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Bastrop County schools
September 11, 2009
Bastrop seeks student-roundup volunteers
According to an announcement from the Bastrop school district:
Bastrop ISD is asking for volunteers to help this Saturday in an effort to round up students that have yet to report for school.
On Sept. 8 volunteers called roughly over 100 students to encourage them to come back to school. Volunteers are now needed to make visits to those homes to continue to encourage these students in coming back to school.
If you are interested in volunteering, report to the Bastrop High School parking lot at 9 a.m. on Sept. 12. You’re reminded to dress comfortably and bring water and a cell phone. There is no registration, just show up and you will be given instructions at that time.
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July 6, 2009
Bastrop Supt. Roderick Emanuel resigns
According to an announcement today from the Bastrop school district:
Bastrop Independent School District Superintendent Roderick Emanuel announced today that he is resigning as head of the district effective immediately.
Emanuel told the board during a special called meeting on July 6 that his decision to step down as Superintendent was based on his desire to spend more time with his family and to pursue other personal interests.
Emanuel devoted 22 years to Bastrop ISD, starting as a Teacher at Bastrop High school, and serving as Assistant Principal, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and for the last seven years as Superintendent. He will serve as Interim Superintendent during the district’s search and will accept the position of Director of Employee Relations when the new superintendent is hired.
In a letter to the Bastrop Community Emanuel states, “As a graduate of Bastrop High School, and coming from a family of educators, I am grateful for the opportunities this community has provided me. It has been a great privilege for me to serve and give back to such a wonderful and caring community.”
During Emanuel’s tenure as Superintendent, two major bonds were passed in 2005 and 2007, that provided funding to renovate Bastrop High School and build the Jerry Fay Wilhelm Center for the Performing Arts, the BISD Memorial Stadium and the Cedar Creek High School. The district also made great strides in technology with every fifth through eighth grade student being issued a laptop.
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June 24, 2009
Bastrop ISD switches bus service after drivers express safety concerns
The Bastrop school district has switched its contractor it hires for school bus service after investigating numerous safety complaints — including allegations of equipment malfunctions such as broken speedometers, bald tires and failed brake tests — that drivers made against Durham School Services, a district spokesman said today.
Trustees voted to switch the $3.46 million contract to the Petermann bus company, Bastrop spokesman Donald Williams said.
Officials from Durham, a Downers Grove, Ill.-based company that says on its Website that it is the second largest school bus service provider in the county, said in a recent letter to the Texas Workforce Commission that it will close its facility at 1081 Lovers Lane in Bastrop on Tuesday. In the letter, Durham officials said that about 100 school bus drivers as 35 other employees would be laid off.
Durham officials could not be reached by phone for comment today.
Williams said the school board had put its bus service contract out to bid in the spring and authorized the superintendent to negotiate a contract with Durham in April. While the negotiations were taking place, safety complaints surfaced from about a half dozen drivers, Williams said.
The district’s contract with Durham stated that the bus company was responsible for vehicle maintenance. Bastrop’s five-year contract with Durham ends on July 1.
Williams said drivers had complained to the school board that the buses were unsafe, did not pass state inspections, had bald tires and lacked working odometers. Drivers also reported slow maintenance response to work requests, Williams said.
“The safety of our students will always be our first priority and the decisions that we make will be based on making sure we have the right people providing the necessary services for our students,” Williams said.
The Bastrop Advertiser, owned by the same company that owns the Statesman, reported that drivers at school board meetings complained that buses had failed brake tests, had speedometers that did not work and lacked air conditioning.
Williams did not release immediately release findings from the district’s investigation of those complaints.
Susan Manis, a sister of one of the drivers said some of Durham’s drivers were put on leave without pay for speaking out about the problems at school board meetings.
“It has been real hard for them,” Manis said. “When you are a bus driver, you have children on your bus. These children are in your care. So when you are forced to drive a bus that does not work, that dwells on you mind.”
Attempts to reach several drivers by phone this afternoon were not successful.
Several other Central Texas district said they don’t contract with Durham. The company Website indicated that it was hiring in many Texas districts, including several in the Dallas area.
Amanda Brim, a spokeswoman with the Pflugerville school district, said Pflugerville used to contract with Durham but switched to Petermann last year. On it’s Website, Petermann says it is the fifth-largest student transportation provider in the United States.
Williams said that Petermann indicated that it would attempt to hire drivers laid off by Durham.
“Petermann is aggressively looking at trying to hire those employees,” Williams said.
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February 16, 2009
Elgin assistant principal goes to the wall for his students
According to the Elgin Courier, Elgin Elementary School Assistant Principal Jason Tharp promised his students they could duct tape him to the school wall if they met the school’s $7,000 fundraising goal. Promise kept.
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February 6, 2009
Bastrop schools change phone numbers
Phone numbers for some Bastrop school district campuses, including Bastrop High School, have changed.
Click here for updated phone numbers.
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January 23, 2009
New Bastrop high school grade alignment set
After much debate, the Bastrop school board voted 6-1 Tuesday to open the district’s new high school for the 2010-11 school year with grades nine and ten. The school will gain a grade level in each of the following two years to become a 9-12 campus.
From BISD:
During the regular Jan. 20 Board of Trustees meeting, Superintendent Roderick Emanuel gave his recommendation for the campus to open with grades nine and ten for the first year.
“This configuration (grades nine and ten) will be the least disruptive academically and will help to build a strong and sustaining eagle tradition,” Emanuel explained. “Research has shown that a phase in model is the most common practice. It is the least disruptive to all students and helps to nurture and develop academic success. Overall, it is the best for students,” he added.
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October 30, 2008
Do schools events and election day collide?
I’ve been asked to write a story about school districts scheduling events like band performances and football games on election day and how that might affect parents, teachers, coaches and other Texans of voting age.
So:
Are you a parent worried that attending the UIL State Marching Band Contest at the Alamodome Tuesday might keep you from voting?
Or a parent concerned that enjoying the musical stylings of the Fall String Festival at Zilker Park during your lunch break might prevent you from reaching the polls?
If your kid is supposed to play in an 8th grade away football game Tuesday night, is that going to conflict with you doing your civic duty?
If you’re affected by these scheduling dilemnas, go ahead and weigh in in the comment section below, or email me.
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September 26, 2008
State extends drop-out enrollment deadline because of Ike
The Texas Education Agency has extended the deadline by which schools must re-enroll dropouts or risk having them negatively affect the school’s accountability rating. As we reported Thursday, the deadline was originally Sept. 26.
But in letter dated Thursday, TEA said that they’re extending the deadline to Friday, October 24 statewide because of Hurricane Ike, “to accommodate both the closing of some districts and the enrollment of students displaced as a result of the hurricane into other Texas public schools throughout the state.”
Coincidentally, the extension will also help districts throughout Texas who are trying harder than ever this year to re-enroll dropouts because of a new, more inclusive definition of what exactly a drop-out is.
If Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott, right, had not given school districts a pass this past school year on using the new definition, many districts, including Round Rock, Leander, and Bastrop, would have received unacceptable ratings.
The commissioner has said he won’t give anyone a pass on the dropout rate standard this current school year. So some districts are scouring the streets for dropouts this year, or, as TEA puts it increasing “their community-wide efforts this year to ensure parents and students are aware of the importance of returning to school at the beginning of the year.”
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September 12, 2008
ACT college testing postponed
FROM AISD:
The ACT college test corporation has postponed testing scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at Texas school districts affected by Hurricane Ike.
In Austin ISD, tests were scheduled to be given at Anderson, Akins, Lanier, Reagan, and Travis high schools.
ACT indicated that it will contact those students who were registered for the test with rescheduling information later this Fall.
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September 11, 2008
All Austin public school to close early Friday
UPDATE 7:59 A.M.
Classes for students at Westlake High School and Hill Country Middle School will be CANCELLED today, Friday, Sept. 12. due to hurricane sheltering responsibilities at those campuses. Staff should still report to work.
At this time school is NOT affected at West Ridge Middle School or any of the elementary campuses in Eanes ISD.
EARLIER
All Austin public schools will be closed early Friday in anticipation of heavy vehicle traffic on major roads from Hurricane Ike evacuees.
The dismissal schedule for Austin ISD is as follows:
Noon — Elementary schools. There will be no after-school care for students. Also LBJ High School and the Liberal Arts & Science Academy
1 p.m. — Middle schools, including Kealing magnet students who ride Capital Metro buses.
2 p.m. — High xchools (except LBJ and the Liberal Arts & Science Academy) Because of unique transportation issues, LBJ High School and LASA will dismiss at Noon instead of 2 p.m.
“This is a precautionary step to remove students and buses from the roadways as early as possible. We are expecting a great deal of traffic from evacuees on local roads and highways. The safety of students is our first consideration.” Superintendent Pat Forgione said in a written statement.
The Leander school district, which expects to host 3,500 - 4,000 evacuees at seven secondary campuses, will release students two hours early on Friday. Leander says that only Leander school district employees and Red Cross trained and approved volunteers may assist at the shelters and that any donations (including food) should be taken to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or other organizations, not to the schools.
Other local school closures/early dismissals include:
Bastrop (Early dismissal Friday. Pre-Kindergarten though Grade 4 will release at 11:30 a.m. Grades 5 though 12 will release at 12:30 p.m. All athletic events and activities from Friday through Sunday canceled, including after-school programs, ACT administration, community education classes, and all facility usage rental agreements, including church services.)
Leander (National Merit Scholar Camp and other events canceled)
Comal (Thursday and Friday closure, Church Hill Middle School and Morningside and Freiheit Elementary Schools only)
Drippings Springs, like most other districts, has rescheduled its Friday night varsity football game. All other planned Dripping Springs school activities including the Dripping Springs Middle School Meet the Teacher Night will go as scheduled and the district plans to keep schools open on Friday with normal release times.
Eanes (School is scheduled as usual for Friday. Check district website for updates. Three secondary schools to serve as hurricane evacuation shelters for residents being bused from Galveston. Saturday Robofest and ACT exam administration will take place as usual. After‐hours events at both middle schools have been canceled, including Friday’s Hill Country dance.)
Elgin (Thursday and Friday closure)
Hays (Early closure Friday. High schools will be released at 12:30 p.m and middle schools will be released at 1:45 p.m. Elementary schools will be released at the regular time, 2:40 p.m. All buses will run according to this early release schedule. Athletic events rescheduled.)
Lake Travis (Plans to hold classes as usual. Check district website for updates. However,both Saturday School and the ACT test scheduled for Saturday have been canceled.)
Manor (Early dismissal Friday. All buses will run two hours early. Friday afternoon pre-K canceled. All other after-school events Friday through Sunday canceled.)
Pflugerville (All campuses will release students two hours early on Friday. The schedule is as follows: high schools will be released at 2:15 p.m., middle schools will be released at 1:35 p.m., and elementary schools will be released at 12:50 p.m. All buses will run according to this early release schedule.)
Round Rock (Early release for all schools on Friday. Elementary schools will be released at 12:45 p.m., middle schools will be released at 1:30 p.m. and high schools will be released at 2 p.m. Breakfast and lunch at all schools will be available to students before school is dismissed.)
San Marcos (Plans to hold classes as usual on Friday. Check district website for updates.)
You can also check the Texas Education Agency’s list of school closures and the Region XIII Service Center’s list.
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August 25, 2008
First day of school jitters, snafus, and whatchamacallits
Today’s the first day of school everywhere in Statesman-land except Pflugerville and Round Rock.
Rejoice or mourn, the choice is yours.
Statesman photographer Larry Kolvoord talked to 4-year-old Madison Briones, right, this morning at Sanchez Elementary. Madison was heartbroken after learning that she wouldn’t be able to attend pre-kindergarten classes on the first day because of a paperwork glitch.
‘Everybody is going to school besides me,’ she cried to her mom.
Did you experience any first day of school issues? Have any words of advice to offer Madison?
Updated, 5 p.m.: Leander school district spokesman Dick Ellis says that the district welcomed 27,528 students to school today without a hitch. The district opened four new campuses today too.
“It was perfect,” he said. “A really good first day.”
Check out the sights and sounds of Leander’s first day of school.
Updated, 8/26, for the curious: A Sanchez assistant principal told the Statesman that Madison got her paperwork straightened out and will be in class Wednesday morning.
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August 21, 2008
Central Texas back to school calendar
August 25 - First day of classes for following school districts: Austin, Bastrop, Del Valle, Dripping Springs, Eanes, Georgetown, Hays, Lake Travis, Leander, Manor, San Marcos and Wimberley. Also first day of classes at Austin Community College, and St. Edward’s and Southwestern universities.
August 26 - First day of classes for Lago Vista, Pflugerville and Round Rock ISDs. August 27 - First day of classes for Texas State University and the University of Texas.
September 1 - The following school districts are closed for the Labor Day holiday: Austin, Bastrop, Del Valle, Dripping Springs, Eanes, Georgetown, Hays, Lago Vista, Lake Travis, Leander, Manor, Pflugerville, Round Rock, San Marcos and Wimberley. It’s also a holiday at Austin Community College, St. Edward’s University, Southwestern University, Texas State University and the University of Texas.
September 2 - First day of classes at Huston-Tillotson University.
September 10 - First day of classes at Concordia University.
Check your local district’s website for first-day details, like Austin’s school bus stop locator, and other events.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Wimberley, for example, your kids can get vaccinations and free haircuts — two of any child’s favorite activities — at the Back to School Fiesta on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Wimberley.
(Cal Warlick cartoon at right)
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June 17, 2008
Bastrop High mural to stay put
The Bastrop school district’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday evening to allow a controversial mural to remain on a hall in Bastrop High School.
About 20 people spoke during a public hearing Tuesday before the vote. Three wanted the mural removed; the rest asked the board to let the mural stay.
Check back to statesman.com or pick up a copy of the American-Statesman on Wednesday to read details about the public hearing and watch a video of speakers online.
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Bastrop school board passes $60.4 million budget
The Bastrop school board passed a $60.4 million budget Tuesday evening for the 2008-2009 school year that included nearly $1 million in salary increases.
Administrators will see an increase of $1,000 to $1,679 per year in salary. Teachers’ salaries will increase by $676 to $1,390 per year. First-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree will earn $40,000 during the next school year.
Custodial, food service, maintenance staff and paraprofessional hourly rates will also increase from 26 cents per hour to 64 cents per hour.
According to the district’s budget summary, the budget’s overall focus is on literacy, math and science, teaching English to non-native speakers, technology and grades 5 through 8. The budget creates new staff positions in these areas and at the elementary school level.
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Bastrop mural hearing tonight
The public will have a chance tonight to share opinions about a controversial mural painted a few years ago by students. The mural on a wall in Bastrop High School depicts several scenes meant to describe Bastrop County’s history and the students’ vision of overcoming differences.
The scenes include religious imagery, including a Buddha and ancient gods, and an image of a black woman picking cotton in a field - two images that a local woman and others have raised questions about. They have asked the school district to remove the mural.
An Austin American-Statesman story about the mural in May yielded 23 pages of comments from readers.
The public hearing on the mural will take place this evening during a regularly scheduled school board meeting. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Bastrop school district service center, see map below.
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June 10, 2008
Bastrop High mural hearing set
The Bastrop school district has set a public hearing on the fate of a controversial mural at Bastrop High School to take place on June 17 during a regularly scheduled school board meeting.
High school students painted the mural five years ago under the direction of Austin muralist Raul Valdez.
Along with images of children reaching out to one another and a slave picking cotton, the mural depicts symbols from other cultures and religions, including a Buddha and ancient gods.
Some local residents have called for the mural to be removed.
See photos and read previous coverage of the mural.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 906 Farm St.
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May 21, 2008
Johnston principal taking job at Bastrop High
Johnston High School Principal Celina Estrada-Thomas will become the principal at Bastrop High School, Bastrop district officials announced today.
Estrada-Thomas who came to the Austin school district in 2002, was the principal at Dobie Middle School for three years. Prior to that she was a principal and assistant principal in Round Rock.
“Dr. Estrada-Thomas is someone that will have an immediate positive impact on the students, staff and the community as a whole,” Bastrop Superintendent Roderick Emanuel said. He added: “With her strong background in curriculum and instruction, we are expecting great things from Bastrop High School.”
Johnston, which has been rated “unacceptable” for the past four years, is still waiting on results from this year’s Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. After five years of unacceptable ratings, state law says a campus can either be closed or put under alternative management. District officials, however, are trying to work out a way to allow the campus to stay open next year and still under district control.
Estrada-Thomas resigned from her position at Johnston Tuesday and will leave at the end of the school year. She will replace Michael Benedict, who left the Bastrop district this spring under pressure.
Benedict had been reprimanded after an investigation found he made inappropriate comments to staff, including making comments about one staff member’s weight and calling another by a nickname that the employee felt was demeaning.
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May 13, 2008
Central Texas high school graduation dates set
We’ve compiled graduation dates for area high schools. Let us know if we’ve left one out, and if there’s a graduating senior (or two, or three, or 1,543) that you’re particularly proud of!
(All times are ceremony starting times. Seniors should check with their schools for their arrival times.)
Austin
6/3, Rosedale School, 1 p.m., at the Rosedale School
6/4, Garza, 7 p.m., Delco Center
6/5, Akins, 3 p.m.; Anderson, 5:45 p.m.; Austin, 8:30 p.m., all at Frank Erwin Center
6/6, Bowie, noon; Crockett, 3 p.m.; Lanier, 5:45 p.m., both at Frank Erwin Center
6/6, Johnston, 8 p.m., Delco Center
6/7, McCallum, noon, Frank Erwin Center
6/7 Reagan, 5:45 p.m., Delco Center
6/7 Travis, 3 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
6/7 LBJ/LASA, 9 a.m., Frank Erwin Center
Bastrop
5/25, Genesis, 1:30 p.m., Bastrop High School cafeteria
5/30, Bastrop, 8 p.m., Erhard Field, 1602 Hill Street.
Del Valle
6/4, 7 p.m., Texas State University Strahan Coliseum, San Marcos
Dripping Springs
6/6, 8 p.m., Shoreline Center
Eanes
5/30, 8:30 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
Hays
5/30, Hays, 8 p.m., Shelton Stadim
5/31, Lehman, 8 p.m., Shelton Stadium
5/31, The Academy@Hays, 6 p.m., Performing Arts Center
Hutto
6/7, 10 a.m., Shoreline Center
Lago Vista
6/6, 6 p.m., Lago Vista High School gymnasium
Lake Travis
6/5, Shoreline Center, 8 p.m.
Leander
5/30, New Hope, 7:30 p.m., Leander Extended Opportunity Conference Center
6/6, Leander, 9 a.m., Frank Erwin Center
6/8, Cedar Park, 3 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
6/8, Vista Ridge, 6 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
Manor
5/22, EXCEL, 7 p.m., Manor Performing Arts Center
6/5, High School, 1 p.m., Shoreline Center
Pflugerville
6/6, Hendrickson, 9 a.m., Shoreline Center
6/6, Provan Opportunity Center, 7 p.m., Pflugerville High School Performing Arts Center
6/7, Pflugerville, 5:45 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
6/7, Connally, 8:30 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
Round Rock
5/29, Success Program, Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m.
5/31, Round Rock, 9 a.m., Frank Erwin Center
5/31, Stony Point, noon, Frank Erwin Center
5/31, Westwood, 3 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
5/31, McNeil, 6 p.m., Frank Erwin Center
San Marcos
5/30, Pathfinder Learning Center, 1 p.m., San Marcos High School auditorium
6/7, High School, 7 p.m., Texas State University Strahan Coliseum, San Marcos
6/5, PRIDE, 10:30 a.m., San Marcos High School auditorium
Wimberley
5/30, 8 p.m., Texas State University Strahan Coliseum, San Marcos
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Austin schools, Bastrop County schools, Del Valle schools, Hays County schools, Leander schools, Manor, Pflugerville schools, Round Rock schools, Wimberley schools
May 12, 2008
Is Bastrop group proselytizing students?
Earlier this morning we wrote about a public forum the Bastrop school district will hold Tuesday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bastrop High School Ninth Grade Academy, at 1602 Hill St. Here’s the previous post.
There are no specific topics posted for the meeting, but one of the Statesman’s editors got a call this morning from a Bastrop resident who said one of the topics she was concerned about is the relationship between the school district and a church group called Bastrop Ministries.
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Bastrop community meeting: got something on your mind?
Hey Bastrop parents, got something on your mind?
Maybe you’ve been stewing over what happened with former high school principal Michael Benedict? Maybe it’s the teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student?
Or maybe you just want to voice your concerns over the district’s growth, brag on your kid’s TAKS scores, or get more involved in the schools. Whatever your topic, Tuesday night is the time to share. The board of trustees will hold a “Community Conversation” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bastrop High School Ninth Grade Academy, at 1602 Hill St. The board and school district officials will be in attendance to “listen to community concerns and answer questions.”
What’re you going to tell them?
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May 9, 2008
Teacher blacklist: myth or reality, and job fairs
Someone on the Texas Teachers Chatboard is asking about a state-wide blacklist for uppity and/or naughty teachers. The posters there seem to think it’s a myth. Anyone heard otherwise?
And speaking of teaching jobs, the Austin school district is holding its job fair on Saturday at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road. Only certified teachers need apply, though student teachers can bring a copy of a transcript showing enrollment and alternative certification program participants can bring letters showing proof of participation.
Del Valle will hold a job fair on Saturday at Del Valle Middle School, 5500 Ross Road.
And the Region 13 Education Service Center, the regional state agency serving Austin-area schools, will hold a job fair on June 5 at 5701 Springdale Road.
I’ve heard the job fairs can be stressful and overwhelming. Any current or prospective teachers planning on attending? Got any tips to share with newbies?
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment Categories: Austin schools, Bastrop County schools, Del Valle schools, Hays County schools, Leander schools, Manor, Pflugerville schools, Teachers, Wimberley schools
May 5, 2008
Online gradebooks causing trouble at home?
The New York Times reports on Web-based programs that let parents track their kids’ attendance and grades already in use by many local districts:
At best, the programs can be the Internet’s bright light into the bottomless backpack, an antidote for freshman forgetfulness, an early warning system and a lie detector. But sometimes there is collateral damage: exacerbated stress about daily grades and increased family tension.
A good number of Central Texas school districts already have Web-based programs to let parents keep tabs on their kids’ schoolwork. Those districts include Bastrop, Del Valle, Dripping Springs, Eanes, Leander, Manor, and Round Rock. (The Austin school district is planning on buying a similar system if voters approve a bond proposal on the May 10 ballot.)
Leander officials offer some helpful advice to parents using the district’s online GradeSpeed ParentConnection program:
Please allow adequate time for teachers to grade papers and enter the grades into the system. Remember, teachers have the full-time job of teaching, planning, collaborating, meeting, and assessing student work.
Parents, kids, teachers: How do you use the online programs? Love them? Hate them? Do you stress out over the programs as much as some of the parents and students interviewed by the New York Times do?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Austin schools, Bastrop County schools, Leander schools, Manor
April 15, 2008
Bastrop teacher accused of "inappropriate relationship" with student
Bastrop High School computer teacher, Joey Chapman, was put on paid administrative leave last week after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
No charges have been filed against Chapman, but Bastrop County law enforcement is aware of the alleged incident, said Donald Williams, district spokesman.
Chapman, 36, has worked for the district for 12 years. He is accused of having an unspecified encounter with a Bastrop High School student in an incident occurred that occurred outside of Bastrop County, Williams said. Williams said he could not elaborate because the investigation is ongoing.
“Our hope is to be able to protect the safety of our students and be able to work through the process as far as having the investigation,” Williams said.
The district sent a letter home to parents on Monday saying that a teacher “allegedly had inappropriate contact with a student” but gave no further details, pending the investigation.
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April 3, 2008
Bastrop High principal leaves
Bastrop High Principal Michael Benedict, who was disciplined last year for making inappropriate comments, gave notice this week that he will be on personal leave until he retires at the end of the school year.
Superintendent Roderick Emanuel said in a press release today that despite recent events, Benedict helped the district “get through some very difficult additions and renovations at Bastrop High School.”
Benedict’s departure comes a little more than a month after the school board renewed his contract despite being suspended with pay for five days in December while the district investigated complaints by faculty members.
Assistant principals Terrell King and Lora Hardway accused Benedict of making the inappropriate comments, which included comments about King’s weight and calling him Radio in reference to a mentally challenged African American character in the 2003 movie “Radio.” Benedict wrote in a letter to the district that he did not mean for the comments to be hurtful.
Emanuel appointed James Richardson, a former principal at Bastrop High, to fill in for Benedict for the rest of the year.
Benedict and Emanuel could not be reached for comment.
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