Board Notes

A Summary of the April 17, 2008, Tyler ISD Board of Trustees Meeting

 

Board Approves Hiring of Professional Personnel

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of three individuals for the following positions:
 

Text Box:  Hubbard Principal Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees has named Annisa Myers Kiener, a Texas educator with 13 years of experience, as the new principal of Hubbard Middle School.  Kiener is currently Director of Instruction in the Cy-Fair Independent School District in Houston, Texas.  She officially begins her duties July 1, 2008.

 

 

 

Text Box:  Rice Principal The Board of Trustees named Jennifer Sturm as the new principal for Rice Elementary School.  Sturm has been with the school system for 14 years.  Sturm currently serves as assistant principal at Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy.  She has served at several campuses as an Instructional Consultant, Instructional Facilitator, and teacher.  She officially begins her duties July 1, 2008.  


 

 

 

Text Box:  Director of Special Education Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees named Tracy Cartas, an educator with more than 24 years of experience, to the key post of Director for Special Education. In this position, she will help the District design a reorganization of not only special education but intervention for all students.  She officially begins her duties July 1, 2008.    

 

Board Accepts Retirement of Principal

The Board of Trustees approved the acceptance of the retirement of Michael Berrier, Principal of Jones Elementary MST Academy.  Berrier has been a principal at Jones Elementary for 23 years.  He also served as a teacher for 11 years at Austin and Jones elementary schools.

 

Board Recognizes Students and Schools

The Board of Trustees recognized the following students, and staff for special achievements:

Moore Robotics Team Wins Second at State Competition

The Moore Mechanical Engineering Robotics team took second place honors at the State TCEA Lego Robotics Competition. Their invention, entitled Smart Escape, is an emergency fire escape system using a robot that   opens a window when it detects a fire. The team competed against 33 other teams from across the state. Student’s received a trophy, medals, and $150 for the team to buy more Lego equipment. Team members include: Nick Dobbins, Fernando Guzman, Marina Martinez,

Priyal Patel, Puja Patel, and Antonio Valterria.  Amanda McClure, teacher at Moore MST Middle School took the team of students to compete in the TCEA Inventions contest.

 

Students at Robert E. Lee and John Tyler High Schools were awarded the Merit of Honor in the Tyler Museum of Art 4th Annual High School Art Exhibition.

Martin Reina of Robert E. Lee High School, and Arnold Mateos and Melissa Weber of John Tyler High School received awards recognizing their work as the most outstanding in the exhibition during the show’s opening reception and ceremony last month.

Mr. Reina was awarded the Merit of Honor for Fish, a representational piece rendered in

Prisma colors on paper.  Mr. Mateos received the award for his pencil portrait on paper, What Are You Looking At?  Ms. Weber was recognized for Under Pressure, a conceptual piece rendered in airbrush on paper.

 

Earlier this month, Bonner Teacher Holly Chilek attended an awards celebration where she was honored as the Outstanding Elementary Educator by the East Texas State Fair Academic Rodeo. She was selected from all participating schools in the East Texas area.

Board Authorizes and Accepts Donations

The Board of Trustees authorized and approved the acceptance of the following donations totaling $ 31,558.00:

 

$   5,000.00 from REL Dugout Club to REL Baseball

$ 12,550.00 from Tyler ISD Foundation to Jack Elementary

$ 14,208.00 from Tyler ISD Foundation to Various Elementary Campuses

 

Board Approves Change Order at Three Campuses

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Change Orders for Bell, Douglas, and Peete Elementary schools.  According to Tim Loper, Director of Facilities, the District is getting back more than $1.1 million, which represents a savings to Tyler ISD.

 

 

Future of IB Program at John Tyler High School Discussed

The board of trustees approved to table the vote authorizing John Tyler High School to voluntarily withdraw from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme.

 

Members of the Administration, staff and teachers of John Tyler, with CPOC, IB junior students, and community members, determined that in the interest of JT, requested that the Board of Trustees approve voluntary withdrawal from IB, rather than submission of an IB review allowing IB termination.

 

Despite serious efforts to strengthen the program, John Tyler has been unable to do so.  There are three factors affecting the success of the program: high teacher turnover, low number of students enrolled in the program and low number of students earning an IB diploma.

 

John Tyler Principal Vanessa Choice feels the John Tyler students will be better served with additional advanced placement courses, dual credit courses and more career technology programs.  She also stated that the resources assigned to the IB Programme will be put in place to strengthen the AP program.

 

The Board will revisit this decision in early May.

 

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