For the 2018-2019 school year, the attendance office was moved downstairs to A108 with the addition of new attendance officer Debra Hogan.

At a Glance:

Favorite music genre: Smooth jazz

Favorite sport: Baseball

Favorite food: Anything with mayonnaise (chicken salad, potato salad)

Least favorite food: Anything with curry in it

Looking Deeper:

The Red Ledger: When did you start working here?

Debra Hogan: I started the 16th of August. I had been working at a school system in Carrollton, but we moved here from Murphy. It was too much of a commute, so I applied to different districts around here for something similar. This was the opening that they had.

TRL: What is your role here?

DH: I make sure all the attendances are corrected if it’s a medical, parent, or doctor’s notes. I check tardies to see if we can get people to not be so tardy.

TRL: What educational schooling do you have?

DH: I went to the University of Delaware, and I went to real estate school.

TRL: Why did you decide to do this for a living?

DH: This is fairly new. I was a stay-at-home mom forever. When my kids grew up and graduated, I was really sad and needed something to do. I started subbing. I was a substitute teacher for seven to eight years in Farmers Branch. Then we moved a lot and I came back.

TRL: What are the challenges that come along with this job?

DH: The biggest challenge is time management. I’m usually pretty good at it, but there is so much work to be done, and so many things that you can’t predict. I have to be really flexible.

TRL: What’s your favorite part about your job?

DH: My favorite part is the interaction with the students. It’s very rare, so when I do get to interact with someone, I really enjoy that. That’s where my heart is.

TRL: Why was the attendance office moved downstairs?

DH:  I think they needed the space upstairs for something else like a testing center or something. They moved me down here, and it’s a lot more convenient for everyone. I have to run out to the reception desk quite often, so I’m glad I don’t have to go up and down the stairs all day.