Bio
Robert is a life-long resident of the Humble community with deep roots beginning with his mother who graduated from Charles Bender High School in 1958. He graduated from Humble High School in 1982. During his tenure as a student in Humble ISD, he was part of the growth occurring in Kingwood. His class was split in 8th grade when Kingwood Middle School opened the doors for the first time and again in the 10th grade when Kingwood High School was opened. He is proud to have raised three children through Humble ISD. Jon, a 2005 graduate of Humble High School, Cody a 2010 graduate from Atascocita High School and Keanen a 2020 graduate from Kingwood Park High School. His daughter, Kaitlyn, is currently an 8th grader at West Lake Middle School.
He is a 1988 graduate of Sam Houston State University, where he earned a BBA in Business Education. His professional career began in 1989 as an educator and coach in Aldine ISD. During his tenure at Aldine High School, he taught various business courses, served as an Assistant Coach on the 1990 State Champion Football Team and 1992 Texas High School Allstar Team. Upon leaving education, he started his career in finance with Morgan Stanley, where he spent four years. He has been with the investment firm Edward Jones for the past nineteen years.
His volunteer career includes stints as Chairman of the Board for Kingwood Medical Center and the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the boards of Lake Houston YMCA and the Humble ISD Education Foundation. He served ten years as a volunteer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and is currently, Vice President for the Humble BBQ Cook-Off and Rodeo. In 2012, he was honored with the prestigious "Haden McKay Citizen of the Year" award, a community-based award voted on by passed award recipients. In 2014, he was presented with the Parent Teacher Association Lifetime Membership award.
Robert has been married to his wife, Jen for the past fifteen years. In addition to Jon, Cody, Keanen and Kaitlyn, their family includes Daughter-in-law, Katherina (an elementary teacher in New Caney ISD) and two grandchildren: Robert (RJ), age 12, and Avery, age 6.
Robert is currently serving his second term as Humble ISD Board President. He believes that leadership is a strong attribute needed to serve as a trustee and he has had the opportunity to exhibit this quality over the past ten years serving as a trustee. Amongst his various board officer positions, he has served on the Finance, Building & Planning and Superintendent Evaluation committees. Robert has a vested interest in the Humble community and the Humble Independent School District and for the past ten years, he has been in the trenches making those tough decisions that affect all students, faculty, staff and taxpayers of Humble ISD. He has the proven experience and leadership needed to continue the long-standing legacy of excellence that is Humble ISD. Service, commitment and passion for all is why he is proud to announce his candidacy for re-election to Position One of the Humble ISD Board of Trustees.
Q&A
What inspired you to run for re-election for Board Trustee? On that note, what are you hoping to accomplish if re-elected to the Board of Trustees?
We have a great community, a great school district and a great group of trustees. I have been blessed by all. Growing up in Humble, my father always said, “if you call it home, leave it better than you found it.” I believe we are and will continue to accomplish that. When I ran in 2011, my basic premise was “I am passionate about education, passionate about kids and passionate about this community.” Ten years later, that has not changed. We have been through a Superintendent change, a hurricane, floods, a bond referendum and continued growth. We have maneuvered through those challenges and not only survived but thrived. Humble ISD is a destination district. People want to live here and want their kids to attend our schools. We face many challenges; continued growth, construction needs, an ever-changing school finance system and the need for a rigorous virtual academy. We need trustees who understand the impacts of growth, have a vision for future needs, understand school finance and who are not afraid to make those tough decisions. I have been in the trenches for a decade and have not been afraid to put our kids education first. I once repeated a quote from Alabama coach Nick Sabin, “if you want to please everyone, don’t be a trustee – go sell ice cream”. I can attest, you cannot please everyone. All decisions must be made with the entire district family in mind: students, teachers, staff and families. I believe I have done that and will continue to help move Humble ISD forward.
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?
First, I have been in the classroom and have a family legacy of teachers. I taught for eight years in Aldine ISD. My daughter in law, KT, teaches at Bens Branch Elementary in New Caney ISD. My brother spent thirty-one years at Humble High School. Pre-COVID, I regularly visited campuses and staff. I know the challenges that teachers face daily. Ten years ago, Humble ISD ranked near the bottom of our Houston market in teacher salaries. With over 30% in teacher salary increases since then, we have moved to the top third. Pay is only one factor to attract and retain quality educators. We must continue to be innovative with our benefits. Humble ISD now offers a telehealth line for staff which allows them to bypass deductibles for office visits. We have established clinics available within the district for staff as well. Providing a safe working environment is paramount. Over the past ten years we have allocated extensive resources to create a safe learning environment. All campuses have secure vestibules, upgraded camera and communication systems numerous additional enhancements behind the scenes. We have increased resources for our Humble ISD Police and encouraged collaboration with other law enforcement agencies to create a safe, welcoming environment for all staff and students.
Tell us your thoughts on how Humble ISD has handled virtual learning, and ideas for virtual learning going forward?
I believe virtual education is here to stay. As it evolves, how it looks in the future will probably be totally different than today. In our new campus construction, we are adding in “virtual academy classrooms”, green rooms where teachers can record lessons, give live demonstrations and collaborate with teachers from around the district. A strong virtual academy will require a more stringent curriculum, enhanced professional development and a commitment to excellence. We are working with TEA and the State Legislature to craft language to allow the necessary changes.
That is where we are going but where have we been and where are we now? First, our teachers and staff have been amazing! Our families have been amazing! Once we left for spring break back in March of 2020, no one had any idea our students would not return to in person education. Humble ISD, along with every other school district in the country, had to pivot to virtual learning. It was challenging to say the least. During the summer months, we strengthened our professional development to give teachers the necessary skills and knowledge to lead through a virtual environment. As we moved through the summer, we planned for flexibility of the unknown. Our intention was to offer both virtual and in person from day one, giving families the opportunity to choose which format was best for their personal situation. On or around July 24, a county order was issued closing schools. Again, we had to pivot away from our original plan. Shortly thereafter, a new order was issued from the Governor’s office allowing school districts to open. Again, another pivot. Our teachers worked hard throughout the summer to prepare and with less than a month of schools opening, their plans had changed multiple times out of their control. The decision was made to start with the phased in approach. Teachers had to prepare for in person, virtual and A/B. Not an easy task but they did so without hesitation. As the doors were opened and we ventured into this maze of learning environments and reality set in, we took notice. Teachers were working harder than ever before, and students needed to be in the classroom. So, on September 21st, we chose to remove the A/B option. This eliminated some of the additional prep time placed on teachers and gave students the opportunity to be in the classroom five days per week. We currently are serving roughly 78% of our student population in-person. While we have had COVID cases on the campus level, both teachers and students, schools have proven to not be the super spreader that was feared. Research shows lower community spread while schools are open. We continue to offer the virtual model and giving parents the opportunity to choose which format meets their specific family needs.
Other than virtual learning, tell us your thoughts about Humble ISD and the handling of COVID-19, both for teachers and students.
I could not be prouder of our community, staff and students. We all know the value of kids being in school. Mental health, coping skills and social skills are important aspects of student growth and maturity, in addition to academics. We opened school on time, it was a phased in approach. Beginning with virtual for all, then in person for elementary students with the A/B option for secondary, to eventually all students who wish to attend in person starting on September 21st. We provided PPE for all staff and allowed them the opportunity to bring in additional PPE if it made them more comfortable. We worked with staff on a case-by-case basis, and where appropriate and available, allowed some staff members to continue to work in a virtual environment. We set up clinics and created collaborative relationships with local healthcare providers to offer free testing for all staff members. Humble ISD continues to pay for additional days for COVID related absences. We believe that parents should have a say in their child’s education. We continue to offer choice to enable families to determine what is best for their child and/or family’s situation. We began with roughly 63% in person and currently serve close to 80% or our student body in person. I want to personally thank the community, staff and students for the support you have given Humble ISD. We are all in this together and we must continue to work for the good of our children.
As you look at Humble ISD, are there areas where funds are overspent? What areas would you look at to reduce expenses?
To answer this question, you must begin to understand school finance. There are two buckets, one for operations and one for building and construction needs. We cannot use bond funds for operational needs such as salaries, utilities, daily transportation, etc. With that said, I believe we have continued to be fiscally responsible with our operations accounts. We carry a healthy fund balance that allowed us to make all necessary repairs to reopen Kingwood High School and other facilities damaged by Hurricane Harvey and the floods that came afterward, without needing to wait for FEMA money to be received. Most recently, with the ice storm, our fund balance allowed us to get contractors in immediately and make necessary repairs to open as soon as possible. We are currently relocating the North Ag facility to a new, higher location and creating a waterproof barrier around Kingwood High School -including flood gates, like the Medical Center downtown. We are doing these projects, not at the full expense of the taxpayer but in collaboration with FEMA. We continue to manage growth without putting a strain on our budget and tax base.
When looking at bond funds, we have started or completed every major project that was approved by the voters in 2018. Due to the favorable bid environment, like what we saw after the recession of 2011, we have been able to get ahead of some future needs like the relocation and rebuild of North Belt Elementary. We also made the decision to decentralize Career and Tech. Moving programs back to the campus has created tailored opportunities to those specific communities. In doing so, it has allowed us to build a permanent home for our highly acclaimed Guy Sconzo Early College High School (formerly Quest) on the old CATE Center property. We are now working through the Priority 2.1 projects, which include technology, HVAC, roofing, paint and other upgrades to create the best and safest learning environment possible. We continue to replace high interest debt with lower interest and/or shorter maturities through a process known as refunding. In the past ten years, we have refunded over $500 million in high interest debt saving the Humble ISD taxpayers more than $100 million in gross debt service.
I believe we are meeting the needs of our staff through salary increases and benefit improvements, of our community with quality facilities and our students with quality instruction, while maintaining a balanced or surplus budget. We are always evaluating programs for efficiencies and relevance and willing to make those tough decisions when necessary.
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?
As mentioned in past board meetings, we are currently working on our new mission and vision statement. Our focus should be, “to provide an equal opportunity, to all students, a biased free education”. We are here to serve all students regardless of race, religion or political view. Every student should feel welcomed on campus and in the classroom. Curriculum should be based on the TEKS, thus ensuring all students receive the same equitable education. Humble ISD serves a diverse population. According to the Humble ISD annual TAPR report, our student population includes: 40.4% economically disadvantaged, 22.2% African American, 36.8% Hispanic, 34.7% White and 6.3% Other. We must continue to evolve as a district building our professional development supporting the skills, information and needs of all teachers and administrators to create the welcoming environment and instructional support that every student, teacher and family desires and expects.
Humble ISD has several Title I campuses. How do we ensure that those campuses have the resources needed?
Every student is entitled to the same quality education. With our Title schools, we use all resources allowable to support these campuses. Dr. Fagen and her team, have created a program that allows them to pinpoint academically challenged areas and adding co-teachers to those classrooms. We are then able to evaluate the growth of those specific students, classrooms and schools. By being creative with comp ed money provided by HB3, special education allotment funds and other areas of state funding, we have been able to initiate this program without cutting other programs or raising the tax rate for our community. Currently, a rebuild of two of our oldest campuses, Lakeland and North Belt, gives us the opportunity to expose those students to thoughts and ideas not previously available to them. These two title campuses are being built around a “fine arts wheel” curriculum, potentially opening the doors to infinite possibilities. As we move through priority 2.1’s and a potential future bond program, we hope to continue to expand various programs to all campuses including our other Title campuses.
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 life-long resident of the Humble community. My mother graduated from Charles Bender High School in 1958. I graduated from Humble High School in 1982. During my tenure as a student in Humble ISD, I had a first-hand experience of the massive growth we have come to expect. While an eighth grader, at Humble Middle School, our class was split for the first time when Kingwood Middle School open their doors. Together again at Humble High School in the ninth grade only to be split for good the next year when Kingwood High School was completed and ready to accept students. I am proud to have raised three children through Humble ISD. Jon - a 2005 graduate of Humble High School, Cody - a 2010 graduate of Atascocita High School and Keanen – a 2020 graduate of Kingwood Park High School. My daughter, Kaitlyn, is currently and eighth grader at West Lake Middle School. In addition to my four children, our family includes daughter in law Katherina (KT), an elementary teacher in New Caney ISD and two grandchildren Robert (RJ) a sixth grader at West Lake Middle School and Avery a Kindergartener at her mom’s school in New Caney.
I have a vested interest in this community and this school district. I have been in the trenches making those tough decisions. My focus is on all children and facilities throughout the district, in addition to every family that calls Humble ISD home. My track record speaks for itself and I would love to have your continued support in my 2021 re-election campaign. For more information www.robertsitton.net and follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RSittonTrustee. Additional questions can be emailed to robert@robertsitton.net.
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.