TASPA Board Spotlight

BENJAMIN MUIR TASPA DISTRICT 1

Ben Muir is in his 29th year in education. He received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and his M.A. from the University of Texas @ San Antonio. Before moving into his current position of Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in July 2022, Ben worked as a teacher, assistant principal, elementary principal, HR Director, and Executive Director of Elementary Administration. He is extremely fortunate to have an outstanding HR team and new Superintendent to work alongside every day.

On a personal note, Ben has two children. His son is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa and is working and living in San Antonio and his daughter is a junior at UT-Dallas.

MY ADVICE TO THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO HR:

For those of you who are new in this role, my advice is to connect with others in neighboring districts to collaborate with. There are so many great, knowledgeable people out there willing to share great practices. The other piece of advice is to take your time and learn your role within the department and the district. There is a lot to learn in your new role and you will have an amazing support system around you. Tap into that institutional knowledge but don’t be afraid to step outside the box and challenge those around you. As long as your decision making revolves around what is best for kids, you can’t go wrong.

CURRENT CHALLENGES IN YOUR DISTRICT:

Northside ISD is the fourth largest district in Texas with nearly 14,000 employees, 125 campuses and 103,000 students. Right now, our number one challenge is staffing. This is not a new challenge, but a challenge that has become more difficult to navigate. As a district, we will continue to think outside the box regarding our recruiting efforts but will need to shift and put more of an emphasis on retention.

HOW HAS TASPA BENEFITED YOU:

I am a long time TASPA member and have previously served as the District I representative. In addition, I have been a member of the TASPA nominations and legislature committees. Being a member of TASPA has afforded me the opportunity to network and work alongside some of the finest leaders/mentors around the state.