TASB Field Services Supports Texas Superintendents

School districts are complex, busy, yet dynamic places with students, teachers, administrators, and board members interacting in pursuit of educational excellence. But there is only one superintendent, and it can be a bit lonely at the top. 

That’s where TASB Field Services representatives come in. As former superintendents and veteran educators, our field reps know exactly what it’s like to do the work of leading a school district. Each of the eight reps on my team have served as highly successful superintendents in districts from the Panhandle down to the Rio Grande Valley and everywhere in between.  

“When you’re superintendent, you are one of one in your district,” said Bobby Ott, Temple ISD superintendent. “It’s so nice to just have someone you can call and talk to who’s had those kinds of experiences.”  

Ott told me he appreciates getting updates about the educational landscape in the region and across the state from his field services rep, as well as talking through solutions to district challenges. 

Insights and Solutions 

TASB’s field reps traverse the state, visiting every district in their assigned ESC regions. They also call on community colleges and special education shared service arrangements. This type of work translates into driving hundreds of miles in a day. Many of the districts they visit are small, rural districts where the superintendent wears many hats. 

“There is a district that I am familiar with where the superintendent is the principal, superintendent, and the counselor as well,” said Ruben Cervantes, field rep for regions 15, 18, and 19. 

For these smaller districts, field reps are essential to connecting superintendents to solutions that allow them to be able to focus on students, whether that’s the right person to talk to at TASB or helping them find resources such as the School Law eSource. 

“We can share information from a user perspective,” said Jack Damron, rep for regions 1, 6, and 13. 

Field reps connect TASB services to districts in exactly the way they need them and offer potential operational efficiencies, which is particularly important in these times of budget constraints for districts across the state. They also let superintendents know there are choices in services and talk them through available options.  

The other side of that is the insights the field reps take back to help TASB better serve districts, connecting the dots to develop solutions for the challenges districts are facing.  

“We play a key role in communicating district needs to TASB,” said William Smith, field rep for regions 10 and 11. 

Support and Mentoring 

Perhaps one of the most important roles our field reps provide is an experienced listener. 

“We have been in their shoes and sometimes they need to talk to someone or even vent to someone, and that’s what we are there for,” Cervantes said. “We meet with every superintendent face-to-face.” A group that this is particularly true for is new superintendents, who field reps often mentor informally. 

As former superintendents, field reps embrace the philosophy of “paying it forward” in their work with acting superintendents. By cultivating relationships, building trust, and strengthening communication, they promote the advantages of TASB to districts while enhancing goodwill. What an awesome opportunity for both field reps and superintendents because students are the ultimate beneficiaries.