Superintendent Carstarphen Visits "44 in 4"

Forty-Four Schools in Just Four Weeks

2010-06-02T15:41:00.082-05:00

Four weeks and 44 schools to see,
As the new superintendent, it was a real treat for me!
Teacher Appreciation Month was in May,
Teachers of Promise and of the Year I met every day.
Promise, our schools do,
of quality, rigor, and a lot of fun too.
With cheerleaders, jazz bands, inclusion classes, and more
Our schools’ striving for excellence is at their core.

Doubling library book circulation at ALC,
Honoring the whole child at Govalle.
Viva Zavala, rockin' in science, reading and song,
Brooke with Lion pride roaring and writing along.
Dawson and Small, big hearts they've got,
Thankfully, mine didn't give out as I walked, walked, walked in the Oak Hill lot.
At Patton I met Pioneers
Exploring many new frontiers.
Eco-art smart Cunningham, what a clever little school,
Cowan crayola pillars make it uber-cool.
Perez Pythons wild about reading and the wildflower walk,
Williams loves oceans and virtual Philippe Cousteau talk.
Maplewood Video Production had me on the hot seat,
Harris' IPad makes high tech learning complete.
If Ridgetop is the school
that goes from dinosaurs to dual
(language, that is),
then T.A. Brown
is the best school in town.
Paredes is bursting with Puma Pride,
St. Elmo kids questioned and quizzed us and took us in stride.
Shakespeare, pajamas, and pancakes at Galindo,
Hill standards high, orange and white, and the Dad Dillos.
Garza Spirit Says, "That's Me!"
It was easy for us all to see.
Dedicated dolphins do their flipper wave at Davis,
Doss learning takes flight up to the stratus.
Brentwood's attitude is really green,
McCallum and Reilly are PALS, as I've seen.
Highland Park learning comes alive under oaks,
Casis' path to excellence is paved for its folks.
Blackshear hosts positive role models,
Mustangs at Barrington read in their saddles.
Wooldridge folklorico could charm and amaze,
Busy McBees buzz all the day.
Little feet make strides at Lucy Read Pre-K,
Lamar teaches students "responsibilitay."
Pillow celebrates the Big 4 0,
Cook Crocs' teachers are in the know.
Oak Springs thrives in a world of its making,
Ortega busts myths and knowledge they're taking.
At Sims today's work is just a start,
Tigers at Norman know to work hard to be smart.
Lee is so nifty where kids read fifty,
Teaching in paradise at Bryker, how spiffy.
Life at Palm is beautiful and breezy,
Widen teachers make learning look easy.
Houston has cool kids; I got to be one,
Rodriguez rocks 'cause learning is fun.
Our first school was Linder, where we were so welcome,
And that's all the schools; our visits were awesome!

I'll miss our rogue band of bloggers —
Ramona and Carmen, Kathy and Chris, Holly and Liz —
they can't forget this: that they hung in
every day of the tour, which made it all possible
for me to do this,
visit each school and blog what I learned
while the wheels of our bus turned, turned, and turned.

A poem by a second grader would be better than this,
It's true, check out Cowan, that student can't miss.
It’s all about learning, going forward, not back,
learning for life, but don't tell that to TAKS.

Many thanks to all the wonderful teachers, students, parents, and school staff members that I met on the tour. Your commitment to teaching and learning has inspired me to do the best job I can as your Superintendent. I also want to thank the principals for creating outstanding learning communities ... and for welcoming us so warmly when we visited.

Linder Elementary

Principal Beverly Odom

Rodriguez Elementary

Principal Monica Villasenor

Houston Elementary

Principal Elia Diaz-Camarillo

Widen Elementary

Principal Kim Royal

Palm Elementary

Principal Joanna Garza

Bryker Woods Elementary

Principal Nancy Hobbs

Lee Elementary

Principal Elyse Smith

Norman Elementary

Principal Floretta Andrews

Sims Elementary

Principal Freda Mills

Ortega Elementary

Principal Anna Pedroza

Oak Springs Elementary

Principal Monica Woods

Cook Elementary

Principal Orlando Salazar

Pillow Elementary

Principal Tonya King

Lamar Middle School

Principal Eleanor Duncan

Lucy Read PreK Demonstration School

Principal Janice Darrington-Weston

McBee Elementary

Principal Rafael Soriano

Wooldridge Elementary

Principal Sheri Mull

Barrington Elementary

Principal Susan Stamy

Casis Elementary

Principal Patricia Martin

Highland Park Elementary

Principal Tammie Workman

Reilly Elementary

Principal Anna Garza

Brentwood Elementary

Principal Katherine Williams-Carter

Doss Elementary

Principal Sherrie Raven

Davis Elementary

Principal Douglas Hall

Hill Elementary

Principal Beth Ellis

Garza Independence High School

Principal Linda Webb

Galindo Elementary

Principal Donna Linn

St. Elmo Elementary
Principal Adriana Gonzales

Paredes Middle School
Principal Raul Moreno

T.A. Brown Elementary
Principal Veronica Sharp

Ridgetop Elementary
Principal Joaquin Gloria

Harris Elementary
Principal Gloria Arredondo

Maplewood Elementary
Principal Sandy Leibeck

Williams Elementary
Principal Joan Bertino

Perez Elementary
Principal David Kauffman

Cunningham Elementary
Principal Amy Lloyd

Cowan Elementary
Principal April Glenn

Dawson Elementary
Principal Shannon Sellstrom

Patton Elementary
Principal Alan Stevens

Oak Hill Elementary
Principal Terry Whistler

Small Middle School
Principal Amy Taylor

Brooke Elementary
Principal Olivia del Valle

Zavala Elementary
Principal Sean Fox

Govalle Elementary
Principal Nancy Maniscalco

Alternative Learning Center
Principal Hector Rodriguez

New Beginnings at Alternative Learning Center

2010-05-28T15:54:00.010-05:00

Our last stop today — and in the "44 in 4" Tour — is the Alternative Learning Center. Principal Hector Rodriguez met us at the door and I was eager to discover how the dedicated teachers and staff help these young people. These students need extra support to help them get better prepared for being successful in our middle and high schools.

The teachers are carefully chosen so that their backgrounds and skills in social work and psychology can be put to good use. The faculty trains a lot to beef up their skills to support each student and their special needs. Partners are carefully chosen for coaching, mentoring, and tutoring. Partners include CARY, Travis County, Austin Partners in Education, Communities in Schools, and UT.

The ALC is a state-mandated program where students come who must be removed from their home campuses due to disciplinary issues. This allows them to continue their education while also learning social and behavioral skills they need to be more successful when they return to their home schools. The program includes the core classes: science, math, language arts, and social studies, and the school complements these courses with PE/ROPES and Character Education.

The students assigned to the ALC may come for only a day, or stay for the remainder of a school year for many different offenses. Teachers constantly receive training in classroom management, at-risk populations, as well as curriculum and instruction. They are encouraged to have ESL, G/T, and special education training for students who require all of these kinds of services. More than any other school in the district, ALC teachers must keep up with the scope and sequence to ensure a seamless transition for students when they return to their home schools.

ALC has many different types of intervention techniques, such as parental involvement and direct instruction. The school has INVEST, Positive Families, and Great Families programs to assist students who are sent there because of drug or alcohol use, antisocial behaviors, or gang activities respectively. Students receive counseling at the ALC, or are assessed and sent to a business partner for further support in overcoming negative behaviors.

One of the ALC's best interventions is offered in conjunction with Austin Community College. The ACC Eastview campus is right across the street. ALC students are given the opportunity to learn how to attend college and therefore change the way they see themselves. Principal Rodriguez is proud to say that there is a good number of students who do enroll at ACC after having walked the campus while assigned to the ALC.

There are both middle and high school students here, and we toured separate wings for both age groups. The high school students were taking semester finals, so the atmosphere was serious and studious. There is a character education program to support reflection and collaboration with peers. The program is called "Why Try?"

The librarian, Ann Maria Avegno, was very pleased with the circulation of books this year — it doubled!!! She was really excited about the resources that the school has received in recent years to help expand the collection so that she could buy books that the students like (and they do like her choices).

Teacher of the Year Jennifer Wood is the only sixth-year teacher. She teaches all four subjects and works hard to place students quickly in an instructionally-appropriate level. Beyond using textbooks, she uses online curriculum such as LEXIA for reading and Dimension M for math. She also leads training efforts for teachers at the Leadership Academy so the students can be successful with credit recovery.

Teacher of the Promise Claudia Banda team teaches with Carolyn Weaver for 9th grade. She has much love for the hard work required to help support some of the students here. She had great energy and a special approach to her students - relational and bilingual - who were very respectful and engaged in a conversation with me about my job and what I did in the school system. I even had one student, Jose, who was interested in being part of my next Student Jam!

The ALC was our 44th school. We did it — 44 in 4! Thanks to the many principals, teachers, staffs, students, and parents who welcomed us with open arms. Our visits were incredible experiences for me as Superintendent, and I have come away from this tour with so much information, impressions, and, mostly, pride in this great school district!

Thanks for reading our blog!

Govalle Elementary Honors the Whole Child

2010-05-28T15:27:00.013-05:00

As we arrived at Govalle Elementary, home of the Roadrunners, we were greeted by the safety patrol team, and presented with beautiful flowers that were cut from Govalle's own Pink Panther Kinder Garden! Principal Nancy Maniscalco leads this campus of about 400 students. She told us that she's very proud, not only of Govalle's great teachers and staff, but of the growing cadre of parent volunteers who help the school in so many important ways.

In the Parent Room, we met Parent Support Specialist Dolores Perez with PTA and Dad's Club representative, Mike Barron. The Govalle Dads have formed the first-ever Govalle Dads Club with 25 members and growing. They have organized many outstanding parent education and enrichment activities this year, and have had great fun helping teachers, and building school-community support through events such as "Dads v. Teachers" basketball games (the dads win) and Tug-of-War (parents win). There is also an ePrometoras program that is very important for parents of young children, newborn to age 5. The parents also organize science, math, and reading activities that support the teachers' work in the classroom.

Govalle is very proud of its school-wide implementation of Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) in every classroom this year! In Lyndie Garrett's class, we saw a Peace Center where students take "time out" to learn how to solve problems (How do I feel? What is the problem? What can I do?) through responsibility, respectfulness, and doing their best. A first grade student (with a lot of personality) explained how the center works. First, you reflect on your feelings and how you treated other people. When you are ready, you use five steps:
1) I feel _____ because ______.
2) Take ownership by explaining.
3) Apologize (I am sorry for _________.)
4) Accept apology (Okay, I accept your apology.)
5) Shake hands.

This is just the beginning of the Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) culture of the school. Results have been remarkable! The children have developed amazing problem-solving skills and use their Peace Centers to resolve conflicts with one another, and to "cool down" when necessary. Govalle's teachers are developing true classroom communities in which their students can feel supported, safe, and empowered to manage their learning as well.

The school has integrated SEL activities with PBS, and it's worked beautifully. Students receive Peace Tickets for excellent behavior and are recognized each day at morning assembly. Wonderful parent volunteers attach these green tickets as "leaves" to the four Peace Trees located in the hallways so the students are continually recognized. With a significant decrease in office referrals this year, students remain in their classrooms with very little loss of instructional time. Govalle is excited about taking this important step in beginning to eliminate one critical obstacle to student success.

Beginning last year, through their involvement with the UT Urban Education Pilot, all Govalle teachers received great training in SEL curriculum and each received 2nd Step SEL Resource kits. This year, all teachers plan and teach a weekly SEL lesson, with reinforcement throughout the week, and have established Peace Areas in their classrooms.

I enjoyed meeting Teacher of Promise Beth Tousek and her kinder students who were happily involved in a fine motor skill development and memory experience called Tootie Ta! You'd have to see it to believe it! I did it, but felt very, very dizzy afterward. It was a mix of crazy movement: Thumbs up. Elbows back. Feet apart. Knees together. Bottoms up. Tongue out. Eyes shut. Turnaround. Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta ... you get the idea. Of course, the kids loved it.

Ms. Tousek's class presented me with really sweet letters addressed to "Dr. Carstarphen" and multiple versions of my name — Dr. C, Ms. C, Dr. Car, Sra. Carstarphen, etc., but I loved them all. Celestina was especially eloquent in describing what her teachers mean to her. "We are always safe because our teachers are always looking out for us," she wrote.

We found some PreK youngsters enjoying Splash Day on this warm, almost-summer, morning. I was jealous that I couldn't join them in the water fun!

Ryan O'Donnell is Govalle's Teacher of the Year. He wasn't able to be at school today, but I want to acknowledge and thank him for his exemplary efforts on behalf of the children.

4th grade students and their Reading Buddies were enjoying books on the Courtyard deck. Jazzy and Alazey performed their a Talent Show rap also on the deck.

Time to get back on the bus. Goodbye, Roadrunners. I enjoyed learning about our wonderful school and can't wait to come back!

The Power of Us at Zavala Elementary

2010-05-28T13:00:00.003-05:00

I've been talking a lot this year about the Power of Us — the community working together — to enrich our schools on every front. Zavala Elementary has the Power going on, let me tell you!

There was music in the air when we pulled up to to the school. A concert with professional musicians, The Night We Left, was taking place in the school's beautiful old auditorium. Guitarists were strumming and students were clapping in time. Both of band members played the guitar and sang - Barry Casebeer and Ben "Goody" Goodsell. We found out that Principal Sean Fox was in a garage band in high school and has a little rock star in him (the students say so). We even caught a peek of him playing air guitar for Paul Cruz.

Principal Fox told us that this was not just a single concert, but an outgrowth of a wonderful project to acquire new instruments for the school. On May 22, seven local bands held a fundraising concert. This was organized by the Fagerberg brothers, Patrick and Thomas, who organized the effort to raise money for music instruments for the students. Barry actually lives in the Zavala neighborhood so he thought of his friend, and our principal, Sean! More than $3,970 was raised and five guitars were also donated. At this morning's concert, the check from the fundraiser was presented. Thank you, musicians and music lovers who donated to the instrument drive! A local music store has agreed to sell instruments at wholesale cost so, next year, Zavala will be a musical haven in this Live Music Capital of the World. This is a perfect example of the Power of Us at work.

But the Power doesn't stop there. Recently the school celebrated the 20th Annual Reading Rally Day at Zavala. On Reading Rally Day, numerous professionals from all over Austin come to read to the students and discuss from their career perspectives how reading is fundamental in all walks of life. The University of Texas Longhorn Band and cheerleaders lead a community parade in which the school's top readers ride in convertible. What a thrill for the youngsters, and they learn that hard work has its rewards. Reading Rally Day was begun in 1990 by former librarian Susan Sanders. Earlier this month, Ms. Sanders was honored with a special celebration at which she was presented a proclamation from the Texas Senate. She was honored for her years of service to the Zavala school community.

Current librarian Elizabeth Crosby is really proud of her legacy, too, as she will be retiring at the end of the school year. She has built an 18,000-book library with 5,000 books in Mexican Spanish, not Castillan. And, finally, she was very proud of her Butternut Yellow newly-painted walls that match her friend, Cora's, handmade curtains in the library.

Teacher of the Year Lisa Rasberry teaches second grade. She led the class in a rousing welcome with handmade noisemakers of cups and beans, and the students sang the inspiring Zavala school song.

Zavala Mustangs,

Our heads held high.

Our hopes and dreams reach

up to the sky.

For a future that's clear and bright

We'll WORK for it with all our might!

Viva, Zavala

We'll do our best,

We've got Talent and Spirit,

We're ahead of the rest.

Zavala Mustangs,

We're proud to be,

Learning and growing

It's plain to see.

For a future that's clear and bright

We'll shout it out with all our might!

Then, they showed their stuff with technology through Comic Life. Students talked me through their projects on "How to Contribute to the World," and "Learning about Animals." Ms. Rasberry says she loves the tool because it improves vocabulary and being able to use the vocabulary is, as she says, "tying it into a tiny bow."

The science lab, formerly the library, is a lab but is still like a research library. Teacher Cheryl Gibson has been teaching for 29 years. Principal Fox is really impressed by the science work in the school this year. He is anticipating a banner year in science, which is much improved compared to previous years.

The students recently created books with photos of famous people, school staff, and even animals. Then they insert "quotes" in comic book style bubbles. Martin Luther King, for example, says, "I am famous for fighting for equal rights." A snake says, "I may bite you or cure you with my venom." Principal Fox says, "I help the school by keeping people safe."

It certainly looks to me like the students have acquired the right knowledge and are going straight to college! VIVA ZAVALA!

Time to say goodbye to the Zavala Mustangs. What a great visit! I really enjoyed seeing the Power of Us in action. Thanks to everyone at this beautiful old school nestled in the heart of East Austin.

We're heading out now to go to Govalle Elementary.

Roaring with Brooke Elementary

2010-05-28T12:31:00.012-05:00

A group of darling students in bright, sherbet-colored t-shirts greeted us this morning at Brooke Elementary School. Olivia del Valle is principal of this TEA-Recognized campus in East Austin, and joining her in the welcome committee were Teacher of the Year Julie Cantrell, and Teacher of Promise Paloma Amayo-Ryan.

The kids are Brooke PALS (Peer Assistance Leadership Students), a group of 20 students in 4th and 5th grade who have done a lot of hard work and served many people this year. They held a canned food drive in November to benefit the Capitol Area Food Bank, as well as the Coats for Kids coat drive. In January, PALS sponsored a choir concert to benefit Haiti Relief, and in February the PALS held a drive for Pennies for Patients, an organization that helps children with leukemia and lymphoma. The PALS students also serve as mentors to younger children.

We were quickly whisked off to the cafeteria for Morning Assembly with the entire school (it was HUGE and so humbling!), where I was presented with a Lion’s Pride Referral (to the principal's office) and a “Little Leo” by students Brianna, Jasmyne, Christopher,
Jeannetta, Damien, and Alicia. The entire student body recited the school pledge and sang the hip hop version of their school song. We got to dance and chant and dance and dance! Chief Schools Officer Dr. Paul Cruz joined us just in time for a little hip hop dance. The students gave me my very own Lion's Pride Award.

P erseverance (for visiting 44 schools in 4 weeks)
R espect
I ntegrity
D ependability
E nthusiasm for Learning

Brooke Pledge
I pledge to show my lion pride today and everyday.
To help make Brooke a better school in each and every way.
I promise I will do my best and use integrity.
So I can show I have respect for others and for me.

Brooke's Teacher of the Year Julie Cantrell graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southwest Texas State University in 1998. She has taught 4th grade here since 1999, and she and her teammates have developed exemplary writers each year. She is currently attending Concordia University and is expected to graduate in 2011 with a Masters in Educational Administration.

Ms. Cantrell believes it’s important to empower our children so, as our future citizens, they learn to stand up, be noticed, and make the world a better place in which to live. She prepares her students to solve problems to become productive, proactive, citizens. She instills in them positive, life-long habits that will help them become successful adults who not only respect others but themselves as well.

Teacher of Promise Paloma Amayo-Ryan began teaching 5th grade Science and Math nine weeks into the school year. She began her school career as a long-term sub when the 5th grade teacher went on extended maternity leave. Ms. Amayo stepped right in and students didn’t miss a beat.

Brooke has one of the top scores in AISD when it comes to implementing PBS. An integral piece of their plan is their Lion’s Pride Referral. Students earn Pride Referrals for exhibiting positive behaviors in Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Enthusiasm for Learning at school or on the bus. Students come to the office for recognition and place a portion of the referral in a special box. Their names are read the next morning during announcements and a drawing is held each Friday during Morning Assembly. Ten students win prizes each week. This year, more than 1,500 Pride Referrals have been earned by Brooke students. Student names are also posted on a bulletin board outside the main office for additional recognition.

Brooke also has incredible special programs such as Life Skills, SCORES, PPCD and Inclusion. The Life Skills class at Brooke has been working on a campus beautification program for the last 11 years, during which time students have planted, with other classes, over 60 trees on the campus.

We visited Traci Dunlap's PreK class. The PreK classrooms at Brooke all received Little Tikes/IBM Young Explorer computer stations earlier this year. These computers are great ... the kids love using them! While they are having fun playing games, they are also learning early reading, math, science, and creative problem solving skills. The stations also encourage cooperative learning, sharing, and turn-taking since two children can work together.

Five-year-old Alyssa, an awesome reader, read a letter to me from her classmates:

Dr C,
Thank you for coming to Brooke. You look pretty. We think you are nice. It was so cool when you danced to the song. It was awesome when you went, "Roar!" When you said you loved our school it almost made us cry. Thank you for helping schools.

How sweet is that?

We met Sam DeSanto, life skills teacher, whose students, through the past 11 years, have planted more than 60 trees around the campus grounds, and lined the fences with flowering bushes. They also take care of the trees by mulching, watering and pruning them. The goal is to improve the natural beauty of Brooke by providing shade for children to play, habitat for birds and butterflies, delicious fruit to eat and flowers that enrich the community and campus. The project is more than just landscape work, however. Mr. DeSanto incorporates math, science, writing, oral language, and gross motor skill development in the project.

Some sad news ... recently, the Brooke playscape was the tragic victim of vandals and was burned to the ground. The kids really miss their place to play and we'll be working to get a new one installed this summer.

We met first grade students of Ms. Pollini who were playing xylaphones. They were learning that the musical scale is like a staircase of sound, and has high and low sounds ... just like steps.

Here's the Brooke Song (rap style)

Let's Hear It for Brooke!

Let's hear it for Brooke, Hip Hooray!
Let's hear it for Brooke, Hip Hooray!

Let's hear it for Brooke, Hip Hooray!

We're the Lions proud and true
We love the gold and blue
Let's roar at our success
As we work to be the best.

Una porra para Brooke, Arriba Brooke!
Una porra para Brooke, Arriba Brooke!
Una porra para Brooke, Arriba Brooke!

Somos leones orgullosos de verdad
Amamos el dorado y azul
Rugiremos por los exitos
Haciendo siempre lo mejor

Let's hear it for Brooke, Hip Hooray!
Let's hear it for Brooke, Hip Hooray!
Let's hear it for Brooke, Arriba Brooke!
HOORAY!

The school is named for Florence Ralston Brooke who taught at the Tenth Ward School (later Palm Elementary) from 1888-1912, and at Austin High School from 1913-1942.

Goodbye to the Brooke Lions. Keep roaring loud and strong!

Small School, Big Heart

2010-05-27T17:38:00.019-05:00

Small Middle School is named for Clint Small, Jr., and its motto is "Small School, Big Heart." I certainly found that to be true. Small opened wide its heart to us from the moment we pulled up.

We were first greeted by the cheerleading squad holding a welcome sign made by art students. I do love cheering for our schools and kids, so we jumped right in. And that purple Cougar mascot was so loveable that I kissed it on the nose. What a trooper that mascot is because it's pretty warm outside today! Ramona and I did a Rockettes-kick-with-the-cougar move that really made us sweat, but was a lot of fun!

In the front office, I was greeted by W.E.B. (“Where Everyone Belongs”) student leaders who introduced the front office staff. The W.E.B. student-led transition program is specifically designed to support new students with transitioning to middle school. WEB leaders are trained in leading small group team-building and cooperative activities that include the development of a new school identity, cohesiveness, cooperation, and teamwork. The WEB leader program sets the tone for caring, respectful, and cooperative interaction among students. The cross grade-level experience demonstrates that all students can work together to achieve a common goal. Incoming students are encouraged to ask older peers for assistance, and older students also grow personally from the mentoring experience. I am so impressed because at least two of the students I met had also participated in the Student 72-hour Virtual Jam with me (our end-of-year party is June 1 to discuss ideas from the Jam).

To start the tour, the dazzling Cougar Dancers and outstanding Cougar Jazz Band performed in the cafeteria. Small Middle School takes well-earned pride in its outstanding fine arts program! The Dancers performed to the theme of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" with hot pink tops and Indian colored scarves - just beautiful!!! Nicole Jensen is the former dance teacher at McCallum and is now at Small. She does it all, according to principal Amy Taylor.

The Jazz Band is led by Tonia Mathews and they really swung. I love it that kids today enjoy great jazz and swing music.

Next, we visited Brandi Collop's classroom, Small Middle School's 2010 Teacher of Promise! She's an 8th grade math teacher.

Small is growing into a "Green-Tech" campus with innovative course offerings in both environmental studies and technology. Two green-tech students provided a tour of the gardens and the Career and Technology (CTE) wing.

We met Mr. David Matthews, native plants and animal's teacher, who received the John Ahrns Award for Environmental Education in 2009. The garden tour consisted of the brand-new outdoor classroom, an enormous greenhouse, and the Japanese garden (including a student-made pond).

Small Middle School has planted over 250 native plants and trees over the past 11 years! It even has a Grove of Champions (trees planted in honor of the founding principal, Mrs. Sheila Anderson).

We then visited the CTE wing and were introduced to a key leader on campus, Mr. John Beam, CTE Project Lead the Way teacher and TRACK (Advisory) coordinator. Mr. Beam, along with CTE colleagues Mark Kelly, Eric Mink, and Ronnie Scott, sponsors Small MS Tech-Know (Austin PIE program) where over 300 refurbished computers (refurbished by Small MS students) have been reallocated to needy families in the Austin area during the 2009-2010 school year alone.

Small's Green-Tech vision Small includes plans for outdoor additions of a rainwater harvesting system, solar-panel arbors, a green roof, and an Environmental Studies elective program. During the 2010-2011 school year, the school will pilot three high-tech classrooms which will include a 1:1 student laptop ratio, a Project-Based Learning (PBL) technology curriculum focus, and a standards-based grading system aligned to technology literacy and communication standards for the 21st century learner!

After a visit to the library where we met Elizabeth Newell, librarian and Liz Nichols, library assistant, we ended the tour in Melissa Hernandez's office, the Small Middle School 2010 Teacher of the Year! (PE Teacher, Coach, Athletic Coordinator, TRACK (Advisory) Intramurals lead, and CATCH Coordinator).

Throughout the tour, I noticed CSI: Small staff T-shirts. Small Middle School’s Cougar Success Initiative includes three components: PBS (Positive Behavior Support), TRACK (a daily advisory program), and CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health). A committee of teachers leads the success initiative to ensure the academic, behavioral, social, and physical development of each child as they progress through the middle school years. Having once been a middle school teacher, I get how adolescents' maturation process is complex. Students need this adult support to help them grow in healthy ways.

Thank you for a great time, Small Middle School. As we leave Cougar Country, I'll sum up our visit with the chant that the cheerleaders recited when we arrived:

We are here among our peers
and we know that you like cheers.
So we are here to make your day
as you go along your way.
You will see our art and mighty band
and watch the best dancers in the land.
Our teachers are our Cougar Pride.
We're glad to have you by their side.
Teacher of Promise, and of the Year, are here, here, here!

That's it for today — six schools in eight hours! It was a whirlwind but we met so many great teachers, parents, and students. I know this is a hectic time of year, and I appreciate the warm welcome that we've received at every campus along the way.

Tomorrow is the final "44 in 4" day and we have four campuses to visit. Check back to see where we'll be!

Walking, Walking, Walking at Oak Hill

2010-05-27T16:57:00.006-05:00

Oak Hill Elementary is truly a family — a family made up of more than 1,000 students. Soaring to Excellence is their motto, and Oak Hill is the only school with two separate campuses. Terry Whistler leads this TEA-Recognized school. Ms. Whistler, by the way, is down to her last days as an AISD educator. She'll be retiring at the end of the school year.

She was still going strong for us today, though, and led us on quite a hike. At Oak Hill you always have to be wearing your walking shoes because it's on 16 acres! The main building houses 1st through 5th grades, then at the end of the block, there is the Annex building with the little ones in PPCD, PreK, and kindergarten classes. The Annex was supposed to be a temporary building, but 26 years later it is still there. ("Temporary" lasts a pretty long time in AISD. We seriously need to address facilities in a comprehensive way.) Oak Hill is very crowded with about 1,000 students. They will finally get some relief next year when some students move to Patton Elementary, and some to the new Baldwin Elementary School opening in August.

We think we beat the oldest portable in Austin found yesterday at Williams. Oak Hill has one built in 1958! It was used for storage but, due to overcrowding, it is now first grade classrooms.

At the Annex we meet Alexandra Tarpley, the Teacher of Promise. She is a bilingual kindergarten teacher who loves working with children. She was so excited about teaching this year that she plans to go back for her Masters degree in Bilingual Education at Concordia University.

I was happy to join the principal on the floor with the group on the carpet as Ms. Tarpley taught a lesson on fractions. (I raised my hand to be called on so I could practice my Spanish in math, but the kids beat me to the answers.) Ramona was happy to see the integration of literature in this math lesson. Though Principal Whistler confirmed that the school has multiple sets of material in both English and Spanish, in this case she was reading a English book that she herself had translated into Spanish. Oak Hill is a campus with 45% ELL and 45% Economically Disadvantaged, but no Title I funds for extra materials.

The Oak Hill Annex is like paradise for pre-schoolers! It holds PPCD, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Teachers work together to blend rigorous instruction with appropriate developmental practice. While at the Annex, we also visit Young at Heart, a reading program started by two retired Oak Hill kindergarten teachers. This is a program where every kinder child is read to individually by volunteers once a week. There are still many retired teachers that take part in this program. We also visited the new Teaching Gardens in the front of the school, which were just dedicated this past Friday.

The next stop is Paul Cumings' 4th grade classroom. He is Oak Hill's Teacher of the Year. Mr. Cumings wears many hats at the school. He also is called "Mr. Coupon" on the campus because as a PBS school, staff gives Eagle Coupons to those children who are caught doing what they are supposed to do. He also announces the names of students selected as the Eagles of the Day, reads to students in the morning as they eat breakfast in the cafeteria, and makes the daily announcements for the whole school. He's surely "Mr. Everything" to this school community.

One of the hallmarks of a great campus is an involved group of parents. Oak Hill is fortunate to have a super great PTA. This past year, the PTA focused on reading and building community. Parents read with students, paid for teachers staff development in reading, helped fund "Read Naturally," and purchased other reading materials. The community became closer with programs such as our many family fun nights which included a bike rodeo, movie night, and a story-telling evening.

Our trek around this beautiful campus on a hot afternoon was worth every minute. Oak Hill Elementary is truly a great school where there really is, "No Better Place to Learn." Thanks, Eagles, and have a wonderful retirement, Ms. Whistler. You're leaving behind a fantastic school!

Pioneering New Frontiers at Patton

2010-05-27T15:05:00.011-05:00

Happy Birthday, Patton Elementary! The school is celebrating its 25th anniversary year. The Pioneers opened their doors in 1985 under the amazing leadership of Sheila Anderson, who currently leads our professional development in the district.

The school is now led by Alan Stevens whose mom, Virginia Stevens, is like "principal royalty" in the district, according to Ramona. She mentored and trained principals such as Patrick Patterson, who is now at LBJ High School, and others. Judging by the continued success of Patton, Mr. Stevens is more than continuing this tradition of excellence.

The school has had numerous 25th Anniversary activities throughout the year including a family and community picnic in April. A special presentation was made by Congressman Lloyd Doggett who gave appreciation gifts to six Patton teachers who have been at the school since it opened.

Patton is completing a two week long MARE school-wide unit of study. MARE stands for Marine Activities Resources and Education. Several areas have been turned into marine habitats such as a kelp forest, rocky seashore, deep ocean, pond, and marshland. I got to "swim" in the suspended kelp forest with kelp bass, giant squid, and sea otters, to name a few. Ramona was attacked by the red octopus! Students of all grade levels toured each of these habitats and completed activities to understand the plants and wildlife that inhabit them. They also have a treasure hunt to learn and identify various sea creatures. Two third grade classes have made a special point of tracking the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and its effects on the Gulf Coast marshland.

In the library, we met Kim Anderson's class that recently completed a project called "Biography Bottles." The students use a two-liter bottle to dress up historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs (did you know he was a millionaire at 24 years old!), General Patton, and, the most clever costume, Elvis (the young, cute version), with Barbie dolls groupies in the audience holding up signs with facts about his life and work. The kids' creativity shone through in this unique and fun project.

I had a quick chance to run into the 25-computer lab. They have two mobile Dell labs, and are anticipating the arrival of 14 Innovation Stations.

The school has just completed the next stage in development of an outdoor classroom area, a project that was begun five years ago. This area had been a concrete hot spot for years. Patton has added a shade cover, a science lab, benches, and gardens to create a space for classes to learn and share ideas. The area was dedicated to the memory of Nayana Yagnik, who was a beloved teacher. Named Nayana's Garden, this area honors her love of children and the outdoors.

Teacher of the Year is Mary Waguespack who is in her 32nd year of teaching. She has been at Patton for 22 years. Congratulations! This P.E. teacher had me jumping rope for a Jumprope for Heart fundraiser. No double-dutch for me, though.

The Teacher of Promise is kindergarten teacher Niki Foster. This is a year of firsts for Mrs. Foster. Not only is this her first year of teaching, but she found out in September that was expecting her first child — who was born today! Welcome baby Jaxon. Mother, baby, and father are doing great! (Mr. Stevens kidded, saying that she's so dedicated that he expects her back at work tomorrow.)

The school is named for James Andrew Patton, a longtime resident of the Oak Hill and Travis County area. He was born in Lockhart, Texas, in 1853, and at age 17, became a Texas Ranger. In the 1870s, the Patton family moved to Oak Hill and opened a General Store, which they ran for 33 years. The building still stands on Hwy. 290. He was postmaster of Oak Hill, and was the first trustee of the Oak Hill school district.

Next year Patton is getting an additional 170 students, bringing the enrollment up to 950 to help relieve overcrowding at Oak Hill Elementary. Principal Stevens says Patton is ready for it. That's showing Pioneer Spirit!

Mr. Stevens gave me quite a memento — a "Certificate of Pioneership." I had mentioned at a recent principals' meeting that I never receive certificates, so he gave me this special one commemorating the school's 25th Anniversary. It even has my name in calligraphy! Awww. Thanks so much. I'm an official Pioneer now.

We're heading out now to Oak Hill Elementary, where I hear that Eagles soar. Goodbye, Pioneers, and thanks for the wonderful time. Congratulations on 25 great years!

Dawson Elementary — In the Heart of 78704

2010-05-27T13:45:00.047-05:00

Dawson Elementary Principal Shannon Sellstrom tells me the school is located in the heart of 78704. You know what that means — "Keeping It Weird" is a way of life down here in South Austin. Head custodian Julio Lopez greeted us at the door with what Ramona likes to call the "keys to the kingdom" (you principals know what we are talking about - those thousands of keys on the one key ring!). His mother is the head custodian at St. Elmo, where he went to elementary school.

For almost 60 years, Dawson has celebrated its diverse community and looks forward next year to leading the implementation of One-Way Dual Language in AISD. Dawson seeks every opportunity to recognize student achievement as students set and achieve goals for specific progress and leadership.

Superstar students are highlighted each month with a picture and achievement summary in a front hall display. A monthly celebration brings all the superstars together for recognition and fun.

I ran into last year's AISD Teacher of the Year, Cindy Stocking, who was in an ARD with her colleagues and counselor Zak Kuykendall, who is retiring this year (he looks 12-years-old!). I will be seeing Zak at the AISD Retirement Dinner tonight. Cindy led a year of reading effort and improvement organized by the Dawson Literacy Cadre.

Tayna Jedele, assistant principal, was in the library with the librarian, Debbie Shaffer, for Dawson's Math Talk. This is a student recognition program in which each teacher, PreK through grade 5, selects one student to bring a math problem or project to share and present their mathematical thinking, process, and criteria for quality, and life relevance. There were parents and grandparents in the audience. If you could have seen the look of pride on Michelle's grandmother's face as Michelle shared a foldable on Great Mathematicians!!!

Teacher of Promise is Becca Nagel, 4th grade inclusion teacher, whose students were involved in using research skills for technology projects. They shared all the highlights of their school year through a video collage, including trips to the Bob Bullock Museum, Gattitown, the Austin Symphony (I saw them there on the same day!), as well as other campus activities like track and field and the school's Sock Hop. It was so much fun to watch them do a group dance to MC Hammer's "You Can't Touch This." Samuel, who with his sister, made me a welcome poster, also shared his research and video on endangered African elephants. The class had a cemetery of "dead words," known as common words, and after a funeral (with tombstones and all), they put these words to rest and learned to use elaboration to enhance their writing.

Now, I have to share another bit of feedback regarding school cafeteria food. You surely know that, in a kid's world, pizza rules. So Ms. Nagel's students feel it is really important for me to do something about cafeteria pizza. In particular, they said it was gooey and cold, instead of crispy and hot. Although I have had my share of school cafeteria food in the district, I have not had the pizza. (Today is beef and chicken fajitas and they were delicious.) So, if at all possible, and if pizza is being served again before the end of the school year, could our food service staff pay a little extra attention to the pizza so that the pizza rep is restored at Dawson. And, of course, the kids want more pepperoni. Who doesn't?

Dawson is working to upgrade its courtyard as an outdoor classroom and science center. They'll be seeking grant funding to enhance the facility and to develop a curriculum to deepen students' learning about their outdoor environment.

We were not able to visit Dawson Teacher of the Year Noreen Rodriguez, since she is out celebrating the birth of her brand new one-day-old baby girl! Her class was busy with their Inclusion partner teacher Andy Rosario testing various methods to clean oil from feathers, and writing about how they might advise folks who are working to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The school is named for Molly Dawson, the first principal of the first school in South Austin, now Fulmore Middle School. A native Texan, she was born in 1849, began teaching in Austin in 1882, and led the then-South Austin Ward School from 1891-1899. As a new Austinite, I've enjoyed learning about these early educators such as Molly Dawson. Their work, so many years ago, laid the path of excellence that we have in our schools today — and certainly here at Dawson Elementary itself. Miss Molly would be proud!

Time's up at Dawson. The Dolphins have been so welcoming and fun to get to know. Thanks for everything! We're getting back on the bus and heading southwest to Patton Elementary.

Eco-Art Smart at Cunningham Elementary

2010-05-27T11:16:00.007-05:00

There's nothing like seeing little primary age children early in the morning to make you feel great. All is right with the world when you see their smiling faces.

This is how we were greeted today at Cunningham Elementary in South Austin. We were met outside by first graders from Ms. Harkless's class. The students were jumping up and down and carrying Big Books from their reading series. In the inside hallway, we then were serenaded by lively kindergartners, students of Ms. Lively, who sang an apple (manazanita) song in both English and Spanish. They were cute, cute cute! They gave me the props - I had a gusano en la mano (we named him Wormy; check out the photo). They also performed the school song which they sing at morning assembly every day.

Principal Amy Lloyd was our host for our tour. We peeked into the cafeteria where the End-of-Year Awards assembly was being conducted, led by Assistant Principal Gilma Sanchez. Our walk began through the hallways which were full of students' art work. Along the way, we observed Ms. Angie Field's bilingual fourth grade class with their little 1st grade buddy class of Ms. Taylor Alexander.

The revitalized Cunningham Courtyard was a community-based project that is xeriscaped with native plants. Ninety parents turned out for beautification day! Wow. The district provided the stone and gravel, and the Natural Gardener provided soil for the project. We saw Lauren Maples, affiliated with Legacy of Giving, and a Cunningham mom, leading students in a lesson on how soil settles and an investigation of bluebonnet seeds from the school's plants.

We were able to run into the art studio to be live models for 5th grade subtractive mono prints (that's where you use printer ink rolled with a brayer onto glass, and then remove the ink with a variety of tools — Q-tips, erasers, pencils — to then be able to press paper on the finished design to the get the image). Through this activity, students learned proportion, line, space, shape, and size. These are the basic principles of art AND geometry. We received our mono prints to take home with us. Darla Caughey, new to the school, transformed art for the school. Her room is full of art rubrics to allow for clear expectations and accountable talk. These criteria charts help students achieve a high level of quality in their work.

Next we visited Emily Smith's fourth graders who shared their writing. Do you know what "ratiocination" is? It's the process of reasoning, or deducing conclusions from premises; deductive reasoning. It's a term created by author Edgar Allen Poe. This class is using it as an explicit writing technique. In Ms. Smith's class the students are perfecting the technique in their writing. It will soon be described by her in a book being written by Dr. Carol Armstrong who is the Director of the New Jersey Writing Project.

We met the 5th grade science class of Cunningham Teacher of the Year Julie Saucedo. The students had done an impressive ocean mural project. FYI, my head is NOT that big in real life (see photo).

Our next stop was a Vietnamese bilingual class taught by teachers Ketty Nguyen and Melissa Keedy. Cunningham is the South campus for our Vietnamese program. (Up north, Summitt Elementary serves that community.)

Back to the office to meet Cunningham's wonderful unsung heroes, Lois Stillwell, secretary/bookeeper, Jessica Frances, attendance clerk, Susan Coleman, clerk, and incredible custodians Annie Hinojosa, Florencio Garcia, Isabel Homann, and Imelda Chaparro.

I received a beaded necklace that third graders "upcycled" from magazine pages. It is a project of Cunningham's green arts initiative, and absolutely gorgeous! (I'm not sure that "upcycled" is a real word, but I like it anyway.)

The school, which was established in 1962, is named for Mary Ellen Douglas Cunningham who taught at Fulmore Middle School for 47 years. Before moving to Austin, she taught for 13 years in rural schools in outlying areas of Caldwell and Travis counties. Let's see ... that's 60 years of teaching! Amazing.

Cunningham's mascot is the cobra — Curious Cobras, says Principal Lloyd. The school community is proud of its strong diverse community with generations returning to the school. It even has an alumni Facebook group and reunion. The 5th grade TAKS science scores and 4th grade writing TAKS scores are strong. This TEA-Recognized school is striving to be innovative, creative with engaging programing, increased parent participation, cultural programs and grant funding for after school programs. Students and staff are working to become an Exemplary campus and a U.S. blue ribbon school too. Principal Lloyd says they are hoping to soon have a ballet folklorico group and a Vietnamese club.

Our time at Cunningham has flown by. We loved every minute, and enjoyed meeting the Curious Cobras.

Cowan Elementary — the Best Kept Secret in Austin

2010-05-27T09:52:00.225-05:00

You know those blah pillars that every school has holding up the front canopy? Well, they're not blah at Cowan Elementary School; they're giant crayons in the school colors of purple and green.

This campus, opened in 2000, was designed by architect and great friend of AISD, Tommy Cowan, for whose father the school is named. Dennis Cowan was a teacher, administrator, mentor, and friend to generations of Austin students. He began teaching industrial arts at University Junior High in 1937 and also taught at Baker and Allan junior high schools. He was the first principal of Murchison Junior High from 1967-72, then the District's supervisor of Pupil Services until he retired in 1975. The Cowan family is very involved in the school's activities, and has graciously donated a small printing press used by students of Dennis Cowan in his industrial arts classes.What a beautiful family and impressive legacy!

Principal April Glenn began our tour with a plan and detailed schedule. The goal was to be sure that I saw all the "little things" that make Cowan the "best kept secret in Austin," and that they STUCK with me. To make her point (no pun intended), I was "sashed" by the principal and pinned with buttons citing examples of those little things including, "Teachers Recruit Other Teachers," "The Best of the Best Teach Here," "Inclusion," "8 National Board Certified Teachers," "Logo Created by Amado Pena," "Everyday Assembly," and "All 2nd-5th Grade Teachers Are Capital City Writes Trained." To give you a sense of how proud and hardworking this school is, I was buttoned 24 times! What a unique way to make a lasting impression.

We got off to a great start with a visit to the inclusion kindergarten class of Ms. Arlene Abraham and Ms. Leslie Birch. Ms Abraham has been teaching for 24 years, but this is her first year as a kindergarten inclusion teacher. She has two special needs students in her classroom who have made tremendous progress due to her nurturing demeanor, patience, and consistency. Ms. Birch has been at Cowan for three years, and it was clear from the beginning that she was skilled at working with struggling students. This year, Ms. Birch is a SCORES teacher, in addition to teaching inclusion with Ms. Abraham in kindergarten and Ms. Freund. I toured the tables where a student introduced me to the "experts" in multiple content areas. I was very impressed with the high level math for the Kinder kids.

Our next stop was the dining room where we were in the audience for the final dress rehearsal of Ms. Parkinson's third grade program, Chocolate: From Bean to Bar. Yum. Ms. Parkinson writes the scripts and original songs for all third grade programs, and assists with other grade level programs. I saw the yearbook, which she creates too, and it is AWESOME!

A 2nd grade class was next. Ms. Freund was the 2005 AISD Teacher of the Year. Her essay for that award was based on the book, Spyglass. The class gave me a paper towel roll-designed spyglass for me to use when looking at the district. Student Sadie presented her poem, My Magic Spyglass. Here are the first two lines of a wonderful work:

Look through my magic spyglass and you will see,
the beautiful and successful future me!

The teachers, Ms. Freund and Ms. Birch, say is the book links the importance of working hard to achieve their dreams. The students are taught to value hard work to earn the things that they want.

Next, we went to a fourth grade inclusion class taught by Ms. Thomas and Ms. Hailey.

Sheila Thomas is the Cowan Teacher of the Year. This her 6th year at Cowan and her 28th year teaching in AISD. She also leads a running team. Matthew, a student, told me that he ran a mile, and that Ms. Thomas teaches him to look at the world in more ways than one.

The school's godfather, architect Tommy Cowan, rallied folks in the construction industry to raise $40,000 to ensure that Cowan kids would have a playscape on opening day in 2000. (The 1996 bond package, surprisingly, did not include play areas for children.) He raised concerns about this approach to educational specifications for schools to Facility Planning, and subsequent bond issues have included playscapes and covered play areas. We then traveled to Pre-K and enjoyed watching the children on the playground.

Our time is up at Cowan Elementary, and it sure was fun. Thanks to all the Coyotes, big and small, for a wonderful tour. Y'all are great!

Big Blogging Day!

2010-05-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

Today is a big blogging day! We are headed to six schools in eight hours — Cunningham, Cowan, Dawson, Patton, Oak Hill, and Small. We have to stay on time to be sure that we get to all of them before school is out for the day. And, tonight I have my very first (I am so excited!) retirement dinner for 288 of AISD's finest!

I had a tummy ache this morning, so I didn't have breakfast (bad superintendent). I'd have more energy if I did. I wonder what we serve for breakfast in our schools...

Kathy Anthony, the mastermind behind the scenes for this 44 in 4 effort, worked really hard to get us off on time today. We told Liz the Bus Driver to "drive like the wind" ... but don't go over the speed limit, of course.

Ooh, we're here! First stop ...

Get Wild at Perez Elementary

2010-05-26T13:24:00.017-05:00

Perez Elementary is wild about reading, nature education, and dual language! The banner that hangs in the main hallway reminds students, staff, and parents that reading is the key to all education. Perez has implemented a nature education program, and built a courtyard pond and outdoor classroom. Finally, the school is piloting the district's two-way dual language immersion program. They're busy Pythons at Perez!

First, this Recognized school with 829 students is always growing, due, in part, to the amazing leadership of Dr. David Kauffman. (By the way, the principal and I attended Harvard together. He was already a principal here before I was hired, but I have always wanted to work with him in a school district.)

Perez also is successful because parent engagement is very strong, as is the outstanding teaching staff. Parent Glen Shield, who is a member of the Campus Advisory Council, is a huge school supporter and part of the nature education initiative. We met him in the hallway and went on a walk outside with him. (I don't want to spoil the surprise so you'll have to keep reading.)

We visited Teacher of the Year Mary Maldonado who has a 4th grade bilingual class. Principal Kaufman explained that Perez has a late-exit bilingual model with fourth grade as the earliest grade transition into English, but Perez is looking forward to being a lead school in the new Two-Way Dual Language programming. To ensure that students are fluent in English, Perez has committed time and resources to a unified vision for oral language development. Oral language is a focus in all PK-2 classrooms and all teachers at Perez attended Region 13's ESL Institute. All teachers are expected to be ESL-certified by Fall 2010. Hooray! They also use the accelerated reader program in all 2nd-5th classrooms.

We met first grade teacher Lupe Ramos, a National Board-Certified teacher. Ramona was impressed with the level of student engagement in purposeful, well-planned learning centers. Her classroom environment was designed for hands-on, self-directed learning. It's the last week of school, and her room was intact with lots of learning still taking place. It was clear that procedures and routines were in place in this classroom. As she sat one-on-one with a student, all other students clearly knew learning expectations in small group center activities.

The beautiful courtyard was originally designed to be a lush and green courtyard garden, but budget cuts left it barren and a sea of hot concrete. Parents and community members came together for the last two weekends and removed 150 sq ft of 4" deep concrete, planted trees and plants, and installed a pond. Now, THAT's parent involvement! It's beautiful and will become even lovelier as the trees grow taller.

Principal Kauffman warned us to wear walking shoes and we quickly learned why! Perez is proud of its Nature Education Program, and has created a nature trail. The school staff and parents want to assure that students do not grow to have a "nature deficit disorder." Dr. Kauffman bases his program on a 2005 book "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv. The focus is to facilitate direct teaching of scientific concepts, and provide the benefits of spending more time in nature. The nature trail will provide safe access to wooded areas and nearby Onion Creek.

As we walked the trail, an ambitious work-in-progress, we were surrounded by the beauty of Texas wildflowers and a variety of butterfly species.

On a cliff overlooking Onion Creek, students were quick to point out the turtles. Perez plans to construct split rail fences for student safety. The children are able to observe native vegetation and basic species, erosion and the effects of flooding, water organisms, fossils, and much more.

I was introduced to the Horse Mint flower, Firewheet, and a Yarro plant. Catepillars were busy eating a plant known as Achilea Millefolium. (Did you know that in ancient Greek lore, Achilles used this plant to heal his troops after battle because it is known to stop bleeding? I learn all kinds of things on these school visits!)

There are future plans for an outdoor classroom to be constructed as a launching pad for classes to enjoy and learn from the trails. This nature education project was partially supported by a 3M Ingenuity Grant and a Girl Scout Silver Star project led Perez alumni Girl Scouts currently attending Paredes and Kealing middle schools. The PTA and other community groups have also pitched in. Thank you to everyone who has helped create this educationally-rich environment for Perez students.

Perez students enjoy singing the school song, "We Are Perez Pythons." Get ready now ... it's sung to the tune of "We Will Rock You."

We are Perez Pythons

and we're here to say

we're responsible

respectful every day.

We're ready to learn;

working hard makes us smarter.

We're Recognized

'cause we try harder.

We are Perez Pythons. (4x)

You had fun singing that, didn't you? Queen would be proud.

The school is named for U.S. Marine Corps LCPL Nicholas S. Perez, a 2003 graduate of Travis High School who was the first Travis County fatality of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He lost his life in combat in 2004 at age 19, and his family graciously and with great love has assembled a moving collection of memorabilia in the entry hall display case.

It's time for this visit to end. Goodbye, Perez Elementary. In the spirit of the school's commitment to dual language ... adiós, Escuela Primaria Pérez.

Our touring is over for today. Check back tomorrow when we'll be visiting six (!) schools. Will we make it?

Surf and Turf at Williams Elementary

2010-05-26T12:16:00.007-05:00

Students from the Leadership Team, led by Ariana, greeted us at the Williams Elementary door. This Recognized school has almost 700 students, and the school community is led by Principal Joan Bertino.

Oceanographer Philippe Cousteau visited here recently. The students have been doing projects about different kinds of sea life. Every student has studied oceanography, and about Philippe's grandfather, the famous Jacques Cousteau. The students won the opportunity to participate in a virtual field trip to the Seattle Aquarium, and still keep up with Philippe's undersea adventures. Just yesterday, they saw him online swimming under the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The students have been writing letters to him also. According to Principal Bertino, Philippe's message of caring for the oceans has been well-received by Williams' students, members of the generation that will have to solve many environmental problems in the decades ahead.

This brings concerns for me regarding efficiency in our AISD facilities and maintaining a healthier environment for our students and staff. For example, unless another school can outdo Williams, I think we found the oldest portable in the district. Its construction date is 1964! (Maybe we should apply for a historical marker!)

Today is track and field day at Williams. The counselor, Lisa Schmitz, runs what we believe is the only elementary jogging club. (If there are others, let me know.) We found Ms. Schmitz with her "Therapy Dog," who visits the school twice a week, meeting students who benefit from the pooch's warmth and good nature. Lisa was organizing her Leadership Club for a lunch with PALS from Crockett High School. Williams makes a point of teaching and supporting leadership. This Leadership Club does great service projects such as Williams Can!, the annual can food drive, Donuts for Dad, Muffins for Moms, and Photos with Santa which is a fundraiser for their special projects.

Classes were lined up in their colorful shirts this morning, with PreK, kinder, and first grade students heading to the back field for the Williams' Track and Field Day. As we followed the littlest Wildcats to the field, the energetic and supportive PTA was busy setting up concessions, just to add to the kids' fun. The PTA is raising funds for a beautification project, is working with the principal to get a new marquee for the school, and, this week, also is purchasing books for teachers' classroom libraries. Thank you, PTA, for all your help.

P.E. teacher Kelli Wiley organized Track and Field Day with cooperative relays, and activities emphasizing gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and cardio-vascular fitness. It was sunny and warm this morning, but the kids were having a blast, cheering each other on in each event.

Principal Bertino said the best thing about Williams is the people. It's a school where teachers want their own children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren to learn. The school's strong staff averages 12 years teaching experience, and has a low turnover rate. It is the first elementary AVID school in the district. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and helps students set their sights on attending college.

The Teacher of the Year is Erin Vasquez who teaches first grade, but we met her out in the field, rather than her classroom. We also met Herbie Arrellano and his "Aguilas," or Eagles, a bilingual kindergarten class. As his eager kinder students wiggled and jiggled, he put sunscreen on each child while grooving to a Beach Boys recording. Mr. Arrellano is Williams' co-Teacher of Promise. He shares the honor with 3rd grade teacher Cynthia Coppinger, a Texas State graduate whose grandpa once worked in AISD ... that's keeping it in the family!

Retiring teacher Geri Weems, after 31 years of service, is getting ready to join the Williams Elementary Teacher Retirement Club. Members actually take an oath to continue working as school volunteers. They substitute teach, work in the library, and help with special events, such as today's Track Day. This dedicated volunteer group brings many valuable years of experience and expertise to this school community, and we appreciate all they do.

The school is named after Harvey S. Williams who was a longtime Austin teacher and principal. He taught manual training and was the Austin High baseball coach from 1921-1939, and led Becker, St. Elmo, and Travis Heights elementaries, Fulmore Middle School, and Austin High, all in the 1940s. He also organized the junior baseball program for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and Harvey Williams Field is named for him.

We left Williams with the little Wildcats enjoying their outdoor fun. Wish we could stay longer. Thanks for the great time. Perez Elementary is our next stop.

On Camera with the Maplewood Mustangs

2010-05-24T16:15:00.012-05:00

Our last stop of the day is at Maplewood Elementary. The school is set in a beautiful old neighborhood east of I-35, and just south of the old airport. It's shaded by some huge trees and the setting is so peaceful — perfect for learning! The school was built in 1952 and has about 400 students.

Maplewood has a history of celebrating success. Photos of students are posted as principal award recipients. The awards include achievement in math, science, reading, honor roll, perfect attendance, and increasing the peace. There is much documentation of community and family celebrations: Mothers Day, Cinco de Mayo, Olympics Day, birthdays, and, our personal favorite, Turn-Off-The-TV-Week.

Ramona and I received two very lovely tissue paper corsages. They were big and colorful, and had the charm of being handmade. I just love elementary schools, don't you?

The faculty asked me to acknowledge two great educators who are retiring this year — Roxy Lakey and Gloria Garza. This special education teaching team has been committed to the Maplewood community for decades. They lead the character education social skills and the Maplewood "Peacemaker Program." Students are nominated and honored every week by other students and teachers who recommend them for outstanding peacemaking activities as part of PBS (that's Positive Behavior Support). Congratulations on your retirements, and thank you for your service. I'm sure that Maplewood will miss you very much.

If I can digress just a bit ... we'll be honoring all 288 AISD retirees this Thursday night at the annual Retiree Dinner. We're sad to be losing the knowledge and experience of these dedicated educators — like Ms. Lakey and Ms. Garza at Maplewood — but are grateful for their service and wish them a great retirement.

From retiring teachers to newbies ... we met Maplewood's Teacher of Promise, Laila Nabi, who was busy with math and language arts integration. Her students had just read Eric Carle's Grouchy Lady Bug and were getting ready to create a timetable with clocks and descriptions of what happened according to the book at those times. They were also working with arts, as well to build fine motor skills and math skills through the use of literature.

Walking the 1st grade hall, I saw evidence everywhere of students involved in literature. From Arthur to Fractured Fairy Tales, the students are reading and enjoying doing so. (Fractured Fairy Tales, by the way, really excited our photographer, Carmen, who, if you remember, wears crazy socks).

Interim Principal Sandy Liebick took us to meet with the MVP (Maplewood Video Production) Studio, where we filmed in the computer lab. Several 4th grade students took on the professional roles of show hosts and interviewers, videographer, and photographer. They asked me questions — questions that they thought of themselves — such as, "Do I like my job?" "Have I found schools to be the same or different," "What has impressed me most?" "What changes did I want to make?" "What are the major issues schools are asking for help with?" Egad!!! The pressure to impress these bright students had me really sweating. They were articulate and charming, and I saw future network news anchors among this group.

Possibly the most unique thing I learned about Maplewood was that the school has a Ukulele Band with — get this! — 10 students. Who knew kids like ukelele!?!?!? Their favorite song, according to Mr. Leibeck, is "Honolulu Baby." I sure want to hear them play the next time I visit. Do they wear Hawaiian shirts, I wonder.

Although we didn't get a picture of him, I want to give a shout-out to custodian Bobby Crayton. Keeping an older building shining like a new penny is a hard job and Maplewood looked terrific.

That's it. Our time is up at Maplewood. Thanks to the Mustangs for a good time, and I'll treasure the corsage. We'll be back in our school bus on Wednesday through Friday. Twelve more campuses to go!

Harris Elementary Is High Tech

2010-05-24T14:22:00.070-05:00

Harris Elementary had us totally TECH'd -OUT! (I hope that's a word.) The visit was planned to the detail, including a visual presentation of the planned tour on an iPad! The school is a Mac campus and is fully using all the latest technology. Robert Chavez, math/technology coach, organized our tour with a campus map and six stations for the visit:

1. Introduction with Ms. Ileana Napoles.
2. Community Schools and the garden project with MariCarmen Gonzalez and Amara Nitibhon.
3. Teacher of the Year, 2nd grade, Janelle Nichols.
4. Teacher of Promise, 2nd Grade Bilingual, Roxanne Garcia.
5. Ruben Ramirez, 3rd grade Bilingual Film maker Teacher.
6. Gilbert Avila, 3rd grade Innovative Teachers.

Since they were so structured and well-organized, I feel obliged to stick to the script, as they say, and walk you through the amazing campus map tour plan that I experienced. BUT, first I have to tell you about our experience just getting into the school ...

Arriving at Harris, we were welcomed to Bulldog Country by principal Gloria Arredondo and students holding a huge banner covered in bulldog illustrations created by Ms. Stephanie Corrin's art class. It was so beautiful, and I appreciate all the time and talent they put into making it. Safety Patrol members then escorted us through the doors. (As an aside, I was happy to see that someone reads this blog! Instructional Coach Chavez had pulled together a slide show of blog pics that was running in the main hall.)

In the lobby, Ms. Gloria Cano, school counselor, led the cheerleader squad of 4th and 5th grade students in a barking, stomping cheer called "Bulldogs Have Pride!" The girls were full of school spirit and they beamed when I told them they performed like seasoned middle schoolers.

Now to the formal campus mapped tour:

1. The cheer was followed by a musical treat by (another Bulldog pride song) with the choir and xylophones! (Ms. Napoles couldn't be prouder.) Like the t-shirt says, "Bulldog Singers Choir Rocks!" Principal Arredondo told me that the Bulldog Singers have performed all over Austin this year, including at the State Capitol. Great job!

2. The Community and Service Gardening Club is a project with Communities in Schools. The students made art garden markers. Growing from seeds, the veggie stages were shown to us including the seedlings to plants to full adult vegetables (this is so not as scientific as they explained to me); then they CULTIVATE and HARVEST the vegetables, (those are at least better scientific words). The young gardeners grow peppers, tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and watermelon. All of these are healthy "Go" foods, as our Food Service folks categorize food items.

3. Janelle Nichols is Teacher of the Year, and she's known by the staff as the "glue that keeps teachers on the same team! (And, she told me that she is one of my biggest fans! So, yes, I feel honored.) In her class, the students showed us how they use the "Magic Bunny" to do math. (I can't wait to teach this to our CFO Nicole Conley-Abrams because no matter where you put the numbers everything - somehow - adds up! And, Nicole is going to need all the help she can get to craft a budget that adds up...) Ms. Nichol's class is international! Students come from all over the world, and they made flags to represent their home countries and celebrate their heritage. Myamar, Iraq, and Nepal were a few of the countries represented.

4. In Roxanne Garcia's class, I saw what we really mean by showing teacher "promise." She has championed the iPod Nano Project, with help from Dave Sanders in Instructional Technology. The students use the nano technology to video their work, instruction by the teacher, and peer-to-peer student teaching.

5. Gilbert Avila is piloting the 1-to-1 laptop in classroom with COWS, that's Computers on Wheels.

6. Teacher Ruben Ramirez incorporates filmaking skills and music production into his lessons.

It's fantastic that Harris educators have seriously embraced technology as a learning tool that engages today's students. Not only are children learning with technology, they're learning how to use it — and that's critical for preparing them for college and career.

The school's "Unsung Heroes" are the Special Ed team, Parent Specialist Benita Rodriquez, Afterschool Coordinator Mrs. Villareal, the custodial team, and the school librarian. But, I'm singing their praises now for the great work they do at the school everyday.

The school is named for Thomas G. Harris, whose name has been shortened to "Tommy G," for the school's mascot bulldog. The human Mr. Harris was Superintendent of the Austin Public Schools from 1895-1903. He is credited with reorganizing the school system for more orderly and systemic teaching, and established manual training as part of the high school curriculum. When he left Austin, he became the first president of Southwest Texas Normal College in San Marcos, now known as Texas State University.

That's it for our visit to Harris Elementary School. Thank you, Bulldogs, for the warm welcome and high tech tour. We love all the new tech gadgets and what you're doing with them. You truly are educating for the future.

Our next stop is Maplewood Elementary.

Ridgetop - The Little School that Does (including Dual Language)

2010-05-24T12:14:00.063-05:00

As you all must know by now, Ridgetop Elementary is one of our pilot two-way dual language immersion schools. It is already well on its way for making the first year of implementation successful.

Principal Joaquin Gloria has been out in the community talking to parents about the new design, and all it has to offer both English-speaking and non-English speaking students. The school strongly encourages more Spanish-speaking students to enroll, which would allow for even more students to attend the school on the whole, addressing the under-enrolled issue due to changes in demographics and housing patterns. Earlier this year, I got to see the principal in action when he led the first school-community open meeting on dual language. There, our district staff and the principal answered many questions about the design and plans for Ridgetop. I was very impressed by the energy and vision of the staff and leadership.

That's the plan for the future but, make no mistake, great work is going on today. For example, the support of the community is paramount. For parents, there is a real effort to bring them into the learning structure of school design. I saw the Principles of Learning translated into Spanish as well for parents to better understand what the teachers are expecting of students in the classroom. Further, there is a beautiful sculpture of Cesar Chavez in the front hallway that was created by Sunita Apte and donated to Ridgetop by UT.

Possibly the most clever and useful community support effort was the rain collection system. The 1500-gallon rain tank was donated by the Northeast Austin Rotary Club. Here's the problem: the main office was flooding and the gardens needed water. The challenge brought out the inner engineer in the principal where he worked with the community to build a water collection and distribution system to solve both of the issues. It's located in what is now an outdoor classroom where students grow veggies. Principal Gloria says the school made coleslaw with the first cabbages of the season.

Teacher of the Year Vera Corbett is a kindergarten teacher. We found her doing a lesson on the rainbow fish as part of the ocean unit. The book highlights all of the special parts of the rainbow fish. In a circle, she had the students individually say why they each thought that they were special too.

In the library, I met "Indiana Jane" (Laura Rice, the librarian) who transformed the library into an paleontological dig! With taped dinosaur sounds and songs, the room came alive with T-Rexes, Velociraptors, and Triceratops! The dig, filled with dirt and bones and fossils and other major creepiness, was in the middle of the library. She was decked out for a Jurassic Park experience as she read about the habits of dinosaurs. The book tables, from which students were to choose, were labeled under categories like relic, artifact, paleontologist, fossils, archeology, excavation, and culture.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the school celebrated its 70th anniversary this year! It is named for the Ridgetop neighborhood and was once in its own school district, way back when this north central part of town was still rural. I love that Ridgetop has one of those adorable old wooden-chair auditoriums like I also found at Lee Elementary.

The staff and principal are very excited about the work they have done this year, and anticipate high outcomes for their efforts! I am looking forward to seeing them become the BIG school that does!

Goodbye to Ridgetop Elementary. The Rattlers certainly have an impressive can-do spirit. I'm so glad we visited.

Next stop, Harris Elementary. I hear they have Bulldog Pride there.

T.A. Brown — "The Best School in Town"

2010-05-24T12:02:00.006-05:00

Wow! What a welcome! The entire student body and staff of T.A. Brown Elementary turned out to greet us this morning, lining the main hallway with flags waving and pom poms shaking. We were blown away by the enthusiastic hospitality.

Principal Veronica Sharp introduced us to her wonderful office staff, Assistant Principal Angelo San Segundo, Secretary Sheryl Bowie, Counselor Yvonne Scales, and Virginia Morales, attendance clerk, where they were rocking the school to the the song "Are you ready for this?" And, students and staff answered, "Yes, we are T.A. Brown, the best school in town!"

And, being the best is exemplified by teacher Mary Santa Anna who is anticipating awesome TAKS scores this year for her 6th grade students. (T.A. Brown is one of a few elementary schools that still have sixth grade.)

There were many welcome signs and welcome cheers to celebrate our visit. Carrie Alexander really leads the effort - and does many, many, many additional duties at the school. Now, that's something to celebrate. Science begins in Pre-K here and we saw it action. Teacher Gloria Somers had a realistic beach lesson with REAL sand to explain the thematic unit on oceans. The emphasis there is the vocabulary that students use to interact with the manipulatives used and the environment created in the classroom.

Ms. Somers raised good concerns about the amount of Pre-K testing through E-Circle. I will review this with our Chief Performance Officer, Bill Caritj, and Ramona Trevino, Chief Academic Officer. In short, it looks like an alignment that needs to be addressed between the state, district, and campus.

Teacher of the Year Christine Flores is a reading specialist and has been here for 15 years. She knows all of the students' history, families, and names, and is very aware of their academic needs. She is a mentor to teachers and students. Most importantly, she has implemented a multi-sensory approach to reading to support dyslexic students.

Teacher of Promise is Alicia Martinez-Duran. Originally an engineer from Michigan, she just joined the teaching ranks and the principal is ready for her to further her goal and get ready for administration. We hope to see her in special education and policy as soon as she is ready.

Get ready for the goats ... goats are coming to support more science learning and leadership. It's related to a curriculum for 4-H.

According to the principal, "The IMPACT process rocks!" It's really about everyone working together to serve the child. Beginning with crucial conversations, coupled with professional development, teachers and staff have taken what the district had given them and worked as team to meet the needs of all students to ensure differentiated instruction. They create "watch" list of students who need additional help. The meeting room is situated in botanical garden-type room (as often used for field trips too).

In the school library, Librarian Sally Wilcox, described the "Climbing to the Top Challenge" that is open to all students. The students must meet specific reading goals, and when they achieve their goals, they get to donate a book to the library and their name is printed on the book. The students have donated 133 books to the library. The project is supported by the PTA. Librarian Wilcox is standing in front of award winning books that she encourages students to read.

All isn't over for the school year yet. T.A. Brown is planning Super Kids' Day 2010 for Fun in the Sun tomorrow. The basic idea is that each child can feel like a "Super Kid" through exercise events - tire roll, egg race, bounce, jump rope, and so on. I feel like a "Super" Superintendent after visiting the school!

The school is named for Timothy Anthony Brown who was principal of Pease Elementary School from 1892 until 1933. (Pease, in case you didn't know, is the oldest, continually operating school in the state of Texas.) Anyway, Mr. Brown arrived in Texas from Tennessee in 1882, and was superintendent in Cisco, Texas, and taught in Mineral Wells, McKinney, Leander, and Round Rock, before coming to Austin. He died in 1948 at age 92.

We've run out of time at T.A. Brown and hate to go. We had a great time with the Bobcats. I loved their enthusiasm for learning and doing whatever it takes to help students be successful. I guess that's why they proclaim to be the "Best School in Town."

On to Ridgetop Elementary, home of the Rattlers.

Puma Pride Thrives at Paredes

2010-05-21T17:55:00.011-05:00

Américo Paredes Middle School is only 10 years old, but has a long-standing legacy associated with its namesake, and a recent history of excellence.

Here's Puma Pride in action: The National Center for Educational Achievement recognized the school as a 2009 Higher Performing School; it earned three Gold Performance Acknowledgements from TEA in 2009; and it was Exemplary in 2009 TAKS Reading, Social Studies, and Writing, and Recognized in Math. Also, the UT Council of Educational Administration identified Paredes as one of the highest performing Texas middle schools in math. The school will be highlighted by the Texas Business and Education Coalition on its website. I join the school staff, parents, and students in being so proud of all these achievements.

All of this happening on a GORGEOUS campus that is well maintained. After meeting the French teacher, I finally figured out what the landscaping of the school reminded me of! It's the drive from Spain to France through the Pyrenees. The trees, natural surroundings, and hilltop campus feel like it is tucked away among olive trees and vineyards on a hillside in the mountains. Very Euro-fabulous! Seriously, you wouldn't know you were in the City of Austin.

It's no surprise that the school's cheerleaders met us at the door, jumping into a Paredes cheer with me without pause — and, yes, at my prompting (I love cheers!). Pablo the Puma mascot joined us in the spirited welcome.

Principal Raul Moreno introduced us to active parents and PTA officers John Loyd and Rachel McInnes. The past President, Maria Shield, showed us an award received for increased membership from the state PTA. This year, the membership doubled to over 100 members. The PTA raised $15,000 for education field trips to places like the Texas State History Museum, Texas State University, and the State Capitol.

I always enjoy learning about each school's namesake, and Paredes has a special one, Dr. Américo Paredes, a renowned folklorist, author, poet, and musician whose labor of love was to preserve the Texas-Mexico border culture for future generations. A University of Texas professor emeritus, he founded Mexican American Studies, Border studies, and the post-modern movement in anthropology. In 1997, he received the University of Texas Presidential Citation. Dr. Paredes, at age 83, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this school in 1998, but, sadly, passed away before its opening in 2000.

On our tour, we found Teacher of the Year Christina Canales teaching 7th grade math. The kids were dividing decimals, but she makes math fun and cool by teaching them formulas through numonics. We learned an integer rap to help students understand how to add negative numbers, and also a "cowboy-horse" division method. I have to explain: The cowboy is on top of the fraction (numerator) which sits on a saddle (viculum - the divide line in a fraction) and the horse (denominator) is on the bottom. The cowboy then gets put in the "tent," or the division bracket, then the horses are put out of the "tent" for the number to divide by. Sounds confusing??? Probably, but it's a lot easier when the student does it on the board. I also got to see another 7th grade class where Isiah and other students were carefully measuring out restaurant space and costing out menus.

Walking to Coach Ervin's class, we saw the award-winning outdoor classroom with all the weather boards. Next to it was the veggie garden where students grow food for community service donations.

In Coach's classroom, we witnessed how his students earned a 99% TAKS pass rate in Reading last year. The choral reading structure is key to the students' success. Collectively, they worked to make inferences in identifying details and main idea.

Paredes has a separate fine arts building, and the music room of Richard Davis, head band director, was our first stop. With over 50 students, he conducted a performance with perfect precision. The bands competed this year at the Peak Music Festival in Denton. The Symphonic Band earned a 2nd Division rating, and the Wind Ensemble earned a 1st Division rating and the Best of Class Award! As the school year winds down, the students have been preparing to perform with the Akins High band — need I say more? Have you heard the great Akins band? One of AISD's best will get even better next year when these Paredes kids move up to high school. We also enjoyed the jazz band, complete with congo drums, piano, bass, and brass ... lots of brass.

We knew it was time to leave the Paredes Pumas when the announcements came over the PA. We thought about staying for the school's end-of-year dance, but there is just too much work waiting back at the office. Goodbye, Pumas! Thanks for the great time and warm welcome.

That's the tour for this week. It's been so much fun, and every campus has been so very gracious to us. Next week is the "4" in "44 in 4." That means it's the last week of the tour ... and we have 16 schools to go to reach our 44! Stay tuned for more exciting learning in AISD!

Being Quizzed at St. Elmo ... Just Like on '60 Minutes'

2010-05-21T15:02:00.015-05:00

St. Elmo Elementary is on St. Elmo Road in the St. Elmo community. The novel, "St. Elmo," written by Augusta Jane Evans, was popular back in the day — all Victorian stuff apparently — and, its one-room school house was named after the community ... which was named after the novel, not after a saint, which is what most people think. Got it? St. Elmo Elementary School is home of the Mustangs, and is a TEA-Recognized campus. The building has a 1960s school design.

We were welcomed by students Edgar and Dioga. First, they showed me the beautiful exhibit of ceramics, including their own work, in the display case. The students' ceramic work was featured in an exhibit of the 13th Annual National Ceramic Exhibition foundation. Malia Henson-Muir is the art teacher who won a A+ Credit Union grant to fund the program. Congratulations to her and her students! Kudos to the A+ Credit Union, also, for supporting our teachers with their annual grants.

Principal Adriana Gonzales then whisked us off for our tour. She introduced us to the school's fabulous custodians, Terry Lopez (who has been here for over 20 years) and Benita Garza.

Next stop, the library where we met librarian Amy McFadden. The library enjoys some interesting, if not novel, volunteers known as the Barking Book Buddies. For students who can be with animals, the students read, without judgment, with therapy dogs. Research shows that dogs have a calming effect on children and help them focus on their reading. Suzanne Dvorken is a Barking Book Buddies volunteer (and she is a human). Here she is with her friend, Joaquin, who is a member of the Divine Canines program. Their tag line is "Heel to Heal."

I also discovered that I have blog fans!!! Students in Ms. Saldana's class have been following this blog and were ready to quiz me. They've worked on a project about interviewing the superintendent, and discussed all the things they would ask if they could ask me any question, and then they wrote about it. Once I was actually there, they asked about my family, childhood, and my job as superintendent.

The students were articulate young journalists which doesn't surprise me because Ms. Saldana is St. Elmo's Teacher of the Year. Students sat in a dialogue format with handmade nameplates. They were happy to tell me how great Ms. Saldana was. "She helps us and never gives up." It was an intimate conversation with a group of well-spoken and caring kids.

We found 3rd graders performing "Reader Theater" plays in Maggie Chavez's and Eva Elizondo's bilingual classrooms. I was so impressed by the creativity, the depth of English language proficiency, and confidence level of students. They wrote their own plays and even made their own backdrops and paper props.

Ms. Sanderson, kindergarten teacher and previous Teacher of Promise, was holding a Publishers Showcase as a part of her Writer's Workshop practice. Students showed off their books to a large audience of guests, including me. I met the librarian's son who read his book to me and explained his illustrations.

What a fun time we had at St. Elmo. The kids were delightful and, once again, I met inspiring educators working hard for Austin kids. Thank for your hospitality, Mustangs — and for clearing up that St. Elmo name stuff.

All good things must come to end, though, so it's back on the bus. Our next stop is a middle school — Américo Paredes — which is way down south. We'll be meeting some Pumas there.

17 School Visits Through Music

2010-05-21T13:20:00.006-05:00

All of those school buses are at the Long Center for one reason: MUSIC! The Austin Symphony Orchestra annually performs a series of Young People's Concerts at the Long Center to introduce more than 30,000 Central Texas fourth through sixth graders to classical music and the workings of an orchestra. This morning I attended one of the concerts with 17 schools and sat with youngsters from Menchaca Elementary.

These concerts are among the most innovative programs around for introducing young people to classical music. Through the use of modern technology the audience gets an “up-close look” at the orchestra. Four video cameras zoom in on the Maestro and the musicians as they are playing…images are projected on a giant screen behind the orchestra and VOILA… the audience can see what they hear and hear what they see! See it all in “Symph-O-Vision.” I can tell you that the kids went wild — in a very symphony-appropriate way! You can see on my seating charts all the schools that were there today.

The performance featured ballerinas, dancers, video, emcee, conductor, and, of course, the symphony! I have seen many, many, many symphony programs for public education, but they have NEVER been like this one. This is by far the best, most thought-out instructional program. What else would Austin produce but the best?

The youth-oriented program includes Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown,” “Waltz" from Sleeping Beauty, Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird: Infernal Dance and many more, performed with the University of Texas Department of Theatre and Dance, Dance Repertory Theatre, choreographed by Associate Professor of Dance, David Justin.

What a pleasure it was to attend this event. On behalf of AISD, I thank the Austin Symphony Orchestra for all it has done and does for our students.

Shakespeare, Pajamas, and Pancakes at Galindo Elementary

2010-05-21T10:29:00.011-05:00

It is Spirit Day here at Galindo Elementary. The banner says: Success for Everyone. Whatever it Takes. That's the leadership mantra of Principal Donna Linn. She shared with me several points of pride for this Recognized campus:

The school has five teachers who are National Board Certified.
25-33% of fifth graders annually are accepted into rigorous middle school magnet programs.
All 4th and 5th graders participate in the UT Shakespeare Program.
Galindo is the only Title I elementary school participating in UIL activities. For the past four years, students have won ribbons in all categories and at all levels.

All I can say is, Wow!

The school is named for Ms. Emma Galindo, a leading advocate for bilingual education in the district. She was an assistant principal under Mr. Joe Dan Mills. She would be proud of what a great environment Galindo has created for all children and their families.

Parents were here this morning for the monthly Coffee Talk. About 30 parents attended to plan for next year and discuss how they can best help the school. Parent Support Specialist Diana Mayo leads this dedicated parent corps and is a "cheerleader" for the parents. She also does ESL and Galindo's Ballet Folklorico, which is the largest folklorico troupe in the district. There are more points of pride right there!

I loved the Galindo Grizzlies PAWS for Promise:
P romise to do our personal best.
A lways do the right thing.
W ork together for success.
S how and receive respect.

We met Mr. O.D. Haywood, the head custodian who has been with AISD for 47 years! Now, THAT's dedication. Thank you for your long service, Mr. Haywood.

Marilyn Walston is Teacher of the Year. "She rocks the world," one of her students told me. He thanked her for not giving up on him and encouraging him to work harder. She is a 3rd grade teacher, so we sat on the carpet and had a heart-to-heart with students about their learning experience. It's evident that Galindo celebrates learning, but then, again, Galindo celebrates everything ... children teachers, parents ... but mostly their success.

Galindo has had professional learning communities since 2002. The teachers subscribe to a set of guiding questions, such as, What is it we want all students to learn?; How will we teach these essential concepts and skills?; and How will we know when each student has acquired the intended knowledge and skills? It's through a daily check on the guiding questions that teachers constantly assess their work with students.

Mariam Lee, 2nd grade Teacher of Promise, was busy planning with her team. I enjoyed talking with them about the challenges of teaching young children.Topics on their agenda included reading and writing, science, and assessment.

Jennifer Simonet was working in the spirit of the true supportive team. She had children from all the first grade classes sing a song to support the upper grades during TAKS testing. It was called "Rock the TAKS" to the tune of a Black Eyed Peas song. It was great to see the younger children supporting their older classmates in such an upbeat way. The teacher even looks like a dark haired version of Fergie - pretty and energetic! I joined in too, and not one single 1st grader laughed at my moves. Thanks, kids.

Diane Collier, the librarian, was having a half-price sale on books. This was not a fundraiser; rather, she is intent on getting books in the hands of students and parents for summer reading. Ms. Collier has 20,000 books in her collection. What is special is how she organizes her Spanish books so that all students learn to use the library in an equitable way. Parents were in the library getting library cards for the summer for their children.

Linda Checkley's life skills inclusion class was in their pajamas ... yes, it's Pajama Day for her class. The children performed for us the first scene of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream." It was impossible to determine which students were there for inclusion, as the class instruction was seamless. Students performed their lines in old English with ease and confidence. You could tell they were really enjoying themselves. (I could spot the hams!) The kids analyzed the meaning of the parts of the play in a post-performance discussion.

The teacher proudly told us to that her class had 100% passing in both TAKS math and reading in the first administration. What made the experience even better was that Ms. Checkley and students were cooking pancakes and the sweet smell matched their sweet performance.

Our time is up at Galindo. We had a grrreat time meeting the Grizzlies. Thanks, Ms. Linn and Galindo teachers and students.

Garza Spirit! That's Me!

2010-05-21T09:03:00.051-05:00

All year I have wanted to witness and participate in one of the coolest high school advisory structures in the district: the Principal's Advisory Council meeting with students at Garza Independence High School. Wearing my Garza Spirit t-shirt — given to me by the school after the convocation that says "Garza Spirit: That's Me!" — I hooked up with Principal Linda Webb. We joined 15 students in a formal council setting. Garza is unique in that it is a collection of about 300 high school students from all over the district and other Austin schools who have chosen an alternative approach to their high school experience.

Students were very excited to meet me, and thankful that I had done my homework to answer their questions. As they told me their personal stories and their reasons for joining the Garza family, they validated the need for our district to have alternatives, multiple pathways even, for our kids. This is a safe haven for students who need an option to the large, comprehensive high school model. Each of these students was committed to graduating, and one even shared that he extended his time at Garza because it was such a great place to learn. Garza uses a thematic approach to instruction, and embedded in the project-based learning activities are the full scope of the high school state standards. Teachers weave their magic in engaging these students by empowering them to make choices and building relationships. Some of the fun includes ping-pong ... I promised to find them a table to be donated for foosball! Any ideas?

This school was begun about 12 years ago, and is named for Dr. Gonzalo Garza, a retired AISD educator and former superintendent. He had been a high school dropout himself, but returned to school after his World War II military service, and went on to earn advanced college degrees. I'm told that Dr. Garza visits "his" school regularly, and is an inspiration to the students there.

Hill Standards High, Orange and White, Armadillos Shining Bright

2010-05-20T14:12:00.020-05:00

As we arrived in the bus for our Hill Elementary visit, we were greeted by students Emily and Filippos — along with a Hill Dillo Dad wearing an neon orange armadillo suit (think shag carpet fur in 90 degrees and 90% humidity) in cowboy boots and a ten-gallon hat! The hospitality of the school was so overwhelming that I couldn't even get out of the bus. I was so excited that I tried to jump out of the bus window! This Hill Dillo Dad was a former Hill elementary student himself, and also a Hill Volunteer of the Year. The teachers and moms create their "own honey-do list," according to the vice principal, and assign school projects to the dads such as raking leaves, painting portables, repairing the school's piano and tennis ball machine, engaging the Boy Scout troops as mentors, and "consuming many cups of coffee and donuts." I am told their monthly meetings are at Starbucks or Krispy Kreme ... if I could only hold our Board meetings there ... can I come? I'll even wear the dillo suit, although orange isn't my best color. Principal Beth Ellis says that parents like the Hill Dillo Dads "really care about the school and are really great."

The Hill PTA is very active in the school. We met Desiree Gaines, PTA President, who told us that she gets lots of help from parents. There are many opportunities for parents to get involved in both "fundraisers" (with a D) and "funraisers" (without a D). The PTA raised money to fund a second computer lab, and are gearing up for a big celebration for Hill's 40th anniversary next year.

On the front walkway we were serenaded by third graders who sang the school song where..."Standards high, orange and white, Armadillos shining bright, True to Hill in every way."

Teacher of Promise Melissa Monreal and music teachers led the students in their inspiring musical tribute to their school.

We met Hill students who are Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. They shared with me the numerous projects they have done for the school and community.

The Girl Scouts showcased their glass tile dillo mosaics that decorate the school. This is an example of the fine, fine arts departments. They introduced Cirque du Dillo: The French Collection. The halls are full of Matisse Collage Cut Outs (integration of arts is in all classrooms). In the library, the shelves were lined with clay gargoyles - another example of Cirque du Dillo. Emily, my safety patrol hostess, explained the pinch-and-pull technique they learned in art class. The library isn't just about art: There are over 30,000 books in their library!!!! Celeste Pustka was busy reading a book to 4th graders, but the students were so well informed about the library that they could give me a detailed tour.

Some of you may remember that Hill Elementary was closed for 18 months in 2000 and 2001 due to severe mold problems. All the students and teachers were re-assigned to nearby schools while the mold remediation was underway. The new and improved (and mold free) school re-opened in August 2001 and the Hill community was reunited.

There is now kind of a separate gym for the school. It was nice given the outstanding work of P.E. teacher Mr. T (no gold chains though and no Mohawk). He had the students actively engaged in gymnastics, balancing, and health stations. I even tried stilts - NOT EASY! He had a taped and timed recording of his voice to guide students through the stations while he personally walked around and assisted them with their lesson.

Teacher of the Year Andy Kokjohn's first grade class was busy with the "Daily Five." She sat with two students listening patiently decoding words. The room had the subtle mumbling of students reading to each other. With every student engaged in learning this was truly an example of self-directed learning. Every student in Ms. Kokjohn's class makes 8 to 10 books that they not only write and illustrate, but also bind and publish with the help of parent volunteers. Their books even contain a library book card for checkout and an "About the Author" page. Dr. Trevino was especially happy to see the content specific word walls in this room. She is always talking about the importance of academic language! Before leaving the class I learned the Hill Dillo Cheer.

On our classroom tour, we met first graders of teacher Carrie Asher. Reading and great manners are evident throughout the school. Hill "agreements" are listed all around: 1. Attentive listening 2. Mutual respect 3. Appreciations/No put downs 4. Right to participate and 5. Dillo best. Principal Ellis plans to implement TRIBES, a community building inclusion program, next year.

Although we don't have a portrait right now, I want to tell you about Hill's namesakes ... yes, there are two ... sisters Maclovia and Nina Hill. They were Austin educators who had a combined 92 years of service to our schools! Both were faculty members at Austin High School — Maclovia taught history from 1894 until 1941, and Nina taught English from 1899 until 1944. Clearly, they were beloved educators.

Our tour at Hill is done, and your warm welcome made us feel really great! Thanks so much, Dillos. Keep up the great work!

We'll be back on the 44 in 4 tour tomorrow, visiting three schools, plus we're attending the Young People's Concert with the Austin Symphony at the Long Center. We'll be joining some students there from Menchaca Elementary.

Come "SEA" Our School: One World - One Ocean at Davis Elementary

2010-05-20T12:04:00.016-05:00

Davis Elementary Dolphins have a "deep sea" of knowledge, experience, and excellence. Thematic learning connections (e.g. marine activities resource education- MARE) and habitat studies (e.g. first grade-rocky sea shore) are showcased in all the hallways and classrooms. They even have a dolphin wave that is further emphasized by the "number one finger" known as the "Davis Lighthouse."

Fourth grade students Hayley and Andres presented kelp forest ceramic fish plates to me. They were part of the MARE unit which includes sand collected from beaches around the world. The students, teachers, and families are so into Davis' ocean theme that, whenever they go to a beach, they bring back samples.

Principal Doug Hall guided us to classrooms and instructed us to ask the students, "Who is working hardest?"(Answer: All of them. Hands go up fast.) "Show us your best work." (Response: All of them volunteer to show their work.)

The hallways are adorned with seascapes, and evidence of deep thinking and reinforcement about marine biology. Teacher of the Year Roslynn Spinn taught us the Dolphin Wave (think hand with fingers tight in the shape of a fin twisting at the wrist).

As a PreK teacher she is being trained in CIRCLE methods. Her class is planned, purposeful, and playful. Intentional teaching is important to Principal Hall. In every classroom there is a bulletin board that says "What we are learning this week" (i.e. learning intentionally).

Dr. Hall has been principal at Davis for 18 years since it opened in 1992. The school is named for Will Davis who served on the State Board of Education and the AISD Board of Trustees.

Hayley and Andres made a point of showing us the robotics program that integrates science, engineering, technology, and math. STEM is alive at the elementary level!

We also met Lauren Myer who was described as the "Teacher Librarian." She goes above and beyond to plan with teachers using IPGs. She showed us a display of rubrics and lessons on measurement.

From the library we entered a blue ocean hallway with a whale drawn to scale with ocean art and student essays.

Teacher of Promise April Pratt was with her students in the computer lab with Janelle Imken, lab facilitator, teaching her kinder students how to use a browser to search the web. Ms. Imken's position is supported by the PTA. Ms. Pratt's class was itching to get on to the 25 station eMacs, recycled from Murchison Middle School when it got new labs. Ms. Pratt says, "Technology is important — and these students are our future and our future needs technology-literate citizens." She hopes when her students graduate in 2022 that they graduate college, life, work ready and technology competent.

Davis Dolphins Are SHARP:
S afe
H onest
A ttentive
R espectful
P roductive

Time to go. Thank you, Davis Dolphins. We appreciate your hospitality, and loved exploring the ocean with you! Now, we're heading to Hill Elementary.

Congratulations to Outstanding Teachers, Especially Teacher of the Year!

2010-05-20T11:01:00.011-05:00

Last night was "Salute," the fabulous event that, every year, recognizes Austin's outstanding teachers and community partners. It's co-sponsored by Austin Partners in Education.

Congratulations to Reagan High School teacher Andrea Claire Johnson who was named the 2010 AISD Teacher of the Year. Our other finalists - and incredible teachers too - were Jill DiCuffa from the Ann Richards School, Middle School Teacher of the Year; and Heather Fleming from Summitt Elementary School, Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

As I said last night, our students know the moments when a teacher touches and even changes their lives. I am so appreciative of all that our teachers do every single day for our students.

I met all three of these great educators last month when we surprised them in their classrooms to notify them that they were finalists. I was so impressed with their professionalism and dedication to their students. It was a joy to see them again last night, garnering the accolades they so richly deserve. The Board of Trustees was there too, giving out awards.

Also honored were the individual Campus Teachers of the Year. It was fun to meet them and tell them congratulations in person.

I want to mention the 41st Hour Campaign. This is such a fabulous idea, conceived by Partners in Ed. State of Texas employees, after working a 40-hour week, commit to volunteering one more hour as a Classroom Coach in our schools. This brought us hundreds of new volunteers. Karen Hughes was honored for chairing this initiative.

Webb Middle School principal Reynaldo Garcia won Principal of the Year. The Reagan Soul Raiders drumline opened and closed the event. (FYI, the same drumline opened the Convocation at the beginning of the school year - and they were fabulous then too. By the way, Reagan needs band uniforms so I will be working with the school on that.) Marc Ott, City Manager, won the APIE Chair's Award.

Facts About Margaret Reilly, Namesake of Reilly Elementary

2010-05-19T12:47:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we visited the PALS program at work at Reilly Elementary. I took a picture of the portrait of the school's namesake, Margaret Reilly, but had no information about her life or career. Thanks to Reilly principal Anna Garza and the wonderful folks at the Library Media Center, here's what I found out.

Miss Reilly taught in Austin schools for 52 years, from 1887 until she retired in 1939. She began teaching at the Bickler School, moved to Austin High School in 1900, and was named principal of the then brand-new Winn Elementary School in 1906. She also served as supervising principal for Ridgetop Elementary School. Miss Reilly was named the Outstanding Woman Teacher in Texas by Delta Kappa Gamma, and was also recognized by being named a lifetime member of the Texas State Teacher Association. She was frequently referred to in her lifetime as the Dean of Austin Principals. Now, that's an honor! Margaret Reilly died at age 74 in 1941, and Reilly Elementary opened in 1954.

I'm really enjoying learning about the outstanding educators and citizens whose names grace our schools. It helps me understand the community's longtime dedication to education and to the success of generations of Austin children. Our responsibility as educators today is to honor this legacy with equal commitment.

It's a Milestone Day

2010-05-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

Today we completed our 22nd school visit in the "44 in 4" Tour. We made it to the halfway point! It's been hectic, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun. I'm so glad we undertook this marathon.

I've seen how each campus has a unique personality that reflects their school community; yet, everywhere I feel the love for education, children, and the future they will create someday. I've met so many wonderful educators, students, and parents, and I'm proud to be their Superintendent. A big "Thank You" goes out to the 22 campuses that have welcomed me and Dr. Trevino. Seeing your hard work renews our commitment to do the best we can for our schools and the children we serve.

We will finish this week with visits to several more schools before heading into the homestretch during the last week of May. I'm sure the next 22 schools will be as wonderful as the first. Be sure to check back for the latest updates!

Doss Elementary — Where Learning Takes Flight

2010-05-18T15:50:00.016-05:00

The Doss Owls are famous for their reputation for exemplary performance, and, it is named for an infamous Austin educator who, way back in the 1930s, did an unthinkable deed: she broke her teacher contract for love and moved out-of-state. However, she came back a year later for her true love: our Austin students. Leona Doss, a first grade teacher, taught in AISD for more 40 years and earned the honor of having Doss Elementary School named for her.

Her artistic spirit is alive today in the school halls which are painted in bold colors — red, yellow, blue, purple, green, and orange. One student described the experience: "Walking down the hallway is like falling into a box of crayons."

The PTA president, Dandre Whitehead, was cleaning up after a big field day, Sports-a-Rama. Jane Kronke, assistant principal, rightly brags about the strength of the Doss parent volunteer base.

The school has created a "Green Team" to support environmental education. At the heart of this campus is the Debbie Brink Atrium, named for a beloved teacher.

Principal Sherrie Raven was proud to show us the work of her first grade students and teachers. Doss first graders have really applied their math skills this year. For example, they started counting loose change they brought from home, and have donated a book to the library each time they collected $15. During this year alone, they have donated 77 books to the Doss Library for their efforts! (TAKS Question: How much money did the first graders collect? Just kidding...)

Mrs. Cindy Warner, who teaches kindergarten, is the Doss Teacher of Promise. Dr. Trevino was happy to see her children actively engaged in learning centers, and busy developing oral language through play.

Teacher of the Year, Mr. Richard Baehr, teaches 5th grade math and science. In his class, he engaged students in a project to design, create and propose a new aquarium for the school. Students wrote letters to lobby the PTA for the aquarium. They also proposed budgets and artistic renderings of the design. The students learned that a project can have many steps and require a variety of skills to successfully complete it.

Did you know that Doss has the largest number of Korean and Chinese ELL students in the district? Doss has a newcomer teacher as well as Chinese and Korean bilingual teachers. I witnessed a kindergarten Korean student, Yeojun, reading and writing at a second grade level (Ramona says it was 2.6 to be exact). There are more than 30 students in the program led by Mi Ae Lee.

I volunteered to help take out the trash, but Mr. Francisco Vasquez wouldn't let me. I did get to hold the garbage, though, for our picture. The school is so clean and ready for learning, thanks to him.

And, finally, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the library which has a treetop feel. Ms. Jane Willis has worked as the school librarian for 40 years, starting when the school opened in 1970.

Once again the beauty and artistic talents of Leona Doss touch the lives of children here. Money from the sale of her artwork was used to commission three exquisite murals that now adorn the library. I'm sure Ms. Doss would be very proud.

Doss was so much fun to visit and I hope to return soon. Thanks, Owls! We'll be back on the road on Thursday with visits to two more schools.

Brentwood Is Recognized and Has Attitude!

2010-05-18T14:26:00.017-05:00

Brentwood is a Recognized school with a Green Attitude! Melody Putnam is a parent volunteer who designed and installed — along with Lisa Boone, another PTA parent — the front landscaping, including a solar-operated fountain. This environmentally-inspired design is at the heart of some of the programming at the school.

Principal Katherine Williams-Carter welcomed us and, after meeting the office staff, off we went to tour Brentwood, the school with Green Attitude.

We met Amy Cox, the Teacher of the Year. Antonio, one of her students, told us, "She lets us play math games! She's smart. She planned the Earth Day. We love the Earth." Ms. Cox runs her resource room full of explicit instructional strategies, tools, and materials to support science and environmental studies. This part of our tour started with students from the Environmental Club who showed us the planted 14 trees dedicated in memory of the teaching assistant's mother.

Candice Clark, who is the garden volunteer and lives in the neighborhood, fills the back yard of Brentwood with gardens for a full outdoor learning experience. Ms. Clark is a colorful friend to the school — her pink outfit matched her hot pink poodle, Grace. Students had joined Candice and Grace to look for snails in the gardens behind the arts cottage. Candice is also a mentor; her connection to students has been beneficial to both her and students. She rewards them for good behavior.

Students in the Environmental Club showed us their vegetable gardens, compost heap, and recycled container gardens — 135 brussel sprouts were harvested and eaten by the students. (Kids eat brussel sprouts? Guess so.) They grow everything from lavender to swiss chard and lemon balm. The art environmental teachers collaborated to complete a beautification project called Cobb Caterpillar for the school's 3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration.

There is a seven-year-old glass tile mural with an inspirational saying: "I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world." Completed by students from PK-5th grade, the children and community were inspired by the book entitled Sadako and the Thousand Cranes.

We visited a multi-age classroom with 2nd and 3rd graders. It has an open space design with integrated instruction that covers all the TEKS. Students spend two years with the same teachers, building relationships, becoming learning leaders, and participating in peer tutoring. This is a community of learners!

Debbie Alvarez, Teacher of Promise, was working one-on-one with a student. She is a leader of a campus-wide initiative to promote Life Skills as part of their character education program.

Ramona says that the soft signage around the school with words painted in flowers and clouds — courage, resourcefulness, respect, pride, integrity, effort, patience, sense of humor — support character education and social and emotional learning. Brentwood has been implementing character education for over 12 years, which is less than half of Principal Katherine Williams-Carter's 28-year tenure!

Librarian Kate Slaten is much loved by the school. "Our Hearts Are All A Flutter" for Mrs. Slaten's Great Books, says the bulletin board. A bond renovation expanded the library over a decade ago. It still looks fantastic and is adorned with student artwork exhibited on all the walls. Each piece was donated by students who are promoted from Brentwood.

Cafeteria manager Clara Boxton followed last week's saga about AISD peanut butter sandwiches, and tells me that Brentwood loves peanut butter but can't have any this year. There are students with severe allergies to peanuts. So Brentwood kids get ham or cheese sandwiches instead. Who knew that sandwiches and sandwich-making was so complicated!

Our time at Brentwood has run out. Great visit with the Bulldogs ... and with Grace, Ms. Clark's pink poodle.

Next, we're heading to Doss Elementary to meet the Owls. (I'll get to see that big hill that everyone sleds down when Austin gets its 1" of snow every few years!)

McCallum PALS at Reilly ES

2010-05-18T13:25:00.010-05:00

Although not on the original "44 in 4" tour, we went to Reilly Elementary to see the PALS (Peer Assistance Leadership Students) program at work. High school students take this leadership course and get credit for supporting and assisting elementary students. This is PALS 30th year of serving students!! Happy Birthday, PALS!

I got to meet the PALS mastermind, Grant Thomas, who founded PALS three decades ago at Crockett High School. He continues to be an advocate for education in the community. McCallum PALS teacher, Margaret Morgan, organized today's visit. Jane Nethercut, AISD PAL Coordinator, along with Principal Anna Garza, were proud show off our successful program and how it inspires younger students to strive to do their best. Adults are great role models, of course, but teens can have even greater credibility with elementary kids.

Ramona and I bumped into two wonderful high school students that we both adore. Mine is Olivia, who is a rock star drum major and fellow oboist from McCallum. She taught me everything I know about conducting a high school band during football season (we were in the newspaper together last fall). And, Ramona's is the beautiful and brilliant Paj, a former elementary student from Zilker who is about to graduate and attend UT next fall. Ramona was once her principal, so she's very proud.

Thank you, McCallum students for being a PAL - and to the many high school PALS all over Austin. I've said it before but it's worth saying again - it takes The Power of Us to make AISD great!

No school visit is complete without looking back into our history. I really didn't get a chance to find out about Ms. Reilly but I did get a snapshot of her portrait. I'll blog later when I get more information about her life and career.

Highland Park — Where Learning Comes Alive Under the Live Oaks!

2010-05-18T12:43:00.014-05:00

The support for Highland Park is so impressive, as evidenced by high levels of parent involvement and engagement. Think beautification-project-plan-extraordinaire-architectural-rendering-with-shade-structure-amazing-inspired-landscaping design for the front of the school.

All this work complements the natural beauty of the live oak trees. By the way, one of those live oaks is being nominated for Austin Tree of the Year - I wonder which designer it will wear :-) The school's front walkway has engraved bricks and beautiful landscaping and art tiles, thanks to the PTA.

This is a community-based school where parents are welcome, and those parents really invest in the school — time, energy, and resources. "They are great folks," according to Principal Tammie Workman.

The halls of the school are flanked with extraordinary work by the students. I could have spent the entire day looking at the 5th grade display on Greek mythology - Lego Trojan Horse, Medusa's Head, Apollo's shoes and helmet were all showcased for visitors and students enjoyment and learning. This is a culminating activity of a research project with students planning performances and skits on Greek history this Friday. Grecian vases and prints are also in exhibition form.

Project-based learning is a large part of the school instructional approach. Beth Finkle, 4th grade, Highland's Teacher of the Year, earned this honor with flying colors. Her class was simply the coolest ever. For example, her word wall, in cursive, included words that would stump a master Scrabble player. Try this: What is a zyzzyva? Stumped. It is typically the last word at the end of the unabridged Webster dictionary. It is a tropical boll-weevil. Other words weren't as exotic but they sure were challenging (as they should be). Her students had also compared the human body with the bone structure of a shrew which, by the way, was thrown up by owls. Tasty!!! Taken from the thrown-up pellets, and dissected by toothpicks, the students reconstructed a diagram for display. Ms. Finkle gets rave reviews from Gabby, "She is funny, nice, and tells jokes. She makes us do the right thing." Ms. Finkle empathizes organization so students will be prepared next year for middle school.

Sally Hunter, 4th grade National Board Certified teacher, is also a star. A master teacher, she uses artifacts to transform social studies content. We found students quilting and using cotton carders to straighten cotton fiber to make thread. These students were preparing a pioneer fair for the end of the school year. Students insisted that we see their resident ducklings that are used to teach the difficult topic of the reproductive system. They also learn about instinctive behaviors.

I was able to see gifted and talented programming in action. I met teacher Cathy McHorse who teaches Future Problem Solvers. One student, Emily, won the individual FPS competition at the state bowl held recently. Another student, Alana, handed me a persuasive letter encouraging me to implement the FPS program in all AISD schools. (Highland Park is the only school with the FPS program in Austin.) The students were working on a green living future scene. They had to identify a challenge, select an underlying problem, and produce solutions. They then apply the FPS process to develop an action plan.

I want to thank Mae Adams, the cafeteria manager, for my special PB (and J) sandwich! For the record, I am still digesting the first four ounces of peanut butter from last week!

I enjoyed meeting the Highland Park Scotties, and want to share with you the inspiring Scottie Pledge.

Scottie Pledge

I am a Highland Park Scottie.

I am a partner in my education.

I pledge to make decisions that will help me become the best person I can be.

Scotties have CLASS, a commitment to:

C harachter

L eadership

A ctive Minds

S kills

S ervice

Back to the bus now. We're headed to Reilly Elementary to learn about the PALS program. Students from McCallum High School serve as mentors to the younger children. Many of our high schools participate in PALS. It's a great concept and I can't wait to learn more. We'll be back online soon.

Casis - The Path to Excellence

2010-05-18T10:50:00.029-05:00

The pathway leading into Casis Elementary - The Path to Excellence - chronicles the school's decades of dedication and legacy. The school opened in 1951, and is named for two educator sisters - Josephine and Lilia Casis. The pathway has names of former students who have used a brick to honor Casis faculty and staff (you can't see the names on the brick but they are there). The school was founded as a lab school by librarian, and two full time parent volunteers, Heather Schulelke and Cherie Mueller. It was the first time I have a seen a double-decker library. Climbing the spiral staircase we found the best surprise: the literacy library for teachers and the math pentathlon materials for students.

We met Suzanna Ammenheuser, a 4th grade teacher who is National Board Certified (and I met her at our recent ceremony at the board meeting on April 27th).

Second grade teacher Jen Mangels, who is also the Teacher of the Year, was planning with the second grade team, discussing homework (more green, collaborating to develop their yearly plan for next school year - duties, setting goals, defining training needed, and reviewing district curriculum documents.) They each take a subject area and plan. Sharing their plans within the team is part of their weekly planning period structure. They incorporate graphic organizers and make a point of scaffolding for struggling learners.

The facility is fantastic and well-maintained. Enveloped in a natural wooded setting, the school also has an organic garden filled with healthy goodies. Stacey Ross' first grade class was in the garden in their pajamas (will explain later). They were studying life cycles of ladybugs and butterflies. We also were able to taste caterpillar food: pears with fennel. Yum! There is one box called a Three Sisters Garden which is a Native American tradition of combining squash, beans, and corn that, when planted together, provide mutual benefit for each plant. Students, two weeks ago, harvested veggies, created a farm's market, and raised $400 for a local food pantry. That's crazy beautiful!

Derick Springer (who I met at convocation last August) was teaching 5th grade math that felt like science. He did a brilliant job content area integration. So a new termed I learned from the students - that we call "academic language" - was the following work: by-catch. Did you know that this is the term for fish that are caught, but not wanted, in a fisherman's net? Unfortunately, if it is a turtle, I learned that sometimes the flippers are cut off and thrown back in the water. The students were able to explain the types of endangered turtles in the Gulf that are treated inhumanely.

Principal Martin shared that one of the best parts about Casis is the extensive parent support. Parents are truly partners - they were EVERYWHERE...on the playground, in the library, in the halls...it was great! For example, the PTA President Sara Marler escorted us through the whole tour. The PTA is unique in that they established a cross-city PTA initiative with Allan ES. The Casis PTA helps Allan with school supplies, clothing, and a $3000 yearly grant.

Solar powered LASA and LBJ - Ice Creams Floats and Spa Pampering to Boot!

2010-05-14T17:25:00.006-05:00

Another surprise blog about the "Solar for Schools" event held at LASA and LBJ today! Along with Congressman Doggett, Mayor Leffingwell, the Department of Energy, UT School of Engineering, ACC, and our own School Board Trustee Vincent Torres, I was able to participate in announcing a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to Austin Energy that will support a new solar curriculum being developed for grades PreK through high school.

With contributions from Austin Energy and AISD, the total contribution for the effort comes to almost $1 million! Austin Energy will build fully-functional solar outdoor learning centers at up to 21 AISD schools, complete with solar arrays that generate power for the schools. Congressman Doggett really worked hard with Mayor Leffingwell to make this happen for our students, so please thank them if you see them jogging around Austin or taking in the sun this summer. Two students spoke at the event this morning, and were amazing — Meera from LASA and Adriana from LBJ. Their principals, Rene Sanchez and Patrick Patterson, were there too.

As I walked back through LBJ to go to my car, I saw some great school spirit efforts going on for graduating seniors and teachers. First, the parents of students at LBJ were serving ice cream floats made with Amy's ice cream right there in the middle of the hall!!! Yummy! Unfortunately, I am in exercise Boot Camp for three weeks — starting at the crack of dawn — and I just couldn't bring myself to have one with all I've done to work out this month. But they looked SO GOOD!!!!

And, the Fiction to Film Club was raising money through Penny Wars. You give pennies to vote for teachers to get pampered with spa treatments. Mr. Newman, the art teacher, was dumping out his pockets for the effort. Melissa, the president of the club, was working hard with club sponsor, Ashley Robinson. What a great activity for Teacher Appreciation Month!

Blackshear a Role Model School on Role Model Fair Day

2010-05-14T13:32:00.007-05:00

Although this visit at Blackshear Elementary was not a formal "44 in 4" visit, I had to share with our Austin school community a wonderful experience I had there today.

I was able to participate in the Blackshear Role Model Fair (Overton Elementay will have one later this month on May 21st). Coordinator Magarine Beaman, is the hostess with the mostess for this event. The "I Can" Project, and others community members, invited many of Austin's amazing professional talent such as Sam Biscoe, Willy Culberson, a Star Flight pilot, lawyers, judges, and media personalities to share with students their professional backgrounds. Students had the opportunity to quiz us on our jobs, and how we were educated for our careers. It helped them to understand that they'll be making critical education and career choices in the not-too-distant future. I also got to meet Blackshear's parent support specialist and a veteran parent volunteer too.

My table was kinda lame ]; I admit it. I only had pencils to give to the kids (again). But see the photos of the other role model's tables. They did such a great job — much more interesting than me. I'll do much better next time. By the way, the science people — pilots and gardeners and such — were the most popular with tarantulas,

ginormous roaches, worms, dirt, and moon rocks. In other words, all the stuff kids love.

Blackshear encourages its students to be:

Proud of My Family,
Proud of My Language,
Proud of My Culture,
Proud of My People,
Proud of Being Who I am.

And, I am proud of Blackshear!

Barrington's Mustangs Run Wild with Reading

2010-05-13T14:52:00.016-05:00

Entering Barrington Elementary is like walking into the palatial inner courtyard of a hacienda. The tiled floors with potted dracenas are reaching for the stars — like many of the Barrington students. Principal Susan Stamy welcomed us and quickly took us off on our tour.

Like Wooldridge, Barrington is also very crowded with almost 900 students but a capacity of 684. Staff has to be very resourceful to make the best possible use of space.

PE Teacher Ronda Hankins has been at Barrington for 17 years and is the Teacher of the Year. Her experience at the school is as colorful as her personality. Fresh from the outside and windblown, she shared with us what has become a Barrington legend: She's so dedicated to the school that she almost gave birth to her first child in the school on "Back to School Night. Now, that's commitment!

Custodian Stanley Brown (who was camera shy), described Barrington as the "ultimate campus." It must be quite a challenge to keep such a large school as clean and shiny as it is. Thanks for the hard work, Mr. Brown.

We walked out to the "portable city" where I met Lillian Eastman's second grade class. She reminded them to look me in the eye as each child shook my hand. They were very professional and grown up. She is an effective inclusion teacher, and exemplifies intentional teaching, said assistant principal Kate Shaum. Every aspect of her teaching is broken down to ensure student success. Ms. Eastman has been teaching at Barrington for nine years.

Deja, a student, read a welcome letter to me. The class made a book of stories for me and every student participated in its design and preparation. Each child also wrote one story about themselves. The class letter to me ended with, "Teach teach, learn learn, keep teaching, until you learn more."

We found Carrie Turner Wender, Teacher of Promise, working with students. I was happy to see them reading a novel instead of "drill and practice." In other words, teaching — not testing — was going on. Principal Stamy told us that she was proud of the reading program that begins in PreK and Kinder.

This is where I saw the new construction for the eight-classroom addition, an Apple At Work bond program project. However, the enrollment growth at Barrington continues, and Ms. Stamy says she needs the current portables to stay, even after completion of construction. There are teachers who would still be working out of closet space, and to better support teachers we want them to have real classrooms. The new reading program will require designated space for a certified special education teacher too.

There is extra effort being paid to Reading to improve proficiency rates for students. Everyone tutors at Barrington, including the principal.

We learned the second grade science words: mallow part bristles, spiracles, caterpillar chrysalis, and frass. These were labeled parts of the caterpillar. Life science is all around. The life cycle of the butterfly was created with the Innovation Station, our new technology tool paid for by our recent bond (I used one for the State of District presentation last November).

Toward the end of the visit, we went to the library to see preparation for Reading is Fundamental with BookSpring. Marty Bruner, the librarian, gave us a full camping experience — complete with a tent, fishing pole, canoe, fire, and plastic food — to enhance language skills and bring to life the concept of reading by campfire light. Students were surprised to find that boats actually rock until they stepped inside of Ms. Bruner's canoe.

The Barrington motto is Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Your Best. Students and staff recite that every day before starting school — and it shows in the culture of the school. Thank you, Barrington Mustangs, for a great visit. Y'all are wonderful.

That's the "44 in 4" tour for this week. We'll be getting back on the bus next Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Check on our travels then.

The Facts about AISD Peanut Butter Sandwiches

2010-05-13T14:35:00.010-05:00

Have you been following the saga? AISD's peanut butter sandwiches are heavy on the PB but have no J. My mouth sticks together just thinking about it. Thanks to the wonderful Chris Carrillo, our Food Services Director, we now know why: Federal nutrition guidelines for school lunches require four ounces of peanut butter per sandwich. That's a lot, but it's a big protein food so is very nutritious. We don't add jelly because it's high in sugar and we're committed to fighting childhood obesity. So that's it — PB, no J. Carrot sticks, anyone? Or maybe just a big glass of milk?

Wooldridge Quails Dance for Us

2010-05-13T13:30:00.027-05:00

Wooldridge Elementary's Ballet Folkolorico troupe greeted us colorfully at the front entrance. Their teacher is Dora Lopez who is a 3rd grade bilingual teacher. Principal Sheri Mull led us into the school where the students performed a traditional Mexican folk dance. They were beyond talented — and very beautiful in the traditional costume and dress.

The school is named for A.P. Wooldridge, the first Board President of Austin schools who served during the 1880s. He was also a mayor of Austin.

Wooldridge is packed to the rafters with learners, exceeding its capacity of 765 by more than 100 students! We're planning to build a new elementary school in the north central area because several campuses are overcrowded and need relief, but it's been difficult to find enough available vacant land in that part of town. Our new Facilities Management Study will be examining how we can better use our space throughout the district in the future. But, I digress ... back to Wooldridge.

The office staff has a rich, long experience with the school. Attendance clerk Dora Osorio has worked in the school for over 10 years, starting as a cafeteria monitor.

"Explore the Universe - Read" was the bulletin board message that displays photos of the Wooldridge staff. The school is proud to be a TEA Recognized campus, which also has PBS and Junior Achievement.

Teacher of the Year is Ms. Liliana Rojo who is in her third year at the school. She is a model inclusion teacher and was nominated for that reason, according to the new principal Mull.

Shirley Lukenbill described to us the recent library renovations which were long overdue. The area was being used on this day for RIF - Reading is Fundamental. Ms. Lukenbill shared with us the good news that Wooldridge received RIF funding again for next year. She has been at Wooldridge for six years.

Principal Mull is thrilled to have the newly renovated library but there is more ... the cafeteria and gym got facelifts too. Further, the school has had a redesign of its front exterior. She would, however, love to see fencing by the front driveway removed so that the grounds can be better maintained and mowed. And, finally, she would like to have trees planted in front to polish the great work on the building.

The school partners with the UT Neighborhood Longhorn Program which provides 30 mentors and tutors and student incentives.

Wooldridge has quality P.E. programing. Classes work on cross-lateral coordination, eye hand-coordination and gross motor and fine motor skills. I had an opportunity to practice these with some of the students. (I wasn't very good but they were.) We missed meeting Teacher of Promise Rebecca Lambdin-Abraham who has gone to Iowa for a P.E. teachers' convention. She, like her famous mother, Dolly Lambdin, who is a professor at UT, has trained many of our AISD P.E. teachers.

We visited bilingual SCORES teacher Janette Ruiz's and bilingual resource teacher Melinda Sexton's resource classroom. Her approach is to pull small groups to teach grade level material with modifications. She raised a common issue about concerns regarding the TAKS-M which is only given in English. This is a challenge for AISD, given the number of bilingual special education students in our schools.

Thanks to everyone at Wooldridge for a wonderful visit. We enjoyed meeting all of you — and keep dancing, Super Quails.

Next stop, Barrington Elementary.

Oh, by the way, while I was at Wooldridge, we learned the REAL story behind the AISD peanut butter sandwich drama ... stay tuned for another posting. Here at Wooldridge, sandwiches are being made in the cafeteria kitchen.

Beautiful McBee is Buzzin' with Learning

2010-05-13T12:13:00.006-05:00

Built in 2000, McBee Elementary is about to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. It has a lovely and welcoming entrance that invites parents to be part of their children's school. On May 21st, every grade at McBee will perform for parents, and there will be a big celebration to wish the school a very happy birthday.

The campus is named for Frank and Sue McBee, longtime Austin community leaders.

We were greeted by Principal Rafael Soriano and his bookkeeper, Ellie Chapa. I had the honor of hiring Principal Soriano this year. He has a great personality, passion for education, and great love for children that shows in everything he does.

Patricia Croghan is Teacher of the Year and teaches 5th grade. A student, Adrian, told us, "she is a nice teacher and studies well to teach us." Having deep content knowledge makes for great teaching - and this she does. "She's always teaching us new things...like long division. She helps us pass TAKS and prepares us for 6th grade." I also learned that she has already introduced her students to Algebra. As a former middle school teacher, I appreciate her efforts to challenge and push our kids to do more. There is a poster in her room that reads, "Who we are and what we will become will be determined by what what we learn." So true.

Principal Soriano is concerned about space in the school. With about 800 students, it is very close to capacity, and more room is needed for science labs, technology, and fine arts.

I found Ms. Graciela Puente, Teacher of Promise, planning with her first grade teacher teammate, Ms. Marcela Bonner.

As an incentive for students, the school has a wall to celebrate the new readers in kinder and first grade. Their photos are posted with the teacher who helped achieve their reading goals. Pride shines through on the faces of both youngsters and teachers.

The school is currently rated Recognized by TEA, and Principal Soriano's plans for taking it to Exemplary this year have included providing more reading specialists, having a science and math coach for teachers, having the whole McBee staff help during tutoring time, and establishing a community of learners to create a common instructional vision for the school.

The school has a feel of academic rigor, and I can truly say that McBee is buzzin' with learning!

Time to get back on the bus and on to Wooldridge. Thanks for a great time, Bumblebees. I hope I can come back soon.

Little Feet Make Great Strides at Lucy Read PreK School

2010-05-13T11:00:00.018-05:00

Arriving at Lucy Read PreK Demonstration School, we met Julian, a five-year-old student, who greeted us with flowers — and in a penguin costume! Who couldn't love that?

This campus is totally PreK, serving students from three nearby elementaries — Wooldridge, McBee, and Cook. There are almost 500 (of which 400 are English Language Learners) of them here, and that's not counting the kids we serve in three childcare centers — Children's Courtyard, Stepping Stone, and Child Inc. on Brodie Lane. Lucy Read has a teacher working at each of these early childhood centers because it's so important that children come to kindergarten with the basic skills they need to be successful.

The school is named for Lucy Westmore Read who taught in Austin schools from 1891 to 1916. The campus was built in 1962, and has been an elementary school, the District's Professional Development Center, and now the PreK Center since 2006.

I loved the bulletin board with the children's charge to teachers: "Teach Us. We Want to Learn." How very true!

Retired librarian Mary Kennedy Smith thanked me for the All-Staff Convocation held last August. She told me she had attended the 1967 convocation with Superintendent Irby Carruth. (I need to find out how many employees AISD had in 1967. We have more than 12,000 now and getting them altogether for the Convocation was a big deal.)

Ms. Smith was a librarian for 24 years at old Campbell Elementary and at Hart Elementary. She now volunteers at Lucy Read because our staffing formula for Pre-K-only schools does not allow for a full-time librarian. Janice Weston leads this school with its focus on oral language, literacy, and vocabulary. She wants to develop the library as a central literacy center for staff, parents, and students.

Students are introduced to the PBS model at an early age here too. There are sign posts and symbols for kids everywhere including the floor.

There is also a parenting program here. The school offers training and support to parents in nutrition, healthy marriages, play and learn with kids, ESL, and child development.

Lucy Read has a outdoor learning science center with each class having a garden maintained by students. But this school has a "unique" design which is challenging at best. Designed for "cross ventilation" (as described in the October 1962 AISD "Messenger" district newsletter) as an innovative classroom arrangement, it doesn't really suit this age group and instructional programming for students today.

Teacher of Year Sylina Valdez was really too busy teaching in her child-centered classroom to take a break and talk. Youngsters this age require adults' undivided attention. Ms. Valdez' classroom environment promoted self-directed learning.

In Sandy Martinez's classroom, three students were using the iPod Touch as part of the techno-scientist program through the IT department led by Venessa Jones. They are used for letter games, dual language activities, and even storytelling.

Nancy Aliano, Teacher of Promise, had a four-year-old student who read an entire book to me in perfect Spanish. Wow! This raised the issue of how we need to rethink gifted and talented identification for our youngest learners. She said, "I am honored to be the ToP, and proud that my principal believes in me. It makes me work harder to do my best." Those are inspirational words.

Thanks, Penguins. Time for us to waddle on out of here.

McBee is our next stop. We're going to meet some Bumblebees.

Too much peanut butter?

2010-05-13T09:51:00.008-05:00

I was reviewing the blog last night and realized that I forgot one recommendation made to me by the students at Lee Elementary for our Food Services Department: Reduce the amount of peanut butter on the sandwiches at lunch. This recommendation came out of a discussion about how I could reduce costs for the budget deficit. Their experience with our PB&J sandwiches was one of the first areas where they thought we could save some money. Apparently, the peanut butter is too thick and there isn't enough jelly to offset the thickness of the peanut butter.

They thought that it wasn't worth the additional cost of adding more jelly. Instead, we should just reduce the amount of peanut butter, thus saving money. As I haven't had one of these sandwiches, I will investigate today and document my findings for all interested parties.

Right now we're headed to the Lucy Read PreK Demonstration School. This is a campus with 500 4-year-olds. Yikes! We'll be back online in about an hour.

LAMAR - Lead by example. Act responsibly. Make good choices. Achieve excellence. Respect all.

2010-05-12T16:09:00.009-05:00

LAMAR: Lead by example. Act responsibly. Make good choices. Achieve excellence. Respect all.

Principal Eleanor Duncan's Lamar Middle School school spirit t-shirt was emblazoned with these phrases that represent school expectations in the PBS (positive behavior supports) system.

The Lamar Scotties (and I do mean the little, sweet dog) represent a former National Blue Ribbon School (2001-2002) and a National AVID Certified site since 1999, one of the eight original AVID schools. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and the program's goal is to inspire and assist students in being college-ready when they graduate from high school. That work has to begin in middle school, and continue through the high school grades as well.

Lamar students Mariana and Darienne led a group of cheerleaders in welcome cheers in the hall, and Ms. Michelle Barrientes, choir director, led the sweet sounds of the choir in the 7th and 8th grade hall.

The choir is getting ready for a production of "Disney Darlings" which will be held two nights, May 27 & 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m. entitled "Heroes and Villains." It's a fundraiser for the Lamar choir program. Please come!!! We also saw a 6th grade choir program by the Teacher of Promise, Megan Starkey. She was added to the staff this year due to the increasing enrollment of choir students.

I acted like a big, fat baby when seeing the orchestra and listening to Erica play a solo; there is nothing worse than crying in front of middle school students - but she moved me to tears!!! Erica is an amazing soloist and first chair in that orchestra. The students sounded like the Austin Symphony when Orchestra Director Mr. Steven Buckles led them in the "Telemann Sinfonia." (FYI, Mr. Buckles plays the viola for the Austin Symphony. What talent we have in AISD! Our students are so very fortunate.)

When visiting the band hall, we saw the Symphonic Band perform under the assistant band director, James Harriston. I got to dance with Principal Duncan and shake my tail feathers to the Beach Boys. She's got rhythm! With an increase of about 300 students in band, I need Facilities Management to look at the needs of the school and sort out how it might be able to have the right space design for another band director.

Posted all along the school hallways are the numerous awards for music the students have won.

Arts and academics (preliminary TAKS results for Math have increased dramatically, and Reading is now at 93% passing) are only part of the story. Athletics are the final part of the equation. They have bragging rights for their program. Mr. Stan Guzick is the athletic director. Chaundra, a student and member of the girls basketball team, made sure to let Ramona know that the 8th grade girls and boys were North Zone District champions. And, the 8th grade football team was the North Zone district champions (our high schools are getting good stuff from Lamar). The 8th grade boys track team was district champ in their zone too.

Lamar needed to work on Science this year as this is the subject area that was a challenge for the school. Unfortunately, I did not get to see science classes (ran out of time), but have Ms. Duncan's assurances that it has been a focus all year and that TAKS scores are expected to improve.

So goodbye, Scotties. We had a great time!

Thanks to all three schools for their hospitality today — Cook, Pillow, and Lamar. It was a pleasure getting to meet your staff and students. We're on the road tomorrow morning visiting four more schools. Be sure to check back then.

The Big Four-O for Pillow; I can relate!

2010-05-12T14:45:00.021-05:00

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Pillow Elementary is rated Exemplary for the second time! (By the way, I turned 40 this year too, but I'm not celebrating all year like Pillow.) For the 40th celebration, the PTA provided t-shirts for every student and staff member. There is a huge paper maché birthday cake in the front hallway. If you didn't know, Pillow was also a 2004 U. S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School. Go Panthers!

Principal Tonya King greeted us, and she took us to meet the famous Candy Ellard, who recently won the HEB Excellence in Education Award and also the prestigious Presidential Award of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. She received her award at the White House and got to meet President Obama too!

In Ms. Barrett's second-grade class, I met little Brazil, who told Ramona Trevino, "They teach me how to read and write and do things." She said she loves to wear her new t-shirt on Fridays and to sing the Pillow song: "Pillow Panthers, we're number one. Sharing, caring, our name is fun."

We also met Martha Burghart, who has been at Pillow 35 years — 21 years as a teacher and 14 as a volunteer. She comes every day when she's not square dancing, which she teaches all the kids. (I got an excerpt of the big performance with the cutest kindergartners.)

She takes good care of the library. Her husband, Tony, built the kiva and bookshelves; they are works of art!!! I'm sure the students really enjoy using them.

Teacher of Promise, Luanda Skeete, met up with us in the library. Teachers of Promise, by the way, are first-year teachers who've been recognized by their colleagues as outstanding newbies. Congratulations, Ms. Skeete!

Principal King says the school is one big happy family, and we could feel that closeness today. They work as a team, believing and practicing that all students can and will learn.

A quote over a teacher's door caught my eye: "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," by E. E. Cummings. Pillow Elementary School has much, much, much courage. They really are Exemplary — staff and students alike.

Thanks, Pillow Panthers, and Happy 40th! Now we're heading down Burnet Road to Lamar Middle School. I'm looking forward to meeting some Scotties.

Cook Crocs Rock

2010-05-12T13:19:00.022-05:00

This is the first year that Cook Elementary School was rated Recognized (Es Una Escuela Reconocida 2008-2009) by TEA. Congratulations! It's named after educator Katherine Cook, and opened in 1974.

The school staff and students, the Crocs, celebrate a college-bound culture. Staff everywhere were wearing college shirts to model for students' expectations about finishing high school and going on to college.

Principal Orlando Salazar greeted us in his UT polo and, even though Teacher of Promise Elizabeth Wall wore her Aggie shirt, there is no rivalry here. This is a house united towards college readiness for Cook students. Here is Mr. Salazar with Ms. Wall and Teacher of the Year Beverly Branam.

This month, there are over 880 pieces of art work throughout the hall; and, the only pieces missing are those that are on loan to the community. For example, Seton Hospital is exhibiting the students' work. That's the Power of Us working to share student achievement with the community.

Although portables never get me excited, I can say that this school has made a big effort to beautify those boxy buildings. Newcomer teachers and students plant flower beds all around the exteriors as a language activity to enhance science vocabulary. This is another example of "intentional teaching" which engages students' interests. The Seedling Foundation will be working with Cook this weekend to plant and beautify even more.

Cook is home to more than 40 students who are newcomers to our country and our school system - students from Burma, Cuba, and Africa are all examples of the multicultural student body at this school. These kids speak French, Swahili, Karen, Pow Karen, Arabic, and Spanish!!! Although there are language challenges, AISD values this diversity and believes it's what we call, an "urban advantage."

In the Kinder Annex, we met teacher Jessica Kilpatrick, and I got to touch (and unfortunately smell) a squid. Ms. Kilpatrick makes learning come alive as she has created a sea space in the common area that includes an ocean, beach ball, beach towel, goggles, and dead critters. She was very explicit about the parts of the critters — there was squealing all around. Very hands-on-language-based-see-touch-smell-learn-it lesson!

Ms. Branam, Cook's Teacher of the Year, has been with the district for over 25 years and started her career at Walnut Creek as a first grade teacher. She has been at Cook for the last 12 years where she now teaches fifth grade. "I love my kids and I love what I do," she says. Although she appreciates the pros of having one of those 1970s "open concept" spaces, I just don't feel it. She says the benefits are that the teachers can work as a family, team teach, and work with each others' students. I just think is too noisy and weird. I look forward to meeting her husband, Mr. Branam, at Lamar later this afternoon.

Thanks, Cook Elementary. We had great time getting know the Crocs! Now, back on the bus and off to Pillow Elementary!

"Oak Springs is special because it's a world in its own..."

2010-05-07T13:19:00.021-05:00

Why is Oak Springs special? It's answered in the school song, "Oak Springs is special because it's a world in its own..." (I have a video of it that will be posted soon which includes a close-up of Principal Monica Woods getting into the school spirit.)

The mission is clearly stated as you enter the building: It is clear ... Concise Learning and Expectations Accompanied by Rigor. Our Goal: 80% or greater on EVERY assessment.

Principal Monica Woods introduced Mila Jackson, Teacher of the Year and 4th grade reading specialist, and Leslie Vieau, Teacher of Promise and art teacher.

In Principal Woods' first year as the school's leader, she worked on getting the kiva installed which can accommodate all students. P.E. teacher Renee Harvey gave me a warm welcome with a private note from the "Encore Team." Here the special area teachers work together and renamed themselves the Encore Team. In the library there are many learning stations including a beanbag setting. After hours of running around this morning, we all took a break on the beanbags. (Ramona snores when she sleeps - I can just tell!)

Science, science, science! In a small pond display outside of the library, frogs lay eggs, eggs hatch, and tadpoles grow into frogs. Life science is alive and well in Oak Springs. Literature connections were found throughout the school, obviously connecting science to literacy. Keep up that academic vocabulary ... it makes a difference. Watch Ramona Trevino swimming in a pond and her photo relaxing on a sandy beach in the 2nd grade hall.

Under Principal Woods' leadership, the school has undergone some facility improvements, including floor replacement, but she needs more help in the 100-wing (plus its hallway) and the 200-wing to get the job complete. We will work with Facilities Management to address that as soon as possible. (A special thanks to our friends at Communities in Schools.)

Christine Liguez (in the black and white circle shirt) is Oak Springs' parent support specialist who is one of the finalists for the APIE Classified Employee of the Year.

Ms. Hobart, third grade teacher, is the "master" of academic performance for this grade level, according to Principal Woods. "I view my job as a mission," Ms. Hobart said. After eight years, she still loves to come to work at Oak Springs. Her adoring student fans say she is fun, nice, and a good teacher.

High level thinking, an important aspect of rigor, can be found in Ms. Sanford's fifth grade. Amberiamma selected a poem to read to the class (and it gave me goose bumps!):

Mathew, Martin, Luke, and John, bless the bed that I lay on.
Four corners to my bed.
Four angels around my head.
One to watch, one to pray, two to bear my soul away.

It's okay to say aaawwwwww ...

As part of the MARE science unit — the study of water environments — we saw ponds, tide pools, coral reefs, and ocean animals displayed all around the school. Fifth grade students created an eight-foot sperm whale to scale!

I had a Finding Nemo moment: Remember that scene where Dora has them in that deep, dark water with the angler fish (bulbous stringy thing and scary teeth)? Yep, they have a 3-D angler fish with an angler mini-me (that's an Austin Powers thing).

Oak Springs has one PPCD unit and one special education resource teacher. I was happy to hear that these teachers, along with the PreK teacher, work as a team to create an inclusive environment for our youngest students. They all plan together in the library for as long as it takes to get it right - every week!

Oak Springs' philosophy is to include all students in the classroom, keeping high standards and academic rigor.

Mr. John Butler of Mercedes Benz Austin is an upcoming partner who, with other partners, donated funds to support the Kindergarten graduation and the Fifth Grade Celebration that are scheduled at the end of the school year.

Everyone is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week at Oak Springs. It's a great school with lots of soul.

It's time to say goodbye to the Dolphins. I had a swimmingly good time. Thanks so much!

Oak Springs is our 11th school. Thirty-three to go. Next week we'll be visiting campuses on Wednesday and Thursday. Check back then.

Google is so slow right now...photos are coming! Keep checking back!

2010-05-07T12:07:00.002-05:00

Ortega Myth Busters

2010-05-07T12:01:00.025-05:00

There are many wonderful and exciting things happening at Ortega, but the most exciting thing that has happened in the last 24 hours is that its wonderful partner, Weston Solutions, helped get 40 new Dell computers for Ortega. That's absolutely the "Power of Us" at work!

Principal Anna Pedroza said the Ortega community of students, teachers, staff, and parents are Myth Busters because they work together to prove that all children can learn and achieve. About 275 students attend Ortega and their spirit of success and pride in their accomplishments just fill the halls!

Ortega was named a U.S. Blue Ribbon School in 1993-1994 by the United States Department of Education. The school wants to be a Blue Ribbon School again, and they are well on their way! It's been a TEA-Recognized school, and in 2009, moved up to the top rating of Exemplary!!!

The leadership of the principal has been acknowledged by other partners. For 2007-2008, Austin Partners in Education named Ms. Pedroza Elementary Principal of the Year. Further, she was a finalist for the 2010 HEB Educator for Excellence Award. (FYI, there were 1,700 entries and that makes her one of only 42 finalists!)
Way to go, Ortega! Myth busting is your thing!

The school is dedicated to Austinite Daniel F. Ortega, a World War II hero who died in action on August 6, 1944. The display case in the front hallway contains his medals and Ortega family photos which I found very moving. It's sobering to realize how precious our American freedom really is, and that many individuals and families have made the greatest sacrifice for us — and for children like those at Ortega today. This should inspire us to always do our best at whatever challenge we face. Ortega Elementary certainly has done so. Perhaps the school's namesake inspired the students to create their "Increase the Peace" poster.

The school, built in 1959, has a rich history with its community that dates back to when the area was farmland. There is a mural on the music portable that celebrates this long-standing history with the community. The oral history project was done through the East Austin Studio tour which resulted in creation of the mural.

Sylvia Villela is a volunteer and the neighborhood historian who participated in the project. She had her children in the school — her nephews, nieces, and now her grandchildren have all been Ortega students. She has lived here for 60 years, remembering the neighborhood as "Hungry Hill." Ms. Villela is very proud of the improvements over time, and of the stellar success of the school under the leadership of Ms. Pedroza! Community efforts continue to extend to an integration of fine arts and Social Studies. The choir has performed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Pecan Street Festival.

Ms. Pedroza says that it is important to the school that students understand the importance of who they are and their cultural history. Pride in their background and heritage is key to the culture of the school, and it supports students' self-confidence and continued achievement.

My favorite part of our visit was hearing from the students excited about today's track and field day — it's "Super Kids Day" at Ortega. After being adorned with our handmade blue visors, we headed outside to the field for track and field events. Yes, I was ready to run in my heels!

The various events had science themes such as Jupiter Ball, Anti-Gravity Jump, Comet Run, Meteor Shower, Saturn's Rings, and Astronaut Space Leap ... just for fun. I was so proud to see them connect health, fitness, and science to an activity that kids always enjoy and look forward to each year. "We are all about academics even in PE," said Karen Fussell, the Phys Ed teacher.

The floors shine at Ortega. Head Custodian Bea Estrada has been overseer of the facilities for 23 years. She supervises a great, hardworking staff such as Yolanda Cruz, who loves creating an inviting, clean, and orderly environment for students to learn.

What is special about this school is the feeling of partnership. Parents and community are warmly received, and parents are walking around everywhere. PTA president Hilda Alvarez gave me a signature "Ortega hug. "

Students gathered around their principal as we walked the halls like a family of ducklings. They have real life science - pointing out nests and homes of critters galore around the school.

Isabel Ahearn was holding an "Interventions for struggling readers" checklist when we met. She was introduced to me as the reading specialist, and we will be back in touch with her as we launch RTI efforts in the district. She will be a great resource to draw from. Obviously her efforts with struggling students have made a difference and continue to lead this school to academic success.

Congratulations, Ortega staff and student Superstars. I'm proud of you and had a great time at your school. I love the visor, too! Thanks so much.

Now, we're on to Oak Springs to meet the Dolphins.

Sims ES - Best Students, Best Teachers, Best School

2010-05-07T10:37:00.019-05:00

"Today's start determines tomorrow's finish" is on the T-shirt worn by Sims' Assistant Principal Diaz-Ortiz. That's good advice for students and adults alike.

The work of Sims Elementary School is inspired by the spirit of educator Mary Jane Sims and is currently embodied in the passion, and commitment of Principal Freda Mills and her amazing office staff. Students and staff proudly proclaim to be the Sims Superstars!

The cafeteria stage is adorned with a Cinco de Mayo backdrop for the program in which all grade levels participated earlier this week. It highlighted the history Cinco de Mayo, and its significance to Hispanic culture.

Sims' students have been participating in "Hearts to Haiti" to help donate to the effort to rebuild Haiti. It's important for children to learn that anyone, even young people like themselves, can pitch in to help others.

Mr. Jon David Saucedo's class greeted us both in English and Spanish. I saw them again in physical education class doing the egg drop team building AND science experiment collaborating with vertical grade levels on the exercise.

Ms. Linda Collins has one of the best school libraries I have ever seen. She's in her 10th year at Sims. It was her effort that really transformed the school library. For example, she worked to remove books that said, "One day we will get to the moon." and replaced them with books that students want to read and are in current collections. She has a great personality and it shows through her use of McGruff the Crime Dog who has transformed the school library dressed in various costumes hand sewn by the school librarian. McGruff leads students to various genre found in the library. The students just love Ms. Collins and really respect the space of the library. They made her a rainbow book that expresses their appreciation for her work.

I learned about the incredible impact that Colleen Mastrianni, a REACH Mentor Teacher has had in working with six of our 0-3 year novice teachers to help accelerate their success in the classroom.

I was surprised to find that the school does not have a Teacher of Promise — but, there is a reason. The turnover is so low at Sims that there are no new teachers! I did get to meet a former Teacher of Promise, Abigail Tucker. Lizzy in Ms. Tucker's 3rd grade class explained the life cycle of a butterfly to me as Darion looked on. He was creating a graphic life cycle wheel. This hands-on experience allowed students to demonstrate their understanding of this life science concept, and be creative at the same time.

Science is all around. Boards in the hall asked "What did the moon look like on the day you were born?" It made me think about my own birth date. (I am the same age as the year Norman was built — that's 1970 — but I don't know the phase of the moon on the day that I was born. I'll have to look that up.)

Coach Deutsch was proud of Family Fitness Night, which took place yesterday evening. She is concerned with the health of students and works to ensure that they don't become overweight. Her fitness grams have improved students' upper body strength, but upper body strength and nutrition are issues she wants to continue to work on. There is no junk food, or "Whoa Foods," at the school from Monday to Thursday. Fridays allow for only a serving size of snacks. The Yellow Bike Project, Subway, HEB, Academy and Target are supporting Coach Deutsch's efforts to improve fitness. The Yellow Bike Project gave away 25 bikes and is teaching students how to repair bikes and principles of bike safety.

I ended the visit with the school's Teacher of the Year, Carl Clark, who was teaching students how to place notes C and D in music class. I'm trying to get my 10-second video of their work uploaded but still takes some time.

Here are some additional highlights from my visit to Sims — art teacher Debra Clarke — and students hard at work on computers in the library.

One thing that does need to be worked on at the campus — and that they will need help with — is the storage facility that is just plopped in the middle of the school grounds. I'd like to see that moved out of the space.

Goodbye to the Sims Superstars. Keep shining brightly!

Next, we're going to Ortega Elementary.

Norman Tiger Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Thompson

2010-05-07T09:47:00.041-05:00

As we arrive at the home of the Tigers, Norman Elementary principal Ms. Floretta Andrews greeted us with the school's secretary, Ms. Iyon Singleton.

In the main hallway, a digital picture frame was running with photos, examples of school work, and announcements. It was easy to get hooked, seeing the shining faces of Norman students. There is also an Anchors of Support Wall where teachers' work is displayed to share with the community and other teachers. The Writers Wall of Fame posts outstanding student writers' samples, based on a set criteria. Congratulations to these young authors!

We spent a large portion of our time with Cherry Thompson who is the Norman Teacher of the Year. She was working on two-digit multiplication with her fourth graders. Throughout her classroom, there is much visual evidence of academic rigor and high expectations. You can see examples of "good work," "excellent listener," and "independent work."

I also visited Ms. Laura Osborn, Norman's Teacher of Promise, and the happy students in her 4th grade bilingual classroom.

Norman was once a multi-year AU school and was facing closure — but not anymore. Norman's doing great! Currently, the 5th grade students are performing at 85th percentile (a seven percentage point gain from last year) in math and 83 in reading. Staff and students' hard work has really paid off.

The principal expressed concerns about district technology integration, i.e. how we use the technology that we have in classrooms. Her recommendations for fixing the integration issue include professional development ... showing people HOW to use the technology tools that the district provides. We also discussed how we might improve our efforts with vertical team and feeder pattern coordination across schools.

The halls, windows, and walls at Norman are kept beautiful and clean by the amazing custodial staff!

Thanks for your hard work — and thanks to everyone at Norman for the warm welcome. Tigers are the best!

Next stop — Sims Elementary.

The wheels of the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, and round, and round....

2010-05-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

"The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round"...why can't we get that song out of our heads!!!!

We've switched from a car to a small school bus for our visits. Finally, we have some space to work while getting around to the schools. Thanks to the Transportation Department for the upgrade!

It's like the first day of school all over again.

Our bus driver, Liz Silver, from the Saegert Terminal, is really sweet and is a very safe driver. She stops at the railroad tracks, opens the door, and listens for trains too. Our bus has seat belts too.

Carmen wore her happy socks for the trip!

Photos updated...finally!!!

2010-05-05T21:49:00.006-05:00

Check out the updated photos (after my Blackberry breakdown and rehab) from the first day of our "44 in 4" journey. Revisit the earlier postings to see results!

We'll be back on the road on Friday morning with four more campus visits.

Meet some of the folks behind the scenes!

2010-05-05T21:43:00.005-05:00

I'm originally from Alabama, and Holly drives like she's in the Talladega Raceway! She wants to be sure we get to schools on time. Ramona's a backseat driver and got us lost trying to get from Widen to Palm. Holly's a very patient person given all that we go through from one school to the next. She never gripes or gets fussy.

That's Ramona — telling jokes and giving directions ... in circles ...

Sandie is a techie WIZARD, even though that's not her regular day job in the district. I noticed that she was able to delete the photos of her — thinking I wouldn't notice — but I did! With all the computer problems in only two days of blogging, she has been a lifesaver! We wouldn't be successful without her. And, she doesn't get carsick between Holly's driving and looking at the computer monitor.

Here we are on our first day, trying to get out of the parking lot!

Technological difficulties...

2010-05-05T14:45:00.002-05:00

My apologies to the schools I visited on Tuesday ... I am still trying to get my photos uploaded of their schools with little success. I only have ONE of Linder, which is where I dropped the cell phone and broke it. I am determined to sort it out before the end of the day, so I will be updating earlier blog entries soon. Thanks for being patient!

I'm So Nifty, I Did Fifty at Lee Elementary

2010-05-05T13:48:00.017-05:00

Sweet Cora greeted us with "I'm so nifty. I did fifty." This was printed on a hand-me-down t-shirt from her sister who had read 50 books — and Cora was inspired to read her own 50 books because of it. Susan Adams, a parent volunteer, encouraged us to buy books at the Lee Elementary book fair.

Principal Elyse Smith was very welcoming as we began our tour. Turning a corner, we ran into Mrs. Green, who is the Teacher of the Year and has been teaching at Lee for 35 years! Hampton, one of Mrs. Green's students, spoke up to tell us that his favorite things about Lee are gym, art, and music. This was evident as we walked the school and saw the 6th graders' display of watercolor dragons, 5th graders' contour line drawings, and the 3rd graders' Matisse collages.

The hidden treasure that we found at Lee which also supports the fine arts program, was the auditorium built in 1939. The rowed wooden seats had obviously been well worn by years of performances in this community. Principal Smith shared that each grade level performs yearly music, dance, and multicultural performances. (I never want to see that theater removed from the school or turned into classrooms.)

The community so embraces the arts that "Lee Live" is the premier fundraiser. Though held off campus, it raises funds to support technology and the arts. This year's headliners included our very own Austin home-grown talent, Bruce Robinson and Kelly Willis. This is not only a fundraiser, it is a FUNdraiser.

What I noticed today is that our small schools built in the 1930s and '40s have many unique features — like the spectacular auditorium at Lee — but they are land-locked and therefore have limited space for expansion. As every good principal does when tough decisions need to be made, Principal Smith dismantled her computer lab, the largest room, and combined two kindergarten classrooms into this large space. This works for Lee since they use mobile computer labs with laptops.

Since today is Make the Movement Day in AISD with a focus on health, nutrition, and exercise, we were happy to see the Eat Smart display in the main hallway showing "Go Foods," "Slow Foods," and "Whoa Foods". Even the lunch offerings promoted healthy minds and healthy living. Yum! Fresh grapes and whole wheat tortillas.

The kids love rubbing elbows with me. They were Lee's bright 5th graders who were proud to say they had 100% passing in both math and reading first administration of TAKS. Congratulations!

There were also many good examples of student work displayed on the wall such as the Owl Pellet Dissection and the Matisse art.

And, I was able to meet the Teacher of Promise and her son who we hope will be a future Teacher of Promise!

This school is named for Robert E. Lee, who we all know was a Confederate general. But did you know that, after the Civil War, he devoted his remaining years to education? He assumed the presidency of Washington College in Virginia, which today is known as Washington and Lee University.

So that's our visit to Lee Elementary. Thanks for the hospitality, Roadrunners. We had a great time!

Teaching in Paradise at Bryker Woods

2010-05-05T12:50:00.018-05:00

After being greeted by pink flamingos (the Anderson High School band "flamingo-ed" Bryker Woods for Teacher Appreciation). We learned that the school's theme this week is "Teaching in Paradise"
which matches the flamingos outside!

Principal Nancy Hobbs and her staff — along with students and parents — are proud of their school's Exemplary rating. This is a community of Proud Panthers! There are about 400 students at this cozy campus built in 1939.

We met Claire Orr, a retired teacher and grandmother of former Bryker students, who is a school volunteer three days a week (she's in the group photo). Librarian Donna Rinn is very proud of the library. In addition to having a full library of students every day ("it's never empty"), the school opens the space to the community one day a week in the summer. There are two COWs — Computers On Wheels — that are used the throughout the school. 70% of classrooms have LCDs projectors and doc cams, thanks to parent support and fundraising.

Teacher of the Year Lorene Wallace also has been nominated for a national math and science award. She teaches first grade. Ethan, a student, was able to teach me a lesson in math fact families, as it seems I have forgotten what that even is.

The Teacher of Promise, Sarah Fladwood, a fourth grade teacher and former accountant who made a smart career change, demonstrated their "Siege of the Alamo" podcast. (I will be getting a copy and attaching here for your review.) It's so good that I think the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum should use it for educational purposes.

Bryker Woods also won the City of Austin's Environmental Awareness Award for its garden, solar panels, cistern, etc. Isn't it great that this generation of young people is learning how to take better care of our environment?

There are some things I look forward to helping the school work on, such as access to the lower field so all students can utilize that area for physical education. We enjoyed watching a PE class under the school's covered playslab. All our elementaries have these covered areas now, thanks to the Apple At Work bond program.

That's it for Bryker Woods, a wonderful school where learning sure is fun. Thanks for a great time, Panthers. (And I do like the flamingos.)

Next stop — Lee Elementary.

39 to Go - What a Great Day!

2010-05-04T14:13:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful day to spend with staff and students in Austin ISD. I've got to get back to the rest of my regular day job for now, but will come back to load photos and videos of our campus experiences. More fun and educational journaling to come! For the inside look at how our schools are working, stay tuned!

Breezy, beautiful Palm

2010-05-04T14:08:00.014-05:00

Palm Elementary School has a rich and interesting history. The school's namesake, Svante Palm, was an Austin pioneer in the early days of the Texas Republic. He served as Austin's postmaster in the 1850s, and is best known for the huge library of books he acquired. Many of these were donated to the University of Texas at his death in 1899. There are old black and white photos encased in the hall. Palm's history dates back to the original 1900 school building which is downtown (we are on I-35 right now and I am looking at it ... I believe it is a building that now Travis County uses). Current Palm history includes the Palm Choir performing on NBC's Today Show and with Lyle Lovett at ACL.

The legacy continues with teachers like Ms. Bigelow who is so committed to the school that she commutes daily for more than an hour to teach fifth grade science at Palm. It's not surprising that she is also the Teacher of Promise.

There are other unique traditions to the school, such as brightly colored ceiling tiles painted for with Earth Day themes.

One of Dr. Trevino's favorite experiences was visiting Tessa Smith's class whose multicultural approach to science and social studies is a hit with students. Collie, one of her students, explained how they learned about clay in science, and then made African beads for necklaces out of the clay to explore its uses. They connected those content areas with literature using the book Emeka's Gift to reinforce learning.

With support from Parent Support Specialist Geneva Garcia, parents are welcome to come in to help the school and get support for their children. Every day, at least six parents volunteer in the parent workroom. I saw them working on materials for teachers.

Joanne Garza, principal (in blue), said she felt blessed to have all that she needed for Palm, and that our operational and facility staff does a great job in maintaining the school and work orders.

It was a pleasure to meet the Palm Pandas. Clearly, the students and teachers have worked very hard this year and I'm proud of them. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

That's it for the first day of the "44 in 4"Tour. Tomorrow we'll visit two schools, so check back.

Spelling, Pronunciations, and Pods

2010-05-04T12:42:00.005-05:00

Spellings and pronunciations are a bit confusing for an Austin newcomer.

Some of the names on school buildings seem to be missing accents on vowels which serve as ethnic and cultural identifiers that might help one's ability to pronounce them correctly. For example, Widen (apparently pronounced WHY-DANE ... in the same way I don't understand why Mueller is pronounced MILLER and Manchaca is pronounced MAN-SHACK, but the school has a different pronunciation — MEN-CHA-CA).

I know it might take some extra effort but we could do a better job in schools' signage and other materials to better reflect the true spelling of names - accents included. Anywho, about the pods ... both Widen and Boone Elementary have the pod design and I think it is one of the best facility designs for an elementary school. Widen was built in 1986, and has smart, nice-sized rooms with good attention to detail, including floor-to-ceiling wood, perhaps birch, walls. The pods allow for grade-level clustering, and the library can easily be at the center of the school. If I recall correctly, Boone has the same design.