Board Member Profile: Daniel Gallagher
What schools did you attend?
Arlington ISD: Roquemore
Elementary, Nichols Junior
High, and Lamar High School
Gallagher was sworn in as
an MISD Board Member
on Dec. 15.
College: UTA, B.A.; Texas
Wesleyan University, M.Ed;
currently completing my
Ed.S. from Arkansas State
University.
What would be a perfect afternoon for you?
The perfect afternoon for me
would be my wife and I watching
our son play baseball. My son
started playing baseball when he
was 4 years old, and he is now a
sophomore and plays for Summit
High School. As parents, we love
seeing our son do something that he
enjoys, learns from, and excels at.
I often use baseball analogies because it is a game
that if you are successful 30 percent of the time you
have a chance to end up in the Hall of Fame. To be
successful in baseball, you have to have a growth
mindset which is exactly what you need to have in
order to be successful in life. Knowing how to turn
challenges into opportunities is the secret to success.
I love all sports, but I truly love springtime baseball.
Who was your role model that you looked up
to as a kid?
When I think about role models, I think of family.
My parents are great examples for me because they
were successful small business owners. Because of
their focus and hard work, they reached their goal
of owning several gas stations over their lifetime.
My two older sisters are also great role models for
me as well, and they are both great examples of how
education can change lives.
Give us a brief bio of your career.
I started my career in education 20 years ago as a
second career. Over the last 20 years, I have been
fortunate to have been a teacher at the elementary,
middle and high school levels. I started teaching
in Grand Prairie and then moved to Mansfield just
before our son started kindergarten. Like many
residents of Mansfield, my wife and I chose to move
here because of the school district. The reputation
of Mansfield schools is excellent because of our
employees.
I started teaching in Mansfield at T.A. Howard
Middle School. I then had the opportunity to move
to Summit High School, where I had the privilege
to teach many of the same students that I taught at
Howard. I was also fortunate to open Legacy High
School as a teacher and administrative intern.
I moved into administration in Arlington ISD as
an assistant principal and then principal of Butler
Elementary. It was a unique experience to become
a principal in a neighborhood where I played as
a child. I was also an elementary principal in the
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD at Remington Point
Elementary. All of my experiences have assisted
me in my current role as the Director of Elementary
Services in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. My
primary responsibility is to supervise our campus
principals and provide support to them as they
work to improve instruction and learning on their
campuses.
What makes you so passionate about MISD?
My wife and I chose to move
to MISD because we wanted
to provide our son with an
opportunity to attend great schools.
I began teaching in MISD when
we were a one high school district.
I am very proud of how MISD has
maintained a focus on excellence throughout this
time of unprecedented growth. Mansfield is a great
community with an outstanding school district.
Our schools offer incredible opportunities for our
students including fine arts, athletics, academic,
and career and technical education. What makes
our schools so great are the dedicated employees of
MISD. Every employee from custodian to principal
plays a critical role in student success. MISD
has created a culture where every employee is
appreciated for their commitment and dedication to
our children. This culture extends beyond our school
buildings as well. The support that we receive from
our parents is tremendous. For schools to be truly
successful, a partnership between parents, teachers,
students, and administration is needed. Mansfield
ISD values these relationships which is why we are
a great school district.
Mansfield School & Family 19