New Website Offers FWISD Bond Updates
Stay up to date on the latest progress with Fort Worth ISD’s bond projects.
A new website, fwisd2017bond.com, officially launched Monday, April 23, that will provide design and construction updates on District bond projects currently in progress. Monthly updates will allow viewers to stay in the know on the bond project statuses.
Gary Aanenson, construction manager for The PROCEDEO Group, the District's capital improvement program manager, said that the website provides construction and design information and clears up any unforeseen questions people may have about ongoing bond projects.
“The main purpose for the website will be updates,” said Mr. Aanenson. “[It’s] informative. We want to be as transparent as possible, and we want to keep the community informed.”
Additional features available on the website include photos, design renderings and an interactive map detailing bond projects by school.
FWISD TEACHERS OF THE YEAR DINNER WILL FEATURE KEYNOTE BY RENOWNED MEMORY EXPERT
This year’s Fort Worth ISD Teachers of the Year Dinner is gearing up to become a highly-anticipated event attendees won’t soon forget.
The May 9 ceremony will celebrate 10 District Teacher of the Year finalists for their dedication to students and culminate with the announcement of the 2018 elementary and secondary District Teacher of the Year winners. Ron White, one of the world’s top memory speakers, will give the keynote address.
The dinner, hosted by Central Market H-E-B, will be held at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Attendees will include Superintendent of Schools Kent P. Scribner; Fort Worth ISD Board of Education trustees; and Stephen Butt, president of the H-E-B/Central Market Division. The evening will feature student entertainment by the Arlington Heights High School Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Alejandro Padro-Fuentes, which will perform for attendees before and during dinner.
Mr. White, the keynote speaker, is a two-time USA Memory Champion who once held the record for the fastest individual to memorize a deck of cards. He’s appeared on numerous media programs, including Good Morning America, Stan Lee’s Superhumans on the History Channel, National Geographic’s Brain Games: Meet the Experts, The Martha Stewart Show and The Dr. Oz Show.
After the 9/11 attacks, Mr. White joined the U.S. Navy as a reservist, completing a tour in Afghanistan during 2007. As a tribute to the fallen, he has memorized the names of more than 2,300 American service members killed in Afghanistan. He travels the United States writing the names on a 52-foot long wall from memory. It took 10 months to memorize more than 7,000 words.
A business owner for more than 25 years, Mr. White knows how to relate memory training to maximizing productivity in education and in the business world. He hopes his tips and tricks for advanced memory skills will foster success in the classroom and beyond. In addition to his goal of teaching everyone how they can improve their memory, Mr. White enjoys baseball, country music and Texas.
The District Secondary Teacher of the Year and the District Elementary Teacher of the Year will each receive a $5,000 honorarium from Central Market. The eight finalists will each receive a $1,500 award, also presented by Central Market.
2018 Secondary District Teacher of the Year Finalists are:
Alexandra Checka, seventh-grade English, Applied Learning Academy
Megan Ngo, eighth-grade science and biology, W.P. McLean Middle School
Zachary Reimer, social studies, Polytechnic High School
Orion Smith, social studies, Arlington Heights High School
Samuel Wilson, history, Southwest High School
2018 Elementary District Teacher of the Year Finalists are:
Stacey Barringer, kindergarten, Western Hills Primary School
Andrew McKenzie, fourth-grade teacher, North Hi Mount Elementary School
Isabel Moore, fourth-grade reading and writing teacher, Charles E. Nash Elementary School
Lauren Ruth, first-grade teacher, Bonnie Brae Elementary School
Laurie Stillwell, librarian, Burton Hill Elementary School
Get to know the 2018 District Teacher of the Year finalists here.
2018 Chair for Teaching Excellence Applications Being Accepted
Applications are now being accepted for Fort Worth ISD’s 2018 Academic Chairs for Teaching Excellence. This is the first time the process must be completed entirely online.
This program recognizes outstanding classroom teachers in FWISD. Recipients are awarded the title of Chair for Teaching Excellence and a $5,000 honorarium.
The Chairs for Teaching Excellence program was established by the FWISD in 1994. It is modeled after the university-level chair program and is designed to recognize and reward exemplary teachers. This program is unique because of its role in a public-school setting and for its rigorous selection process.
Teachers may self-nominate or they may be nominated by principals, colleagues, or parents. Each nominee must complete an application online, and their principal and a colleague must submit a recommendation online as well. If selected for further consideration, the teacher will be interviewed and must agree to be recorded teaching a lesson to students. There are separate selection committees for each Chair.
Selectees are honored at an awards luncheon to be held in November 2018, at a location to be announced. Teachers selected as Chairs are encouraged to pursue further education and training and share knowledge and expertise with colleagues.
Many more teachers apply for this honor than are selected. Since its inception, generous sponsors have awarded more than $1 million to teachers.
Applications must be submitted through the online form on the Partnerships website here. The deadline is close of business, June 29, 2018.
Anyone interested in learning more about the eligibility criteria for Chairs for Teaching Excellence or how to support the teachers of Fort Worth ISD may contact Danielle.stenger@fwisd.org.
Celebrate teacher appreciation week
Schools and childcare centers across the country will celebrate Teachers Appreciation Week.
To show gratitude for the amazing teachers in FWISD, a few local businesses are providing special offers for teachers next week including:
Be sure to look for a profile on mother and son teachers, Debbie and Zachary Reimer that will air on NBC 5 (KXAS) next Tuesday, May 8, during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Mrs. Reimer is a math teacher at Paschal High School, and Mr. Reimer teaches world history at Polytechnic High School. The two were recently recognized as Campus Teacher of the Year honorees at their respective schools. Mr. Reimer is a finalist for the District’s 2018 Secondary Teacher of the Year award. The profile on the Reimers will air during the 6 a.m. hour of NBC5 Today.
BILLBOARDS IN OKLAHOMA INVITE TEACHERS TO WORK AT FORT WORTH ISD
Current teachers, or students soon-to-earn education degrees, driving in the Oklahoma City, Norman, Tulsa and Stillwater areas will find highway billboards carrying an open invitation to work in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Each of the 10 billboards will carry the same message encouraging teachers that their future is in a Fort Worth classroom. The message displays the starting salary for teachers in the Fort Worth ISD, $52,000! The campaign starts on Monday, May 7.
The passion and concern for children recently demonstrated by thousands of Oklahoma teachers who rallied at the state capital are exactly the attributes Fort Worth ISD wants for our classroom leaders.
Fort Worth Independent School District is a vibrant, growing urban district of 86,000 students, 143 campuses and more than 10,000 employees. Our new teacher starting salary is $52,000. The District is committed to a plan of improving early years literacy, achieving significant success in middle years math, and ensuring that ALL students are prepared for college, career and community leadership.
Our goals are ambitious but well supported within the community. For example, our 100 x 25 FWTX program is on target to ensure that all third graders are reading at or above grade level by the year 2025. This city-wide effort is supported by the community group Read Fort Worth led by Matt Rose, executive chairman of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, and energetically supported by Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.
The District has just recently embarked on a $750 million Capital Improvement Program overwhelmingly approved by voters last fall. The program will build new schools, remodel existing learning spaces and provide technological improvements across the entire District.
“If you want to work where your dedication is appreciated and where you will have the tools needed to improve student achievement, then we want to talk with you,” said Superintendent Kent P. Scribner.
For more information about working in the Fort Worth Independent School District visit www.fwisd.org/careers.
GO UNDER THE SEA WITH FORT WORTH ISD
Join the Fort Worth Independent School District for an interactive event promoting summer learning that will create lasting memories in the process.
Under the Sea with Fort Worth ISD: The Great Summer Migration is being hosted from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at Seaquest Interactive Aquarium, 1974 Green Oaks Road in Fort Worth. The event is FREE for the first 300 families that arrive.
Participating families will receive a packet with information on summer learning strategies. Representatives from District departments and community agencies meet with attendees and offer helpful advice on a wide variety of subjects.
Families that can show they have downloaded the Fort Worth ISD app and "liked" the District Facebook page will receive Seaquest tokens that can be used for feeding aquarium animals, concessions and other activities.
For more information, call the Parent Information Line at 817-814-2070.
HONORS U.S. HISTORY STAFF RIDE HELPS STUDENTS EXPLORE 'WE THE PEOPLE'
The assignment for a group of 20 mostly Fort Worth ISD JROTC students was to link together the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War (specifically Gettysburg), the atrocities of World War II, and the American Civil Rights movement, all under the over-arching theme of “We the People…”
Those students spent five days in historic Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Virginia searching for the answers. It was all a part of what’s called an Experiential Staff Ride, hosted by the JROTC Department working in conjunction with the District’s Social Studies Department. A Staff Ride is a historical study of a campaign or battle done on the grounds of the actual event.
This was the seventh Staff Ride conducted by the District as part of the Honors U.S. Military History program.
“We use the Staff Rides to provide a select group of students a greater understanding of a military heritage and the significance it has had on our country,” said LTC Richard Crossley, director of JROTC Programs.
Specifically, students visited:
The Museum of the American Revolution
Liberty Bell
Independence Hall
The first House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
The National Constitution Center
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Gettysburg National Historic Park (including the David Wills House)
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorials
The National World War II Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Veterans Memorial and
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery
Each evening students were divided into groups for a period of reflection and to help them begin the task of completing an essay that summarizes the personal feelings they discovered during the trip, as well as completing their primary assignment.
Evans Boodhna, a junior from South Hills High School, said “I learned that ‘We the People’ created the Constitution and that the United States would not be the same without us. It is our decision if we want something in the Constitution to change. This program has definitely prepared me to be a better citizen.”
Student Stephanie Trevino, also a junior at South Hills High School told us: “I have learned so much more about the Constitution and how it is interpreted. Ultimately, the question is where do I stand and so I want to learn more so I can exactly determine where I stand as a citizen.”
A video essay that captured the students’ expressions, expectations and experiences will be available shortly and posted as an update to this news release. A photographic gallery covering the five day staff ride is available here.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ask Elsie is a column where Chief Financial Officer Elsie Schiro tackles employee queries, or in areas outside her purview, asks other District leaders to answer them.
Dear Elsie,
Given the current information from the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) board and the upcoming changes to our insurance, I wanted to check and see how the District/school board are proposing to help out employees with the rising costs and decreasing coverage which continues to plague TRS-Activecare insurance.
I know that "the law" says once a district signs up to be a part of TRS-Activecare, it cannot withdraw, but there must be some option out there besides just continuing to get less coverage for more money for insurance. Has the District looked into filing suit against them to get released from it? Has our school board spoken with other districts to see what they are doing to help employees? What do we know about being able to get more reasonable rates for our employees? Many in our District end up working only for insurance, or worse yet, get a high deductible plan and end up paying for insurance and still having huge medical bills as well.
I also keep reading that we are considered "public employees," but yet we pay many times more for our insurance than county, city or even state employees do for better insurance. I know our budget and school board endeavor every year to give employees a raise of some kind, but many of the past years, I have seen my net income go down with every raise.
I appreciate your information.
Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
In an attempt to answer your questions, I will provide an answer to each question asked.
On how the District/school board is proposing to help out employees with the rising costs and decreasing coverage:
“Currently, the District is looking to provide a salary increase effective Sept. 1, 2018, in an attempt to assist in covering the rising costs of health care.
Of the 11,800 full-time employees, only 7,591 are enrolled in one of the health care programs offered through TRS-Activecare. A salary increase helps all eligible full-time employees with the rising costs of everyday living. At the same time, it will increase the employee’s average of his/her highest salaries at the time of retirement from TRS, which is a long-term benefit.”
On the District’s other options for insurance:
“At this time, there is no provision to withdraw participation in TRS-Activecare health coverage. FWISD benefits staff remain active at the TRS board meetings expressing the concerns you raise. During the 2017 Texas legislative session, Senate Bill 789 was introduced that stated TRS entities that employ more than 1,000 individuals may not continue to participate in TRS-Activecare on or after Sep. 1, 2018. Senate Bill 789 required TRS entities with more than 1,000 employees to secure health coverage elsewhere. However, this Senate Bill was not passed; therefore, FWISD may not offer any other health coverage outside TRS-Activecare, and there is no provision to withdraw participation in TRS-Activecare. The District has heard of no class-action lawsuit(s) that has been proposed by districts statewide to change the current law.”
On what other Districts are doing to help employees and the possibility of more reasonable rates for our employees:
“There is nothing FWISD can currently do to negotiate rates that are more reasonable for our employees for the reasons previously stated. The minimum a TRS entity may contribute toward the cost of health coverage with TRS-Activecare is $225 per month ($2,700 annually). Fort Worth ISD currently contributes $287 per month ($3,444 annually). The Fort Worth ISD Benefits Department surveys other school districts periodically about the health coverage contribution amounts and other benefits. Some districts contribute more money toward the health coverage and some contribute less than Fort Worth ISD.”
“The cost of health coverage is high for all employers, private and public. As a public entity, the District does its very best to provide annual cost of living pay increases within budgetary limits.”
Thank you for your questions,
Elsie
Direct your questions to Inside@fwisd.org and put the words "Ask Elsie" in the subject line. Please close your letter with your preferred signature as you wish it to appear in the column. When there are multiple queries on the same subject, we will select the one that is most representative of the subject. We will try to answer as many questions as possible.
Know Before You Go: TCU Restricts Bags and other items at FWISD Graduations
All Fort Worth ISD graduations scheduled for facilities at Texas Christian University (TCU) are subject to a strict policy regarding bags and purses. The complete list of rules can be found here.
Those FWISD schools currently scheduled to conduct graduation exercise at TCU facilities include:
Paschal High School, 7 p.m. Friday, June 1
South Hills High School, 11 a.m. Saturday, June 2
Trimble Tech High School, 6 p.m. Saturday, June 2
North Side High School, 12 p.m. Sunday, June 3
Arlington Heights High School, 6 p.m. Sunday, June 3
13th Annual District Walk Set for May 12
Fort Worth ISD is hosting its 13th annual District Walk from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12 at all 14 of its high school tracks.
The community is invited to participate in this free wellness event promoting the positive health benefits of walking.
No pets are allowed at District Walk events. All wheel-powered devices, with the exception of strollers and wheelchairs, are prohibited.
District Walk events will take place at:
Arlington Heights High School, 4501 West Freeway
Benbrook MS/HS, 201 Overcrest Drive, Benbrook
Diamond-Hill Jarvis High School, 1411 Maydell St.
Dunbar High School, 5700 Ramey Ave.
Eastern Hills High School, 5701 Shelton St.
North Side High School, 2211 McKinley Ave.
Paschal High School, 3001 Forest Park Blvd.
Polytechnic High School, 1300 Conner Ave.
South Hills High School, 6101 McCart Ave.
Southwest High School, 4100 Alta Mesa Blvd.
Trimble Technical High School, 1003 W. Cannon St.
Western Hills High School, 3600 Boston Ave., Benbrook
Carter-Riverside High School, (using track at Riverside Middle School, 1600 Bolton St.)
O.D. Wyatt High School, 2400 East Seminary Drive
For more details, contact Georgi Roberts, health and physical education director, at 817-814-2595.
#THANKYOUTHURSDAY:
STUDeNTS TOUR SEWELL DEALER PROPERTIES, INTERVIEW FOR JOBS
Automotive and collision students from five Fort Worth Independent School District recently received an inside look at a local car dealer’s shops and collision centers. The tour culminated with an opportunity to interview for a job with the dealer later this week.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 1 and 2, more than 100 high school juniors from Trimble Tech, North Side, Dunbar, O.D. Wyatt and Polytechnic high schools toured Sewell’s Lexus and Infiniti shops and its collision center in Fort Worth. They discussed with Sewell employees’ steps to becoming an auto technician and learning about the sales and customer services sides of the business, and how what students are learning in class is implemented in real-life job settings. On Thursday, May 3, some of the students participating in the tours will interview for paid practicums and summer internships with the company.
“That’s one of our goals - to get them hired in their junior year for an internship or paid practicum,” said Vanessa Ritenour, FWISD business and industry coordinator for career and technical education. “It gives them the work experience in order to test for the industry exam.”
Students must have two years of experience, one in the classroom and one year of on-the-job training, to qualify for the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. The certification provides students the credentials for obtaining an entry-level automotive job upon graduating.
The automotive and collision students prepared for the question-and-answer portion of the tour, wrote resumes and journal entries on the objective of college and career readiness as part of assignments associated with the tour. Follow-up assignments will include additional journal entries.
Additionally, Sewell donated polo shirts to students participating in the tour that included their school colors and embroidery with the automobile program they participate in.
Sewell has partnered with the District for many years, and FWISD thanks the dealership for its support of our students.
Learn more about FWISD’s automotive technology offerings here.
FWISD Commercials appear on univision 23
Fort Worth ISD has launched three 30-second commercials in Spanish on TV station KUVN Univision 23 encouraging educators to come work for the District.
In the videos that began airing this week, Julissa Gomez, a kindergarten teacher at the Leadership Academy at John T. White Elementary School, Barbara Ozuna, principal at McLean Middle School, and Carlos Mendoza, Human Capital Management director of staffing, describe their experiences working for Fort Worth ISD.
Check them out below, and look for your colleagues on Univision 23!
Vaqueros, Fort Worth ISD Team Up for Summer 2018
The Fort Worth Vaqueros professional soccer club will host its 2018 home opener against Tyler FC at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 12, at Farrington Field, and Fort Worth ISD students and employees get in free to enjoy the action.
Fort Worth ISD students, faculty and employees showing their District-issued ID will receive FREE admission to all 2018 Vaqueros home games at historic Farrington Field. Earlier this year, the minor league soccer team announced Farrington Field as its new home stadium.
This is the Vaqueros’ fifth season in Fort Worth.
Dr. Lisa Langston, FWISD’s interim athletic director, has said the partnership between the Vaqueros and FWISD brings multiple benefits including professional development and informational programs between District coaches and the Vaqueros coaching staff, soccer clinics for the District’s middle school student athletes and free admission to matches for FWISD employees and students.
“I look at it as a positive for the Vaqueros as well as Fort Worth ISD,” Dr. Langston said. “It’s an opportunity that’s far reaching. With the World Cup this summer, soccer is going to be at the forefront.”
In addition to the admission benefit, the Vaqueros players and staff will conduct FREE soccer clinics, participate and support the FWISD reading program and conduct coaching education classes for Fort Worth ISD middle school and high school coaches.
“On behalf of the entire Fort Worth Vaqueros organization, ‘Thank you’ to Dr. Scribner, Dr. Langston and the Fort Worth ISD leadership for their vision and joining the Vaqueros in this innovative partnership,” Vaqueros owner Michael Hitchcock said. “We're excited to work with a great community partner in FWISD. We're looking forward to seeing FWISD students, coaches, teachers and administrators in their schools and at Vaqueros home games at Farrington Field. The Vaqueros are Fort Worth's soccer team!”
The Vaqueros compete in the National Premier Soccer League’s Lone Star Conference where the team finished first during the regular season in 2017. In addition to the league matches, the Vaqueros are planning an international exhibition game and possibly a U.S. Open Cup match at Farrington Field.
“Our mission has always been to ‘Grow the Beautiful Game in Fort Worth’ and we can’t imagine having a bigger impact on the youth of Fort Worth than to allow FWISD students to watch our games for free,” Vaqueros general manager Tobias Xavier Lopez said. “We have always taken pride in trying new and bold ways to promote the club, and we think this partnership will benefit the community in an unprecedented fashion.”
For more information visit www.fortworthvaqueros.com.
May is Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month
Learning Model Awareness Sessions
2018 Fort Worth ISD Career Fairs are being scheduled for later this spring. Apply to the www.fwisd.org/careers 2018-2019 Teacher vacancy pools to be considered for an invitation.
Joint and General Election Day, Saturday, May 5
Cinco de Mayo, Saturday, May 5
National Nurses Week, Sunday, May 6-Saturday, May 12
Teacher Appreciation Week, Monday, May 7- Friday, May 11
STAAR Testing, Monday, May 7- Friday, May 18
AP Exams, Monday, May 7-Friday, May 18
National Teacher Day, Tuesday, May 8
District Teacher of the Year awards dinner, Wednesday, May 9, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
District Walk, Saturday, May 12
Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13
Under the Sea with Fort Worth ISD: The Great Summer Migration, Saturday, May 19, Seaquest Interactive Aquarium Fort Worth at Ridgmar Mall
2018 Graduation Dates, Friday, May 18- Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Memorial Day, Monday, May 28
Visit the Inside FWISD blog on Mondays for a look at The Week Ahead.
Share your story ideas, successes, calendar items, photos, questions and feedback with us at Inside@FWISD.org. Check the Inside FWISD blog, www.fwisd.org/insidefwisd, regularly updated throughout the week with additional content and features.