Chief of the Office of Educational Access DeWayne Street invited a panel of guests – Area Superintendent Angela Hodges, Senior Director of Transportation Tracie Franco and Senior Executive Director of Campus Activities Jody Hormann – to speak about their journey and the significance of Women’s History Month.
This On the Street: A #1LISD Journey podcast series serves as an opportunity to continue the conversation around educational access and to highlight our efforts around increasing cultural competency for Leander ISD staff. Our work is about bringing people into the conversation.
Episode 7 – Women’s History Month with Angela Hodges, Tracie Franco & Jody Hormann
DeWayne starts by asking the three of them to share a little bit about themselves personally and professionally and why they chose the field of education. For good measure, he asked about their favorite teacher (00:48).
Later, DeWayne and the group have a conversation centered around:
- Lessons learned (12:27)
- The significance of this month’s observance (20:21)
- The favorite thing about their current role (27:58)
- Closing (34:22)
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Below, you will find a transcript of the episode.
Conversation
Street
Hello, friends. I’m here today with three exceptional leaders in LISD as we observe Women’s History Month in 2024. Each of these women has a unique and compelling story and will inform our discussion.
Street
With that being said, I’m pleased to introduce Angela Hodges, Area Superintendent; Tracie Franco, Senior Director of Transportation; and Jody Hormann, Senior Executive Director of Campus Activities.
Street
Welcome, ladies.
Hodges
Thank you for having us.
Street
It’s an honor to be working with the three of you. I think we’re going to have a really good conversation. Why don’t we jump in and get the conversation started? That sound good?
Hodges
Sounds good.
About themselves personally & professionally (00:48)
Street
Alright. I’m just going to throw some questions out there. Let’s just have a conversation and we’ll see where it goes.
Can each of you tell us a little bit about who you are, both as a person and as a professional? And why did you decide to make the field of education your life’s work?
And as you ruminate on that, I have one additional question: Who is your favorite teacher?
So why don’t we start with Area Superintendent Hodges.
Hodges
Alright. So I’m Angela Hodges, Area Superintendent, Leander ISD. I am … personally, I’m a wife of an educator and a mother of a beautiful 15-year-old dancing daughter. As far as education’s concerned, I probably fall in that bucket of people who I just always knew. It was always what I was going to do, whether I liked it or not.
Street
When did you know?
Hodges
Very young. My mom was a teacher. She actually just retired last year, a special education for 30 years. So I spent my whole upbringing in her classroom. I think my confirmation was probably my first year in college when I tried to do psychology and was like, “nope, not supposed to do this.” Supposed to go to education after a year and decided …
Street
So you were fighting it?
Hodges
I was fighting it a little, yeah. And, you know, you see the struggles of educators. And I watched my mom and thought, I mean, this is where I was pulled. I always knew it. But just thought maybe something different and tried it and just knew that education was for me. I made the decision, came back home and it was the right decision. Never regretted it. It’s been an interesting and amazing ride for the past 18 years or so in education and the last two in this role that I’ve done this role.
As far as my favorite teacher, this would probably be part of my “why” of being an educator. Mr. Waldron, senior year in high school. I was probably not the best student.
Street
What class did he teach?
Hodges
Geometry, and I did not love math, and he saw me for the potential I had. He did not see me for a student that wasn’t complying with what needed to be done. And so when I made an excuse with that …
Street
He saw you.
Hodges
He saw me as a human. And not just the student who was not doing the homework. So if I made an excuse, he gave me three options so that I couldn’t make an excuse. He never reduced his expectation for me. And so I would say he’s probably the biggest standout for me and made the biggest impression.
Street
You know, that is beautiful, because one of the things I got from that, Angela, is the importance of all teachers in terms of having high expectations for students. It makes all the difference.
Hodges
It sure does.
Street
No matter who the student is, where they come from, having those high expectations is how we demonstrate care and love and belief.
Hodges
Absolutely. And I felt I didn’t name it, didn’t know, you know, that’s what it was at the time. And I probably, when I went off to college and he was sending me care packages and keeping track of how I was doing, is when I realized he actually cares about what I’m doing, again, as a human.
Street
Yes. As Angela.
Hodges
Absolutely.
Street
Well, thank you so much for sharing that.
So we’re going to move around the table to Tracie Franco.
Franco
Hello. And I just first want to say that I’m really honored to be a part of this. I just couldn’t believe that you asked me. So I just really appreciate you for including me on this.
Street
No, no. We’re honored to have you here.
Franco
Thank you. So, yes, I’m Tracie Franco. I’m the Director of Transportation, started this July. So it’s a new adventure for me. But going to your questions as far as who I am as a person, I am a mother. I am a wife, of course, sister and aunt and all that sort of thing. I also am, as far as I’m concerned, I’m a kind person.
I think I’m loyal. You know, you can always think of all the good characteristics of yourself, but as far as professionally, I have worked very hard to get to where I am. I feel like I’ve paid my dues. And it’s funny that you ask a question of how did I decide to make this field of education my life? And so because I’m in transportation, I’m not so much directly in the field of education.
However, I did grow up in a household of educators. My father and my mother were both teachers. My dad was a football coach for many years and then athletic director. And he taught history, loved history. My mother, she was a third-grade teacher. She retired after 30 years also. And so my mom would actually tell me, don’t ever be a teacher.
So for whatever reason, she said that – I won’t elaborate on that any. But, you know, so I was always kind of steered away a little bit from it. And I really realized that I was not teacher material when I got a job at a daycare. And I just, I quit after the first week, unfortunately, because I just knew like the first day I went in, I said, I think I’m going to put my two-week notice in.
And then after lunch I said, “Ma’am, I think I’m going to end on Friday.” And then at the end of the day I said, “I’m not coming back tomorrow.” So that’s real quick how I knew I was not made out for this. However, I love transportation because I do get to, in a roundabout way, touch the lives of children.
Street
A very important way.
Franco
Yes. And I feel very honored to be able to do that, because it was a way for me to find my skill and my way into the lives of students and to those who directly touch the lives of students. And so that’s why I love what I do.
My favorite teacher, I was thinking about that and it had to be Mr. Berry when I was a sophomore. He was my Earth Science teacher. And the reason I really liked him – that he sticks out more than any other teachers – because of how passionate he was. He just, you felt it. You felt that he loved the subject and he really wanted to express that or just give over that exuberance for the subject matter to your students. And just, it came across … you just, you ended up loving the subject matter because he made it fun.
Street
That passion just came across, right? Yeah. No, I love that. And your father taught history?
Franco
Yes. Yeah, he was …
Street
You can never go wrong there.
Franco
No. Yeah, you can’t. He was really, you know, my dad. My dad. If I had to pick a true leader in my life, it would be my dad, because he showed me also well, upon his death, unfortunately, I saw how many people he had actually touched as an educator.
And I mean, so many people came up and just would tell us stories about my dad. And I just remember one that we had met several years after the fact and he found out somehow he found out that that was my dad. And he came over, said, you know, your dad is the reason I was able to play basketball.
And he wouldn’t give up on me because I wasn’t doing well in school. But he took the time after school to sit with me and make sure I was doing well and passing my classes. And he said he never forgot that, that my dad took the time. And another time my dad bought some stuff from a school, like he spent a lot of money on buying some fundraiser stuff.
And I said, “Dad, why did you do that?” He said, “Because I believe in kids,” you know. And to me, that was like, wow, just kind of those moments that I have never forgotten. And so I’m glad to have found my niche in the education world.
Street
No, that’s very powerful because one of the things that we talked about, Tracie, when Melody (Maples) and I came out to visit with you, is that anyone who works in the district, and especially, I would say, transportation, because the drivers, you all represent the first classroom of the day. And one of the things that we talked about is that everyone we’re all teachers in this district, right?
Because we all engage young people and we can model for them and we can be there for them. So I think that all of us make a contribution to this enterprise. So thank you for sharing that.
Franco
You’re welcome. And just real quick on that note, one of our questions that we ask in our interviews is so transportation is considered the first and the last class of the day. So what would they be learning on your bus? And the answers are just great. You know, they’re learning respect. They’re learning how to get along with each other. They’re learning how to follow rules, basically. So it’s really, it really is the first class.
Street
I have no doubt. And I’m so looking forward to learning more about your department and coming out and working with all of you.
Franco
I look forward to that. Thank you.
Street
So let’s move on to Jody Hormann. So how are you today?
Hormann
I’m good. How are you?
Street
I’m good.
Hormann
Thanks for having me.
Street
Absolutely.
Hormann
So who am I? I work with Campus Activities, which is athletics and fine arts and afterschool enrichment, and this year added health services to the mix as well.
Street
Full plate.
Hormann
It is. It is. It’s a fun plate, though. But who am I as a person? Let me start with that. I am a wife and mom. My son is going to be 25 this year. So I say have a kid. But really he’s you know. ..
Street
Does it seem like he’ll be 25?
Hormann
No, not at all. I mean, because how can he be 25 when I’m just 35? Right. But no, proud, proud wife and mom, a former social studies teacher and coach.
Street
Once again, love the connection. Can’t go wrong.
Hormann
Love, love, history. I think this is my 23rd year in education. So spent 11 years teaching and coaching before moving into administration. My story is a lot like Angela’s in the fact that I knew I was going to be a teacher from probably when I was in elementary school. I had an aunt that was an elementary school teacher, and back in those days you had the workbooks, and so in the summers she would clean out her classroom and bring me just boxes of leftover workbooks and all of that good stuff.
And I would spend hours setting up class in school for my younger brother to come in and be the student.
Street
I’ll bet he loved that.
Hormann
He absolutely hated it, and usually I could talk him into it and if I could get it set up within like 5 minutes, I had a chance of him playing school with me. But if I took longer than that, he was uninterested anymore.
But I knew early on that that’s what I wanted to do and then got to middle school and high school and realized there was this thing called sports.
And I was very interested in that and then figured out I could be a teacher and I could be connected to sports.
Street
Best of all worlds.
Hormann
That was just, that was it for me.
And my favorite teacher, I would say, was Mr. Tiletto. He had to have been in his 70s when I was in high school from Puerto Rico, and he taught Spanish. And I, I probably learned a little bit of Spanish in his class, but I just remember it being …
He was one of the few back then that greeted you at the door that called you by your first name. He could tell what kind of mood you were in right away.
Street
Sense of belonging.
Hormann
Absolutely. And it didn’t matter if you were the greatest student in the class. We were going to have fun. And that when I think about his classroom, that’s what I remember is like, we were always going to be smiling when we left his classroom. It was just one of those, you never walked in and felt stressed, like, it’s this class today.
It was just always like, all right, this is a good hour of the day. And you know, I just looking back, appreciate the culture he had set up for us in his class every day.
Street
I love that you mentioned that he was in his 70s because greatness has no expiration date. Right? I mean, we all have a contribution to make no matter where we are on the age continuum. So thank you for sharing that.
Lessons learned (12:27)
So let’s move around and have some additional items to discuss. So I want you all to reflect on this. Each of you has ascended to the highest levels of leadership here in LISD in your respective areas. What lessons have you learned along the way and what would you have done differently, if anything?
So, Tracie, let’s go ahead and start with you.
Franco
So working in transportation, I get the luxury of working with a lot of interesting people, lots of different personalities. So I think the one thing that I have really learned coming up into this, to this level, is I got to have some thick skin and I have to be able to not take it personal.
Street
And that’s not always easy.
Franco
Yeah, it’s not.
Street
For any of us.
Franco
Right? Because I have feelings just like anybody else. And, you know, when someone doesn’t agree with something that I’m trying to do, to do a process improvement that I think is an improvement and maybe my team isn’t ready for it. You know, it can get kind of emotional sometimes. So, yeah, having a thick skin.
What I think I would have done different if I if I could go back and start over is I probably would have started this career sooner.
I think I would have started really soon, you know, just so I could have that more, more time in this industry. And also be getting ready for retirement. You know, I would be coming up on my time, however. But also I think the thing that I really mainly learned was as I was assistant director under different leaders, I found out that I do not need to change who I am.
Fundamentally, I do not need to change my character. I do not need to change how I … my leadership style. And I felt for a long time that I did in order … I had to … I couldn’t be so soft because that was one of the things that I was always concerned with my, you know, people would consider me too soft because I am a little bit have a softer voice, I guess you would say.
But that is not the case. I mean, I have learned that I do not need to change who I am because it has worked for me all these years and I have never had an issue with it. And it has allowed me to be where I am now. And so that’s one thing I wish I would have really learned more.
I guess that’s a confidence thing. Just to learn more, be more confident in my own abilities sooner than later.
Street
I think there’s a lot of value in that. When I look back on my leadership journey, when you first start, you have those feelings of impostership, which sometimes move you away from the authentic self that you need to be, right? So I totally can identify with that. But I think by moving away from the authenticity that we bring, sometimes we compromise our leadership ability.
So I’m glad that you identified that.
Franco
100%. I think it’s a really good lesson for young leaders to learn. And so even our young leaders in transportation, as we bring them in, you know, we try to self promote, internally promote. So we have drivers who become team leaders, which is like a first line supervisor. So I try to teach them that early on, you know, be competent in who you are and don’t let anybody around you change that because that’s who you are and that’s what your strength is.
And so, yeah.
Street
All right. Thank you so much. So I want to go in the other direction and I’d like to ask Jody to respond to that one.
Hormann
So I think one, I kind of go back to my teaching and coaching years, and I didn’t realize it until I became a parent and then started working in admin. But a lot of times when you’re teaching and coaching, you feel like you’re repeating yourself over and over and it is not sinking in. I said, “Step right,” and three times now we step to the left, right?
But as my son was growing up and was in athletics and in classrooms, I realized he could come home and repeat to me word for word what Coach “fill in the blank” had said that day. And I think it was at that point that I realized they are actually listening to me, even though I might have said step right and they still stepped left.
But I think that’s something I learned. Like I said, when I was in middle school, I was in administration at that point and I try to pass that on to our directors who are coaches that I know it doesn’t always seem like it, feel like it, look like it, but they actually are listening to you.
Street
All the time.
Hormann
All the time and watching as well. And I think that’s one of the biggest things, if I could go back when I was teaching and coaching, realizing that and just being very careful about what I say, even more careful than in what I’m saying, what I had been saying.
Street
That is an exceptional point. You know, one of the things that I’ve often shared with people is that when I was in graduate school, I read the book by Stephen Brookfield, “Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher,” and one of the lines in the book penetrated me. The line was, even when we’re not speaking, we’re still teaching. So think about how powerful it is when you’re always speaking and you think they’re not listening, but they are.
And we’re teaching them how to be, as my wife would say. We’re teaching them what to do and just as important, what not to do. So teaching is a powerful medium for human growth. I totally agree.
So, Area Superintendent Hodges, what are your thoughts about this?
Hodges
I like going last because they said all of the things I wanted to say, which is really …
Street
You’re going check, check.
Hodges
Yeah, yeah, I am. I’m doing a lot of nodding over here as I think through kind of, you know, my trajectory and in my career. It really has been, always, the unwavering thing has been just show up and do the right work for the right reasons.
It doesn’t matter what position you’re in, does it matter what you’re doing. Always do the right work for the right reasons. That’s always been something that has just kind of been internalized for me and it just kind of who I am and what I’m about. But when I think back on some of the reflections, I was really relating a lot to what Tracie was just talking about.
Because as I switch from role to role, right, and I’m thinking about even my most recent transition that I’ve made, you do get that imposter syndrome that comes and creeps in.
Street
It’s real for all of us.
Hodges
It is absolutely real and it will debilitate you if you let it. And so if I were to reflect on something it really would be that it is just there is that sense of confidence that diminishes when you transition into a new role. And then you have to really stop and slow yourself down and realize, I have the skill set to do this, but doesn’t mean that there’s not new learning as you are acquiring the skills in your new capacity, but making sure you’re striking that balance of your confidence level and your humility is really important, really important.
And so I would say, you know, as I think back on all of all of the work that I’ve done over the past several years in education, you got to do it for the kids – I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true. That’s what you do it for. And you got to do it for the people around you.
And so the other piece of what Tracy was just saying that related to me was just how we pour into people that are around us, that have the capacity, that have leadership assets and skills that you can see in them. How do we build those people up and help them with that confidence level so that we can reduce that possibility of feeling like an imposter when they’re given opportunities as well.
Street
So they can be more impactful sooner.
Hodges
That’s right.
Street
Because I think that’s what I got from what Tracie was saying.
Hodges
Absolutely.
Street
Once I identified the feelings of impostership that I had early in my leadership journey and isolated those out, I became a much more effective leader.
Hodges
That’s right.
Street
So we want them to go through that sooner, right?
Hodges
Maximize that impact.
Street
Exactly.
Hodges
Absolutely.
The significance of this month’s observance (20:21)
Street
All right. So let’s dive a little bit deeper. As we observe Women’s History Month this year, please tell us what this observance means to you both personally and professionally. Why is it important for all of us to acknowledge the history and contributions of women?
So why don’t we start with Dr. … I’m sorry, Area Superintendent Hodges, who’s working on her doctorate.
Hodges
Yes, I am.
Street
I got ahead of myself.
Hodges
Just a little bit. Just a little bit. Yeah. So I would say the personal and professional probably really overlapped. And so for me, just taking the opportunity to acknowledge women’s History Month as an opportunity to pause and acknowledge how far we’ve come, first.
Street
Perspective.
Hodges
Absolutely. Perspective is huge because you can get in this place where you feel like … there’s inequities in pay or whatever the case might be, and get stuck there.
Street
And those are real.
Hodges
They’re very real.
Street
But the perspective is important.
Hodges
Understanding that we have come a long way and then knowing really what contributed to us coming that far and how can I contribute to that continued progression, right? So I feel like that’s the nature of my role, too, is I get to pour into leaders. That’s one of my favorite parts about my job. And I know that we’re I talk a little bit about that, but just the ability to help people see how they can maximize their impact, like we just talked about to me is what this month is all about.
So, you know, recenter, have perspective, and acknowledge where we’ve come and then pay attention to where we can go. And pour into that.
Street
I think that’s extremely important because, you know, the contributions of all people we need to highlight and celebrate, but we also need to have their perspective. You know, the journey is not complete, but we’ve traveled a long way and things are definitely different and better than they were a generation ago. So let’s honor that as well.
Hodges
That’s right.
Street
So Jody Hormann, what are your thoughts about this?
Hormann
So I’m going to start personally and that’s going to lead into professionally. So I grew up in a very small town and so the exposure I had to occupations was very limited, right? So I went to school. Obviously, I knew I could be a teacher or I could go work in a chemical plant. Those were the two things in the area of Texas I grew up that were the options.
So I wasn’t exposed really to anything else. So as I transitioned into teaching and coaching and then athletic administration, when I was an athletic director, there were very few females at the time in Texas that were in that role. And so I think for me this month is just exposing our girls to all the things they can be.
You don’t, you know, I think teachers, yes, that’s a common role for females to see. But there’s so much more than just the teacher role there. You can go into the athletic role and …
Street
Transportation.
Hormann
Transportation. There’s just so many options out there that I love what this month does and shows not just accolades and accomplishments of women, but just I mean, I learned something I learned that there’s a new occupation that a woman holds during this month all the time as well. So I think it’s just important and exciting for me to see what our young females are being exposed to. There’s so many options out there for them.
Street
Exposure and opportunity. I love that.
So, Tracie Franco.
Franco
So I enjoy I want to kind of build on what Jody said and I appreciate that you said that you didn’t have many options because when I did talk to my mom when I was younger about being a teacher and such, and I said, “Well, if you’re not enjoying this, why do you do it? Why did you do it?
Why did you get in this field?” And she said, because there was really … she came from a small town, too. And she said there was really no other options. She said, “I could be a secretary, I could be a nurse or I could be a teacher.” That was pretty much the limited options that she had. And ultimately, she said she was very glad that she did choose education because she did ultimately enjoy it and being able to just really touch the lives of students.
And so that kind of means something to me as far as Women’s History Month. I think back in a personal level of my mother and what she had to go through as to being a teacher, you know, learning to love the job, right? I also think back to my grandmother and my great grandmother and just the history from them coming, you know, where they came from and just really absolutely no options except to be like a housewife or, you know, you had to be or you have to pick up and go out to the field and work and stuff like that.
And so that you get to do everything that you could to help support the family. And so now fast forward to now, I was lucky enough to have needed a job. I became a bus driver and transportation. But it did matter that I was a woman or not. I was able to work, work hard, work my way up.
I became almost every position. I took every position that I could in transportation except for in the shop. And that’s something that I still may learn because as a director, I feel like I should know that. But I was able to progress and there was nothing holding me back. And so I see and I thank the women who fought before us who ultimately gave me this opportunity, because if you look at it, transportation really is dominantly a male profession.
You know, a lot of the directors are male and even the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation (TAPT) that was even centered around, it began with male directors getting together, talking about how we can improve or how they can do stuff. And it was kind of a good old boy society type of situation. So but it’s grown. And that’s where I really learned to love transportation and going to the classes.
They have a lot of TAPT classes and I was so lucky to have really strong women that were leading those classes. And I could see I could do this, I could I can be that. And I just …
Street
A sense of empowerment.
Franco
Yes, empowerment, Exactly. That’s the word that I keep in my mind over and over. Empowerment. I felt very empowered by seeing these women, what they’ve achieved. And a lot of their stories were similar to mine where they started because they needed a job, They had kids, the kids could come with them on the bus at the time and that sort of thing, and it fit in their schedule.
So I mean, I feel like I owe everything to past women and that the fight that they fought for us and allowed me to be where I am today. So that does not go unnoticed. And I think about that quite often. Sometimes I sit back and I realize where I am and what position I’m holding, and I still get goose bumps by it.
I really do. So I just, I want to keep that joy and that love for this position.
Street
That’s terrific. And I love that you’re paying homage to all those who came before you, right? Because I think that’s part of that perspective. You know, all of us are here because someone had to open a door so we could be here. And so our job now is to honor that by making sure going back to Angela’s point that we pour into people so that the doors will continue to be open.
And that more people can go through.
Franco
Create more openings for the women that are coming up behind us. And instead of stepping on their head, pull them, you know, grab their hand and pull them up along with you.
Street
Let me show you the way.
Franco
That’s right. That’s right.
Street
I love that.
The favorite thing about their current role (27:58)
So here’s a question that I think all of you can dive into. Please tell us the favorite thing about your current role.
Jody, would you like to start us off?
Hormann
Sure. I think I am a teacher at heart. I got into education to help. At the beginning it was to help kids. And then as I’ve gone on this journey, it’s transitioned to now I’m not directly impacting kids on a daily basis like teachers do in the classroom and our coaches and directors do and extracurriculars. But now it’s shifted to where I’m helping adults and helping coaches and teachers and directors and our fine arts directors and athletic directors.
But at the heart of that, it’s still teaching and coaching.
Street
Just in a different way.
Hormann
It’s just in a different way. And they’re a little older than teenagers that I’m used to.
Street
Just a little bit.
Hormann
Just a little bit, but just seeing our adult leaders grow into their own and learn and try to I’m just I want to help. And so if I can help by saying, hey, I made that mistake once, let me let me learn from me. Learn for me. Let me save you from yourself on that one. And just continuing to get to teach and coach and watch them come into their own type of leaders and their decision-making skills and things like that is, that’s probably my favorite part.
And then it’s a trickle-down effect because the better leaders they are, the better teachers and directors and coaches they’re going to have and the better our kids get, so …
Street
It comes full circle.
Hormann
Absolutely. That’s my favorite part.
Street
And I love that.
So, Angela …
Hodges
Absolutely. And again, very much can relate to it to the answers before me. That’s absolutely actually my favorite part too. So in my role, there’s, you know, just like yours, I’m sure, 100 different things that we do. But my favorite is being able to pour into our campus leaders. And so predominantly what my role is, is to coach and support and nurture our campus principals.
But that doesn’t stop at the principals. It’s anybody. When I say leaders, I’m intentional to use that word, that we’re there to pour into all of our leaders in our system. And so some of the being able to provide insight of some of those blind spots that some of our newer principals might have because they’ve never done the role, being able to be that person kind of guide on the side.
I would say the most unique thing about the role that we do in the area superintendent world is that we get to know the individual very deeply and then we get to know their work very deeply. So we get to work with them on real coaching, really asking questions, really moving there and progressing them in their leadership through questions, not just telling and of course, making sure that we’re holding them accountable for the work.
It’s incredibly rewarding, especially when you’re seeing progression and growth. My favorite thing is hiring a brand new principal – never been a principal before – and watching them grow into that role and watching them be successful, it’s incredibly rewarding.
Street
It must be. And that’s one thing that when I left the classroom, I was aware that from a day-to-day standpoint, nothing I would ever do would be as rewarding from a day-to-day standpoint, again, as that. Watching young people grow. You get them at the beginning of the year and then you see where they land in May and June.
That’s one of the things that I still miss, and I’ve loved that over my leadership journey, watching people grow and evolve and and going back to what Tracie said, opening up that door, and then they hold it open for those coming after them.
Hodges
And that’s where the additional leaders in the system come in. Right. So even though I formally work with campus principals, being able to tap into the potential of other people, you see as leaders in the system and getting them and supporting them and getting them where they need to be is awesome. And then I just want to parrot something that Jody just said about that trickle down.
None of that matters if it doesn’t impact the student, and so watching that impact is also very, very exciting.
Street
That’s the secret sauce.
Hodges
It is. It is.
Street
So, Tracie would you like to chime in on this one?
Franco
Sure. Of course. I want to say what Angela, what you were talking about is building those relationships. And so that’s one of my favorite things about my job is I get to work with so many different kinds of people, and our backgrounds at transportation are so different. I mean, we have people that have had their life careers already.
They’ve been professors, racecar drivers, boxers, professional football players. I mean, we’re covering the whole gamut of people. And then we have, of course, that they’ve been a bus driver their whole lives and that’s all they know and all they want to do. And so each person is such an individual, such an important part of the intricate fiber of transportation.
And I love my job because I get to build those relationships. So I don’t, I don’t work with leaders as much as you all do, but it’s just funny that I’m seeing how our jobs actually do kind of intertwine. I mean, they are similar. Yeah, just a little different. They branch off in different areas, but I pride myself in being approachable with my people and I think that’s kind of what has been one of my strong suits, is that I do try to form those realistic relationships with them and therefore that in itself opens those doors of trust.
Of course, the communication. And then when I’m needing to, to talk to them about something or change something in the world of transportation, they have more of a buy-in because they trust me that I’m leading them in the right direction and they’re very willing to follow. And that’s what you have to get the buy-in in order, or else they’ll never follow you anywhere if they don’t trust you and trust where you’re taking them.
And the other part about why I love what I do is because it is a different flavor every day. You don’t know what’s on fire, you don’t know what‘s fixin’ to explode or what bus is and what whatever. So I just, it’s such a different thing every single day. There’s nothing that’s similar day to day. The only thing that’s the same is that it’ll be different.
That’s the only thing that’s the same.
Street
That’s the only constant.
Franco
That’s the only constant, yes sir.
Closing (34:22)
Street
Well, I think that is a perfect place for us to end our conversation on such a high note. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that the three of you decided to go on this journey with us. Our district is better off because of each of you. You know, the contribution that you make is humbling, and I know we’re better because of it.
Street
So thank you all so much.
Franco
Thank you.
Hodges
Thank you.
Hormann
Thank you.
