Michael Cook
Plano ISD Board of Trustees - Place 5
Website
Email:
Education
Cornell University, B.S & M.B.A.
Questionnaire Responses
Did you or your children attend PISD ? If so, when?
Yes, two in 1st Grade and one in 2nd Grade.
Why are you running for this position, and how has your experience prepared you for a position on the board ? Please include your current and past civic involvement that are relevant to the PISD board position (e.g. PTA, public offices sought or held etc.)
We chose Plano for the school system and the community. We have always invested in both. Over the past five years, I have served Plano ISD in a number of ways. I worked on the Plano ISD Future Funding Commission, the Huffman School Based Improvement Committee, and the Special Education Advisory Board for Plano ISD.
As a parent of three Plano ISD students, I am running to keep the focus in Plano ISD on student achievement. Students in Plano have experienced significant learning loss post Covid. Coupled with the additional stresses placed on teachers and parents, students' test scores continue to lag behind their pre-pandemic levels. I want to focus on three specific areas of improvement:
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Improving the academic outcomes of all students.
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Improving the parent-teacher relationship to better serve students, reduce stress on teachers and reassure parents that their children continue to receive a high-quality education.
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Provide more mental health resources to aid students, teachers and parents as they continue to deal with mental health challenges in and out of school.
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What is your plan to manage the deficit driven by recapture, to create the best outcome for Plano schools, to ensure that teachers have sufficient resources and capacity to provide the best possible education to children ?
Unless we see significant changes to recapture, we will likely have to make some tough decisions around school closures and potentially cutting programs. The goal will be to maintain our quality of education, while avoiding increases to property taxes and placing an undo burden on teachers and administrators.
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Would you empower teachers to define and teach the curriculum based on state provided guidelines and specifically issues such as slavery being integral to American history, the historical importance of sexuality, racial and gender identities, socio-economic status etc.? Please add your thoughts as to your position on empowering teachers.
Yes, As a school board member, we don't have direct interactions with teachers. We will work with the superintendent to ensure that our teachers feel empowered to do what is best for their students.
Do you believe that there is an issue within PISD with respect to book banning, social and emotional learning etc.? Please provide insight into your response to the question above. Is there an issue within PISD with respect to book banning, social and emotional learning etc.?
No, Plano has a robust process around parental concerns around books and other issues. While this process can certainly be improved, it gives parents an opportunity to object to any material they have concerns about.
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Do you believe student mental health issues such as anxiety, fear of violence/suicidal thoughts should be addressed at a district wide level? What steps, if any, will you take to alleviate student mental health issues such as anxiety, fear of violence/suicidal thoughts etc.?
Yes. Post pandemic, Plano ISD has seen significantly more reported mental health issues. While the ISD has responded by adding a small number of additional counselors, that approach hasn't fully addressed the challenges that we are seeing in both teachers and students. We need to provide more mental health resources to aid students, teachers and parents as they continue to deal with mental health challenges in and out of school.
“Solution 1” Allocate Additional Funding for Mental Health Counselors I would allocate additional funding to hire more mental health counselors. Given the significant rise in mental health cases reported in school and the number of teachers reporting behavior related issues, students would benefit from additional counseling touch points. We have seen In School Suspensions nearly double between 2019 and 2021. Out of School Suspensions are up almost 50%. Our children cannot learn when they aren't in school. We need to better understand why we are seeing these changes in student behavior and take steps to get our students the help they need..
“Solution 2” Expand District Test Pilot Program The district test piloted a program that championed students helping students in 2021 with some success. We should also look to expand that program across grade levels.
“Solution 3” Student Experience Survey We need to make the student experience survey a higher priority. Once we have a credible baseline, we also need to set measurable goals for student experience with the superintendent.
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What measures will you advocate to improve the security of students, faculty and staff in the district without adding to the work load or out of pocket expenses of teachers?
As a member of the bond committee, I advocated for an additional $40m of bond allocation to improve building safety. This includes reconfiguring classrooms, adding secure doors, and other things that would help make the classroom safer. I would expect to oversee that work being done and to ensure we are keeping our schools up to date on the latest in safety measures for our students.
Do you believe trans students should be able to access the restroom that aligns with their gender identity?
Yes
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