Our first site visit was to Devine ISD. Scott, thanks for taking care of us down there. It was extraordinary to learn of a bond issue passing in a conservative rural community and we were able to listen first-hand to how Linda McAnelly, by power of will and determination, armed with commitment to get the job done right, to learn all the intricacies of getting the job done where she had not previously been knowledgeable. I think all of were struck by how completely she mastered herself first, knew her people, learned what she had to learn, set boundaries where she had to set boundaries. She demonstrated what happens when a thoughtful, fair-minded individual can do when the situation came up. She knew how to convince all stakeholders that the bond elections were in the best interests of them all.
When new facilities cannot be built, it is possible to be creative. Small towns do not have the luxury of condemning an old building. Those buildings were the center of community life for so long. So rather than see a landmark come down these communities, Devine is not exception, chose the keep the older structure and retrofit, often at greater expense than a new facility would have costed. I noticed that each classroom in this 1954 structure had an overhead digital projector and had connectivity.
Back to the bond experience. Ms. McAnelly had a valuable list of steps that she took with recommendations for how to conduct oneself in the role of superintendent. I invite responses from of you, something unique about that experience that you took away from it besides the wonderful meal Scott provided. dh
I learned that you can take an old building and rework it to keep all parties involved happy. The gym was a good example of this they had an old gm that everyone like and did not want to lose. They were able to come in brick up the old windows, and make it look good. They were also able to install AC in there. I also like the way the converted the old shop into science labs. I think it was also neat they way they kept the vault door and just moved it over. It was a nice touch, kind of like when you go into an old bank and could see the vault.
ReplyDeleteI also left there with a belly full of great Mexican food. Thanks for letting us have a chance to tour your school Scott.
Thanks Jeff getting on the blog. Yes, the point about retrofitting the gym rather than tear down and rebuild shows that a lot of rational planning planning processes can take a back seat to the emotional side in a community like this where a decision was made to preserve an old landmark. dh
ReplyDeleteWhat I admired most was Mrs.McAnelly's ability to connect with a historically resistant community. She was relentless in her efforts to include the voices of all stakeholders. She was also very careful to reference their feedback as she built a case for the bond elections. In the end, I believe much of her success could be attributed to her ability to appeal to the motives within her community. Trust,honesty,smart spending,quality construction all the while holding firm to the values and history of DEVINE!
ReplyDeleteWOW...Mrs. McAnnelly really hit home with me. My parents, my four siblings and myself all went to Devine ISD. My parents still live in the community and recently attended the Homecoming activities. The first thing my Dad told me after that day and has repeated on several occassions was how impressed he was that Mrs. McAnnelly was so at ease talking with the group of Alumni about her vision for the district. He also mentioned that she was just able to stand up there and talk without many notes, very similar to our day with her. What an inspiration she is to me to know that she takes such pride and confidence in my alma mater.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with how well Mrs.McAnnelly is in tune with her community. She saw the need of consistent leadership and sought to provide that to her community.
ReplyDeletePassing a bond for a new or renovated facility in a community with traditions that encompasses the learning community can be tricky. One is left with the dilemna of maintaining the history/tradition of the building and incorporating the current and future needs of the school. Mrs. McAnelly was successful in passing a bond and taking into account the stakeholders in doing so.
She has truly earned the trust and respect of the community.
This was a great learning experience for me, to be able to visit with architects and building superintendents on a daily basis while trying to manage the daily business of a school and be involved with the planning as well as changes necessary along the way. I appreciated the trust and support of my school superintendent to help us make some necessary changes at various times throughout the project as they required change orders which usually requires more money. I learned a lot of history about the building which was a neat realization to think about the people and leaders that were there before that either helped or hindered some of issues we now face.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Scott for hosting us and for inviting his dynamic superintendent to join us. It was an educational day! The school building is a bit of a blast from the past, but I saw many functional aspects that we have lost in today's structures (such as the enormous gym and the great storage in the classrooms.)
ReplyDeleteI would guess that at some point in the not too distant future, the people of Devine might want to look at a new building for their children. In the meantime, the retrofitting seems to have done the trick, with awesome science labs and a few extra classrooms.
Ms. McAnelly was great to listen to. It amazed me that she got everything together and passed a bond so fast. I graduated from Devine and know how hard it is around there to get anything passed or changed. People always say “that’s the way it has been forever”. I think that Ms. McAnelly did a great job of utilizing her resources (the superintendent from D’Hanis) for getting her bond passed. She did a great job of getting out in the community and backing it. She talked to everybody and anybody who would listen at every gathering there was in Devine. I think that she made the right choice by her being the one going out and doing all the talking instead of hiring a firm to do it because she is a well known and well trusted community member.
ReplyDeleteMrs. McAnelly took planning to another level. Knowing that a bond that had previously failed, she solicited help from a superintendent who would have experienced similar obstacles and was successful in passing a bond. She utilized multiple resources such as her attorney and made sure she knew what she could and could not do in the process. Her transparency and efforts to keep above reproach seemed crucial in gaining public trust and ensuring that her efforts were not in vain. This was evident in the manner in which she communicated with the board. Her overall understanding with what needed to be done, how it needed to done, and her understanding of the community impressed me.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great opportunity to hear the process by which Mrs. McAnelly went through to pass the bond in such a short turnaround period. I learned the many hours necessary to get a clear message out to the community in order to successfully fund a much needed facility project. Most importantly, Mrs. McAnelly took steps to norm and educate the Board members first. She also acknowledged the importance of knowing her community and portrayed her professional role appropriately at all times, still allowing her to maintain her personal role within her church and family. Thank you, Dave, for hosting us and having your superintendent come share her experience with us.
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