DeAndrea currently serves as the Vice-President for the Board of Trustees and is the Finance Committee Chair and Policy Committee Member.

Master Trustee Designation- LTASB 2020

DeSoto Independent School District is proud to announce that DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees Vice President DeAndrea Fleming has earned the Leadership Texas Association of School Board’s Master Trustee Designation.
 
Leadership TASB is a unique board-development program designed to take experienced board members to a new level of service and leadership by exposing them to a variety of issues, people, activities, and locations. 
 
“Obtaining the master trustee designation is nothing short of exciting,” said Fleming. “As a trustee, my goal is to be the best that I can be in order to best serve the students and families of DeSoto and Glenn Heights. Doing the work to learn the nuances and insights of leadership from the trustee perspective are integral to improving my ability to lead and guide positive change and improvement in DeSoto ISD.”
 
Trustee Fleming participated in the year-long training program learning from nationally-recognized leaders on topics such as teamwork, trusteeship, equity, diversity, and visionary leadership. 
 
“Trustee Fleming’s participation and completion of this program are demonstrative of her commitment to improving leadership in DeSoto ISD,” said Board President Karen Daniel. “It is an honor to extend congratulations and celebrate this honor not only for Trustee Fleming but also for the forward movement of our district.” 
 
Trustee Fleming is the fifth DeSoto ISD trustee in the district’s history to receive the Master Trustee designation.Former trustees Kurt Crohn, Curistene S. McCowan, Don Gant and Carl Sherman Jr. also received the honor. Additionally, Trustee Dr. Tiffany Clark has been accepted to the2021 LTASB Master Trustee cohort for the upcoming year.
In October of 2019, Trustee Fleming was selected as School Board Member of the Year by the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and the Southwest Dallas County Alliance of Black School Educators where she serves as the SWDCABSE president through 2022.

Trustee Fleming was elected to the DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees in 2018. During her service, Trustee Fleming has advocated for financial transparency, accountability, equity in educational policy, and gender responsive development.

TABSE School Board Member of the Year 2019

The TABSE School Board Member Of The Year Award is bestowed upon local school board members who have demonstrated an unswerving commitment to representing and facilitating the educational needs of school children of African descent.

Each year, TABSE  recognizes distinguished individuals who have made local and state contributions to the education of African American educators and learners. These individuals have shared and exemplified the vision and mission of TABSE as nominated by members of the organization.  In addition to the recognition of the School Board Member of the Year. TABSE will recognize an outstanding teacher, principal, and student.
DeSoto Independent School District is proud to announce that DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees Vice President DeAndrea Fleming has been selected as the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators’ School Board Member of the Year.

“The community elected me to serve as a key advocate for education within the community and with local, state, and federal policymakers in all efforts to change the trajectory of the lives of students and I will continue to carry the torch of commitment to bring home success and victory for the great community of DeSoto,” said Fleming. “This honor is a testament to the love and dedication I have for my community and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

As a Policy Committee Board member, Fleming focused on policy changes that are aligned to the expectations of outcomes that promote student learning, well-being and success of all students. She has tackled financial issues in her role as Chair of the DeSoto ISD Finance Committee 
As an advocate for students, Fleming testified before the State Board of Education in Austin petitioning state legislators to approve an African- American Studies Course for all students in the state of Texas championing culturally-relevant and diverse curriculum promoting racial and cultural tolerance and understanding. 
For the past two years, Fleming has served on the planning committee for the district’s annual Female Leadership Forum held for girls in grades five through 12 championing topics such as Leadership, STEAM, Career Exploration and Personal Development. ​

The Reset: Back To School Virtual Town Hall​

Facebook Live Virtual – The Reset Virtual Back To School Town Hall, hosted by DJ Jazze of 97.9 The Beat was set up to inform our community about back to school options for parents and students. Before the town hall got under way, there were some well wishes for a safe and successful school year from popular entertainers such a as: ASAP Ferg, Malaga and H.E.R! 

The town hall meeting’s primary concern was the ongoing debate of whether students should return to their buildings or opt for learning via distance learning (online). After outlining the current debate, the panel was asked what advice they could provide to parents facing such a decision.

Dr. McFarland answered by citing safety protocols that will be strictly adhered to in his district (mandatory masks, temperature checks), which served as a reminder that each district is flying blind with having no state or federal guidelines, a point that Mr. Sanders expounded. 

Trustee Fleming urged parents to ask for the details such as what the school will do if a teacher or student gets sick with COVID. Or, even non-COVID-related matters, such as a parent who needs to pick up their child for a doctors appointment. How would the office staff handle parents and vendors having access to the building? 

The discussion soon turned to privilege, specifically, the challenges faced by low-income families lacking the resources to opt for distance learning. While the panel acknowledged the difficulties, no one had a solution for these eternal inequities. In fact, Mr. Sanders noted that even parents of means are facing challenges with online learning.

The town hall continued, addressing several connected points, from church assistance with wifi access to the deficiencies already impacting the education of our children to the frustrations of getting the community to buy in to the changes required to keep everyone safe. 

The world is watching while students from elementary to colleges are heading back to classrooms all over the world. The town hall meeting was a great idea and more people should have chimed in to gain insights on what school leaders are doing.