Increased teacher retention and community transparency are among the goals for Evan Martin if he is elected to the Sherman Independent School District School Board this spring. Martin is one of three candidates who are vying for the Place 1 seat on the board during the upcoming elections.
Martin will face Calvin Holland III and Nathan Cain in his effort to take the Place 1 seat. The seat is currently held by Adam Cernero, who is not seeking reelection.
The Herald Democrat recently reached out to the candidates in this and other school board races for a series of question-and-answer interviews with the intent of informing voters on who is running for these elected positions.
The candidates were all asked the same series of questions and given 150 words to answer each. The responses are printed verbatim with edits only for formatting and if a candidates went significantly over the word limit.
Below are the questions and Martin’s answers:
Q: For voters who may not be familiar, who are you and where may they know you from?
I am Evan Martin and I have been a resident of Grayson County for 33 years, 14 of which have been spent in Sherman. I have been selling real estate in Grayson County for 11 years.
Q: What led you to seek election (or reelection) on the school board?
Simply put, for the teachers and students. Personally, knowing a lot of teachers and seeing that they’ve lost their focus and their desire to teach is disheartening. There is a disconnect in communication between teachers and their superiors. Teachers are the heartbeat of our district and if we lose their passion, our students are then left behind and not getting the best education they deserve. Loss of teachers each year continues to rise, we have to maintain teacher retention for our students. I have a deep family connection with SISD. My mom retired from HR after 13 years, my sister was a school nurse for 9 years then taught at the high school for 6 years, and my brother-in-law taught at the high school for 19 years, and my niece is an SHS alumni and taught at Sory for 3 years.
Q: What unique skill sets, traits or backgrounds do you feel you would bring to the table if elected to the school board?
My leadership experience serving in multiple positions with area non-profits including, Secretary of North Texas Youth Connection and President of Women Rock also serving as President of Greater Texoma Association of REALTORS’s 700+ members, give me the knowledge and qualifications I need to fully commit to this position. I have been a licensed REALTOR representing Grayson County for over 11 years, making me extremely knowledgeable and well versed of the growth that our community is so fortunate to be receiving.
Q: If elected, what areas would you like to focus on in your role as a school board member? What are your priorities?
Again, teachers and students! What can I, as a Board Member, do for them? I want to be their sounding board. I want to be available for them. EVERY teacher and EVERY student has a voice and deserves to be heard. Also, SISD needs to be fully prepared to embrace the fast-approaching growth on the horizon for Sherman. The district needs to ensure that every single student is receiving the very best education from well qualified, educated, and motivated teachers. Lastly, transparency. SISD must be more transparent with the community. As a person who has strong community involvement and with previous leadership experience, I hope to bring my knowledge to help mend the gap to create a more transparent relationship between SISD and the Sherman community.
Q: What role do you feel a school board member should fill in helping lead the school district?
Where the board should fill-in is being an advocate for all. Listening to all shareholder perspectives and allowing their voices to be heard. Do our parents, teachers, community and students truly feel they have a voice or more importantly, someone that will listen? I feel in some instances they do, but we can do much better. The board can’t just be available for one stakeholder, we have to be there for ALL.
Q: What challenges do you see facing Sherman ISD in 2024, and how do you plan to address them if elected?
Teacher retention and the lack of parental community involvement is a major issue that will continue to interrupt our progress as we grow. Our teachers feel unheard and it’s become hard for them to be impactful when they don’t feel they have the flexibility to really teach anymore. Parental involvement and their connection to our schools has to improve as new people move to our area. The school district has to be part of our community, not a liability.
