Parents & Community of Longview ISD

Parents & Community of Longview ISD A public, safe space for the community (parents, educators, elected officials, administrators) to ask

Background: This page was started early in 2020 when parents and community members of Longview ISD (Texas) were concerned about the district considering the entire district becoming SB 1882 charter campuses. SB 1882 is a Texas Senate bill that was passed into law in 2017 and you can see more information about them at https://txpartnerships.org. The district already had six campuses being operated

by East Texas Advanced Academies (ETAA) charter parner starting the 2019-2020 school year. At the January 8, 2020 ETAA board meeting, Dr. Wilcox was on the agenda to report to the charter board. Part of what he said includes, “There are some people who don’t want these improvements (charters) and I call them C.A.V.E. people - Citizens Against Virtually Everything.” As parents and community members we renamed what C.A.V.E. stood for using the acronym Dr. Wilcox shared as “Community Advocates for Visionary Education” and this page had that name until September 2022. We collectively wanted educational decisions that were visible to everyone in the community . We shared a lot of information with the public and reached out to board members and LISD staff many times to get answers, but few answers were given. We even planned to host our own community meeting after many charter meetings left us with more doubt than hope that additional charters would help LISD students and staff. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic hit during spring break in March of 2020 and everything was shut down so we couldn’t host an in-person meeting as we had planned. However, even with many people advocating for the school board to wait on more SB 1882 charter partners, they passed the vote to move forward with it at the beginning of the pandemic on April 13, 2020. This page’s purpose is to continue to share important information for parents and community members in the Longview ISD school district. We advocate for better transparency from Longview ISD administration and Board of Trustee members while including more input from parents, classroom teachers, and students before decisions are made. It’s recommended you get the contact information for school board members and directly contact them as needed on the Longview ISD website at https://w3.lisd.org/board. Please message us if you have any important information to share or simply comment on a post. We care about the success of students and staff in Longview ISD and want to fill in the missing pieces as much as we can to help everyone become better informed about past, present and future decision making in LISD. Please invite any interested party (especially parents of LISD students) to follow this page and like posts to stay informed.

A performance of Gathering Blue by the Lobo Theatre UIL students is tonight, April 17 at 6pm at the Mickey Melton Audito...
04/17/2026

A performance of Gathering Blue by the Lobo Theatre UIL students is tonight, April 17 at 6pm at the Mickey Melton Auditorium at Longview High School. It’s a free community performance.

*This information was messaged to us to share. If you know of student events happening, please message us and we will try to help spread the word by sharing. However, we do not share fundraisers.

Take a 3-5 minute survey from Longview ISD as a staff member, parent, student, alumni, or community member to be "used b...
04/04/2026

Take a 3-5 minute survey from Longview ISD as a staff member, parent, student, alumni, or community member to be "used by Longview ISD leadership to guide decisions and improve our schools."

https://form.jotform.com/longviewisd/ccc

Please click the link to complete this form.

Anyone with students who will be sophomores or juniors in the 2026-2027 school year have the opportunity to apply and be...
04/04/2026

Anyone with students who will be sophomores or juniors in the 2026-2027 school year have the opportunity to apply and be part of Kristen Ishihara Mayor of Longview's advisory committee.

Will you be a high school sophomore or junior in Longview this coming school year? The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is officially accepting applications for the 2026–2027 school year. This isn't just a club. It’s a seat at the table where your ideas turn into city policy. Please visit LongviewTexas.gov/YAC for more information!

Their educator series has a great chance this week for middle and high school history teachers 👩‍🏫 👨‍🏫 to learn more to ...
03/01/2026

Their educator series has a great chance this week for middle and high school history teachers 👩‍🏫 👨‍🏫 to learn more to incorporate in your lessons this . Teachers can register and take advantage of this opportunity at the link in their post.

Join us on March 8th at 4pm ET on Zoom for our latest Virtual Workshop for Educators, Half the Story: Integrating Women’s Voices Into Your Existing History Lessons [Civil Rights Movement].

Women have always been present in history — in the lunch counters, the courtrooms, the fields, the factories, and the movements that shaped our world. But too often, history curricula leave them at the margins. Half the Story is a hands-on professional development workshop designed for middle and high school history teachers who want to make their existing lesson plans more complete, more accurate, and more engaging — without starting from scratch. Using educator-tested strategies like those modeled in civil rights scholarship that centers women’s leadership in events like the Greensboro sit-ins, participants will learn practical methods for identifying where women are missing from their lessons, locating primary sources that restore their presence, and revising lesson plans to reflect the full breadth of historical participation. Walk away with a revised lesson, a toolkit of resources, and the pedagogical confidence to keep going.

Learn more and register: https://events.womenshistory.org/events/half-the-story-integrating-womens-voices-into-your-existing-history-lessons-civil-rights-movement/

02/28/2026

A visibly angry Judge Scott Novy added jail time to a probated sentence given Friday to one of the former administrators at J.L. Everhart Elementary School. Former Principal Cassandra James […]

From the KLTV 7 report: "Cassandra Renee James, 51, of Hallsville, and Linda Kaye Lister, 63, of Longview, are two of si...
02/27/2026

From the KLTV 7 report:

"Cassandra Renee James, 51, of Hallsville, and Linda Kaye Lister, 63, of Longview, are two of six people charged with abusing 11 students at J.L. Everhart Elementary from 2019 to 2021."

"Longview detective Debra Stiles testified that a Longview ISD attorney was on site and interviewing subjects when she arrived at the school for the initial investigation."

In Texas, Section 261.101 of the Texas Family Code requires any person suspecting child abuse or neglect must immediately report it to authorities.

Yet, Longview News-Journal reported:

"Some of the mothers whose children were in the J.L Everhart life skills class – nonverbal autistic children – had complained to school and district administrators in September 2021 about their suspicions. One of the mothers secretly sent a recording device in her son’s backpack to capture what was happening in the classroom. 'In a dream world, I would have been called in the very beginning, when the parent had the audio recording,' Stiles said. Instead, Longview police were contacted in October 2021, with Stiles meeting with former Assistant Superintendent James Hockenberry on Oct 18."

( https://news-journal.com/2026/02/26/former-longview-isd-educators-found-guilty-of-abusing-special-education-students/ )

LNJ also reported today about the suspended sentences and fines for their roles in the abuse: https://news-journal.com/2026/02/27/convicted-ex-longview-isd-educators-avoid-prison-in-special-education-student-abuse-case/

Prosecutors played videos on day three of the Longview ISD abuse trial showing principals and staff allegedly abusing students with disabilities at J.L. Everhart Elementary.

02/27/2026

LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – Two Longview ISD special education buses were involved in a crash while heading to a field trip on Friday. According to the district, the two special education buses …

Students have until March 30 to submit their art and essays for this City of Longview contest for America250 celebration...
02/07/2026

Students have until March 30 to submit their art and essays for this City of Longview contest for America250 celebrations. Check out all the information at the link.

Answer and respond to the contest question in the form of a written or typed document.• One submission per student (per category).• Turn in projects by:  Monday, March 30, 2026.• All submissions need to be no longer than one page or 500 words.• Submit document online, in the file format of ...

This is a chance for teachers to take advantage of this summer program. Application window closes March 6.
02/07/2026

This is a chance for teachers to take advantage of this summer program. Application window closes March 6.

📣Calling All Educators! Join us at the Smithsonian this July!

Our application period for Cohort 6 of the Smithsonian's Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange Program is currently accepting applications! Join us in Washington, D.C. this summer during the celebration of our country’s 250th birthday and become a Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange Facilitator. Help guide students in place-based investigations as they explore their community and connect with peers from a different part of the country to share their local stories and reflect on their commonalities and differences.

“This experience has offered my students and me more opportunities to grow than any professional development I've ever participated in. I was proud of how my students sought to find commonality and share their own experiences with students from different states and backgrounds. The training with and exposure to Smithsonian resources was the single most valuable and actionable PD I've ever had.”

Cohort 4 Democracy in Dialogue Facilitator (North Carolina)

✅ Applicants: all professional and informal educators working with students ages 10-19.
✅ Included: honorarium, CEU credits, & costs for the July training summit in Washington D.C.
📅 Application Period: Closes Friday, March 6, 2026

To learn more about this opportunity and to apply, please visit: https://www.si.edu/educators/democracy-dialogue-virtual-exchange-program

Democracy in Dialogue is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Bezos Family Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

📸: Dr. Monique Chism, Smithsonian Under Secretary for Education, with members of Cohort 5 of the Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange program at the National Museum of African Art. Photo by Norwood Photography.

01/23/2026

This is still a good chance for educational opportunities for you and your family about local history with FREE ADMISSION until the end of January.

01/23/2026

NEW DATE & TIME: Mini-Cheer clinic is TOMORROW!!! Spread the word…

01/16/2026

Teens ages 14-18 have an important opportunity to get their heart screening next month. Share and sign-up!

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