Extra Credit

Fort Worth works to eliminate achievement gap

This Saturday hundreds of educators and community members gathered for the school district's summit on eliminating the achievement gap, which is the difference in educational performance of white and minority students.

Superintendent Melody Johnson said much has been done nationwide to narrow the gap, but so much more still needs to be done. And it can't be done without the community's help, she told the crowd.

“You have something to offer," Johnson said. "Your talents and your time are needed.”

Watch video of the summit here. Find out how to get involved in schools here.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Fort Worth superintendent tells staff to brace for job cuts

Superintendent Melody Johnson sent a message to district employees Thursday afternoon telling them that considering job cuts will be unavoidable. She said it's too early to know how it will play out exactly, and officials hope some cuts could come from attrition. But as the Legislature considers significant cuts to public education due to a shortfall experts estimate to range from $12 billion to $27 billion, cuts could be deeper than originally expected.

Preliminary recommendations would slash funding for pre-kindergarten, the arts education, teacher incentive pay, college financial aid to students and many other areas. Those cuts could mean a loss of $75 million to $80 million to Fort Worth schools over the next two years if implemented.

"Over the next few weeks and months, we are going to be faced with hard decisions – the
hardest decisions I personally have ever faced in my career," she wrote to staff. But she said officials were "not rolling over and accepting as inevitable all of the dire predictions."

The district launched a funding-related page on its site to keep employees informed. It includes an area where they can ask chief financial officer Hank Johnson specific questions on the budget or to offer their own ideas on budget cuts. It also includes contact information for local legislators and news on how other districts are dealing with budget issues.

Administrators expect to detail some budget impacts and possibly recommendations to Fort Worth school trustees in February. Johnson and other area school leaders plan to meet with the Tarrant County legislative delegation next week to discuss funding concerns among others.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Texas school districts tell legislators to make education a priority

The campaign to get Texas school districts to adopt similar resolutions urging legislators to "Make Education a Priority" during the session reached a milestone on Tuesday.

The 516th resolution was reached, and surpassed, on Tuesday -- that's one more than half of the 1,030 school districts in the state, according to a news release from the Texas Association of School Boards. 

So far, 529 school districts have passed the resolution, according to the Make Education a Priority website.

The campaign has scheduled a news conference to celebrate the event on Monday in Austin.

The initiative was launched by the Aledo school board and spearheaded by its vice president Bobby J. Rigues.

Jessamy Brown 

Texas A&M spring enrollment record

Texas A&M posted a record spring enrollment with 46,495 students listed for this semester's fifth day of class. Last year, the university had 45,969 for the same time period, according to a press release issued Wednesday. Spring semester enrollment is typically less than the fall semester because many students graduate in December. Fall enrollment for 2010 was 49,129.

_Diane Smith  

Fort Worth revamps all high schools with new programs

How to make the world more green friendly and developing video games are just two of the new Gold Seal programs the Fort Worth school district is launching to redesign its high schools. For more information on the programs, go to the district's site here. Friday is the deadline to apply.

This is the latest major overhaul of Fort Worth’s high schools in recent decades. The district created magnet schools in 1980 as part of desegregation efforts in hopes of attracting white students to predominately black and Hispanic schools. But by the mid-1990s some criticized those those programs saying they excluded minorities. The district then moved to special interest programs that included more students and merged more with the mainstream school.

Now officials hope the Gold Seal programs will better met students career interests. Each school will have programs that will lead to certification or help students earn up to two years of college credit.

As some may not get selected through the lottery system for such programs, the district will still allow students to transfer to another high school as space is available. The period to request a transfer this year will be later so that officials can determine how many students are shuffling to other campuses based on the Gold Seal and other special interest programs. The transfer request period is March 28-April 15.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

 

Texas education leaders bracing for tough budget cuts

The first draft of the state's budget came out this week, and education leaders say it doesn't look good for them. Under the proposed plan, future college students couldn't tap state financial aid and four state community colleges would close as higher education would take a $1.7 billion hit.

But the hardest hit could be Texas public schools, which could lose $5 billion in funds. The Legislative Budget Board recommends eliminating funds that help pay for pre-kindergarten, arts education, teacher incentive pay and technology. School leaders fear that will also translate to job cuts. The plan could force a school finance reform show down as the LBB recommends cutting districts' funds by 14 percent and districts at the low end of "target revenue," such as Fort Worth and Crowley, have vowed to fight. (Target revenue is the per-pupil amount of state funding schools get that is different for each district.)

Fort Worth officials have said the recommended cuts would mean about a $75-80 million loss for the district, which could likely mean job cuts. Additionally, the cut in teacher incentives could drastically affect the district's PEAK program, which offers sign-on and performance bonuses aimed at getting the best teachers to the district's most struggling schools. Officials have credited dramatic gains at those schools to the PEAK program. But losing $4.8 million in state aid is a big hit, chief financial officer Hank Johnson said. He said Fort Worth could try using federal funds to make up for it, but those monies have different rules and standards attached that the district will have to research.

Keller recently opened a new early childhood center that serves 3- and 4-year-olds. Officials there said the loss of pre-kindergarten funds would not affect their program. However, other districts have said they may have to consider cutting back to half-day classes or reduce offerings if the LBB recommendations go through. Keller officials are worried what a loss of technology funds would mean to them.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Former FWISD prez gives board a verbal lashing

Dr. Bill Koehler attended Tuesday's school board meeting dressing down trustees for recent antics. He   expressed frustration for trustees whose "mischievous and disingenuous acts are predicated on anger" and who put the interests of tax collectors and associations ahead of children. He said as a citizen, he felt betrayed. He didn't identify any trustee specifically.

“If you the board as a body mirror our community, then I despair for it,” he said.

Tensions on the board have been exponentially increasing in recent months as trustees have taken on various controversial issues. Among the most contentious was rebidding the district's contract for delinquent tax collection months after trustees had already voted to stay with the previous firm. Since then, clashes have become more common place. Most recently, trustees traded heated e-mails as they argued over issues related to gas drilling.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Lewisville trustees name Birdville's superintendent lone finalist

Lewisville schools trustees voted 7 to 0 to name Birdville superintendent Stephen Waddell as the lone finalist for the superintendent job there.

The vote came at a special meeting Tuesday after several trustees made a four hour site visit to Haltom City-based Birdville and met with Birdville staffers, said Karen Permetti, a Lewisville schools spokeswoman.

There is a 21 day waiting period before the Lewisville board can vote on the hire. If hired, Waddell is to take the helm on March 1, Permetti said.

Waddell's current contract, approved in January 2010, ends June 30, 2013 unless the school board and superintendent agree to end the contract sooner, the document says.

Shortly after the meeting, a video featuring Waddell appeared on the homepage of the Lewisville schools website. Waddell introduced himself and talked about his philosophy, including the importance of transparency, community input and consensus building.

"I am honored to be named the new superintendent for the Lewisville Independent School District. Lewisville is known throughout Texas and the nation as a lighthouse district and it is a tremendous honor for me to have the chance to serve the district and the community," Waddell said.

Jessamy Brown

Birdville trustees call special meeting on possible superintendent departure

Birdville schools trustees have scheduled a special meeting on Thursday to start talking about a possible replacement for superintendent Stephen F. Waddell, who is being considered for the top job at Lewisville schools.

Waddell issued a statement this week to let the community know that he has interviewed for the job and that Lewisville trustees are coming to visit on Tuesday. Lewisville trustees have said they have settled on a single candidate and called a meeting on Tuesday night to name a sole finalist.

Birdville trustees plan to meet behind closed doors to talk about the "future leadership of the district," the meeting agenda says.

Jessamy Brown

Birdville schools superintendent interviewed for Lewisville chief job

After nine years at the helm of Birdville schools, Stephen F. Waddell said he is considering jumping ship to  the Lewisville school district. He said in a news release today that he has interviewed for the superintendent job there and that LISD officials are visiting Birdville next week.

Lewisville schools trustees have interviewed three finalists and have settled on a single candidate, said Karen Permetti, LISD spokeswoman.

She declined to identify the person, though. It's still all confidential. The LISD school board expects to announce a "lone finalist" for the job at a meeting later this month and then must wait 21 days to make a hire for the position, she said.

Jessamy Brown