Meet Our Trustees: Barbara Burns

  • Barbara Burns, Trustee since 2012

    Barbara Burns
    Barbara Burns has almost 30 years experience in education – with 20 of those as a teacher at Denton and Ryan High schools. As a veteran educator, her work with students, parents and the community is a valued asset to the Board. Prior to being elected in 2012, she attended the overwhelming majority of all School Board meetings for seven years.

    She began her teaching in Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, followed by eight years of teaching at Pilot Point High. She started teaching at Denton High in 1986 and helped open Ryan High in 1991 as a history and government teacher. Among her many honors, she was named Ryan High Teacher of the Year and RHS Renaissance Teacher of the Year.

    Her work as a sponsor with numerous student organizations including Student Council, Renaissance, National Honor Society, Whiz Quiz and Close-up, where she took high school students to visit Washington D.C. to capture history in the making.

     
    Mrs. Burns received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Texas Woman’s University. She was active in Texas State Teachers Association and Denton Education Association and was an evaluator for the Southern Association accreditation team. She was selected by the U.S. Department of State to mentor teachers from Ukraine, visiting those educators in their schools.
     
    After being elected to the board, Mrs. Burns served on the 2014 Legislative Action Committee and is a 2015 Leadership Texas Association of School Boards graduate. 
     
    She and her husband have lived in Denton for more than 50 years. They have three grown children – all honor graduates from Denton ISD. The oldest is a graduate of University of Texas, and the other two are graduates from Texas A&M University. They have four grandchildren.

    Insights and Contributions
    In the community, Mrs. Burns is active in the League of Women Voters, where she received the Gladys Barstis Award for outstanding service. She has served on the Board of Denton Noon Kiwanis. Mrs. Burns also has been active with Grad Night, PTAs and served on the 1996 and 2007 Citizens' Bond Committees and the Bond Progress Committee. Mrs. Burns served as Board President for the 2015-16, 2016-17, 2019-20, and 2020-21 school years.

    She sums up her passion for education: “As members of a community, we shoulder a mutual responsibility to help every student grow, develop, mature and learn in order to achieve his or her life’s goals. Beyond the loving support of family, education is the key to those aspirations. Education should be viewed, not as a cost, but as an investment.”