Selected Links From This Episode

Connect with Jose Macias

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
• Judson Independent School District
• San Antonio College

Show Notes

Here are key things to listen out for:

1. Jose Macias background – Despite not being stellar in high school, he finds his passion in life and becomes successful in life
2. Jose Macia’s take on money allocation in schools- Does he favor schools in his local district?
3. Teachers to carry guns to school? – Jose Macia’s take is it a distractor to teachers or for protection?.
4. Schools building design- Should schools be redesigned for safety of our children?

Timestamps

[00:01:06] A little bit about Jose Macias, what he does, and why he does it.

[00:02:03] Jose’s transition from military to college

[00:02:53] Jose had a hard time learning

[00:06:44] What happens in the meetings

[00:05:06] The duration of a term

[00:08:51] A snapshot of the things that trustees are entrusted with.

[00:10:55] Money allocation in schools, and if Jose Macias tries to be prejudiced in allocating funds to his school district

[00:12:19] The money allocation issues that the board of 2010 faced

[00:13:38] The amount of time Jose spends researching his packets

[00:15:10] The money tree as a top secret

[00:15:20] The reserve fund and the fund balance

[00:18:56] Investment vehicle of the interest money

[00:25:03] Revaluating compensation plan and who make the decisions, the board or individuals?

[00:27:03] Percentage of all the people that are leaving Jose Macias’s district

[00:28:39] where can you live in the community in San Antonio and attend Judson School?

[00:34:12] Jose’s thought on how much oversight into curriculum

[00:35:38] LSAT and SAT days

[00:39:53] Issues with student mental health

[00:41:15] Jose’s programs for students with behavioral issues, starting in elementary school

[00:46:31] Jose’s feedback on the topic of year round schooling

[00:45:23] The Judson rockets

[00:46:11] Random questions

[00:49:09] about the bond and what is going on with the bond

[00:53:05] Gun free zone for teachers at Judson

[00:58:52] New building code and design issue for life safety plan

[1:01:59] about an internal audit mechanism

[1:03:52] The most controversial thing ever done by Macias while on the board

[1:10:29] What’s next in terms of elections, safety and the bonds

[1:13:29] What Jose does for a living and family structure that supports him

[1:15:30] Jose’s biggest mistake and biggest win in the last 12 years on the board

[1:17:14] The biggest myth about being on the school board according to Jose

[1:17:45] Jose’s thoughts on community participation in school boards

[1:19:14]Jose’s thoughts on term limits and tournaments

Notable Quotes from the Interview

• I like this Air Force stuff, but I don’t think I want to do it for 20 years. So subsequently I got out and was ready to tackle the world.
• I think finding your passion was very critical to knowing that everything you’re doing has relevance and you need to stay focused.
• I think one of the things trustees should always do is provide oversight. We are in that position to provide oversight.
• I’ve always believed education can break any cycle of poverty.
• If we give everyone 2%, we’ve done nothing strategic, right? We’ve just inflated our payroll budget by 2%. And that does nothing for anything.
• I’d like to be at 100% capacity. But the reality is we never are, and until we identify why, we’re going to always be in that position.
• But the climate in the schools, especially secondary has changed. The parents have changed. They’re more entitled than they’ve ever been.
• The curriculum that we have is moving the needle. And since there are so many ways to assess what moving the needle means.
• There are children that are suffering from a variety of things. It doesn’t have to just be behavioral, there can be some serious other issues in how to deal with relationships.
• I don’t feel like it is the right direction to mandate a teacher to carry a firearm, but I also feel like it should not be inhibited for them if they want to, if they know they possess the responsibility to do it.
• How much more responsibility do you want to put on your teachers? You know, you’re going to teach a class full of kids and then also carry a weapon.

People Mentioned

• Dr. Ball
• Mike Tyson
• Tom Segura
• Dr. Mackey
• Suzanne canola,
• Steve cellular
• Alton crane

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Local Politics: An Interview with Jose Macias

“I’ve always believed education can break any cycle of poverty.”

The board of trustees is responsible for guiding the local school system. These governing entities ensure the educational needs of their community are met and ensure that each child has a rewarding experience learning in the public school system. Boards will make decisions about hiring, scheduling and evaluating teachers; approving curriculum materials; determining appropriate spending levels; and establishing academic policies that affect every student.

Jose Macias is on the Judson Independent School District’s board of trustees and has a personal passion for education. Despite not being stellar in high school with solid D’s, he graduated and went on to college. He was suspended from college for poor grades. His grades didn’t start improving until he discovered his passion for community service.

“I think finding your passion was very critical to knowing that everything you’re doing has relevance and you need to stay focused.”

One of the most rewarding roles to be in is serving on the board of trustees of a local school district. The duties and responsibilities expected of this group are extensive, yet doing so can bring great satisfaction. Boards of trustees have priorities that are directly tied to their communities and decisions they have to make on behalf of the people living in those areas.

Why is it important to find your passion?

Finding your passion is a big part of life, and it can take many years. It’s not really about finding a job after college or what you’re going to do with your life – it’s about finding out what makes you tick, and letting that guide you through.  While the concept of finding your passion might sound simple, in reality it’s not. If you don’t know what you want, how can you possibly get there? It doesn’t help either that society promotes overcompensating for your lack of an idea by creating an abundance of ridiculous ideas, most of which are born out of boredom rather than passion and then people weep tears of joy at the thought that they actually have a choice!. Jose Macias discovered that his passion was not in the military and had to quit. Things in his life did not improve until he discovered his passion in community service. Finding our passion in life, like Jose, leads us to our life’s purpose.

Should teachers be allowed to bring guns to school?

For many years, there has been much discussion on the problem of guns in schools. While some jurisdictions have enacted legislation enabling teachers and other personnel to possess firearms on school property, other states have not.

Currently, 110 school districts in Texas let teachers and other staff members to carry guns. There are 13 states that have legislation enabling school employees to carry guns that has either been proposed or passed.  It’s time for this whole conversation about teachers being armed to stop. It is time for us to focus on building a safe and secure school system, rather than arming teachers. We should be focusing on hiring great teachers and putting them in schools where they can get the resources they need to teach, not worry about whether every student will behave because they’ve been trained by an expert in using force  What is your take?

Why schools need to have good building designs for safety

It’s important that schools have building code in place. It is not the responsibility of the school district to build the safest school building, but schools should have a building code in place and if they don’t, then it falls on their shoulders to create one. Schools need to have a life safety plan in place so that if something does happen, students, staff, and teachers are safe.

The board of education plays a vital role in the development and success of your child’s education, and it’s important you know your local board members. If you or another parent has concerns about your child’s education, make sure to express them at the next public meeting. Ultimately, it is of the utmost importance that schools have safety plans in place to protect students and teachers. Once a school district has established the appropriate life safety standards and determined the most effective strategies for implementation, the school district must continue to evaluate the effectiveness of their plan, ensuring that common issues such as smoke breaches, fire drills and other dangerous situations are addressed regularly.

 “I think one of the things trustees should always do is provide oversight, we are that position to provide oversight.”

In our first episode of local politics we’re pleased to have Jose Macias, District 4 trustee. He discusses his journey and how he started and why he cares about this community. He also gives us a snapshot of some of the things that trustees are entrusted with, money allocation in schools and safety concerns, among other topics. This episode is not to be missed!

Please enjoy!

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