Cassandra Auzenne Bandy and Janette Garza Lindner, two of HISD's brand new Board of Managers members.One crucial difference of Houston ISD's Board of Managers from the school board members who preceded them is that each of the nine new members will be responsible for the district as a whole, rather than one particular part of it.
Bandy, a parent of fourth-generation HISD students, works as a business strategy manager at a global consulting firm and lives in the northeast side of Houston. A proud graduate of T.H. Rogers, she said her children go there as well, attending the Gifted and Talented program. They go there, she said, because their neighborhood schools"are not able to meet their needs."
"The data shows the children are falling behind especially the Black and Latino children in Houston," Garza Lindner said."Because of that, she said, she applauds the real sense of immediacy Superintendent Mike Miles has initiated to get to the source of the problems and make corrections. "I see the experience and my work with Arts Connect Houston, I've seen the data that shows how student outcomes improve with education that has arts integrated into the curriculum."
As Garza Lindner put it:"I'm really excited to work through that anger to actually get to the nuggets of what is it we really want to see as we move this district forward. Whatever energy people bring to it, I'm really excited to hear that."