Matt Kormann for Place 6, CISD Board of Trustees
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Part two of a two part series. See Kormann's part one responses. To learn about his opponent Sam Torolopoulos, see part one and part two.
Q: brCarroll has an excellent and established reputation of providing abrquality education for its students. Ifbrelected, what are the details of your plans to maintain the quality ofbreducation amidst budget cuts?
A:brMatt Kormann – Dr.brJohnston, CISD Executive Director of Special Programs, has overseen anbrintegration of Special Education teaching and curriculum into the high schoolbrlevel classrooms. This method has brought students with different learningbrneeds into the mainstream in such a way that their classmates in many casesbrdon’t even know they’re receiving that specialized educational care. This canbrbe a model for integrating additional resources on a tight budget.
We're all well aware of the benefits ofbrextracurricular activities to students at all grade levels. Our work on thebrCISD Budget & Finance Committee is currently focused on identifyingbrefficiencies within those programs that would enable any additional costbrsavings not previously identified while protecting the integrity of arts andbrathletics programming. This community-driven process brings a group of highlybrtalented parents and taxpayers to the table in an effort to truly think outsidebrthe box, and must continue in an effort to ensure that those voices are heard.brKeeping the community involved as a voice in the expense and revenue process isbrcritical and should be a year-round effort.
Finally, we must investigate every reasonablebrrevenue enhancement opportunity available to us. If Austin continues to holdbrand tighten the CISD purse strings, it becomes the responsibility of CISD tobrchange the game. I've addressed a couple of those options above, and there arebrmany more that the community at large and the Budget & Finance committeebrwill most certainly bring to the discussion. It cannot be all about expensebrreductions. Both sides of the equation have to be addressed.
Q: Ifbrelected, what personal skills and experiences do you plan to bring to thebrposition?
A:brMatt Kormann – In mybrprofessional life, I’m evaluated onbra variety of factors that emphasize fiscal performance and client and employeebrengagement and satisfaction. Working in a family and employee owned company, webrvalue people above all else. Ensuring that we continue a culture ofbrrecognizing and celebrating the successes of our CISD staff, volunteers, andbradministration will be a primary focus for me. I’ve learned through trial andbrerror as well as significant professional development efforts that if we takebrgreat care of our people, they will take great care of our business and ourbrclients.
The budgetbrI'm accountable for is in the multimillion-dollar range. In addition to leading a team of 70, budgetbrmanagement is a top priority. Successful budget managers must be sensitive tobrthe nuances of every cost decision and be able to visualize the downstreambreffects even small adjustments have within a budget. As a leader, you have tobrbe able to see what effect those changes will have on employees and clientsbrbefore taking action. Without the experience of managing a large and complexbrbudget, it is difficult to predict the ramifications of current actions onbrfuture performance. I am consistentlybrheld accountable for and evaluated on my ability to make decisions thatbrultimately provide positive fiscal results for my corporation.
Outside ofbrmy professional life, my community involvement makes me a uniquebrcandidate. I currently serve on thebrWhite's Chapel UMC task force, formed in the wake of the most recent tragediesbrwithin our school community. We were formed to address the road range of risksbrto our kids. We will provide education, resources, and support to students andbrfamilies with the hope of preventing such painful and traumatic events in thebrfuture. In addition, my involvement with White's Chapel has given me thebropportunity to give back globally by participating in our recent mission tripbrto Ghana, and my family has committed to leaving a lifelong legacy in thatbrcountry by commissioning a clean-water well this year. This experience hasbrliterally changed me as a person and made me a better leader.
As a formerbryouth soccer coach, I've learned as much about motivation and engagement as anybrprofessional development effort could ever teach me. I've carried thosebrexperiences into my professional life, and intend to use them to greatbreffectiveness as a Trustee.
At the bottom line, I will bring a vote forbrour kids every time. Sometimes that will be painful or cost some measure ofbr“political capital.” But that's the requirement of fulfilling a role like this,brand I would be honored to serve, to earn your trust, and make those toughbrchoices that protect our traditions of excellence.