Leakey ISD Honors Local Media by Naming Them to the TASB Media Honor Roll
By Fred R. McNiel, Supt.
June 08, 2009
6/8/2009-News Release-Leakey Independent School District-Fred R. McNiel, Superintendent
Leakey ISD Honors Local Media by Naming Them to the TASB Media Honor Roll
Penny Maguire, editor, publisher and owner of The Leakey Star and Heidi Hood, local news reporter for the Uvalde Leader-News were named to the Media Honor Roll, a program sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), by Leakey ISD. The Media Honor Roll recognizes media representatives statewide who deserve recognition for fair and balanced reporting of news about public schools. Media representatives from approximately four hundred Texas newspapers and radio and television stations all across Texas were honored by their local school districts.
Criteria for the district selection included the media representative’s efforts to get to know the superintendent, board president, and the district’s mission and goals; reporting school news in a fair, accurate, and balanced manner; giving a high profile to positive news about schools; visiting the schools; and maintaining a policy of no surprises by sharing information with school officials.
“Districts across Texas appreciate these reporters for their balanced and accurate approach to sharing both the challenges facing our schools and the successes achieved by local teachers, students, and school boards. Their work aids local communities in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can for every child,” said Robert Seward, TASB president.
TASB is a nonprofit organization established in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 4.6 million public school students.
Mrs. Maguire and Mrs. Hood were publicly recognized at the Leakey ISD school board meeting held on Monday, June 15th. Both ladies were presented with beautifully framed personalized certificates that read: “In recognition for fair and balanced reporting, providing valuable information to the community about public schools, their students, parents, and patrons. The Leakey Star and Uvalde Leader-News are hereby acknowledged and honored as members in good standing of the statewide 2009 Media Honor Roll.
A Board Resolution was unanimously approved by the Leakey ISD School Board and was attached to the minutes of the meeting. The Media Honor Roll nominees are posted on TASB’s website at www.tasb.org, Services, Communications and PR. In the photograph above the two media honorees are pictured. They are (left to right) Penny Maguire and Heidi Hood.
In addition to fair and balanced reporting of school news and events, both the Leakey Star and Uvalde Leader-News have very faithfully published the weekly news releases that have been submitted by various school employees during the recently completed school year! Without the reporting support of our local media, the school district would be greatly hampered and restricted in communicating to the shareholders and taxpayers regarding the good things that are happening on our campus that benefit the children of our community