Posted 12:06 am Thursday, November 01, 2012
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Tyler ISD touts innovation efforts during annual address
BY EMILY GUEVARA
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
Area business leaders learned about innovative programs in Tyler ISD during this year’s State of the District Address.
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
Area business leaders learned about innovative programs in Tyler ISD during this year’s State of the District Address.
Interim TISD Superintendent Gary Mooring shared about the programs during the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday.
These include: The Leader in Me at Jack Elementary School; University Academy Afterschool Program at Boulter Middle School; and the PLAYhouse project with career and technology students at Robert E. Lee High School.
Mooring said the innovative programs support TISD’s vision for being a premier district in the nation; illustrate partnerships with parents, higher education institutions and local businesses; and help prepare students to be career and college ready.
Mooring said in TISD, students are the top priority.
“Every program, every decision considered, we ask what is best for the students,” he said.
The Leader in Me is based on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and is designed to give students a foundation to prepare for college and a career.
Started at Jack in 2011, the program is a collaborative effort between the school, PTA, TISD Foundation, parents and community members, Mooring said.
Jack Principal Shauna Hittle said the school’s mission is to build the leaders of tomorrow, and this program helps them do that.
In a video about the program, Jack students shared their favorite habit, and teachers, a parent and Ms. Hittle talked about the program’s benefits.
Teachers said the program has helped to better motivate students, encourage them to take ownership of their actions and solve problems.
Mooring said the innovative programs support TISD’s vision for being a premier district in the nation; illustrate partnerships with parents, higher education institutions and local businesses; and help prepare students to be career and college ready.
Mooring said in TISD, students are the top priority.
“Every program, every decision considered, we ask what is best for the students,” he said.
The Leader in Me is based on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and is designed to give students a foundation to prepare for college and a career.
Started at Jack in 2011, the program is a collaborative effort between the school, PTA, TISD Foundation, parents and community members, Mooring said.
Jack Principal Shauna Hittle said the school’s mission is to build the leaders of tomorrow, and this program helps them do that.
In a video about the program, Jack students shared their favorite habit, and teachers, a parent and Ms. Hittle talked about the program’s benefits.
Teachers said the program has helped to better motivate students, encourage them to take ownership of their actions and solve problems.
A Jack parent said she appreciates the way the program reaches all students.
At Boulter Middle School, an Engineering Prep school, a partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler’s Ingenuity Center provides students with academic assistance and enrichment opportunities.
Through the afterschool program, students receive homework help and can participate in afterschool classes, such as Spanish, painting, art, scrapbooking, robotics, bicycle club and astronomy, among other topics.
In a video about the program, students praised it as something that allows them to learn every day and helps them improve their grades.
The school is working toward a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Academy designation.
At the high school level, TISD architecture and construction technology classes have partnered with Fitzpatrick Architects and several local construction companies to design and build playhouses.
The playhouses will be on display and available for bidding Nov. 29 through Dec. 17 at FRESH by Brookshire’s in Tyler, with all proceeds to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
Mooring said the school district values community participation, and that shows through these programs.
At Boulter Middle School, an Engineering Prep school, a partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler’s Ingenuity Center provides students with academic assistance and enrichment opportunities.
Through the afterschool program, students receive homework help and can participate in afterschool classes, such as Spanish, painting, art, scrapbooking, robotics, bicycle club and astronomy, among other topics.
In a video about the program, students praised it as something that allows them to learn every day and helps them improve their grades.
The school is working toward a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Academy designation.
At the high school level, TISD architecture and construction technology classes have partnered with Fitzpatrick Architects and several local construction companies to design and build playhouses.
The playhouses will be on display and available for bidding Nov. 29 through Dec. 17 at FRESH by Brookshire’s in Tyler, with all proceeds to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
Mooring said the school district values community participation, and that shows through these programs.
He said the district has dedicated staff, parents and community members and is working with the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and Tyler Junior College as officials consider creating a career and technology center.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to collaborate with higher education and the community,” Mooring said.
Mary Elizabeth Jackson, chairwoman of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, said the chamber and Tyler Economic Development Council place a priority on building a strong community, and a strong public education system is a key part of that.
“It is the moral and social responsibility of all of us to see that every student is given the opportunity to succeed,” she said.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to collaborate with higher education and the community,” Mooring said.
Mary Elizabeth Jackson, chairwoman of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, said the chamber and Tyler Economic Development Council place a priority on building a strong community, and a strong public education system is a key part of that.
“It is the moral and social responsibility of all of us to see that every student is given the opportunity to succeed,” she said.
