NEW 180-DAY SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM OFFERS BENEFITS
Fort Worth ISD employees currently working as Pyramid Substitutes will have an opportunity to transition into a new substitute position that provides increased pay and expanded employee benefits.
The District is creating the 180-Day Substitute position, designed to better meet the needs for temporary classroom instructors. These new positions will start with the 2018-2019 school year. The 180-Day Substitute position is full-time with compensation paid over 12 months. Cliff Mayer, who is executive director of selection and retention for Human Capital Management, said the new position is a better fit for the District, with an emphasis on student achievement, and has many other positive features for these employees.
Current Pyramid Substitutes work a maximum of 177 days. They have five days of leave that do not accumulate, and they are only paid for the days they work. The maximum they can earn is $24,780. The new 180-Day Substitutes salary pay ranges from $26,078.40 - $28,650.50 based on years of service. Substitutes will be expected to work every day. Each substitute will be assigned to a home campus, but assignments can change as needed. Substitutes will report absences into the District calling system as other full-time employees do. They will have 10 days of earned leave that can carry over if not used. The 180-Day Substitutes will pay into the Teacher Retirement System of Texas as Pyramid Substitutes do now.
“We believe this new type of substitute position will help with employee retention,” Mr. Mayer said. “We think the added benefits like a higher pay rate and earned leave that carries over will be attractive to a lot of people.”
Mr. Mayer said the current Pyramid Substitute positions will remain through the end of this current school year and then those positions will be eliminated to make way for the new 180-Day Substitutes. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, the 180-Day Substitutes will fill in for absent employees, such as the permanent teacher, and occasionally a teacher assistant, clerical staff or where they are assigned to promote intellectual, social and physical growth.
Applicants must meet the following qualifications:
- 60 college credit hours required.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferred.
- Must have at least six months’ experience as a substitute teacher or full time teacher.
- Ability to travel to all schools within the District and have immediate access to transportation.
- Notification of the day’s assignment will be sent the morning of the assignment.
- Able to communicate daily with Central Calling and receive assignments by 6:30 a.m.
- Ability to work every day school is in session.
- Ability to work in all grade-levels and subjects (e.g. special education and physical education)
- Ability to work in all applicable clerical positions.
- Must report absence from work by 6 a.m.
Mr. Mayer said a committee will screen and select applicants by July 26 and select candidates to fill all remaining vacant 180-Day Substitute positions by August 6. These new substitutes will receive at least three days of training, which will include training with the curriculum on the three waiver days when students are not at school. These employees will also receive active student engagement strategies and classroom management training.
Applicants can apply online at fwisd.org and click CAREERS beginning on May 31st through July 12th. Contact HCM at 817-814-2721 or Mr. Mayer at 817-814-2256 for assistance or additional details.
Kindergarten Registration for new students is May 21- June 1
Spread the word that Kindergarten Registration is just around the corner.
From Monday, May 21 to Friday, June 1, new students can register for kindergarten with the Fort Worth ISD for the 2018-2019 school year.
Children must be 5 years old on or by September 1, 2018 to enroll in kindergarten.
Parents may register their child:
- At home, via fwisd.org/registration using a phone, tablet or other electronic devices with Internet access.
- At a FWISD elementary campus where online registration assistance is available. Electronic devices will be available in the school library or office area. Contact your local elementary school for more details.
During registration, families will be asked to upload:
- Parent/Guardian photo identification
- Proof of age and identity of student
- Immunization record
- Proof of address (Utility bill or lease)
New students to the Fort Worth ISD who will be 5 years old on or before September 1 and who hear or speak a language other than English must schedule an appointment with the District’s Student Placement Center to take an assessment test. The test, which determines placement in the best possible program, varies in time depending on a student’s age. The center is part of the Bilingual/ ESL Department.
A parent or legal guardian must accompany the student to the Student Placement Center, located at 999 N. University Drive.
The center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, May 21-June 1.
Current FWISD students enrolled in pre-kindergarten may register for kindergarten after July 1.
FWISD SHOWCASES ITS MULTILINGUAL PROGRAMS DURING NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Fort Worth ISD is showcasing its multilingual programs for immigrant and refugee students during the Bilingual, Immigrant and Refugee Education Directors meeting of the Council of the Great City Schools this week. The conference will provide opportunities to highlight multilingual programs with an emphasis on Bilingual-Dual Language and ESL. The conference is be held through Saturday, May 19, at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel and includes a half-day high school and community tour. Conference participants were expected to visit O.D. Wyatt, South Hills and North Side high schools on Tuesday, May 15.
Board of Education Trustee Ashley Paz is the District’s representative for the Council of Great City Schools and has been a catalyst in building a strong partnership with the organization. Executive Director of Multilingual Programs Elda Rojas, ESL Director Suann Claunch, Director of Dual Language Xavier Vasquez, and Coordinator of ESL Dr. Karen Neal are members of the District’s host committee. Superintendent Dr. Kent Scribner and Mrs. Paz delivered an official welcome, Wednesday, May 16 before conference sessions began. The Mariachi Espuelas de Plata of North Side High School close out the conference with a performance during lunch, Saturday, May 19.
Dr. Scribner, Mrs. Paz, Ms. Rojas and other District staff are attending conference sessions designed for urban school district leaders who oversee multilingual, bilingual and ESL programs for immigrant and refugee students. The conference will have breakout sessions on language acquisition and literacy development, which supports the District’s 100x25 FWTX initiative, which sets a goal of 100 percent of third-graders reading on grade level or above by the year 2025.
“This is a great opportunity for District leaders from across the country to come together to learn best practices, review data and discuss current research pertaining to advancing English learners in the linguistic, academic, and affective areas,” Ms. Rojas said.
She's slated to present two breakout sessions at the conference -- “Long-Term ELLs: Urgency for Today and Prevention for Tomorrow,” today, May 17, and she will co-present “Enrichment Programs for ELLs: Early Childhood, STEM, and Summer Programs” with an educator from Anchorage on Friday, May 18.
The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 69 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information, and to collectively address new challenges as they emerge in order to deliver the best possible education for urban youth.
HCM Slates Hiring Fairs for Teachers, Auxiliary Personnel
Do you know someone looking for an opportunity to grow professionally and also help cultivate the next generation? Their future just might be with Fort Worth ISD.
Tell your friends and family that the District’s Human Capital Management Department has a couple career fairs scheduled for this Saturday, May 19 and June 7 to find qualified and experienced teachers and auxiliary personnel -- including cafeteria, maintenance and custodial workers.
Prospective employees are encouraged to apply at www.fwisd.org/careers to be considered for an opportunity to attend the invitation-only events.
This Saturday, the District will interview prospective elementary and secondary teachers. Principals will meet with elementary teachers from 9 a.m. to noon and with secondary teachers from 1 to 4 p.m.
On Thursday, June 7, HCM will host teacher and auxiliary fairs. The District’s Child Nutrition Services and Operations departments will search for eligible candidates to fill positions in Central Calling, Child Nutrition Services, Maintenance, Safety and Security and Transportation from 9 a.m. to noon. Principals will meet with prospective teachers. Interviews are scheduled with elementary teachers from 9 a.m. to noon and with secondary teachers from 1 to 4 p.m.
For people looking for a challenging career where they can grow and develop, Fort Worth ISD is the place to be.
“We’re looking for people with a servant’s spirit to come 'back to school' and work to provide learning opportunities for kids,” said Carlos Mendoza, HCM director of staffing.
For more details, contact HCM at 817-814-2740 or email teachfortworth@fwisd.org.
City Council Recognizes FWISD Leadership Academies
Congratulations to Fort Worth ISD leadership academies, Mitchell Blvd., John T. White, Como and Logan elementary schools and Forest Oak Middle School.
On Tuesday, May 15, the Fort Worth City Council recognized Principals Aileen Martina-Quiñones, Tamara Dugan, Valencia Rhines, Patricia Scott and Seretha Lofton for the schools' hard work and efforts this school year.
Student Recycled Art Teaches Waste Reduction with a Literary Twist
Nearly 20 pieces of artwork from Fort Worth ISD students is being displayed this weekend in the lobby of the Bass Performance Hall during Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra performances. Following the weekend showing, the art will be moved to the WestBend shopping center, just off of University Drive, where it’s being displayed for several weeks.
Recently, more than 700 elementary and middle school students turned trash into fairy tale pieces of art for the fourth annual Fort Worth After School Recycled Art Contest and Exhibit. The contest theme was Fairy Tales and Fables: Storytelling with a REpurpose.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya is owner of Cowboy Compost, which provided reception services for the contest, and music director for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Impressed with the work he saw at the Fort Worth After School Recycled Art Contest, he arranged for 16 pieces of art to be displayed during symphony performances this weekend. The student artists with work on display will receive tickets to enjoy a performance and view their work.
Fort Worth After School, the District’s after school enrichment program, partnered with local nonprofit, The Welman Project, to host this year’s art contest and exhibit in which students were encouraged to create art out of recycled goods. Student art was on display at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus, April 16-19, culminating with an awards ceremony and reception in which 16 schools were honored.
Artwork from Kirkpatrick Middle School received the Best in Show award.
“This is a great learning experience for the kids involved,” said Vanessa Barker, co-founder of The Welman Project. “Gathering waste materials for the project creates awareness for them about how much we throw away and leads to discussion about the importance of reusing and repurposing in our daily lives. Making art together encourages ingenuity and teamwork, and this year’s theme added a unique exploration of literature.
“We’re so proud of all these young artists accomplished with the help of their teachers.”
Since its inception, participation in the Fort Worth After School Recycled Art Contest and Exhibit has grown from 10 Fort Worth ISD schools to 67, with each creating an art piece that fits the contest theme."
“The children we serve now have a better understanding of what it takes to minimize their footprint on the planet, thus becoming better world citizens, plus – and this is a huge plus – the students were allowed to express their creativity in some truly remarkable ways,” said Gary Stolz, a coordinator with Fort Worth After School. “These are memories that many of these kids will carry with them for a long time!”
This year’s art work was judged by Councilwoman Ann Zadeh, Fort Worth sculpture artist Rebecca Low, and representatives from Art Tooth, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Fort Worth Public Library, and Commodity Recycling Solutions. Each winning school received art supplies from The Welman Project and a special printmaking class with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Plans are being discussed to display the artwork in the area throughout the summer.
Know Before You Go: Some Items Are Restricted From Graduation Venues
Graduation ceremonies for Fort Worth ISD’s Class of 2018 kick off this week.
Before you go, make yourself aware of the restricted items that are prohibited from some of the scheduled graduation venues.
All Fort Worth ISD graduations scheduled for facilities at Texas Christian University (TCU) are subject to a strict policy regarding bags and purses. The complete list of rules can be found here.
The following are Fort Worth ISD’s scheduled graduation ceremonies:
Friday, May 18, 2018
Boulevard Heights – 1 p.m. in the school gymatorium
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Transition Center – Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus, The Energy Room-7 p.m.
Friday, June 1, 2018
Metro Opportunity – School Cafeteria- 1 p.m.
Paschal High School Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (TCU) – 7 p.m.
Eastern Hills High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 7 p.m.
Success High School Trimble Technical Auditorium – 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Marine Creek Collegiate High School Will Rogers Auditorium – 8:30 a.m.
Benbrook High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 8:30 a.m.
South Hills High School Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (TCU) – 11 a.m.
Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences Will Rogers Auditorium – 12 p.m.
Carter-Riverside High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 12 p.m.
Polytechnic High School Will Rogers Auditorium – 4 p.m.
Western Hills High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 4 p.m.
Trimble Technical High School Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (TCU) – 6 p.m.
Diamond Hill Jarvis High School Will Rogers Auditorium – 8 p.m.
Dunbar High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
North Side High School Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (TCU) – 12 p.m.
Southwest High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 1 p.m.
Young Women’s Leadership Academy Will Rogers Auditorium – 1 p.m.
Arlington Heights High School Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (TCU) – 6 p.m.
O.D. Wyatt High School Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – 5 p.m.
Young Men’s Leadership Academy Will Rogers Auditorium – 5 p.m.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Jo Kelly School – School Gym, 1 p.m.
For more graduation details, visit www.fwisd.org/graduation.
FORT WORTH ISD OFFERS FREE SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM
Colleagues, please share with families on your campus that Fort Worth ISD is offering free breakfasts and lunches to children 18 years of age or under beginning June 6 through June 27, 2018, Mondays-Thursdays.
The program is open to all children who wish to receive a free meal and does not require enrollment in any summer program.
The free meals are available at the following sites throughout the Fort Worth District:
# 005 Dunbar High School
#006 Eastern Hills High School
# 008 North Side High School
#009 Poly Technical High School
#010 Paschal High School
#014 Southwest High School
#016 O.D. Wyatt High School
#016 O.D. Wyatt High School
# 042 Daggett Middle School
#044 Elder Middle School
#045 Forest Oak Middle School
#052 Meadowbrook Middle School
#060 Wedgwood Middle School
#061 Leonard Middle School
#062 International Newcomers
#070 McClung Middle School
#103 Benbrook Elementary School
#105 West Handley Elementary School
#115 George Clark Elementary School
#117 Leadership Academy at Como
#120 Rufino Mendoza Elementary School
#124 Leadership Academy at Maude Logan
#126 East Handley Elementary School
#127 C.C. Moss Elementary School
#130 Harlean Beal Elementary
#131 Rosemont Elementary School
#135 Van Zandt Guinn Elementary School
#143 D. McRae Elementary School
#144 Leadership Academy at Mitchell Blvd
#151 Nathan Elementary School
#156 Ridglea Hills Elementary School
#166 South Hi Mount Elementary School
#168 Springdale Elementary
#169 Sunrise Elementary School
# 175 Washington Heights Elementary School
#178 Westcreek Elementary School
#180 Western Hills Elementary School
#187 J.T. Stevens Elementary School
#188 Atwood Elementary School
#194 Daggett Montessori
# 208 T.A. Sims Elementary School
#222 Clifford Davis Elementary School
# 223 Cesar Chavez Elementary
Serving dates and times for each campus may vary. For more information please visit www.summerfood.org or call the FWISD Child Nutrition Department at (817) 814-3540 or (817) 814-3500.
YMLA First Graduating Class Obtains 100 Percent College Acceptance Rate
All 41 students in the very first graduating class at Fort Worth ISD’s Young Men’s Leadership Academy have been accepted to college. As of this week, more than $7.5 million in scholarship offers have been awarded to the college-bound seniors.
News of the 100 percent college acceptance rate was announced at the YMLA’s first college Decision Day event, Tuesday, May 1. Decision Day is a school spirited event that recognizes students before the student body for their postsecondary plans.
“Our seniors are leading the way for all of the young men behind them to create a legacy of college acceptance and completion,” a message on the school Facebook page reads.
FWISD TEACHERS OF THE YEAR ADD AN EMOTIONAL ENDING TO THE CELEBRATION
Western Hills Primary School teacher Stacey Barringer and Applied Learning Academy teacher Alexandra Checka took to the podium Wednesday, May 9 after being named Fort Worth ISD’s 2018 Elementary and Secondary District Teachers of the Year, respectively.
These short videos capture the emotion as they speak about the greatest rewards of teaching.
Both Ms. Barringer and Ms. Checka received a $5,000 honorarium from Central Market H-E-B, the awards dinner sponsor. Central Market also surprised each of the District Teacher of the Year recipients with a cake, balloons and a bouquet of flowers in their classrooms on Thursday, May 10.
Forest Hill Names Park for Former FWISD Educator
A park in Fort Worth suburb Forest Hill has been named for a former Fort Worth ISD choir director.
On Friday, May 11, the city hosted a dedication ceremony for the Jewell Blanton Kelly Park. The park is located along Trailwood Drive in Forest Hill.
Ms. Kelly’s career with the District spanned 50 years. Throughout her career she worked at Como, Western Hills and North Side high schools. For 34 years, she worked at O.D. Wyatt High School. The longtime and well-known choir director accumulated multiple awards and mentored teachers and performers, including Grammy-award winning gospel artist and FWISD alum, Kirk Franklin.
The Forest Hill park is not the only namesake for Ms. Kelly. In 2007, the Fort Worth City Council renamed Coffey Avenue near O.D. Wyatt to Jewell Kelly Avenue. A music scholarship at the University of North Texas, which graduates of O.D. Wyatt, Dunbar, Eastern Hills and Paschal high schools are eligible to apply for also bears her name.
What is your why?
EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was originally published on the FWISD Grants blog. The Grants and Development, Management and Monitoring Department launched the blog last fall to share information and tips on project management and grant writing. The following submission is by Mirgitt Crespo, director of federal programs.
Your why is the purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you.
While preparing to lead a Comprehensive Needs Assessment training session for principals, my team and I did an exercise to establish our objective for the training and ensure that our strategies were appropriate to achieve the objective. We asked ourselves our why.
As a team our why – our mission – is to support our campuses by ensuring that their funding is used to carry out their plans. We monitor budgets to ensure that compliance and requirements are not forgotten. How does a training on Comprehensive Needs Assessment help us achieve that? By identifying the priorities that will have the greatest impact on academic achievement.
However, the question – what is your why? – lingered in my mind beyond the planning session. My why is to support campuses in a way that makes it easier for them to balance Title I requirements, day-to-day tasks, and academic achievement. I believe in continuous improvement. I understand that we learn by making mistakes. My why is to help others improve themselves – to help them thrive.
When we deployed our training we tested our strategy, beginning with the big question: What is your why? We reflected on why we work in education and why we work for our students. Then, focusing on the schools’ needs, we used the “I do, we do, you do” strategy to discover the root causes of campus needs and identify priorities for the work ahead.
It was interesting to observe “my principals” (I call them that all the time) jump to solve problems and come up with strategies. As a group, we were using the Comprehensive Needs Assessment as a way to solve problems we didn’t know existed – and that was limiting our capacity to plan and evaluate strategies. By asking why – Why do you think you need that? Why do you have that problem? Why? – we unearthed the root causes of campus needs. With that information, we could decide which needs to prioritize to improve academic achievement.
Our Comprehensive Needs Assessment training required a paradigm shift. Asking ourselves why helped us understand exactly where we are standing. It shed new light on the data and helped us recognize the gaps.
Did it feel uncomfortable? Absolutely. Your why will shake you up. Your why can make you realize that you have not been addressing your real problems for a while, that you have made mistakes along the way.
But ask yourself – What is your why?
Knowing your why will help you identify your priorities, filter your choices, and devise strategies that will make the greatest impact. Knowing your why will give you the strength to continue and the security that you are traveling on the right path.
I am so proud to say that we are achieving our training objectives. “My principals” are extraordinary professionals who want the best for our students. And they will get there.
Do you know your why?
FWISD Announces 2018-2019 SafeSchools Training Requirements
All Fort Worth ISD employees are required to complete 10 SafeSchools online courses for the 2018-2019 school year.
Employees have from Friday, May 25 to Wednesday, October 31, to complete the mandatory courses. New hires must complete the courses within two months of their hire date.
The SafeSchools courses for the upcoming school year include:
- Bullying Response and Recognition
- Youth Suicide: Awareness and Prevention
- Blood borne Pathogens
- Child Abuse Mandatory Texas Course
- CIPA: Compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act
- FERPA
- Work Place Injury Prevention
- Teen Dating Violence and Prevention
- Sexual Harassment Student
- Health Emergencies: Overview
Each employee will receive an email by Friday, May 25, link to fwisd.tx.safeschools.com.
Employees will be required to use their active directory and password to access the system. Google Chrome is the preferred browser for using SafeSchools.
This is the third year the District has successfully used SafeSchools for compliance training. Users will notice a new user interface with the ability to take additional training. There are 242 Courses in the SafeSchools Training Catalog with categories such as social and behavioral, special education, security, health and environmental protection. Employees can take any additional course of their choice for their own professional learning.
Contact the Help Desk at 817-814-4357 if you encounter any problems with your active directory or password.
For more details on the courses, contact Aracely Chavez, executive director of classified learning, at Aracely.chavez@fwisd.org or visit the Classified Learning webpage at www.fwisd.org/Page/2807.
Editor's Note: In the latest edition of Fort Worth Snapshot, we share photos of some recent events hosted across the District.
Fort Worth ISD hosted its 13th annual District Walk, a free wellness event promoting the health benefits of walking, Saturday, May 12, at high school tracks across the District.
Here's just a few photos from the events hosted over the weekend.
Westcliff and T.A. Sims elementary were among the area schools hosting Muffins with Mom events Friday, May 11 to celebrate Mother's Day.
#THANKYOUTHURSDAY: CENTRAL MARKET
Thank you to Central Market H-E-B, sponsor of the Fort Worth ISD District Teacher of the Year awards dinner and Campus Teacher of the Year reception.
Central Market presented each District Teacher of the Year recipient with a $5,000 honorarium, and gave $1,500 each to the eight District finalists.
Recently, Central Market surprised the 2018 Elementary and Secondary District Teachers of the Year, Western Hills Primary School teacher Stacey Barringer and Applied Learning Academy teacher Alexandra Checka with a cake, balloons and a bouquet of flowers in their classrooms.
How are you spending your summer vacation?
Let Inside FWISD know how you're spending your summer.
Throughout the summer break, don't forget to email us with photos of your travels and what you're doing. We'd love to share them with your colleagues in future Inside FWISD editions throughout the summer.
Learning Model Awareness Sessions
May is Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month
STAAR Testing, Continues through Friday, May 18
AP Exams, Continues through Friday, May 18
Primary Runoff Election Early Voting, Monday, May 14- Friday, May 18
2018 FWISD Elementary Science Research Fair, Friday, May 18
2018 Fort Worth ISD Career Fairs are scheduled for Saturday, May 19 and Thursday, June 7. Apply to www.fwisd.org/careers 2018-2019Teacher vacancy pools to be considered for an invitation.
Under the Sea with Fort Worth ISD: The Great Summer Migration, Saturday, May 19, Seaquest Interactive Aquarium Fort Worth at Ridgmar Mall
ELL Summer Reading Kickoff, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 19, 999 N. University Drive
10th annual Problem Solving Competition, Saturday, May 19
Fort Worth Vaqueros home opener, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at Farrington Field (Admission is free for FWISD employees presenting a District ID)
Primary Runoff Election, Tuesday, May 22
2018 Graduation Dates, Friday, May 18- Wednesday, June 13, 2018
FWISD Board of Education meeting, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22
Memorial Day, Monday, May 28
Retirees Recognition Reception, Thursday, May 31
Last Day of School, Friday, June 1
Elementary Literacy Professional Learning Opportunities
Secondary Literacy Professional Learning Opportunities, Register in Eduphoria
FWISD Summer Food Program, Wednesday, June 6-Wednesday, June 27
Professional Learning Opportunities for Sixth-Grade Literacy, Social Studies and Music Teachers and Campus Librarians
Elementary Math Summer Learning Opportunities
Fort Worth ISD’s 2018 Academic Chairs for Teaching Excellence application deadline, Friday, June 29
Visit the Inside FWISD blog on Mondays for a look at The Week Ahead.
Share your story ideas, successes, calendar items, photos, questions and feedback with us at Inside@FWISD.org. Check the Inside FWISD blog, www.fwisd.org/insidefwisd, regularly updated throughout the week with additional content and features.