Extra Credit

Grapevine-Colleyville schools issue statement on counselor

The Grapevine-Colleyville school district issued a statement today regarding a Trophy Club police investigation into alleged misconduct of a high school counselor.

The freshmen counselor at Colleyville Heritage High School is on administrative leave while police investigate an allegation that he had an inappropriate relationship with a student. The student no longer attends Grapevine-Colleyville schools. Kerry D. Jones, 50, of Trophy Club, also a member of the Northwest school board. Read more in the Star-Telegram.

Grapevine-Colleyville school district spokeswoman Megan Overman today issued this statement, noting that the alleged misconduct did not occur on school property:

"On August 10, GCISD was notified by the Trophy Club Police Department that they were investigating allegations of misconduct with a former student by a Colleyville Heritage High School counselor. The district placed the counselor on administrative leave the same day we were notified.

"The Trophy Club police have confirmed that the alleged misconduct did not occur on school property and that no other students related to CHHS are involved. This is an ongoing police investigation.

"State and federal privacy laws prevent us from publicly discussing matters involving students or personnel; however, GCISD is cooperating fully with the Trophy Club police on this matter."

Jessamy Brown

Texas governor picks Fort Worth schools administrator for state board

Kathryn Everest, director of guidance and counseling for the Fort Worth school district, is one of five appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the State Board for Educator Certification. The state’s Senate confirmed the appointment this month. The 11-member SBEC oversees Texas’ educator certification in reviewing cases that go before the board for ethical reasons, developing continuing education requirements and setting standards of conduct for public school teachers. The term expires in 2015.

“I’ve always had a passion for furthering the education profession,” Everest said. “The whole magnitude of the responsibility is beginning to settle in for me — to be fair and just and advocate for the preparation, the standards and the training of all professions in education.”

The daughter of a football coach, Everest moved around a lot growing up on the West Coast. Her family eventually settled in Texas. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of North Texas. This is her 17th year with the Fort Worth school district. She has served on various education boards, including the American Counseling Association and American School Counselor Association and as immediate past director of the Texas Association of Counselor Education and Supervision. She also co-founded the Tarrant County Trauma Response Team in Schools, which helps local districts deal with crisis counseling situations – such as the death of a student.

Everest said upholding the credibility and high standards of the education profession is important. “Unfortunately, when you have one person not doing the right thing, there’s a broad brushstroke from the public that we’re all not doing the right thing for education,” Everest said. “That’s not the case and that’s not the standards or ethics that those individuals have been taught.”

-Eva-Marie Ayala