Carla Fahey first fell in love with Duncanville Independent School District in 1984.
“It all started when my oldest started kindergarten at Fairmeadows,” said Mrs. Fahey, who over the past 37 years has served in various volunteer roles for the school district. She began as a volunteer in the Fairmeadows school library and eventually became active in the Duncanville ISD Council of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). In that role, Ms. Fahey attended board meetings and was impressed by the engagement of the trustees.
Now Mrs. Fahey is in her 15th year serving as a Duncanville ISD Board of Trustee.
“Being on the school board you really get involved. It’s more than going to meetings once a month. You also go to games, concerts and I fell in love with the band,” she said. “Volunteering has led to lifelong relationships and great friends. Over the years, the district became my family.”
Mrs. Fahey’s husband, Bill Fahey, was still a professional baseball player when they first moved to Duncanville in 1977 placing their home halfway between the Texas Rangers ballpark and Samuell High School, where Mrs. Fahey was teaching. Over the years, Mr. Fahey played for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers. He also coached for the San Francisco Giants for six years.
“Once the kids started school, we had to put down permanent roots,” Mrs. Fahey said.
Bill and Carla’s two sons – Scott and Brandon – both attended Duncanville ISD schools from kindergarten through graduation. Scott Fahey has been the head baseball coach at Duncanville High School for 18 years. Brandon Fahey played professional baseball with the Baltimore Orioles for three years.
Mrs. Fahey served as a school board trustee from 1996-2001 and stepped away to care for her mother as she began to age. During that time, Mrs. Fahey was part of the group that founded the Duncanville ISD Education Foundation and continues to serve as a board member for the organization.
In 2012, Mrs. Fahey ran for a school board seat again and returned to the district’s board of trustees.
Mrs. Fahey brings more than her experience as a parent and volunteer to her role as a trustee. She is also an educator. Mrs. Fahey served as a high school teacher, drill team sponsor, track and volleyball coach in Dallas ISD the same school district from which she graduated.
“I wanted to be a teacher all my life,” she said. “I used to hold school during the summer, lining kids up in the neighborhood for ‘class’ even as a first grader. Being a student, teacher and parent, it is all about how much I love school.”
Mrs. Fahey’s favorite school activity is the pinnacle of every student’s K-12 educational journey – graduation. Mrs. Fahey said she’s been proud of the “many good kids” who have come through Duncanville. She said she can name so many graduates who are good parents, doctors, attorneys and more.
“I love the whole experience of a student,” Mrs. Fahey said. “When I think about those little kids in kindergarten and then think about them walking across the stage to hand them a diploma, it makes my heart sing.”