Extra Credit

Free TAKS tutoring to help seniors graduate starts June 10

High school seniors who still need to pass one or two TAKS tests to graduate can get free tutoring this summer.

The Fort Worth Can Academy is offering the tutoring to any student at any school that failed one or two portions of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills standardized test, preventing the from graduating this spring.

The four-week Operation Success program is scheduled for June 10 through July 3, Mondays through Thursdays at the location at 4301 Campus Drive in Fort Worth. A free meal will also be provided.

For more information: 214-944-1960

Jessamy Brown

Keller superintendent a finalist for Phoenix school chief's post

Keller Superintendent James Veitenheimer is one of three finalists for superintendent of the Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, an Arizona newspaper reports. Veitenheimer attended a public reception on Thursday in Phoenix along with the other two finalists, according to the report. The other two finalists are from Arizona. In late January, the Keller school board voted to give Veitenheimer a three-year contract extension along with a pay raise commensurate with what other district employees will receive. No information was readily available on the salary for the Deer Valley superintendent. The Phoenix district has about 34,580 students, compared with Keller ISD's enrollment of about 33,000. But Deer Valley's enrollment has been shrinking, while Keller remains one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas. Deer Valley hopes to name a superintendent by late April. Veitenheimer has been superintendent in Keller since 2004. - Lois Norder

Principals, principals everywhere

JUSTIN — Northwest school principals have been toppling like dominoes the last few months as trustees name principals for new schools, replace them with other principals, leaving yet another vacancy. The latest appointment is Conrad Streeter, the former principal of Argyle Intermediate School, who was hired as principal of Gene Pike Middle School.

Streeter -- who has also worked in Lewisville, Coppell, Colorado and North Carolina -- will replace Mike Blankenship, who has been appointed to head up the new Truett Wilson Middle School, scheduled to open in August in far north Fort Worth Blankenship who worked in the Birdville and Keller school districts before coming to Northwest in 2006, where he served as assistant principal, then principal of Pike. Ron Myers, who has held leadership positions in Keller and Oklahome, was hired as principal of Northwest’s O.A. Peterson Elementary School. He succeeds Todd Rogers, who will become principal of Chisholm Trail Middle School

-Martha Deller

Kids are king in Northwest ISD

Sure, Northwest school trustees deal with finances, construction and educational matters like most other districts.

But they always begin their meetings by recognizing a student who is allowed to lead the adults in the Pledge of Allegiance.

They usually end meetings the same way.

"Our Byron Nelson girls and boys swim-dive teams won," Superintendent Karen Rue said Monday night. "Northwest High School qualified one wresler.

"And oh, yes, our (Byron Nelson)girls basketball playoffs are tonight."

Could that be why the board meeting lasted only 35 minutes?

 

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 Arlington Superintendent Bernd retires - really

Former Arlington school superintendent Mac Bernd, always a busy bee, may finally have this retirement thing down. Bernd left his post at the Arlington school district in January, but hasn't stopped since. He worked for awhile at a friend’s law firm, then entered Texas Wesleyan University’s law school.

But last week Bernd said he has withdrawn from TWU. Though he said the study of law was fascinating, Bernd found the unrelenting 70-hour weeks of classwork and studying a little over the top, especially having just left a very demanding job as superintendent.

"It was just too much, too soon,” he said last week at Steve Brown’s retirement party. Brown, who was the district's longtime associate superintendent of finance, plans to include a lot of fishing and grandchild babysitting in his own future.

Bernd's own grandson, a second-grader nicknamed "Little Mac," lives in Southern California, and is a big factor in all this. "I see him once a year, and it's not enough,' Bernd said. "I need more time to think about my future." Bernd's brother is also in California.

Right now, Bernd is working in a little playtime with his classic and hot rod autos. Bernd said he and wife Shelley are considering a return to California as well, and have put their house up for sale.

 "With the shape of the current real estate market, we'll be here a long time," he said.

- Shirley Y. Jinkins

 

 

L.D. Bell band takes second in national championship

Results are just in from the Bands of America Grand National Championship in Indianapolis, and the L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band is bringing home second place this year. Avon High School from Indianapolis took first placel Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis took third (Now, what are they doing in that state?) See more coverage at www.musicforall.org.

Let's hope the 350 Bell band members don't take this too hard. Bell was trying for a repeat national title. The band was one of 90 bands in the competition at Lucas Oil Stadium this week and the only Texas band to make it to semifinals and beyond. See how good the color guard looked in these photos by parent Ed Vargas.

Abby James, a junior clarinet player, said after the final performance the band exited to the stadium tunnel and many cried because they knew it was the end of the marching season and the best performance they had ever given. Bell members knew Avon had given a great performance and that this year was their year, James said.

Mike Hamilton, whose daughter Caroline plays flute, said Bell's consistency from year to year is a marvel. Hamilton's son, Alex, played in the Bell band and graduated in 2007. A later performance slot might have favored Bell, Hamilton said, but Avon was strong.

(One explainer: there are regional BOA contests held all over, but the annual Grand National Championship is open to only 90 bands on a first-come, first-served basis. Evidently, it's the bands with the drive and the fundraising ability that go to this contest. Flower Mound's Marcus High took first in this year's Texas UIL marching band competition, but did not go to this event.)

Link to the H-E-B school district's story on the competition here. 

- Kristin Sullivan w/Wendie Lunsford in Indianapolis

L.D. Bell Band rolls toward tonight's BOA finals

Wow! To keep things in perspective:

- 500 bands participated in Bands of America competitions.

- 90 came to the Grand National Championship in Indianapolis

- 33 advanced to tonight's semi-final round, and the Blue Raider Band is there. (This photo is from the semis round)

Here's how the semis played out: Bell got Outstanding Music among Division 3A schools (with more than 1,150 students) and third overall in the 3A Division.

But the slate is clean for finals. Three more hours of marching bands. Bell plays at 8:15 p.m. EST. Awards are expected about 11 p.m. here or 10 p.m. back home in Texas. It's
going to me a nail biter.

It's in the mid-40s here at Lucas Oil Stadium, but at least it's no longer raining.

Just saw state Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, and his wife.

- Wendie in Indy c/of Kristin Sullivan

Bell Blue Raider band marches at noon for BOA grand national championship

It was around 10 p.m. Friday when Jeremy Earnhart, director of L.D. Bell High School's Blue Raider Band and his associtate directors - Van Matthews, Brandon Holt, Wes Cartwright and Jaime Alvarez-Calderon - marched into the packed conference room at the Embassy Suites hotel in Indianapolis. Students and parents sat on the floor watching the video of the evenings performance. It was so quiet and still.

The leadership team talked to students about motivation through personal responsibility. It is amazing to watch these students who committed themselves to such a demanding and disciplined regimen, both physically and mentally. They have had to keep up their grades in school (no pass, no play), to give up social time all for this Saturday performance at the Bands of America Grand National Championship.

Today, the Bell Band performs in the No. 14 slot of the 33 schools in the semifinal round. Bell members were asked how they felt about their prelim performance? With a room full of thumbs held horizontally it was clear that they thought they had given an average program. They know and want to be better.

Matthews, left, asked students about the difference in acoustics. He told the band the music performance was great. He also told them that the color guard had been spectacular.

"Do your job the way you have been trained. We want a thumbs-up experience together. Use what you learned today to your advantage," he told them.

The band has a short practice this morning and performs at noon. Finalists are expected to be announced after 5 p.m.

FYI: Radio personality Dan Potter is in Indianapolis and posting YouTube video from the competition. ">here.

- Wendie in Indy w/Kristin Sullivan

Wendiana Jones reporting;)

L.D. Bell band advances to semis in Bands of America National Championship

Update: Bell made the semifinals Saturday. The Blue Raider Band performs at noon in Indianapolis.

More from Wendie in Indy:

The L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band practiced for two and a half hours this morning. But Quest, the band's 2008 program has been in the works since early August.

There is nothing like moving 350 of your favorite band members through downtown Indianapolis in full marching uniforms only to get to the convention center, sit and wait for an hour to determine if
the students will continue to to Lucas Oil Stadium or be sent back to the six charter buses to hurry up and wait some more.

But it didn't rattle Jeremy Earnhart, (left) Bell's longtime band director who is making his sixth trip to a Bands of America Grand National Championship since 2000. Earnhart gave his team last minute pointers, like, "Look at the 340 (seat) marker in the stadium and then take the horns right to the Lucas Oil Stadium sign."

Earnhart laid out his game plan: "We march fast. We play loud... We are returning each year to be better. Being consistent has brought us back each year."

He reminded them of the early morning workouts when their bodies were so sore they could hardly  move. Now they were in a world class facility, world class show and in front of world class audience. (Caroline Hamilton, right, waits with the rest of the flute section in the Indianapolis Convention Center.)

In the band world, this was "Christmas Day with all the presents you want," Earnhart said. But he coached them to "be cool, calm, collected."

It was a wonderful gift for the students, school and community. We are all so proud!

c/o Kristin Sullivan