FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 7, 2015) -- A management analyst for the Army Installation Management Command was recently appointed to the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees as the vice president of the board.
Willie White, who works at the command's College of Installation Management, believes that children of active duty military face a number of unique challenges to include transitions from school to school because of frequent changes in duty station, which can introduce a lack of consistency in the way they learn.
"Curriculums can differ from state to state," he said.
Moving from an overseas school can be even more challenging, he explained. The Department of Defense is the school's authority overseas, so a civilian independent school district introduces a change in culture, as well.
"I wanted to be a member of the school board because I know what it's like to have a child that is moving constantly when their parents are serving in the military," said White, who retired as an Army first sergeant at Fort Sam Houston in 2009.
White witnessed his son, Rashad, experience both the inconsistency and changes in culture while growing up. The Virginia Beach native saw the local school board position as an opportunity to give back to his community in an area he said he knows very well; education.
"I've always had a passion for education," said White. "Our military children face a ton of challenges and transitioning from one post to another puts a lot of stressors on a military child."
"I'm happy to work for an organization where the leadership supports education and development of military service men and women and IMCOM employees, which coincides with supporting their children," said White.
"White's appointment to vice president of the school board is consistent with IMCOM's culture of service to support soldiers, families and the military communities in and around all Army installations," said Maj. Gen. Warren Patterson, IMCOM deputy commanding general. "IMCOM helps families start strong, serve strong, reintegrate strong and remain strong. We know that the communities around our installations play a vital part in supporting families as they transition to new installations and school systems."
"I know what the Army family has done for me and my family and now I'm in a position to give back, extending IMCOM's values to the local community," said White.
During his tenure as the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees vice president, White's main objectives are to continue renovation on Fort Sam Houston Elementary School and redesign the band practice area for Robert G. Cole High School where his son Rashad graduated with honors.
"Many service members carry a culture of service from their time in the military to whatever they choose to do after they retire," said Michael S. Johnson, director of operations and training at IMCOM's College of Installation Management.
"Mr. White served and protected our nation with honor for over 20 years," said Johnson. "As the Fort Sam Houston I.S.D. School Board Vice President, his relentless effort and unwavering support to continue serving our nation's active-duty force and their children incorporates the holistic meaning of taking care of our Armed Forces personnel, civilians and Families."
White also serves on the San Antonio Chapter of President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative, the San Antonio Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP), and the National Caucus of Black School Board Members.
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