‘It would be a disservice if I didn’t do it another term’: Derek Hood seeks reelection for Abilene ISD school board
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — In this week’s Big Country Politics, Derek Hood, an incumbent candidate for Place 1 on Abilene ISD’s school board, talks about his accomplishments over the last four years and strides he plans to make if reelected.
A product of Abilene ISD (class of 1986), reared by educators, Hood was first elected to serve on the school board in 2020, and it wasn’t an easy stretch.
“As soon as I got sworn in, COVID hit,” Hood recalled. “For the board, and the district, and parents, and students, and the community to deal with that… It was hard.”
Through all the many hits thrown at educators and the board, Hood said he was proud of AISD’s response to the pandemic. However, the school still has some recovering to do.
Nevertheless, Hood hails himself as something of an asset to the district, “It would be a disservice to myself and the Abilene ISD if I didn’t do it another term. Because the first term, you’re- you’re learning the ropes… So, having that experience and that knowledge now, it would just be, in my opinion, it would just be a waste of- of experience if I didn’t run for a second term. There’s so many things that I want to continue to work on through our district to improve for our students and staff.”
Sitting down with News Director Manny Diaz for a Big Country Politics one-on-one interviews, Diaz went on to ask Hood about Abilene ISD’s progress with System of Great Schools (SGS).
Two Abilene schools could become STEM campuses
“We’re a year into it now, and it provides an opportunity for school districts to look at different strategies that that other districts have used that have turned around student achievement. So, we’re fully embracing it… We are all open to new ideas and finding ways for improving student achievement in the ISD,” responded Hood.
One issue SGS looks at is the possibility of condensing campuses based on gender, GPA, and other factors. As students evolve, their needs evolve. A growing concern in US education is a reflection between students and teachers.
“Abilene has a very high Hispanic population, and we need more brown educators in front of our students,” Hood addressed, promising to make minority representation a vital goal in the school years to come.
Next, Hood was asked about his stance on a growing statewide concern about so-called “school vouchers.” For a brief explanation, these vouchers are described by Raise Your Hand Texas as, “Taxpayer-funded subsidies given to private schools and vendors without transparency and accountability for results.”
“We are ready to fight for every kid in Abilene, and the only way that that’s going to happen is, you know, understanding how we are going to finance our public education here in Abilene and across the state. But yet, we also have to make it where parents and students want to attend the ISD. So, as a result, you know, we’re ready to find all kinds of strategies to try and improve teacher morale in the district, and student achievement, and discipline as well,” assured Hood.
As his race continues, Abilene ISD residents have voiced concerns of student-parent representation within the board.
“Everybody on the board has had students that have attended and gone through the AISD,” Hood replied, conceding that those students have all since graduated. “We’re still very well connected with what’s going on. My wife is a public high school teacher here in Abilene; many of the other board members’ spouses are employees of the district as well.”
Lastly, Hood was given the opportunity to relay a message to voters:
“I show up. Whether it’s with the school district or in the community, I’m involved with many nonprofits here in Abilene, the board president of Frontier Texas!, I am the president elect of the Abilene Sports Alliance, cactus lions. You know, I show up when there’s events. I’m there, you’ll see me there. I support the Abilene community. I’m heavily involved in the Abilene community… If it’s important to the community, it’s important to me.”
Early voting for the Abilene ISD school board election begins Monday, April 22, and continues through Tuesday, April 30. Election Day is Saturday, May 4.
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