Judy Needham is a Fort Worth native and a product of the Fort Worth ISD. She attended Alice Carlson Elementary, McLean Middle School and R.L. Paschal High School. After attending Sweet Briar College for two years, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin.
Mrs. Needham was first elected to the Fort Worth ISD Board in1996 and has served as chair of the Technology Advisory Committee.
Mrs. Needham is a development director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tarrant County. She serves on numerous boards including the Molyneaux Charitable Foundation, Lena Pope Home, Museum of Science and History, Nature Center Conservancy, Botanical Research Institute and Texas Assn. of School Boards. She served on the Mayor’s Task Force to end homelessness. Due to her work with the homeless and their children, there is a library named in Needham’s honor at the Union Gospel Mission.
Mrs. Needham’s vision for the District is “that we must prepare all students to graduate and be productive, successful citizens in the 21st century.” In addition, the FWISD must conduct its affairs in an open, efficient and professional manner that earns the confidence of its taxpayers.
Mrs. Needham is an avid nature lover, including bird watching, and likes to relax with her pets. She also enjoys gardening, reading, traveling and classical music. She has three children and five grandchildren.
Mrs. Needham says it’s her personal mission “to work with the other board members and the superintendent to make the Fort Worth ISD into the best urban District in the country.”
Accomplishments of the Board of Education
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Conducted a nationwide search for a new superintendent of schools resulting in the hiring of Melody A. Johnson |
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Passed $594 million bond package to improve school infrastructure and equip classrooms with modern technology |
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Balanced District budget through reductions of $50 million over the last four years with $3 million cut from the central office alone |
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Charged the District’s administrators with improving student achievement
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Established and utilized community advisory committees in the areas of technology, facilities, budget, audit and bond oversight functions |
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Adopted policies that ensure transparency of operations
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Reinstated music and art into the curriculum for primary grades
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Student and School Achievements
- District 5 had 7 TEA high-performing schools in 2008-2009
- Arlington Heights HS Jr. wins 2009 UIL Class 4A State Golf Championship
- Arlington Heights HS Baseball Team reached the State Baseball Finals held in Austin, TX - June 2009
- 12 high school seniors in District 5 named 2007-2008 Superintendent’s Scholars
- District 5 had 68 Academic Sweatshirt Scholars in 2007-2008
- District 5 had 290 Texas Scholars in the Class of 2007
- W.C. Stripling MS is an initial site for the District’s official parent involvement program
- Tanglewood ES is honored in Top 2% of Texas Schools
- Burton Hill ES listed in D Magazine’s top elementary schools in Fort Worth-Dallas
- Burton Hill ES is a TBEC Honor Roll school for 2006-2007 and has made Texas Monthly’s list of best schools in Texas for the past 2 years.
- Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center students participated in history fair, science fair and Invention Convention
- W.C. Stripling MS was listed on Texas Monthly’s “Best Schools” list
- Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center received the Texas Department of Agriculture funding for vegetable garden and wetlands project
- Arlington Heights HS Performing Arts Department won two Betty Lynn Buckley Awards in 2002 and Best Show in 2004
- 2008 OmniAmerican Bank Secondary Mathematics Teaching Chair of Excellence, Kip Souza, Arlington Heights HS
- 2008 Angela D. Paulos Fort Worth Arts Education Partnership Visual Arts Teaching Chair of Excellence, Teresa Foster, Arlington Heights HS
- Tanglewood ES’s Charlie Ray city champion and third-place in state in Score a Goal in the Classroom & SRA/McGraw-Hill Reading Bee Championship
- Two Arlington Heights HS art students’ works displayed in Texas Governor’s office
- Como ES art students among National Crayola Dream Makers Award Winners
- Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center’s Adrienne Taylor named Perdue, Brackett, Flores, Utt and Burns Health and Physical Fitness Chair for 2006
- Burton Hill ES received Gold Apple Award for volunteer hours
- W.C. Stripling MS features high school credit program for students
- Arlington Heights HS is the only Navy JROTC program in FWISD
- Arlington Heights HS ranch management program has more than 200 students involved and a new facility
- North Hi Mount ES is a Landmark Historical Building completed in 1937
- 33 Adopt-A-School partners have supported student achievement in District 5 schools by providing resources such as pen pal writing programs, school supplies, facilities for writing workshops, science programs, landscaping and painting, after-school activities and incentives for perfect
- Lily B. Clayton ES students participated in history fair, science fair and Invention Convention
- Lily B. Clayton ES received Gold Apple Award for volunteer hours
- Lily B. Clayton ES is a Landmark Historical Building originally built in 1922