Rhonda Skillern-Jones

Board of Education District II Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones recently met with school board members from across the state to learn the latest on 21st century challenges to leadership and the implications of those trends for educators.

The Texas Association of School Boards hosted several training sessions in Corpus Christi. The school board members heard from Randolph Carter, the director of the Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative, who encouraged them to see today’s public school classroom as a kaleidoscope of differences.

The group toured the Craft Training Center of the Costal Bend, a cooperative among local school district that offers on-campus and on-the-job training opportunities. They also toured Branch Academy, Corpus Christi’s newest high school, which is designed for students seeking career certification pathways. The school simulates a workplace setting where students are “hired” each academic quarter.

The trustees are participating in a yearlong education leadership study program. At the end of the program, the trustees will graduate with a unique designation recognized by the Texas Association of School Boards.