CONNECTING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE & DSISD
One of my campaign promises was to connect with the young people of our community. I have worked hard the past three years to fulfill that promise. While I know there is lots more to do, I’d like to share what I’ve accomplished so far.
1/30/19
Meet with DSHS Principal, DSISD Secondary Assistant Principals, District Attorney Wes Mau, and School Resource Officers (SROs) to discuss how to approach vaping problems on DSISD campuses
1/30/19, 2/6/19, 2/13/19, 2/20/19, 2/27/19
DSHS Dating Violence Mock Trial – attorney advisor. Prep with students.
Mock Trial event, District Courtroom, Hays County Government Center
2/5/19
John email to DSISD School Board “I’d be happy to meet with anyone from the school board, DSISD faculty or staff, parents and/or students to discuss [vaping] or any problem and work on possible solutions”
2/11/19
Email reply from DSISD Board President: “We have not had an active collaboration between the school district and the JPs office during my almost seven years on the board so I see your willingness to engage on [the vaping] issue (and hopefully additional issues) as a promising development that will most certainly serve the district and our community well in the coming years.”
2/15/19
John’s reply: “I’m interested in working with DSISD any way I can to address issues regarding children/young people. You can count on me to help any way I can.”
2/11/19
Email from DSISD Superintendent: Lets “set up a meeting in the near future to get to … put our heads together about other opportunities to partner for the betterment of our community.”
Met with Superintendent 3/2/19
2/21/19
Email from DSISD PTA Council President: “We would love to have you present on the [vaping] issue from your perspective and address the legal side and how it affects kids!”
3/5/19
John participated in PTA Council Roundtable on Vaping at DSHS
1/29, 2/6, 2/12 & 2/19/20
DSHS Dating Violence Mock Trial – attorney advisor. Prep with students.
2/27/20
Mock Trial event, District Courtroom, Hays County Government Center
2/24/20
Email to John from Sycamore Springs Middle School Teacher: “I was wondering if you’d be available and would want to come and speak to my classes about different consequences they might encounter based on choices they make. I heard you spoke at the PTA council forum and were very influential towards the younger crowd of teens.”
2/26/20
Email from John: “Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with your students today! If just one of them says no to vaping and learns to make good choices, today has been a big success for me.”
2/26/20
Reply from teacher: “That's how I feel about teaching. If I can make a connection and a difference in just one of their lives, I'll feel accomplished. Thanks again, I think the kids will be talking about today for a while.”
[presentations made at SSMS 2/26 and 2/28]
3/24, 3/31, 4/7 & 4/14/21
DSHS Dating Violence Mock Trial – attorney advisor. Prep with students.
4/23/21
Mock Trial event, District Courtroom, Hays County Government Center
9/1/21
Met with SROs to discuss how to handle vaping and possession of drug paraphernalia referrals from DSISD.
10/25/21
Email for Director of Secondary Education: “I met with the district’s Assistant Principals … and we began discussing the impact of attendance on our Tigers, your name came up as having expressed a desire to support our schools with truancy … I would love to meet with you to further discuss how we create a partnership with collective and shared goals regarding student attendance.”
10/26/21
John’s reply: “I would be thrilled to have an opportunity to work with you to help the students, parents, teachers and administrators of DSISD!”
11/5/21
Met with Director of Secondary Education and Director of Elementary Education to discuss truancy and possible ways to address
11/5/21
Follow up email from Director of Sec. Ed.: “I left our meeting today energized about the possibilities. … Are you comfortable with all our APs coming to your courtroom … to forge the same relationship with you?
11/11/21
Email from a DSISD Department Chair “I look forward to networking with you in the future to help bring a fully fledged JROTC program to DSISD”
11/24/21
Meet with Department Chair about DSHS JROTC program.
[John was in ROTC in college and served as an officer in the US Navy and Navy Reserve for 22 years]
11/15/21
Met with DSHS Principal and all APs concerning various campus discipline issues. Discussed referral process for truancy and other issues.
I am a strong advocate for education and for working with juveniles to get them back on track, if needed. I have been an attorney advisor for the DSHS Mock Trial program for the past four years and am planning to help again this year (2022).
I regularly tell juveniles in court that I care about them, that I don’t want to see them in court again as a defendant, and that I want them to make something of themselves. Juveniles must appear in court with a parent; I find that most parents are very receptive to my approach.
In a prior life I was twice PTA President at a middle school and a PTA Council President for a High School District that had four high schools and eight middle schools. I was a graduate teaching assistant for several semesters in grad school and was a law school Visiting Professor for a semester.
