Top Teachers Announced
The Irving ISD Teachers of the Year for
2009-2010 were announced at the Board of Trustees meeting Monday.
Honorees will be formally recognized at a reception and board meeting
September 21 at Irving High School. Isela Russell, bilingual fifth
grade teacher at John Haley Elementary School, is the IISD Elementary
Teacher of the Year. Carey Christenberry, gifted and
talented/advanced placement English teacher at Nimitz High School, is
the IISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Isela Russell |
Carey Christenberry |
Trustees also recognized Campus
Teachers of the Year. High school honorees are: Tim Weinrich, history,
Irving High School; Miral Kawasmi, science, MacArthur High School; Carey
Christenberry, AP English, Nimitz High School; Becky Kerner, special
education, Jack E. Singley Academy; and Maria Martinez, science, Union
Bower Center for Learning.
Middle School Honorees are: Theresa
Spencer, eighth grade English, Austin Middle School; Ginger Curtis,
algebra and geometry, Bowie Middle School; Brenda Garcia, sixth-eighth
grade ESL, Crockett Middle School; David Seright, seventh grade social
studies, de Zavala Middle School; Melissa Karp, seventh grade English,
Houston Middle School; Stephanie Miles, eighth grade math, Lamar Middle
School; Larry Lanier, eighth grade English, Travis Middle School; and
Laura Sichi, reassignment teacher, Secondary Reassignment Center.
Elementary honorees are: Toni Kayser-Boyd,
second grade dual language, Barton Elementary School; Todd Smith, fourth
grade bilingual gifted and talented (GT), Brandenburg Elementary School;
Jorge Capella, fifth grade science, Britain Elementary School; Sandra
Benavidez, bilingual second grade, Brown Elementary School; Kristina
Geddes, first grade, Davis Elementary School; Gabriela Lopez-Smith,
bilingual kindergarten, Elliott Elementary School; Ana Hanna, third
grade bilingual GT, Farine Elementary School; Kesha Valtierra, second
grade ESL, Gilbert Elementary School; Holley Nasky, fourth grade GT,
Good Elementary School; Isela Russell, bilingual fifth grade math, John
Haley Elementary School; Angela Snyder, physical education, Thomas Haley
Elementary School; Dorothy Ugwu, special education, Hanes Elementary
School; Katherine Young, special education, Johnston Elementary School;
Lori Lee, fifth grade science, Keyes Elementary School; Patricia Rojas,
bilingual fourth grade, Lee Elementary School; Bryan Esstman, fourth
grade GT, Lively Elementary School; Amie McGugan, instructional coach,
Schulze Elementary School; Elisa Edgar, art, Stipes Elementary School;
Sam Manning, fifth grade, Townley Elementary School; Harmony Lokash,
third grade, Townsell Elementary School; and Sandra Walton, fourth/fifth
grade teacher, Wheeler Transitional & Development Center.
Early childhood school honorees are:
Patty Vaughan, prekindergarten, Clifton Early Childhood School; Cathy
Center, special education, Kinkeade Early Childhood School; and Patricia
Frausto, bilingual prekindergarten, Pierce Early Childhood School.
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Enrollment Highest in IISD History
As of August 31,
enrollment in Irving ISD totaled 33,409 – the highest recorded in IISD
history – and is 66 students above the projected peak enrollment for
2009-2010. Peak enrollment is usually met in mid-September.
Elementary school
enrollment, totaling 17,208, is 157 students more than on day seven a
year ago; middle school enrollment, at 7,022, is 45 students more; and
high school enrollment, at 9,094, is 403 students more than the
day-seven total a year ago.
According to
Interim Superintendent Dr. Neil Dugger, enrollment each school
will continue to be monitored with school and district administrators
taking a proactive role in ensuring classes are balanced and teachers
are transferred as needed.
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Meet the Teacher Nights
Scheduled
Each school in IISD has scheduled
one or more nights this month for parents to meet their child’s teacher
and visit the school.
Click Here
for the complete schedule. Shelly Jeoffroy (pictured), fifth grade
teacher at Brown Elementary School, meets with parents and students in
her class during Meet the Teacher Night August 20.
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Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Education
Poll Released
The results of the
annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the
Public Schools was released August 27. A bipartisan group of
education experts were assembled in February to determine the topics to
be studied in the 41st poll: grading our schools; No Child
Left Behind; charter schools; teachers; dropouts; early
childhood/preschool; innovation — Moving in the right direction;
economic stimulus; and schools and the news media.
The 2009 PDK/Gallup
report presents every question to the reader as it was asked, and
presents answers in tabulated format compared to results from previous
years, or compared to results from a broader segment of society.
According to the
report, lack of funding for schools was listed by a wide margin as the
biggest problem, followed by lack of discipline and overcrowding.
Funding has been cited as the number-one problem since 2000, but its
mention by 32% of the respondents is the highest ever recorded.
More than 50% of
Americans gave either an A or B to schools in their community, and when
asked to assign grades to the local schools attended by their oldest
child, almost 75% assigned either an A or B, the highest grade ever
recorded. Letter grades that American’s give to the nation’s
schools in general are significantly lower, with less than 20% giving
schools an A or B. This continues a long-standing difference,
suggesting that Americans like the schools they know but are much less
positive about public education in general. According to the
report, public school reformers fear the results show that Americans are
overly satisfied with the schools in their community and, consequently,
less open to reform efforts. The report stated that Americans say
education is not as good today as when they were in school.
However, data suggests that parents believe education is better today.
The PDK/Gallup poll
is designed as an opportunity for parents, educators and legislators to
assess public opinion about the nation’s most important public
institution – public schools. Perceptions are powerful indicators
about how well we as a nation are listening to citizens’ concerns and
desires regarding public schools and how effective we communicate with
various stakeholders.
For the complete
Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll results, access:
www.edweek.org/media/2009galluppdkpoll.pdf.
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ISF Grants to Teachers Announced
Irving
Schools Foundation (ISF) awarded six Grants to Teachers on August 28 for
summer 2009 totaling $4,574.
The grants and the
programs to which grants were awarded are: Amber Carmean, headstart
teacher at Clifton Early Childhood School, Exercising to Stimulate the
Brain; Myriam Baquero-Jimenez, Clifton counselor, Clifton Parenting
Center; Veronica Rubio, bilingual prekindergarten teacher at Clifton,
Clifton’s Butterfly Square Foot Garden; Aris Musa, third grade ESL
teacher at Brown Elementary School, ELL listening station; James
Tiggeman, fourth grade gifted and talented teacher at Gilbert Elementary
School, Gilbert Families & Games Club; and Charlotte Weinstein,
humanities teacher at Lamar Middle School, Thinking Aloud.
ISF Grants to
Teachers are awarded three times during the school year to teachers who
propose innovative and creative projects that pilot a program, test a
theory, enhance learning, and are measurable in terms of results with
students’ learning performance. For IISD teachers interested in
more information regarding applying for grants to teachers, access
www.irvingisd.net/foundation/teachoverview.html.
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Cardinal Football at Cowboys Stadium
The MacArthur High
School varsity football team is scheduled to play against Colleyville
Heritage High School at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington September 7.
Kickoff is
scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and is the second of four games to be
played at the stadium on Labor Day. Tickets are available until
noon September 4 at MacArthur High School and at the athletic department
office in the Administration Building. Tickets are valid for all
games and cost for tickets is $15 for adults, and parking will be $10.
For more
information, call 972-600-5214.
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Follow
IISD on Twitter
Keep up with the
latest Irving ISD news and events. Follow Irving ISD on Twitter
with your cell phone or online.
http://twitter.com/IrvingISD.
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