Texas Board of Education recognizes volunteer “heroes”

by Jeff Melcher

Curtis Liggins of Lancaster ISD has been recognized as a "Hero" among school volunteers and PTA members across Texas by the Texas State Board of Education. This is the 13th year that the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) recognized school volunteers as Heroes for Children. The awards will be presented during their Sept. 21 meeting at 9 a.m., the William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Ave. in Austin. The award recognizes excellence in advocacy for education and spotlights the many outstanding volunteers whose efforts represent significant contributions to the public school education in Texas.

Mr. Liggins, a father of Lancaster students, actively involves himself in the betterment of the Lancaster schools. He works in the high school and middle school as a dad’s club volunteer and PTA officer. He regularly attends athletic events, plays, concerts, and school events. He's been active in political action committees of the three most recent school bond elections and makes a point of being present for most school board meetings.

Another Dallas-area honoree is Kim Tillery, Hero of Garland ISD. Tillery is a devoted advocate and tireless volunteer for quality youth programs at all levels from elementary through high school in the Garland ISD. Tillery devotes countless hours of her time and an abundance of energy to help ensure that the youth programs in Garland ISD are the best they can be. At the high school she actively supports and serves in two separate booster club organizations, serves on the local PTA, helps with the senior prom, and volunteers to work at every football game, banquet, car wash, concession stand, and anything else that might need her service.

To the north, from Frisco ISD, Michael D. Roe is our hero. An active and gracious volunteer at Pioneer Heritage Middle School, Roe is an active member of the District Improvement Team -- a state-required committee dedicated to setting the metrics and benchmarking the progress of education for all campuses in the district. Roe partnered with school personnel to create a strong school, family and community partnerships by giving his time, service, and support to the school and the students. In the 2005-06 school year, Roe funded the construction of a Red Ribbon Garden in the school that included trees, native Texas plants, red roses and a bench. The garden was created to follow the theme that year for Red Ribbon Week, "Growing a Drug Free Future."

And in Crowley ISD south of Fort Worth, the SBOE's Hero is Charles Alexander III. Alexander, who relocated to Crowley from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, organized a Thanksgiving food drive, helped collect presents for needy children at Christmas, and created the spring football clinic for the Crowley ISD. He is described as a man of character, modeling the following principles for the young men he mentors in the Crowley ISD – discipline, integrity and helping young boys make positive choices.

Other SBOE heroes:

Flor Rap-Gentry of Socorro Independent School District, Benny C. Martinez, serving both the Houston ISD and Goliad ISDs, Helen Ballew of San Antonio's Bonham Elementary School, Teresa Gallagher-Bell of Klein ISD, Aline Patterson of North East ISD, Maura R. Murto, helping Brill Elementary School in the Klein ISD, Barrie Hogue of Clear Creek ISD, Julie Rigsby of Lumberton serving Lumberton ISD, Sandra Sands of Hempstead ISD, Barbara Weatherford of Rio Vista ISD, and Andy Justus of Amarillo ISD,

This story was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community.