DeSoto ISD Board President Chasiti McKissic Named to Prestigious Leadership TASB Class of 2026
The DeSoto Independent School District
proudly congratulates Board President Chasiti McKissic on being selected
as one of only 32 school board trustees from across Texas to participate in the
Leadership TASB Class of 2026, the state’s premier school board
leadership development program.
The announcement comes from the Texas
Association of School Boards (TASB), which selected participants through a
rigorous review process culminating in final approval by the TASB Board’s
Member Services Committee in July.
Leadership TASB (LTASB) is a
year-long, highly selective program designed to elevate experienced board
members to new levels of service and leadership through exposure to statewide
educational issues, governance best practices, and collaborative learning with
trustees from diverse districts.
“Being chosen for Leadership TASB is
both an honor and a responsibility,” said President McKissic. “This
program will allow me to learn from the experiences of other trustees across
Texas while also sharing the innovative work happening here in DeSoto ISD. I am
committed to using these insights to further advocate for policies and
practices that ensure every DeSoto ISD scholar has access to an exceptional
education.”
Over the next year, McKissic will join
her cohort in visiting innovative school districts across Texas — including
Houston, Amarillo, Harlingen, and Texarkana — before concluding the program in
June 2026 in Fort Worth, where she will earn the designation of Master
Trustee, TASB’s highest recognition for school board members.
DeSoto ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Usamah Rodgers expressed her pride in the Board President’s achievement.
“President McKissic’s selection for
Leadership TASB reflects her dedication to both governance excellence and our
district’s mission,” said Dr. Rodgers. “Her participation will strengthen our
Board’s ability to lead with vision and strategy, ensuring that DeSoto ISD
continues to grow academically, artistically, and athletically in ways that
prepare our students for the world beyond the classroom.”
Since its founding in 1993, more than
1,000 trustees have completed Leadership TASB. The program blends in-depth
governance training with team-based research on critical issues facing Texas
public education.
DeSoto ISD has a strong history of
leadership in the program — President McKissic will join the ranks of Master
Trustees that include Dr. Tiffany Clark (2024), DeAndrea Fleming (2020), and
former trustees Kurt Crohn, Curtistene S. McCowan, Don Gant, and Carl Sherman
Jr.