U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education and Texas Education Commissioner tour James Madison HS
Madison students and principal Marian Willard took the officials on a 40-minute tour
General Superintendent Michael Hinojosa joined U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary Tom Luce and Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley to tour James Madison High School and visit with some of the 96 students from the Gulf Coast enrolled there.
“We are pleased with the interest and support that we have received from the federal and state governments during this time of crisis,” Hinojosa told the visitors.
Madison students and principal Marian Willard took the officials on a 40-minute tour of the school so the visitors could see firsthand how well the DISD is transitioning students from hurricane-affected areas and working to ensure they will continue their education.
About 1,700 of the students have been enrolled in the DISD. The district waived documentation of district residency and immunizations and sought class size waivers to help the students return to school without delay. DISD teams worked at the downtown shelters to gather information from the families and determine their needs. Students were provided school uniforms, lunches, and transportation to and from school.
Intense effort to raise performance bar to begin in 2005-2006
State accountability ratings indicate that the academic performance of 90 percent of DISD schools is exemplary, recognized, and acceptable. Of the 211 non-alternative schools rated, six are exemplary, 42 recognized, and 143 acceptable. Twenty schools were rated academically unacceptable.
General Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he’s pleased with the number of schools making the grade and concerned about those schools that are not.
“We will focus hard in 2005-2006 to ensure the campuses that are already doing well do even better. For those campuses that have been rated academically unacceptable, we are going to see an intense effort to raise the bar of performance. There will be no acceptable excuses. One day all campuses in our district will become recognized and exemplary.”
The schools rated exemplary are: the School of Science and Engineering and the School for the Talented and Gifted, at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center; James B. Bonham, Julia C. Frazier, and William Lipscomb elementary schools; and William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted.
