Mark Ruffin, Superintendent, Montgomery ISD

In an interview with Invest:, Mark Ruffin, superintendent of Montgomery ISD, discussed the district’s new Career and Technical Education Center, workforce partnerships, staff retention, and the importance of community support for public education. “We can’t do the work we do without the people in our community,” Ruffin said.

What changes have affected Montgomery ISD over the past year, and how have they shaped your priorities?

We just came out of a legislative session, and many new laws were passed last spring. For districts, the summer afterward is spent interpreting those laws and preparing for their impact. The start of this year was a heavy lift as we implemented new policies, procedures, and processes required by law.

Outside of that, this year was unique because we opened our new Career and Technical Education Center (CTE). Between that facility and our Agricultural Science Center, it is a combined investment of nearly $70 million by our community to support our students’ explorations into career and technical education. Our students entered it for the first time, and our community was welcomed in to see the environments, lab spaces, and equipment our students will engage with every day.

The facility is especially unique because both of our high schools use it. It is at a satellite location, so students can bus there or transport themselves there. 

Given shifting enrollment patterns and growing school choice options in Texas, how are you positioning the district to remain competitive?

Choice is a real thing, whether you are talking about schools, doctors, or career paths. Choice exists for people for a reason.

We want to control the things we can control, which are the work we do, the story we tell, and the people we have on our campuses. We want to highlight and celebrate them, and make sure our community knows a premier education is available at Montgomery ISD.

I would never fault someone for pursuing private school or homeschool. Those opportunities exist because students have different needs. For us, it is about us versus us, and continuing to grow and improve. We want to create an environment for our students and staff that people want to be part of, one that attracts those in our community and reflects our values.

What role does the district play in supporting local workforce development?

Career and technical education has been a huge priority for our district over the last six to 10 years. That focus led to the facility we just built, which provides students with workforce-equivalent environments.

We have partnerships throughout the community, especially in health science. Conroe’s Regional Medical Center and multiple hospitals there partner with us. Local dentist offices, nursing homes, physical therapy locations, and doctors’ offices also host our practicum students at their facilities.

Our students spend part of the day in class and part in clinical rotations. That is huge because it exposes them to the work, not just theoretically, but in application. We also have partnerships in real estate, where students can intern at local firms.
Our CTE center was designed to be a window into public education. Our culinary arts program has a cafe run by students. Our cosmetology salon is open to the public at certain times. Our automotive pathway includes a functioning shop that serves the community.

What are families and students asking for most today, and how are those needs shaping your programs?

The evolving needs go back to the evolving learners we have. Schools and learners are different now. They have more technology in their hands than what sent the first astronauts to the moon.

The student who may have once been destined for a four-year university may not have that desire anymore. They may want to go directly into the workforce. It is about standing up pathways that are relevant and reflective of the regional workforce.

We have a state-of-the-art welding and manufacturing lab where students can become AWS certified. They may not want to pursue higher education, but they may go work on an oil pipeline job and make a livable wage.

Students also have different needs now. The traditional model doesn’t work for every student, so we need to expose them to exciting opportunities.

Our community now sees what we offer, so the question is how quickly we can get younger students exposed to it. We have seventh- and eighth-grade students who recognize that traditional classroom settings may not be the right fit for them. Our CTE and the DEN, which stands for discover, explore, and navigate, are helping students do that with future careers.

How is the district incorporating emerging tools like AI and technology?

The recent legislative session passed a law requiring districts to prohibit student cellphone use during the instructional day. That started this year, but Montgomery ISD made that decision last year, so we were a year ahead of the law.

There is a lot of research about the challenges technology and social media create in students’ lives. We were proactive, and the year before this new law was passed, we adopted our, “Away for the Day,” cell phone policy. Students can have a cellphone on them, but it needs to be away, off, and not visible. One of the most impactful things I saw on the first day of school was students walking down the hallway talking to each other and sitting at lunch tables having conversations because they were not buried in their phones.

With AI and emerging technologies, one of the biggest opportunities is helping teachers save time. For students, it can be a powerful tool, but it can also be damaging. Teachers are challenged with providing high-level, engaging instruction and meaningful assignments when students can take out a phone and solve something instantly by using AI.

Our technology department recently provided a draft of our district AI guidelines. We are trying to establish clarity around when AI is appropriate, when it is not, what uses we support, and what concerns we need to be aware of. That includes student-sensitive data. We are working to educate teachers on approved avenues and are excited to move the guidelines from draft to final form.

What are your top priorities for the next two to five years?

It goes back to choice and establishing an us-versus-us mentality. We can never become complacent. We have to keep striving to improve and grow.

Educators have to be the No. 1 learners. Teachers and principals have to be committed to a growth mindset. We want to model lifelong learning as adults and foster it in our students. Additionally, we want to expand the partnerships we have with our community and make sure students have pathways that allow them to be successful.

We are experiencing a lot of residential growth. Because of school choice, it’s becoming harder to predict how that growth will translate into enrollment. We have to stay ahead of facility needs, campus capacity, and enrollment trends as they happen, even amid that uncertainty.

How important is community support to public education?

I advocate for public education, whether it is Montgomery ISD or any other school district. We can’t do the work we do without the people in our community.

That support matters financially because we are taxpayer funded, but it also matters from a partnership standpoint. There are so many people in our community with expertise and experience that can impact and benefit our kids. I encourage people to be involved in their school districts. Whatever community you live in, know your public school system, find ways to support it, and find ways to be involved.