Bowers, a loved member of the community who died suddenly last year. It was a moving tribute and very well written.
Alaina Sydnor was Keenan’s 2nd place winner with her essay describing Bethany Hamilton. Alaina wrote movingly about how Bethany’s perseverance and faith when she lost an arm in a shark attack were inspiring to her. Nathan Newton also placed 3rd with his inspiring essay.
Kindergarteners had a blast yesterday! After completing their “Stuck on Amplify Reading” incentive, they took turns placing stickers all over their teachers. Mrs. Ott, Mrs. Hochhauser, and Mrs. Patton wore their stickers all day! Lincoln bears love their teachers!!! #whateverittakes #lovinthelincolnlife
Trustees approve raises for all district employees, including additional $3,300 for teachers
The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees adopted a compensation plan for the 2021-22 school year containing across-the-board salary increases for all district employees during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 20. In total, the compensation plan includes an additional $3.8 M in salary and stipend increases across all employee groups.
The adopted Montgomery ISD Compensation Plan for the 2021-22 school features an additional $3,300 raise (approximately 5%) for current MISD teachers and an additional 3% raise for all other employee groups. These increases are in addition to the 2% across-the-board pay raises approved by the Board for all district employees earlier this school year. With the adoption of this compensation plan, in 18 months, current Montgomery ISD teachers will have received an approximate 7% total pay increase, or a total of $4,055, with all other employee groups receiving a 5% total raise. Additionally, employee stipends that had been previously decreased or eliminated during the previous budget cycle have been restored in the adopted compensation plan.
“Our dedicated employees in Montgomery ISD have stepped up in so many ways during this challenging year,” Board President Matt Fuller said. “I could not be more thankful for their tireless efforts this school year, and, while I’m looking forward to the opportunity to do even more for our employees, I’m excited that the compensation plan adopted by the board tonight provides them with well-earned raises entering the next school year.”
The compensation plan also increases the pay scale on the district’s teacher salary schedule. A first-year teacher entering Montgomery ISD will now have a starting salary of $54,450. The previous salary for a first-year teacher in Montgomery ISD was $51,000.
In addition to approving the district’s compensation plan, trustees also approved teacher contracts for the 2021-22 school year.
“The raises provided to teachers and district staff are not only well-deserved but also exercise the fiscal responsibility needed to ensure we have the opportunity to approve a balanced district budget heading into the next school year,” Board Vice-President Gary Hammons said. “For the first time, our board has simultaneously adopted a compensation plan along with teacher contracts. This approach to budgeting displays an ability to manage the district’s budget responsibly while prioritizing our valuable employees.”
Trustees are expected to adopt the district’s annual operating budget during its monthly Board meeting in June.
“Our school district budget should always be aligned with our priorities,” Trustee Trey Kirby said. “I’m pleased with how this compensation plan adopted by the board recognizes the hard work of our teachers and staff this year through a targeted, data-driven approach to providing increases to district salaries.”
Highlights of the Montgomery ISD 2021-22 Compensation Plan include the following:
Current MISD teachers receive a $3,300 pay raise (approximately 5%), for a total of 7% over 18 months when factoring in the 2% raise provided in October – for a total raise of $4,055.
All other district employees receive a 3% pay raise, for a total of 5% over 18 months when factoring in the 2% raise provided in October.
The teacher salary schedule has been extended from 22 to 30 years. (Employees on the teacher pay scale with more than 30 years still receive annual pay increases approved by the Board)
Salary scales have been increased (Minimum, Midpoint, Maximum). Raises are calculated based on the increased salary midpoint.
Stipends reduced in summer 2020 have been restored to their previous amount.
The 2021-22 Montgomery ISD Compensation Plan can be viewed here.
“Earlier this school year, after approving an ongoing 2% raise for all district employees, the board and superintendent made a firm commitment to seek additional pay increases for our teachers and district staff,” Board Secretary Linda Porten said. “I’m hopeful and excited about the path we are headed as it relates to compensating our wonderful employees in Montgomery ISD. They truly represent the heart and soul of this district, and we must continue to prioritize their compensation.”
During the meeting, MISD trustees also approved a Request for Proposal from Cenergistic, an award-winning energy management consultant firm. Cenergistic will advise the district on energy management and consult on best practices for energy efficiencies across all campuses and facilities. The district anticipates realizing a net savings of at least $300,000 in the first year of the partnership and continued significant savings over the following five years.
Seeking responsible efficiencies through energy management is one of the strategies the district will continue to engage in when identifying financial savings across the district. Earlier this school year, the district also engaged with the Texas Association of School Boards to conduct a comprehensive review of district staffing across all levels and provide options to increase efficiencies. The district implemented options in the TASB study to identify $2.4 M in savings without a reduction in force.
“The work behind balancing the district’s budget and seeking efficiencies necessary to provide our amazing teachers and district employees has truly been a journey,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “This was a deliberative, input-driven process. We still have work to do relating to compensation. But I hope the effort put forth in this compensation plan is a strong illustration of our commitment to prioritizing employee pay through transparent and responsible fiscal management.”
As with many events this school year, the Destination Imagination (DI) tournaments were set on a virtual stage this year. Montgomery ISD sent five teams to the regional level of competition. Of those five, four teams advanced to the state competition. In the end, Absolute 7 from Oak Hills Junior High and D.I. oh_My! from Lincoln Elementary earned a spot at globals. A first for MISD.
Destination Imagination is a global educational nonprofit dedicated to inspiring the next generation of innovators, leaders and creative problem solvers. Students form teams of up to seven members. Upon forming their team, a challenge is selected and the team works together to develop a solution. Each team has at least one team manager (often a parent or teacher) tasked with keeping the team on track, but does not assist or interfere with their challenge solution.
“We are proud of the hard work, imagination, and creativity demonstrated by the Destination Imagination teams in MISD,” Director of Special Programs Amy Busby said. “Even though they were presented with unique challenges and new formats due to COVID restrictions, they persevered and had a successful competition season.”
Regional Results: Flying Potatoes (Lincoln ES) – 2nd place (advanced to State) The Pixel Racers (Montgomery JH) – 6th place Absolute 7 (Oak Hills JH) – 2nd place (advanced to State) D.I.oh_My! (Lincoln ES) – 2nd place and Instant Challenge Award (advanced to State) Destination Interrogation (Montgomery ES) – 1st place (advanced to State)
State Results: Flying Potatoes (Lincoln ES) – 11th place Absolute 7 (Oak Hills JH) – 4th place (advancing to Globals) D.I. oh_My! (Lincoln ES) – 2nd place (advancing to Globals) Destination Interrogation (Montgomery ES) – 6th place and Instant Challenge Award
This year, Oak Hills Junior High had one Destination Imagination team consisting of: Aubry Clevenger, Dillon Hight, Noelle Potee, Matthew Fitzgerald, Taylor Spier, Kimberly Boyd, Robby Boyd, and managed by teacher, Mrs. Wendy Jebousek.
The team, competing in the Middle Level of the SCIENTIFIC category, was challenged with the task of creating a documentary featuring the story line of a Scientific Law which was broken. The team chose to focus on the Laws of Thermodynamics and spent hours learning about the 3rd Law of Thermodynamics, Absolute Zero, Perfect Crystals, as well as script writing, various documentary techniques, and editing.
At the Southeast 6 Regional Competition in February, the team placed 2nd in the Scientific category, qualifying them to advance to state. In April, the team competed in the Lone Star State Finals where they placed 4th and qualified for the next level. They will now submit their “Team Challenge” and “Fast Flex Challenge” at the Destination Imagination Global competition in late June against teams from the United States and 13 other countries. This is the first time MISD has had a team advance to Globals!
There has been several changes recently in the police department. One BIG change is the relocation of the department. The police department has moved from Montgomery High School and is now located in the Educational Support Center. There will be an opportunity for MISD employees to visit during an Open House in May. The date will be announced soon. The department welcomes Stephen Countz! Officer Countz was recently sworn in by Chief Phillips. Officer Countz brings over 22 years of police officer experience to the MISD Police Department. The police officers send a big “THANK YOU” to the Montgomery High School National Honor Society. Natalie Davis stopped by with goodies for all the officers in a show of appreciation for all that our police officers do. National Police Week 2021 starts Sunday, May 9th and ends on Saturday, May 15th.
;’
The MISD Premier Blog 