Member Spotlight

MELISSA AGUERO RAMIREZ

PHARR SAN JUAN ALAMO ISD

Melissa Aguero Ramirez is the Chief of Human Resources with Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD.

She has served in the education field as a Human Resources director for various school districts since 1999 spending the majority of her career at Region One ESC where she was instrumental in creating/implementing longstanding initiatives such as the ONE*APP (online application system), SubHub (sole program throughout the state where substitute teachers contribute to TRS), and a substitute teacher certification program for the region. Prior to commencing her professional career in this field, she taught Business classes at STC and substitute taught. She also has 7 years of experience as a store manager and district manager for various retail stores.

Ms. Aguero Ramirez is a UTPA alumni, having received her BBA in 1992 and MBA in 1999. She has a son and a daughter that she adores, both of whom attend UT-Austin. She truly believes that education is the key to a better tomorrow and feels blessed to be able to work in the area that she has a passion for (Human Resources) within the field of education – it’s the best of both worlds!

Ms. Aguero Ramirez currently serves on the TASPA State Board for Educator Certification Committee (SBEC) and the TASPA Nominations Commitee. She also served on the TASPA Conference Committee from from 2016-2020.

ADVICE TO THOSE NEW TO HR:

Dedicate your first year to getting “down and dirty” – roll up your sleeves and get in there with your staff and ask “Why?” of every process so that you can understand why they do what they do. You will learn the “what needs to get done” at TASPA’s conferences, meetings, and trainings /with TASB support. After that first year you can work on adjustments accordingly. I lovingly remember my first year- best advice I got was “just get through the first year and every year after that will be easier because it’s the same thing”. Well, we joke that 21 years later it isn’t easier because every year has brought on new adventures BUT it is true – there are things we do annually at the same time every year. You need to LOVE what you do!

CURRENT CHALLENGES IN YOUR DISTRICT?:

Teleworking has been a “catch 22”…excellent opportunity to bring folks back from FMLA but there are times that we need employees onsite and there has been resistance so more ADA cases.

Technology learning curve – teachers and administrators AND students have all had to learn how to use technology like never before! Add to this the availability of technology devices and internet availability ….the stress is real! Fortunately we were already heading to “virtual everything” so our HR department has been able to adapt but it has still been stressful.

Socio-emotional support for staff – teaching is hard enough but with the added stress from the pandemic all staff is under a lot of pressure. We have had to create additional positions to support our staff and gotten creative with assignments, etc.

HOW HAS TASPA BENEFITED YOU?:

The networking is invaluable – I have made lifelong friends as a result and learned a lot from other districts. Knowing we are “in this together” is comforting! The conferences and trainings are absolutely critical as well – hearing firsthand legislative updates and changes to law from legal firms help make us the experts as well. Growing the professional relationships with attorneys and TASB representatives allow us to grow professionally and feel comfortable reaching out for support.

TO YOUR DISTRICT’S SUBSTITUTE STAFFING STRUGGLES.

TO THE SUBSTITUTE COVERAGE YOU NEED.

Discover why 21 Texas school districts partner with ESS to provide the substitute coverage they need during the

pandemic. We tailor recruiting strategies to your community, advertise district safety measures and testimonials from current substitutes, and train substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff to succeed in virtual and hybrid classrooms.

Contact us today and let ESS provide your District the support you need this school year. Fred Bentsen, Vice President of Business Development FBentsen@ESS.com | 832.244.5015 | ESS.com