Latest news with #NationalBlueRibbon
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
El Paso ISD board to consider reversing closing of Lamar Elementary
EL PASO, Texas (EL PASO MATTERS) — Just a week after newly elected El Paso Independent School District trustees were sworn in, they may reverse the previous board's decision to close one of eight elementary schools set to shutter its doors in the next two years. The EPISD school board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday to vote whether to keep Lamar Elementary School open. 'The reconsideration of closing Lamar Elementary reflects the responsibility this new board has to make decisions that align with academic outcomes, equity and community trust,' board President Leah Hanany told El Paso Matters on Friday. 'Lamar is an A-rated, two-time National Blue Ribbon School serving a majority socioeconomically disadvantaged population, and scored in the top 1% nationally on a survey measuring student belonging.' The scheduled vote comes after a major shift in the board's power dynamics when four aligned school board candidates won their respective elections May 3 and ousted former trustees Israel Irrobali and Isabel Hernandez, who voted in favor of the closures. Hanany has been critical of the metrics used to decide what schools were recommended for closure to address declining enrollment by closing schools and improving the ones that remain open — an initiative known as Destination District Redesign. The plan was put forward by Superintendent Diana Sayavedra and her administration, and approved in November 2024 on a 4-3 vote. Only two trustees who supported the plan remain on the board – Daniel Call and Valerie Ganelon Beals. Beals expressed criticism at the idea of reversing the planned closure of just one school in Hanany's feeder pattern. 'Our staff, central office, put in so much work into DDR, that just for it to be reversed for one school,' Beals told El Paso Matters Friday. 'I feel like it would be a big slap in the face to do that. I feel like some of the trustees on the school board are using their position to please their constituents, not caring about how to leave the district once their term is up, because it's just a political stepping stone for them.' Call could not be reached for comment. Hanany said close to 180 elementary school-age students live within a half-mile of Lamar Elementary, while other campuses that were set to remain open had less than a few dozen. 'Voters gave this board a mandate to shift away from top-down decision-making and focus on students,' Hanany said. 'I would say, especially in times of fiscal constraint, we have to be even more strategic. And by placing Lamar back on the agenda, I think it's signaling that this board is willing to revisit harmful decisions and refocus our priorities where they belong.' If the board votes to reverse the closure, it will need to consider the costs of operating the school and potential increases in public school funding as it prepares its budget for the coming school year. Without any changes to the school closure plan or school funding, EPISD expects to have a $17 million deficit for the 2025-26 school year. Hanany said she is not aware of any plans to close another school in place of Lamar Elementary and that the board 'will be revisiting every available resource to ensure that we remain committed to being fiscally responsible.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
04-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Howard County elementary school receives state, national honors
A Howard County elementary school celebrated a big honor last week with its entire student body. Worthington Elementary School in Ellicott City not only received a Maryland Blue Ribbon award but also a National Blue Ribbon award. The distinction is a bright star demonstrating the school's academic achievements, also showing the school is making strides to close achievement gaps. Honors to celebrate To celebrate, Howard County education leaders, the Howard County Council, and other guests joined the school's staff and students in the gymnasium. Some students read essays about what they love about the school. "All the students have worked together to achieve great test scores. They hold friendships that may last a lifetime," one student said. "Work and encourage each other to do their best. They take after their teachers while learning incredibly fast." Robert Bruce, Worthington's principal, said the school learned about its state Blue Ribbon in January 2024. An application had to be filled out to get the national one. "We formed a committee of parents and staff to write that application. There was so much to consider, and so much to write about Worthington Elementary," Bruce said. Bruce adds that the awards are a testament to the school's community. "It's like a family environment," he said. "Our community supports the school, and this school wants every child to reach their fullest potential." Worthington learned of its National Blue Ribbon status in September. It's one of four public schools in the state to get this award for 2024.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How Cumberland schools keep winning National Blue Ribbons
Amy Parent, a teacher at Garvin Memorial Elementary School in Cumberland, engages her second graders in a discussion during a math lesson in her classroom. The school's laser focus on reviewing and updating curriculum propelled it to earn national recognition. (Photo by Michelle Carter for Rhode Island Current) Last September, Garvin Memorial Elementary school became the third school in Cumberland to receive a National Blue Ribbon from the U.S. Department of Education. Garvin is one of only 356 schools to earn this designation out of 115,171 U.S. schools. Garvin was commended for 'Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing,' specifically big gains in math generally, and across student subgroups. So what's Cumberland's secret sauce? Without missing a beat, Assistant Superintendent Antonio DiManna had this reply to my question: 'We have a 'hyper focus' on curriculum. Across the elementary and middle schools, the district works together to hone common curricula in both English Language Arts and in math.' A curriculum is the what and how of a teacher's daily life. In other words, what standard or skills are being addressed, and how to best present the materials and learning activities. 'The entire meal, so-to-speak, while the programs we follow are the ingredients,' DiManna said. 'We nourish students' learning journey.' Many years ago, DiManna introduced a technique called 'curriculum mapping' which he'd experienced as a teacher at a charter school. This mapping uses the teachers' classroom experience of each lesson to assess and maybe transform a pre-existing or written curriculum – in this case, a second generation of Eureka math – into what DiManna calls a 'living curriculum.' 'We look at what has already been taught and analyze data – module assessments, benchmark assessments, and RICAS for grades 3 to 8 – to identify gaps or redundancies,' Curriculum Coordinator Kathleen Cardosa said. We have a 'hyper focus' on curriculum. – Cumberland Assistant Superintendent Antonio DiManna The curriculum is the road that gets kids to meet state standards. But it can't be static. To be 'alive,' teachers must be able to tweak, change, eliminate, massage or add whatever is not working in a curriculum. But mapping is only one step in a three-part process that uses the teachers' brain trust to voice opinions, objections and suggestions. Step One: I dropped in on Amy Parente's second grade math class. She'd chosen one of Eureka's several fluency exercises — quick, warm up activities designed to reinforce basic math facts so kids can recall them automatically. In unison and enthusiastically, the kids count by fives up and down a scale of 100, adding or subtracting, depending on the direction Parente's hand is sliding along the scale. They were learning about 'equal.' Small groups of kids had to fold a piece of paper into two equal parts and prepare to explain their reasoning. Another problem asked how students would distribute three brownies to two children. Interestingly, most teams cut all three brownies in half instead of just one. That's one way to get to a right answer, however inefficient, but lessons often allow for at least two ways of arriving at a solution. But what if Parente experienced a glitch while delivering that lesson? Maybe the kids got confused, or disengaged, or the lesson took too long? Who fixes that? Step Two: Parente would take her issue to a weekly common planning time with her fellow grade-level teachers who had just finished the same lessons. Two things might happen: Parente's colleagues had no issue themselves, so what might have gone sideways? What was different about their delivery or their choice of what activity to do? What might have worked better? How could they help? That's embedded professional development at its best – colleagues collaborating on being the best possible teachers. But if they had all chafed at the same activity, what practical adjustment does the curriculum need? The problem can't just be left to fester for a year only to deliver poor results again. Parente then gathers her colleagues' concerns and drafts solutions for the curriculum coordinators of the weekly mapping session. Step Three: The second-grade math representatives from all five Cumberland elementary schools gather to weed out obstacles they found. One recent week's fluency module had way too much material and took too long. Parente had already limited the materials to use, but the curriculum itself needed a note advising teachers to do just that, to stay within the allotted time by choosing among the activities. Also, the cross-school data showed the lesson's assessment had a two-part question whose second part went unanswered by the lowest level students. Among other ideas, the teachers agreed that giving an extra point or two to that second part would encourage all kids to keep going. Cardosa and a coordinator specializing in special-needs students listened, asked questions and took notes. They will find ways of adjusting the once-glitchy lesson so next year's delivery gets more kids to proficiency. Even minor problems can prevent, slow, or ignore reasons why kids aren't progressing as robustly as teachers know they can. It's not the kids' fault. 'Educators need to create a shared understanding of curriculum goals and instructional strategies,' said Cardosa. The point is for everyone, literally, to be on the same well-refined page. In class the following morning, Parente will pick up where she left off, making mental notes about how it's going. And the improvement cycle will begin again. Mind you, teachers often complain that standardized curricula feel dictatorial, erasing their creativity and slighting their professionalism. But Parente says her creativity is in full force. 'If I know of another activity that I think would work better, I do it,' she said. 'I'll add activities, extra practice, rearranged lessons, etc.' Too often, districts hand over a purchased curriculum with a lot of what but leave teachers with little help as to how to make it work with actual kids. Instead, Cumberland's 'lived curriculum' is sensitive and responsive to the teachers' practical experience. It's their academic north star. And it's working. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
