July 13, 1991 EL UVALDE TIMES Page 13 Interview *** ' ■■ • ■ ••< ■ • Frank Hidalgo during graduation ceremonies an The following is interview with Mr. Frank Hidalgo, President of the Board of Trustees of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Mr. Hidalgo has served on the board of trustees since August of 1988. He was appointed to take the place vacated by Rogelio Perez. He ran for the position in May 1989 and was elected to Pueden Aprender Todos serve for three years. His term will expire in May, 1992. He is married to to the former Norma Menchaca. The Hidalgos have a son, Frank Jr., and a daughter, Sarah. Both are graduates of Uvalde High School. Norma Hidalgo has been employed by the Uvalde School District for 25 years, having been employed as a teacher for 20 years. What has been your greatest satisfaction? Satisfactions in my life have been many, thanks to my God. I have one foi every particular period of my life. As a board member, its having the time and means to give something back to the community ihat has been so good to me and my family. I hope to be able to look back in my life and say that in some small way I helped better the educational system and the children of Uvalde. Your greatest challenges? To get people involved in a positive way to improve the school system. The board is seen as a political position or one of power. I hope to have people see it as a decision making process that requires a lot of honest evaluation of people and resources to improve the educational system here. Its not a position to be used to help a favorite teacher, friend, or someone who whowe feel will do a good job just because we happen to know the. The evaluation of an individual should always be done looking at his past performances and professional commitment. This will insure a system that will be kept at its highest performance level How do you feel about the the current teacher-student ratio in our schools? The teacher student population ratio has to improve. It has improved but all that it needs to improve will not happen overnight. Like every good change in our society, it happens through a solid foundation in a decision making process. What can you cay about recruitment efforts of the past and in the future? I will not comment on recruitment efforts in the past. It would be second guessing past boards without looking at all the facts. I have found out that things are not always as we sec Los Ninos? recruitment feel about the students say about How they on the iob them from the outside looking in. I feel that the present board is improving the recruitment of minorities into the teaching profession in Uvalde. The highest qualifications of individuals should always be the lop criteria in efforts. How do you hearing what may have to their teachers? evaluate them they are doing... without fear of repercussions for expressing their views? I am not an advocate of students evaluating their teachers at the High School level. As mature as most of the graduating students are, most of them arc still very heavily influenced by their parents at home. Several other reasons come to mind, but one of the main reasons is: the parents of the students, could put pressure on the student to express the parent’s personal prejudices through the student’s evaluation. Evaluating the quality of teachers is a function of the administration and not the students. What about the Audience to Patrons at board meetings? We are working with a policy that has been in place for several years. Until the policy is changed, this board will have to abide by the policies it was sworn to uphold. I will honestly tell you that I feel different about this now that I have served on the board. Because of the complexity of school business, the way it is being handled now seems to be working. For example, a very important issue to this community was the rearrangement of the campuses as multi-grade or single grade level campuses. This issue I feel was addressed very well through the Audience to Patrons portion of the school meetings. How do you see the PTO’s involvement in the schools? The PTO organizations as they arc set and used now in our system are more of a service organization, much like a booster club. I would like to see PTO organizations involved as a back-up to the instructional process. They must be ready to sociedad. Algunos métodos de reducir cl numero que están a riesgo de salirse de la escuela, o para aquellos que requieran servicios de educación remedial es de proporcionarles clases con los mejores maestros. Para que poner los maestros que son clasificados como Career Ladder III (los mas excelentes maestros) a ensenar a los ñiños avansados? Si son tan buenos maestros porque no los ponen a trabajar con los ñiños que requieren buenos maestros y motivación? Los maestros deben de usar métodos que STUDER'S DECORATING Carpet Vinyl Paint 123 W. Nopal Window Treatment Wallpaper demuestran acceleration, en vez de detener a los alumnos. Otro método que se debe de introducir es la enseñanza coperativa, donde se ensena en grupos pequeños los cuales aprenden en grupo. Los jovenes adultos con problemas hoy en dia, fueron un dia el nino con problemas que necesitaba intervención. Si, cada nino puede aprender, pero las escuelas deven de ser mas inovativas y preocupadas. Los alumnos que dejan la escuela son los cobros de impuestos del manana. Si la sociedad deberás se interesa, debemos de preocuparnos por aquellos que nos necesitan y debemos de justos al hacerlo. ser 278-8885 General Beverages of Texas 7 Up * Dr Pepper * Pepsi Willie Hernandez, Branch Manager un La de en de Alejandro Perez es residente nativo de Pryor y tiene su titulo colegio B.S. Sociología e Historia la Universidad Texas A&I, y el MED en Administración Escolar de Sul Ross. El trabaja hoy para el Distrito Escolar de La Pryor como Coordinador del programa de mantener a los alumnos en la escuela que están a riesgo de salirse. UMME Shoe Sale Buy one get FREE! ¿ KATHQYN'S BOUTIQUE uvaldc texM BRAND INTER BÚNUtÚTB 120 E MAIN 278-2537