Servant Leader

As the race for Aledo ISD Place 4 progresses and Mr. Stoker attempts to unseat Forrest Collins,  I feel compelled to write about what is at stake.

Forrest Collins is a friend of mine. I met Forrest when he was elected to the school board in 2016 and have followed as he has served and then been elected board President. Since his election, he has been all in for Aledo ISD, working, learning, and most importantly, connecting with the people in the community. If there is a more approachable or engaged board member, I don’t know who it would be.

Watching Forrest serve his community has been a master class on servant leadership, dedication, and problem solving. He is a tremendous father, the kind of father he didn’t have in his life. His dedication to his family and the practice of values are remarkable.

He doesn’t do it alone. His wife, Stefanie, is an elementary educator with a fierce commitment to the needs of all the children she serves. The Collins family has battled significant health issues in the not-so-distant past. The grace, humility and faith they displayed through this challenging season speaks to their approach to trials. I would encourage you to go to www.runningwithforrest.com and read about Forrest and his beliefs.

I don’t know Mr. Stoker but I’ve read what he has published. The first thing on his agenda is to unseat a very dedicated board President. Then he has a whole list of people he’s going to fire, starting with the Superintendent. This seems like a “scorched earth” approach that will lead to chaos. He may have a plan to run off all the leadership in the district, but getting the rest of the board to execute that plan will be difficult. That doesn’t make him a leader, it makes him a problem.

Education in Texas is facing some interesting challenges. Regardless of your position on vouchers, school funding will be, as always, a difficult battle for the stakeholders. It will be critical to have experienced and knowledgeable leadership on the board. The Aledo ISD is a well-run district with a long history of great successes. Keeping good leadership, like Forrest Collins, is essential to addressing the challenges we face now and in the future. Please join me in voting for Forrest.

-Rob Helms