Bio
Janie Branham, a 19 year Humble ISD resident, is a mother of 16-year-old twins who have attended Humble ISD schools since the 1st grade. She is a career educator with 28 years of public school experience as a teacher, parental involvement specialist, fundraiser, and business manager. After retiring to raise her children she returned to teaching last year. She is currently a secondary school teacher who teaches both face to face and online classes. She continues to volunteer extensively and raise funds for Humble ISD students, nonprofits, and military veterans. She and her children also teach AWANA Bible study classes at Second Baptist Church in Kingwood. In 2015, she was honored as a “Women of Achievement” for her community activism by Humble’s FamilyTime Crisis and Counseling Center. In addition, Branham has served on the elementary, middle, and high school PTOs/PTSA in Humble ISD. She is married to Dr. David Branham, a tenured professor at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Q & A
What inspired you to run for Board Trustee? On that note, what are you hoping to accomplish if elected to the Board of Trustees?
I have two children in high school who have attended Humble ISD schools since they were in first grade. I am currently a secondary classroom teacher with 27 years teaching experience in public schools. I want our schools to be the best public schools in Texas and I believe my experience and commitment make me a great person for the job.
How will you advocate for teachers and staff within Humble ISD? In your opinion, what is important to the teachers and staff within Humble ISD?
As an experienced teacher, I know that we ask a lot from our Humble ISD teachers. When a flood, pandemic, or major freeze occurs we don’t hesitate to tell them to adjust because we are suffering or in a bad situation. So we ask for more, often without realizing that they are suffering from the same issues we face. I think they have been resilient and fantastic through the current crisis.
I advocate that we provide compensation for teachers who make these adjustments. For instance, on-line and face to face teaching are completely different; therefore, teachers spend a lot of additional time planning lessons, preparing for two platforms. Those adjustments should be rewarded.
Tell us your thoughts on how Humble ISD has handled virtual learning, and ideas for virtual learning going forward?
The teachers have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Last Spring, I was impressed how quickly the school district trained the teachers in Zoom meetings and Schoology. My children’s teachers were loving, caring, and understanding instructors. They were quick to listen to the students, respond to their emotional and psychological needs. They were also prepared to deliver the lessons. This fall it was clear that the teachers worked hard on their online teaching skills and deliver more substantive curriculum. I applaud the teachers for their dedication and the district for issuing technology equipment to students with limited means.
Face to Face teaching is the best platform to increase academic achievement. However, virtual learning is here to stay. It is important for us to balance the demands of this new wave in education with resources and financial support for the faculty and staff.
Other than virtual learning, tell us your thoughts about Humble ISD and the handling of COVID-19, both for teachers and students.
The School District has put in place a very good action plan to keep the teachers and students safe. I am amazed at the discipline I see when it comes to mask wearing by the faculty, staff, and students. I recently watched a class change at Atascocita High School. There were hundreds of students in the hall but I did not see a single uncovered nose or mouth. That said our government should do more for teachers. Vaccines should be available for our staff and teachers immediately. Teachers are required to be in crowds. Risking exposure is part of their job. They should be prioritized when it comes to vaccines. Vaccines should be delivered to schools as soon as possible and be administered by the school nurse.
As you look at Humble ISD, are there areas where funds are overspent? What areas would you look at to reduce expenses?
With COVID-19 upon us it will be important to review the budget closely after the pandemic is controlled. That said, I will say that instruction is not an area I would consider cutting. We tend to lag behind other districts in cost of instruction per student. Instruction is our most important investment. It is not an area I would consider cutting.
During several Board meetings, students and parents have brought up topics around diversity and inclusion. What can Humble ISD do to ensure it is welcoming to students of all backgrounds?
This issue is vital in educating the children in our district. Children cannot be educated in a school where they are being rejected. People, including children, feel included when they are loved and respected. One of the biggest things that we can do to improve relationships with people who are different than us is to act in a respectful manner. It is important for everyone to keep this in mind. Politeness and professionalism go a long way. Furthermore, I don’t know of anyone who would say that we should not be inclusive. Everyone advocates for inclusion. However, there is often evidence that inclusion is not a priority. If our numbers do not look like we are inclusive then we should step back and ask ourselves if there isn’t a bias that stops us from being inclusive, and then take action if needed.
Humble ISD has several Title I campuses. How do we ensure that those campuses have the resources needed?
I am a Hispanic bilingual teacher who taught in Title I schools for many years. I know the importance of providing a good education for these children. A good education is often the only hope they have for a good life. Title I schools receive federal funding because they have low- income students. If the funds from the federal government are to be preserved, we must adhere to the federal guidelines. Those guidelines require the district to do a comprehensive needs assessment and to hire highly qualified teachers to provide instruction. I would always be in favor of implementing these requirements to keep federal funding and to provide the best education possible for low- income students.
Closing thoughts? Anything you would like to add that we didn’t ask? What can people do (or where can they go) to learn more about you?
I am a career educator that understands budgets, education, teaching, and most of all how students’ learn. I retired from teaching in 2010 to raise my children, Ruth and David Jr., who currently are 10th grade students in Humble ISD. I returned to teaching last year, and I am currently teaching face to face and virtual classes at the secondary level.
I have been an Humble ISD resident since 2002, and have a long history of community engagement which includes extensive volunteering for my church, for Humble ISD public school students, and for military veterans. My teenaged twins and I teach AWANA Bible study classes at Second Baptist North in Kingwood where we are members. Additionally, I have served on and helped raise money for the Humble ISD Parent Teacher Organization at the Elementary, Middle, and High School levels.
I have also volunteered for the Humble ISD Golf Tournament fund raiser, Hurricane Harvey relief, and the Humble Rodeo. I am also a supporter of the San Jacinto River Authority Lower the Level effort to control lake levels and protect the homes of Kingwood, Humble, and Atascocita.
In 2015, I was honored as a “Women of Achievement” for community activism by Humble’s FamilyTime Crisis and Counseling Center, an organization that I have financially supported for many years.
Our public school children are my only priority in running for this position. We must provide a first-class education for every child, challenge every child, and prioritize every child. As a school board member the only reward I seek is success in educating our children. We must build a culture that expects educational success for all children. If such a culture is not built, and student achievement is not attained, we will leave our children with a community inferior to the one we inherited. I will appreciate your vote.
For additional information, visit Janie Branham’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/janie.branham.5/.
All the content above was provided by the candidate and is not necessarily the opinion of the administrators of Humble ISD Parents. Other than formatting, we have not made any edits.