Bio
Chris Parker is a longtime Lake Houston Area resident and mother of two Humble ISD students. Chris is a graduate of Kingwood High School and earned her Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University. She is a licensed Property and Casualty and Life Health Agent and is currently a trainer in the insurance field.Her business experience will be helpful in making tough decisions for the district. Her background in insurance training and sales will enable her to evaluate and match the needs of Humble ISD staff and assist the board in approving risk management and employee benefit decisions.
She has been a passionate community contributor in the Lake Houston area for well over 15 years. She participated in the Humble ISD Community Leadership Academy, Leadership Lake Houston, Precinct 4 Citizens Police Academy, Mother’s Against Cancer Board, PTA Board at Deerwood Elementary, Delegate to Council of PTA’s, National Charity League, and is a member of the Board of Governors at the Clubs of Kingwood. Parker is a passionate volunteer for FamilyTime Crisis and Counseling Center and is a FamilyTime Woman of Achievement in the category of volunteer and Evelyn Walter Award for Excellence winner. She volunteers for these organization and many others. Parker and her family are members of Second Baptist Church North Campus. Parker believes an ideal candidate should have a thorough knowledge of how governmental entities, philanthropies and the district work.
Her husband, Jason started at Humble Elementary School and is a graduate of Humble High School. He served in The United States Air Force and is currently a technician for an airline. Jason uses the skills he learned in his CTE classes at Humble High School to this day-which is why Chris is so passionate about Career in Technology Education, career readiness as well as college and military readiness education. Chris has open ears to listen to the needs of residents in all areas of the Lake Houston Area.
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?
As a parent, volunteer, and longtime resident, I have a vested interest in serving on the governance team for Humble ISD Board of Trustees and am committed to providing the best education possible for our kids. I hope to use my skills as a communicator and listener which are essential traits of an effective board trustee to be an advocate for quality public education and personalized learning which studies show increases engagement and improves knowledge retention. The Board plays an important role in creating an environment that supports the professional growth of educators and encourages high standards for students.
I want to be part of a collaborative effort in which the school district and community join together to work with parents, teachers, district staff and elected officials. This effort would exhibit a strong support for the educational needs of all children, bolstering the District’s role as a place where students, parents, teachers, and staff feel included. In addition, I plan on embracing and accelerating the work the District is doing with regards to our diverse community. I would work to ensure that all stakeholders, including parents, district personnel and students, embrace and celebrate that diversity.
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?
I would want to make sure that teachers and administrators have adequate resources to perform their job. A priority would be to assure that our District has safe and secure schools, which is especially important in these difficult times. It is important to support teachers and administrators in their roles through opportunities for professional development and foster an environment where they are supported in expressing their needs. As a District, we must create a learning environment where teachers and staff feel valued. Strong and positive mentoring from school leadership can make all the difference. Change must be accompanied by a foundation of trust with clear explanations. An ongoing collaborative effort to provide teachers and staff with support must be the expectation. Emphasis should be placed on adequate peer collaboration, meaningful evaluations, and quality professional development opportunities. I would like to advocate for teachers to make sure that those who want the COVID-19 vaccine are provided the opportunity.
Tell us your thoughts on how Humble ISD has handled virtual learning, and your ideas for virtual learning, going forward?
Humble ISD did not create this pandemic but was a leader in learning to deal with it. The District responded quickly last spring. The Curriculum Departments worked with the Professional Learning Department to offer training to teachers, and they have continued to offer support to the teachers as face-to-face learning began in the fall. It is a difficult decision to choose between the school environment and the virtual learning environment. Parents have been given the choice so they can meet the needs of their families. State legislators are reviewing ways to support local districts to adapt to virtual learning. Bond funds obtained through bond elections can be a resource for adapting older buildings to support virtual learning. The new North Belt Elementary campus will include a virtual learning academy with designated rooms and equipment for teachers. Virtual learning is likely here to stay as an option for teachers and students, and efforts must be made to prevent cyberattacks and to safeguard information on District networks and servers.
Other than virtual learning, tell us your thoughts about Humble ISD, and the handling of COVID-19, both for teachers and students.
District staff have made an extraordinary effort to create an environment for students and teachers to remain safe on the campus by providing masks, hand sanitizers, sanitized classrooms, protective shields for teachers and students and new procedures to guide safe practices. The District worked with local officials and consulted with hospital staff to obtain data of cases. They examined the data carefully for breakout of cases in the community and monitored any case that might occur within the schools. The COVID spread remains minimal in Texas schools. I support the District’s slow, phased-in approach to students returning to campus for face-to-face learning. The number of staff members and students with active cases has been low, and the cases have been spread out over multiple campuses. We must remain diligent in continuing to follow virus prevention protocols.
As you look at Humble ISD, are there areas where funds are overspent? What areas would you look at to reduce expenses?
It is essential that the district be good stewards of public money, with a focus on accountability and transparency. We must be deliberate, strategic, bold, and innovative to meet the ever-changing needs of our students. If cuts must be made, they must not detract from performance goals or hinder District growth opportunities. We understand that 80% of the Humble ISD Budget is earmarked for salaries. The funds in the budget are targeted for those expenditures that best support instruction. Annually Humble ISD has received excellent ratings from the state through the Texas State Comptroller’s FIRST rating system for financial accountability which requires at least 61% of the funds to be spent on direct instruction. The budget is designed to support the needs of the students.
The budget process in the District includes the input of staff and teachers’ requests. As funds are available, priorities are made. I would not propose cutting back on teachers, staff and/or salaries. Creative ideas should be researched to help meet district needs without having to rely on budget cuts that may adversely affect key programs.
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?
Our diversity is a strength. A school board must be responsive and receptive to parents, staff, students, and the community by encouraging open dialogue. Maintaining consistent communication and making cultural awareness a priority is vital. The board must encourage input from all groups and weigh the pertinent facts before making decisions. It is critical that all students feel welcomed at their school and are engaged in learning and have opportunities for extracurricular activities. It is my understanding that the District is currently working on a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan. If elected, I would advocate for a community advisory committee of stakeholders comprised of parents, teachers, and students to review the plan before board consideration and approval.
Humble ISD has several Title 1 campuses. How do we ensure that those campuses have the resources needed?
The purpose of Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. Title I federal dollars are allocated to the schools to supplement the Humble ISD funds. These funds support critical need areas of the school.
Data is collected from each campus that reveals the specific needs of a campus for consideration in the District’s annual budget process. It is incumbent upon the Humble ISD Board to monitor the data to ensure that funds are used appropriately.
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?
School boards must provide a long-term vision, mapping a course that delivers opportunities to students. By establishing and maintaining a structure that supports this vision, the board empowers staff and provides direction to the district. Education takes place in the classroom, and the board's efforts must focus on enhancing and enriching the classroom experience, while working to build trust and confidence in the community. If you would like additional information, see the Facebook page Chris Parker, a Clear Vision for Humble ISD or @friendsofchrisparker.
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.