FWISD Name New Student And School Support Executive Directors | Canvas Basics Introduces FWISD Employees To New LMS: Online Basics Course Available Through August 6 For FLEX credit | Make A Difference As A FWISD Volunteer | City Sets Reby Cary Youth Library Grand Opening For August 14 | Trinity Metro Transfer Center Named For Dr. Dennis Dunkins | View more stories throughout the week on the Inside FWISD Blog

FWISD Names New Student and School Support Executive Directors

Three veteran FWISD educators are now newly appointed executive directors on the Fort Worth ISD Student and School Support roster.

FWISD Board of Education trustees approved the naming of the new executive directors at a meeting, Tuesday, July 27. Joining the Student and School Support staff as executive directors are three educators who are not strangers to the District. They are:

• Dr. Dorene Benavidez, former Division of Equity and Excellence executive director. She will support the South Hills pyramid in Region III.
• Guadalupe Cortez, former Oakhurst Elementary School principal. She will support the North Side pyramid in Region II.
• Christine Renteria, former Kirkpatrick Elementary School principal. She will support the Southwest pyramid in Region I.

I.M. Terrell Auditorium Named for Alumnus

Trustees on Tuesday also approved the naming of the I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA Auditorium for Joseph Earl Breedlove Sr.

Mr. Breedlove, who died in June, was a 1959 graduate of I.M. Terrell High School and businessman. He was instrumental in the renovation of I.M. Terrell and the construction of the 900-seat performance hall.

Mr. Breedlove’s son, Joseph Breedlove Jr. gave remarks on behalf of Mr. Breedlove Sr.’s family and friends. He remembered his father as a man who challenged “everyone around them to fulfill their dreams and never give up.”

“I hope through the years as every student enters the Joseph Earl Breedlove Sr. Auditorium, we’ll see the thousands of young people realizing his or her dreams as they venture into that venue.”

Trustees Honor ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’

Board members paid tribute to retired Fort Worth ISD educator, alumna and living legend Opal Lee with a special recognition that included a musical performance by Sheran Goodspeed Keyton of the Fort Worth Opera on Tuesday.

Last month, Ms. Lee joined President Joseph R. Biden at the White House for a signing ceremony, making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Ms. Lee has advocated for the United States to recognize Juneteenth -- the official end to slavery in this country -- as a federal holiday for more than 40 years.

“I’m humbled,” Ms. Lee said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I just thought I’d come up here and get a plaque and go home, but that was as the young people would say ‘off the chain!’”

Read more about the recognition of Ms. Lee in this recent Fort Worth Star-Telegram article.

The following acknowledgements and board actions also took place at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Board members recognized 14 Project Lead the Way 2020-2021 seniors who recently completed an engineer internship with Bell Textron and Lockheed Martin.
• The Board recognized eight FWISD schools for making the 2020-2021 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished Program Recognition list. The PLTW list recognizes school districts and individual campuses that are “committed to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement and achievement in their PLTW programs,” and that “empower their students to unlock their potential by developing the in-demand, real-world knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom,” according to the PLTW website.
• Trustees approved an amendment to the architectural design services contract for the remodeling of its warehouse on Lubbock Avenue. The amendment was required due to changes in the initial number of departments moving into the warehouse which added requirements for technology, additional departments and unforeseen expenses.
• Trustees authorized Superintendent Kent Scribner to enter an architectural and building design contract for the renovation of the current Applied Learning Academy/ International Newcomer Academy campus Camp Bowie Boulevard, which will become the future home of the FWISD Central Administration Building.

View archived video of Tuesday’s entire meeting here.

Canvas Basics Introduces FWISD Employees To New LMS

Online Basics Course Available Through August 6 for FLEX credit

Fort Worth ISD teachers and staff interested in learning about Canvas -- the District’s new Learning Management System- and earning FLEX credit in the process may take the basics course through August 6.

The online, self-paced Canvas Basics course introduces District employees to the components and navigation of the LMS, said Shana Ellason, FWISD Educational Technology director. Interested employees may register for the course via Eduphoria.

Earlier this year, the District announced that it would implement a soft rollout of the LMS with Canvas Champions and other early adopters this fall. The District anticipates engaging all FWISD educators with a full implementation starting August 2022.

Once fully active, Canvas will be utilized by District employees, students and parents. The application allows for uploading and sharing of course materials, grades, tracking student participation, conducting virtual learning and communication. In preparation for the Canvas rollout, the FWISD Educational Technology Department has created a webpage full of important information.

Ahead of the soft rollout, FWISD launched online Canvas Basics and Canvas Champions courses for teachers and staff on June 22.

Recent tallies indicate that more than 1,400 teachers have registered for the Canvas Basics course since it became available, with more than 800 currently active in the class. Nearly 500 teachers have completed the basics course, Ms. Ellason said.

“I love Google Classroom, so I was skeptical about Canvas,” a FWISD elementary teacher wrote on a recent anonymous survey about the course. “I have to admit that this is so much easier. Very complex at first, but it will be much more time efficient and user friendly. I'm excited to use this with my students.”

A 488-member cohort of early Canvas adopters from each FWISD campus, known as “Canvas Champions,” have successfully completed the a six-hour self-paced online Canvas Champions training offered by FWISD EdTech and are currently participating in a three-hour virtual Canvas Deep-Dive training with Region 11 partners. The cohort, made up of FWISD teachers nominated by campus principals, will serve as Canvas LMS implementation leaders during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Throughout the upcoming academic year, Educational Technology is offering multiple in-person and virtual Canvas courses to ensure FWISD employees confidently understand the platform prior to its full implementation the 2022-2023 school year.

While summer Canvas Basics courses end August 6, classes for the fall start August 16. Participants who successfully complete Canvas Basics may register for Canvas Basics 2: Exploring the Building blocks beginning this September.

For additional information about Canvas, visit www.fwisd.org/Canvas.