Extra Credit

Birdville student films to be screened at South by Southwest

Two short films directed by students in Birdville's media technology program will be screened at this year's South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival in Austin, district officials announced. The annual event is scheduled for March 12 to 21.

The films are: "Day 752," by Chris Camarillo, a Richland High School senior and "The Third Law" by Westin Riley, a senior at Haltom High School. 

Last year, Birdville submitted five films to SXSW.

Jessamy Brown

Fort Worth school district responds to whistleblower lawsuit

Monday a former employee filed a lawsuit against the district alleging that she was fired for alerting school leaders to problems in the payroll conversion. Today district officials issued a statement responding to the suit saying that while they generally do not comment on pending litigation, they deny her allegations. "We believe these statements are nebulous and reflect the lack of validity of the allegations," the statement read. "Further, we are confident the evidence will show we did not discriminate against the plaintiff nor was she retaliated against by the district."

-Eva-Marie Ayala

No orchestra in Mansfield, for now

A proposal to start an orchestra program in the Mansfield school district won't be implemented this fall, as officials had first hoped.

The original plan, which administrators presented to school trustees last fall, called for three stringed-instrument teachers to be hired to begin a pre-orchestra program this fall at the district's intermediate schools.  They would start with the fifth grade. Grades would be added each year until it was fully implemented through the high school in 2017

The district announced the delay on its blog Thursday. Richie Escovedo, school spokesman, said the district encountered some facility issues that were "just too much to be overcome in such a short time." Specifically, finding space for an pre-orchestra program at some intermediate schools would have put an unacceptable strain on the current band programs, he said.

The district remains committed to starting an orchestra program and will continue studying how to make that happen, its Website said.

- Traci Shurley

Original Carroll schoolhouse in Southlake to get historical marker

Look out for a future historical marker planned to honor the 1919 Carroll School - the only remaining original county school in Tarrant County. The Texas Historical Commission has awarded a marker to the brick schoolhouse, built in 1919 in an unincorporated area that is now Southlake. The marker will go to the foundry but it could be months before it goes up, said Anita Robeson, president of the Southlake Historical Society.

Over the years, the building has been used as a warehouse, art studio and transportation office. It is on the site of the now-closed Carroll Intermediate School, 1055 N. Carroll Ave. The school district intends to sell the property at some point and the Historical Society supports finding a way for building to be restored and re-used.

Carroll trustees last week told administrators to seek an attorney general's opinion on whether the district has the legal option to give away the building (not the property) if it is used for educational purposes. Officials are also looking into using artifacts from the building and historical photos in a display in the future Administration Center. Administrators plan to move into the Carroll Middle School building when a replacement campus opens in fall 2011.

Jessamy Brown

Girls Inc. plans event at AISD

Girls Inc. of Tarrant County will hold a free seminar called the ABC's of Image! March 6 at the Arlington school district's Professional Development Center, 1111 West Arbrook Boulevard. Girls 11-18 will get breakfast, lunch and a t-shirt. They'll also get advice on making a positive first impression from fashion and etiquette experts, according to the organization.

To register, call Carroll Burney at 817-468-0306 or send an e-mail.

- Traci Shurley

Educators say Texas college readiness standards are more extensive

A panel of educators from Texas colleges and school districts comparing the state's career readiness standards in math and language arts to national standards say the Lone Star is asking more of its students, the Texas Education Agency announced today.

And that's a good thing, according to Education Commissioner Robert Scott.

"Today's report confirms that Texas' college readiness standards in English language arts and mathematics are superior to the national standards being created in Washington," he said in a press release Tuesday.

The Texas College and Career Readiness Standards were adopted in 2008. Their purpose is to make sure classrooms are preparing students for the workplace or college success. The comparison looked at how they stacked up against the national Common Core College Readiness Standards created by the Council of State School Officers and the National Governors Association, the TEA said.

Earlier this year, Scott backed Gov. Rick Perry's announcement that Texas would not compete for up to $700 million in federal stimulus money that's part of President Barack Obama's Race to the Top education initiative.

Perry said taking the money could force the state to adopt national standards and lose autonomy, according to a Star-Telegram story.

- Traci Shurley 

Arlington superintendent asks for help for staff

As Arlington school trustees prepared to appoint a citizens committee to oversee its bond projects for the next five years Thursday night, Superintendent Jerry McCullough issued a plea for some help.

He listed a succession of citizens committees that administrative staff members have worked with over the past year. That included a Citizens Advisory Committee that's been meeting since October, considering district finances. They've requested hundreds of pages of documents from the district and heard several presentations from administrators.

"If my staff looks tired, they are tired," McCullough said. "They're worn out and I can't help them because there's not anybody else to give them."

McCullough specifically asked the board to delete a portion of the instructions for the bond oversight committee that would instruct the committee to create subcommittees as needed. He worried that those subcommittees would push the number of meetings beyond the five per year that trustees originally planned for the oversight committee and increase burden on his staff.

Board President Mike O'Donnell suggested that McCullough bring trustees a proposal for more staff and they would consider it. Later, McCullough said he would need upper level staff, not clerks. But, he likely wouldn't be asking for another assistant superintendent because the district's financial situation just wouldn't allow it, he said.

But, he said,  "I beg the board to listen to our concerns about the workload."

The board decided to start taking applications for the bond oversight committee, but they delayed deciding on instructions for the group until March.

-Traci Shurley

Arlington trustees honor Coach Peach

Arlington school trustees paid tribute at their Thursday night meeting to Eddy Peach, the athletic director and head football coach at Lamar High School since it opened in 1970. Peach announced his retirement this month. He was the first person to win 300 games as a Class 5A coach.
The board passed a resolution honoring Peach for his commitment to Lamar and its students and recognizing him “as a role model of coaching and mentoring, integrity, dignity, compassion, teamwork and loyalty.”
Peach complimented trustees and colleagues he’s worked with throughout the years. He also warmly recalled the day he was asked to take the job at Lamar.
“Thank you all,” he said. “I appreciate this night and everything else and God bless.”

- Traci Shurley

Mrs. Q takes on school lunch for a year

An unnamed Illinois teacher has challenged herself to each the same cafeteria lunch offerings given to her students each day in 2010. She's blogging about her experiences at Fed Up: School Lunch Project where she posts pics of the daily offerings, discusses nutritional values and writes about how she sees a student "crashing" after what likely is a sugar high. In my visits to schools during lunchtime in the past five years, I rarely see teachers eating lunch from the cafeteria. How many of you teachers still opt for the fare?

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Fort Worth offers virtual tour of its new school

Hazel Harvey Peace Elementaryis expected to open next August but the community can get a tour of the campus now. The district has posted a short virtual tour of the school that includea courtyard and gymatorium, a combination auditorium and gymnasium with pull-down basketball hoops. Click here to see the $11 million facility located near the intersection of Trail Lake and Sycamore School roads. The school is named after long-time Fort Worth educator Ms. Peace, pictured at left, who died at age 100 in 2008.

-Eva-Marie Ayala