In a heartwarming twist during the Castleberry ISD school board meeting last night, Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner experienced an unexpected surprise when Item 7B on the agenda unfolded into a special recognition different from what she anticipated. Dr. Steven Moss, the Director of Fine Arts, revealed a secret that left the superintendent visibly surprised.
Addressing the Team of 8, Moss shared the well-kept secret, saying, "As you may or may not know, this has been a bit of a secret leading up to this. The Texas Music Educators Association is not only the only kind of Association like it in our state and our nation, but also in the world." He highlighted the Association's impressive statistics, boasting nearly 20,000 active members and drawing over 35,000 people to its annual convention in San Antonio in February.
Emphasizing the weight of the acknowledgment, Moss continued, "When the Texas Music Educators Association reaches out and acknowledges an individual or a small group of people, the weight of that acknowledgment is absolutely remarkable and is nothing short of tremendous. I think it reflects doing things with the spirit of excellence."
Further addressing the board, he noted the importance of recognizing leaders, especially in this season of giving thanks. He announced, "We do want to spend tonight honoring a leader. I think that you will take great pride and pleasure, and everybody in the room will, as well, in knowing that the Texas Music Educators Executive Board and Executive Secretary have selected one of very, very, very, very, few members in our state to be a distinguished administrator, and that is Mrs. Smith-Faulkner."
Smith-Faulkner, taken aback, was invited to join the band and mariachi students who had gathered alongside Moss at the podium. A student handed her a bouquet of 33 pink roses, each symbolizing a year of Smith-Faulkner's dedicated service to Castleberry ISD. A certificate and a letter from the TMEA were also presented.
The surprise continued as Moss shared that the Fort Worth City Council would honor the Fine Arts department, including Smith-Faulkner, on Tuesday, November 14 at 6 PM. Expressing gratitude and admiration, Moss concluded, "We do honor you, we thank you for your leadership, and we're grateful. Thank you!"
In response, Smith-Faulkner, still processing the unexpected recognition, took to the microphone to express her joy in supporting the fine arts students year after year, and witnessing the growth of the district's fine arts activities. She said "I'm always honored when they're announcing our teams and they say that our superintendent is Renee Smith-Faulkner, and I'm out there yelling how we’re the best school district in the state of Texas with the best students that any superintendent could wish to have."
Under Smith-Faulkner's leadership as superintendent, the district's fine arts department has excelled in visual arts education, earning The Texas Art Education Association's District of Distinction Award for integrating visual arts into a well-rounded education. The district also received The NAMM Foundation's "Best Communities for Music Education" designation, showcasing its outstanding commitment to music education.
TMEA Executive Director Robert Floyd commended Mrs. Smith-Faulkner in a letter announcing the recognition, indicating, "TMEA Executive Board created this designation to honor upper-level school administrators who have been instrumental in preserving quality music education programs on their campuses and in their districts." Floyd expressed the organization's belief in Texas being home to the best music educators and programs nationwide, acknowledging the indispensable support of administrators like Mrs. Smith-Faulkner.
Congratulations to Renee Smith-Faulkner for being named a TMEA Distinguished Administrator!