The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 69, No. 305, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 22, 1991 Page: 1 of 12
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Volume 69, No. 305
Telephone Number: 422-8302
Tuesday, October 22, 1991
Baytown, Texas 77520
25 Cents Per Copy
TEA reaffirms accredited status
Baytown district told to implement improvements in eight areas
Specifically, the report cited “significant
iral problems” at Harlem Elementary a
By Betsy Claggett
of The Baytown Sun
An accreditation review by the Texas Education
Agency revealed eight areas where the Baytown
school district needs improvement, but also
commended the district in several areas.
A 22-member team from the TEA visited the
Baytown school district March 11-15 and has
reaffirmed the district’s accredited status based on
the team’s observations, interviews, review of
documents and available statistical data.
“To get accredited in 1991 is something,” said
Dr. Beverly Rodgers, interim deputy superinten-
dent.
She added that there are 38 school districts in
Texas that are not fully accredited. '
The accredited status was reaffirmed with the
understanding that the district will address and
correct problems found in several areas.
According to the recently released report, the
district must implement a grading policy that
reflects a student’s mastery of the subject.
“This is the most important recommendation we
have in (the report),” said Superintendent Harry
Griffith.
The TEA is requesting that the district look at
its reteaching pattern so that behavior is not
reflected in academic progress, Dr. Rodgers said.
“We can’t mix academics and behaviors,” she
said. “I feel very good that we won’t have a
problem with working at that.”
The TEA has also required the district to show
evidence that kindergarten students who have had
difficulty are not being held back and that a guide
is developed for a transitional first grade; that the
district implement coeducational physical educa-
tion classes; and that the coordination between
general education and bilingual programs be
systematically and effectively planned.
In addition, the report was critical of the
district’s library media services and materials; the
lack of a districtwide technology planning pro-
cess; and the failure to safely and adequately
maintain equipment and facilities.
struc-
tural problems” at Harlem Elementary and at
Horace Mann Junior School and cited “structural-
ly unsafe” conditions in areas at Cedar Bayou
Junior School.
Griffith noted that funds from a recent bond
election will solve the structural problems at the
district’s facilities. He added that solutions are
already in the works for the other problems listed.
Dr. Rodgers said several of the problems
observed in the report are standard problems that
face many district’s in Texas.
The TEA has given the district until mid-
December to present evidence that it is working to
correct the problems.
‘Keally good
comments’
in report
“Overall, they’ve given
us some really good com-
ments,” Superintendent
Harry Griffith said of the
Texas Education Agency
report.
The district was com-
mended for its commit-
ment to comprehensive
planning at the district
level and at the campus
level.
“The district is on the
threshold of implementing
a very promising educa-
tional option — that of
moving decision-making
and accountability for
these decisions to levels in
the organization most, af-
fected by decisions,” the
report said.
Also, the district was
commended for its record
for recruiting minority per-
sonnel and providing an in-
novative teacher-induction
program; for the personal
time spent by board mem-
bers “far beyond usual ex-
pectations”; and for the
board’s commitment to re-
sponsible governance,
which “produces sound
policies and procedures
that facilitate excellence.”
Good
Afternoon
SUNDIAL
Around Town......... 7-A
Business update.....12-A
Classified.......... 9-11-A
Comics...............6-A
Dimension............7-A
Editorial.............. 4-A
Obituaries............3-A
Movies............... 5-A
Police beat...........2-A
School menus........3-A
Sports................ 8-A
Television...........11-A
WEATHER
TUESDAY NIGHT:
Partly cloudy, low in
low to mid-60s. Wed-
nesday; Partly cloudy
and warm, high in
mid-80s. From 8 a.m.
Monday to 8 a.m.
Tuesday, high of 81,
low of 57.
MINI-THOUGHTS
Adolescence is a per-
iod of rapid change.
While a child is between
the ages of 12 and 17, a
parent may age 20
years.
-WO
Alternative center
proposal rejected
By Deborah Houk
of The Baytown Sun
CROSBY — Acting against the recommenda-
tion of the superintendent and three principals,
Crosby school trustees Monday voted to deny the
district an “Alternative Placement Center” for
students with chronic behavior problems.
As proposed, the center would have accommo-
dated approximately 15 intermediate, middle and
high school students whose disruptive behavior
disturbs the learning process of all Crosby
students and poses a “clear and present security
danger on campus,” said Dr. Don Hendrix,
superintendent.
Hendrix noted this sort of program is frequently
used in other districts.
He saw three main purposes to be achieved by
such a program: first, to remove from campus
potentially dangerous students who deprive others
of a safe school environment, and then to assist
these students to make as much academic progress
as possible and to modify their behavior to the
extent that they could return to the regular
campus.
It would have cost approximately $70,000 each
year, the money going toward salaries for two
teachers, a teacher’s aide and supplies. At a cost
of $4666 a student, it would be a little over $1,000
per student more than is spent for regular students.
Board members were skeptical about the practi-
cality and necessity of such an expensive program.
Trustee Rudy Sikora said he did, not like the idea
of spending this money when the district auditor
had told them at their last meeting that Crosby
needed to save money to increase the fund
balance.
Trustee Lois Shmidl objected to the proposed
program, saying she had spoken to other districts
about their alternative programs, and they at least
have special “at-risk” counselors to work with
Smoking policy to be reviewed
By Greg Kahn
of The Baytown Sun
MONT BELVIEU — Barbers Hill school
trustees discussed possible modification of the
tobacco use policy and authorized a study to
review options Monday.
Currently, campus principals must designate a
smoking area for people who wish to smoke while
on school grounds. Superintendent A1 Dennis and
trustees Helen Kinnamon and Wayne Follis all
spoke in favor of modifying current guidelines.
Dennis said he had received comments from
district staff and students about problems with the
policy, and one solution would be to completely
eliminate smoking on school grounds.
“Several districts in Houston have smoke-free
campuses, and we need to take a look at other
programs and then report back (to the trustees),”
Dennis said.
Kinnamon said she too had received complaints
from non-smokers about the current policy.
“Allergies are a problem for a lot of people . . .
We need to have an increased sensitivity to people
who are bothered by tobacco smoke,” she said.
Kinnamon added that the addictive power of
nicotine is as bad as many illegal dregs, and she
sympathizes with smokers who cannot quit their
habit She felt, however, that the health of the
students and staff must be a primary concern.
Follis echoed Kinnamon’s concern for the
well-being of the students and comfort of the
district’s non-smoking employees. He supported
the idea of creating a more isolated smoking area
in the -schools. '
But Follis cautioned against a single-stroke
solution which would ban smoking on the school
grounds, saying he was aware of the tremendous
difficulty such a change would have on smokers.
“I would like to see a smoke-free school,” he
said, “but I’m not sure that we can do that
overnight.”
Dennis said he will report back to the trustees
after he has the opportunity to review all the
available options.
Louis Fruge new Old River-Winfree marshal
By Dorothy Syzdek
of The Baytown Sun
OLD RIVER-WINFREE — City Council has
appointed Louis Fruge, 35, as the new city
marshal.
Frege succeeds former city marshal Virgil
Blasdel, who resigned to assume a position with
Chambers County Sheriff’s Department as
patrol deputy. ~..........................................................
As city marshal, Frege said, his main goal will
be to control traffic violations. “This has been a
problem here in the community for a long time,”
Frege said.
In addition to traffic control, Frege will take
charge of area calls and neighborhood watch
services.
Councilman Pam Laird said members voted to
set Frege’s salary at $5 per hour and he will work
approximately 60 hours per month. However, after
a 90-day employment period, his salary will
increase and hours could be adjusted, she said.
A 1975 graduate of Dayton High School, Frege
has been a state-certified law enforcement Officer
since 1986. For eight years, he served as a
volunteer deputy for Chambers County.
He has lived in the Old River-Winfree area for
about 20 years. He has two children, Addison, 10,
and Bryan, 5.
Scared stiff
those chronically disruptive students. She ques-
tioned the program’s ability to truly teach and
rehabilitate the students it was designed to serve.
However, principals Jerri Bone and George
Dean spoke before the board, attesting to Crosby’s
real need for such a program. Ms. Bone described
the alternative center as a “better security program
than walk-through metal detectors.”
She said the philosophy behind this alternative
program is to keep kids in school and give them
second chances. Expulsion, she said, is often
difficult to achieve in these students’ situations
because the case is not as clear cut as possession
of a weapon.
She described a student, of the type targeted for
the program, who has been written up twice by
bus drivers, has used highly inappropriate lan-
guage to a teacher in front of other students, has
provoked a multi-ethnic fight, and, after the
shooting at the high school, this student asked how
much trouble he would get in if he were to shoot
the assistant principal.
Clearly, this student poses a problem on
campus. However, Ms. Bone questioned whether
it was a case where trustees would be willing to
go so far as to grant expulsion.
Trustee Jake McAllister, however, said that
while in the past the board may have been more
hesitant when it came to expulsion, the attitude of
the board has changed since the shooting on
campus.
The majority of the trustees thus favored getting
tough on expulsions over setting up this alterna-
tive program. Board President Clarence Baum-
bach was the only trustee to vote against the
motion (and in favor of the program), saying that
he really did see it as a positive step.
Dr. Hendrix said he thinks the alternative
program would have been a good idea because,
“It’s just a lot of agony when you start to expel
marginal kids,” adding, “We’ve tried not to put
kids out on the streets.”
1U
I 1
- •*, ,e :
Photo by Tracy Connell
YMCA staff member Clifton Antoine, Mary Anna Hamel
(the ghoul), 5-year-old Steven Felton, Jennifer Giusti (the
witch), 3-year-old Roseanna Delrio and 4-year-old Ireana
Nichols, from left, say they're scared stiff just thinking ab-
out the third annual Halloween Spook House. It will be
sponsored from 7-9 p.m. on Freaky Friday Oct. 25 at the
Baytown YMCA. Admission will be $1 and all ages are
welcome. ■—” ~
19 to serve on panel
By Betsy Claggett
of The Baytown Sun
Lee College regents Monday
unanimously agreed to the for-
mation of a 19-member com-
mittee to work with the
Association of Community
College Trustees in the search
for a new president for Lee
College.
Board members Dr. Keith
Cobum, Susan Moore-Fontenot
and Charles Huggins were
appointed by Board Chairman
Don Coffey to serve on the
committee with Cobum acting
as the committee chairman.
The remaining 16 members
will be selected from various
groups, with each group choos-
ing its own representatives to
the advisory committee.
Three representatives will be
Lee College administrators or
administrative support; three
will be faculty members,
including the head of the faculty
assembly, one member from
technical education and one
from academics; and one rep-
resentative of the Huntsville
campus.
Two representatives will
come from the student body,
and two will be hourly employ-
ees, including one representa-
tive from the maintenance
department and one from the
clerical staff.
The remaining five members
will come from the community,
including one representative
from the Black Educational
Access Committee, one from
the Hispanic Educational
Access Committee, one from
Friends of Lee College, one
from the Lee College Founda-
tion and one to be selected by
industry.
Regents also set Nov. 18 as
the date the committee will meet
with Jim Tatum, a representa-
tive of ACCT, to develop a
profile to be used in the adver-
tisements for the new president.
Tatum will spend the early
part of the day with the com-’
mittee to develop the profiler
then will meet with the Board of
Regents in the evening to dis-
cuss the results, Cobum said.
The Nov. 18 meeting date
gives the various groups time to
select representatives and to
form their ideas, Cobum said.
He added that while it may be
difficult for everyone in a large
committee to meet at the same
time, it will give more interested
parties the opportunity to voice
an opinion.
The advisory committee will
continue to be active throughout
the search process, ending with
a recommendation to the board '
supporting a candidate for presi-
dent, Coffey said.
Faculty member Dan Mendo-
za addressed the board with
concerns about the makeup of
the committee, He urged regents
to allow for more representa-
tives of faculty and fewer from
the community. (
“You don’t have to have so
many people from the commun-
ity trying to pick a Lee College
president,” Mendoza said. “I’d
like to urge you not to be that
political.”
Regent Oswall Harman
responded that the Lee College
“family” includes taxpayers and
businesses and that those groups
deserve representation on the
committee.
“Whether you agree with
them or don’t agree with them;
they ought to be represented,”
Hannan said. I
TOGETHER WE CAN
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Coming Fri., Nov. 15 .
Advertising Deadline
Fit, Nov. 8
You have a friend at~
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Brown, Leon. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 69, No. 305, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 22, 1991, newspaper, October 22, 1991; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1061803/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.