Extra Credit

A different kind of summer camp

Youngsters who are recent immigrants are getting extra help this summer at a Texas Christian University camp. The Math, Science and Language summer program helps fourth and fifth graders from Fort Worth schools improve their English skills while working on math and science concepts, officials said. The three-week program, a partnernship with the school district and TCU's College of Education's Center for Urban Education and the Andrews Institute of Math, Science and Technology Education, is taught by TCU and Fort Worth school district instructors. The program is also used as a learning lab for TCU students who learn about teaching methods or are conducting research on science education. The students and their families will also learn about college admissions at the event. The current session ends July.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Trustees cut $15.4 million from next year's budget

Trustees approved cuts that will mean laying off about 50 employees, 40 of whom are campus monitors. The cuts also eliminate district funding for the Dunbar Area Community School, which has provided academic, vocational and recreational programs to residents of all ages since 1973.

Trustees Juan Rangel and Carlos Vasquez voted against all cuts. Trustee Christene Moss voted against cutting funds to the Dunbar community school.

Rangel said he was concerned about approving the cuts because it was not clear what some of the impact would be long term, such as the security impact on campuses that will have a reduction in campus monitors.

"There's a lot of holes here," he said.

Superintendent Melody Johnson said cutting employees was a difficult decision but is needed to make up for financial shortfalls. This year the district was short about $43 million. Officials were facing a $15 million shortfall next year.

"No one likes doing this," she said. "This is absolutely the worst thing you can do as an organization."

A campus monitor, who has been with the district 23 years, told trustees that monitors help keep students and staff safe. Reducing numbers would be a safety concern, he said.

"I believe in that monitor that shows up everyday on time -- visible and vigilant," he said.

Administrative staff said the cuts to campus monitors will be based on seniority with some monitors being reassigned.

Moss said she voted against the Dunbar community school because she is concerned that future funding from the city was not certain.

Today city council members approved using stimulus money to take over only some job-related programs the community school offers. City officials said the funding is for one year only and there are no current plans to takeover the programs permanently.

The nearly 50 people cut in the budget recommendations approved are in addition to the 44 Tier 1 employees who will be laid off as well.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Fort Worth trustees approve discipline program changes

Trustees approved a policy change in a split vote that would mean changes to the district's alternative placement policies for discipline reasons.

The change will eliminate the Tier 1 sites, which are located on six campuses throughout the district but serve all middle and high schools, and cut 44 employees. Students assigned to the alternative placement work with teachers in the program and can be placed there for up to 30 days. Under the changes, they now will be placed in their own campuses' in school suspension room, which is for students who need to be removed from regular classes throughout the day. The teacher overseeing in school suspension will work with th students assigned to both. Students will work on their studies via online programs.

Three trustees voted against the changes, including trustee Carlos Vasquez.

"We are rushing and not taking the time to understand what the changes will do," he said.

Students can be placed in Tier 1 sites for various discipline reasons for up to 30 days. The sites are located at six campuses throughout the district. Administrators noted that most placements are discretionary and that there was a high rate of repeat offenders in the program.

But J.R Miller, a teacher at Dunbar's Tier 1 site, told trustees that students have a better chance of correcting their behaviors and maintaining academics by working closely with qualified teachers. Without the Tier 1 programs, Miller worried students could be subjected to the more severe punishments.

He said he rarely works with same students.

The district has Tier II and Tier III placement sites, including the Middle Level Learning Center and Horizons, at which students are placed for up to 180 days for more serious discipline issues. Students can be placed at Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs for felony-related discipline issues.

Steven Poole, deputy executive director of the United Educators Association that represents some district employees, spoke out against the changes saying not enough time has been spent examining the recommendations and its possible implications.

"It's a rush plan," he said, noting that staff was recommending trustees adopt the policy change in one reading rather than the traditional two it would have needed.

The Tier 1 programs cost the district $3.1 million a year.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Parents speak out against FWISD principal reassignments

Several parents from the Riverside Applied Learning Center told trustees they opposed recent principal changes that reassigned their principal Paula Carter Taylor. Some held signs in protests outside the meeting. They said she has worked hard to improve student performance, particularly in science, so that the school would receive the state's highest rating of academically exemplary, which district officials expect the school to be rated later this summer.

"I understand that her skills might be needed elsewhere, but I understand the disruption it will cause and the effect on our children," said one mother, who said she feared the school's academics would drop over the next few years as a result.

Just after school was out, Taylor was reassigned to Mitchell Boulevard Elementary, which was rated academically unacceptable last year. Principal Rudy Valdez was moved to RALC from T.A. Sims Elementary, which has been rated academically acceptable in recent years.

Parents said they were concerned Valdez does not have training in applied learning nor as successful a track record as Taylor.

District spokeswoman Barbara Griffith has said the move was made to help bring much-needed gains to Mitchell Boulevard and that Valdez is a very qualified principal who will maintain RALC excellence.

Parent Kellee Loridgue spoke out against changes that affected Springdale Elementary in which the principal and assistant principal were both moved to new schools. Springdale has been had the second highest rating of academically recognized for the last three years. The new Springdale principal was recently an assistant principal at W.J. Turner, which is expected to receive its first recognized rating later this summer.

Click here for a list of recent reassignments.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Fort Worth, Arlington get stimulus funds for cafeterias

Cafeterias in Fort Worth and Arlington schools will be getting some new freezers, ovens and food processors thanks to grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The stimulus fund awards - $563,000 for Fort Worth and $111,000 for Arlington - are part of an $11.5 million allocation to the Texas Department of Agriculture for nutrition equipment assistance grants. The department reviewed grant applications from more than 2,500 Texas schools; 381 received funding.

To qualify for consideration, the equipment had to be worth more than $5,000 and be expected to last more than a year.

- Traci Shurley

Area schools put graduation photos online

Want to see some great pictures of local graduations? Or maybe try to pick out your favorite grad?

Several districts - including Fort Worth, Arlington and Mansfield- have lots posted on their Websites.

Here's a good one from Mansfield High School's Monday ceremony at The Potter's House.

- Traci Shurley

Fort Worth high school principals oppose allowing students to participate in graduation if they have failed TAKS

The principals told trustees they do not want students to be allowed to participate in commencement ceremonies if they have not met all requirements to graduate, including passing all portions of the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

"It does break our hearts when one has to get pulled from the list," South Hills High School principal  Nancy Weisskopf said. "But what kind of message and what kind of precedent would we be setting? Would we be devaluing the accomplishments of the other 90 percent of our students?"

O.D. Wyatt High School principal Steven Johnson said allowing students to walk without them passing the test would take away the incentive to some students to strive to pass the test even if it is after the school year. "We have to make sure that urgency continues to exist," he said.

All but two high school principals were in attendance to oppose changing the current policy. No action was taken. Trustee Juan Rangel said he asked for the item to be on the agenda to show a united front on why the district has the current policy of not allowing students to participate in ceremonies if they have not passed a portion of the TAKS.

--Eva-Marie Ayala

Turning around failing schools

President Obama and Education Secretary Arnie Duncan want to turn around the 5,000 low performing schools in the next five years. In budget discussions this week, they have said they want to use $1.5 billion take bold action to improve failing schools that could include replacing staff and principals or giving such campuses over to charter school operators, according to this story The Associated Press.

How this plays out will be of particular in Fort Worth. Polytechnic High School will learn its fate at the end of this school year. If it earns the state rating of academically unacceptable, it could be forced close. Should that happen, trustees have approved a plan to turn the campus into two academies -- one for boys and one for girls. On a related note, last week in Alabama the St. Clair County school system said they would no longer have gender-based classes after facing a threat of lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union. Similar classes were discontinued in Mobile after the ACLU raised concerns of gender segregation there.

--Eva-Marie Ayala

Wet Ones sending Fort Worth schools thousands of wipes

Parents and students still worried about cooties may be relieved to know an wave of antibacterial wipes is on the way. Energizer is donating 750 cases of Wet Ones to be used in Fort Worth schools. The company is sending half a million across the nation to schools most affected by the swine flu virus.

(This post was updated to correct number of cases.)

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Fort Worth schools preparing for students

Was that a collective student groan we heard yesterday afternoon when school officials announced classes would resume? Must have been the wind, I guess. As the swine flu-cation is coming to an end, parents are retrieving children who may have been sent across the state to grandma's, and some teachers are hopping planes to get back to town ASAP. Meanwhile, officials began preparing for the start of school Friday with food being delivered and principals making calls to staff and parents.

Linda Tyrone, cafeteria manager at Benbrook Elementary, said she's never seen a sudden complete shutdown of schools in her 23 years at the district. "I'm a little disappointed we're not off the rest of the week," she said, noting that she was able to babysit her two grandchildren whose school was canceled as well. "But I love my job here with the kids."

-Eva-Marie Ayala