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April 01, 2010
Grier: Garden Oaks Montessori plan won't happen without federal grant
Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier and his chief of staff, Michele Pola, gave school board members this morning more details about their proposed application for a $12 million federal magnet school grant, which involves Jones High School, Fondren Middle School, Whidby Elementary, Dodson Elementary and Garden Oaks Elementary. As we reported after last week's meeting about the grant, not everyone was pleased. The main rift is in the Garden Oaks community, where some parents want the school to be a Montessori-only campus while others want it to remain as is, part Montessori, part traditional.
The big takeaway from the meeting today is that, if the district does not win the federal grant, Garden Oaks will not be turned into a Montessori-only magnet school, according to Grier. The school will remain as is. The reason, Grier says, is money. In its magnet grant proposal, the district plans to ask for $2.4 million specifically for Garden Oaks. That would cover materials, furniture, teacher and administrator training, a recycling and compost center, and a solar-powered alternative energy facility. Confused about the recycling center? The school, Pola said, would be a Montessori magnet with a focus on the environment.
Grier said the changes to the other schools will happen even if the district does not receive the federal magnet grant. How is that possible? It's still a little fuzzy (to me at least), but here's what we know:
*Jones — The district plans to ask the feds for $2.4 million for Jones to turn it into a science, technology, engineering and math magnet. The funds would cover eight computer labs, interactive whiteboards for 30 classrooms, at least three labs for physics, chemistry and biotechnology, and intense teacher training and staff development. Even if the grant doesn't go through, the district plans to be able to tap into federal Title I money and federal "turnaround" grants slated for under-performing schools. Jones has failed to meet the federal No Child Left Behind standards for five years. Grier and Pola said the plan will be implemented in August 2010 no matter what.
*Fondren — The district is applying for $2.1 million in the magnet grant to make the school an International Baccalaureate magnet. The money would cover three mobile computer labs, interactive white boards for 30 classrooms and intense teacher training and workshops. As with Jones, if HISD doesn't win the grant, the district will be able to tap into school turnaround funds for Fondren, which has earned the state's "unacceptable" rating for two years, according to Grier. The 2010-11 school year would be a planning year for Fondren, as the school would have to begin applying to the IB organization. A school can't just say it's an IB school; it requires a time-intensive application process to meet the rigorous standards. The IB program would be rolled out in the 2011-12 school year.
I asked Grier whether he planned to make the teachers at Jones and Fondren re-apply for their jobs. Would giving the schools technology and providing teacher training for the existing staff be enough? "We're going to discuss with our board the concept of changing staff at our under-performing schools," Grier said. To be clear, no decisions have been made.
*Dodson — The school would become a magnet-only Montessori in August 2010. It currently has a small Montessori program and traditional classes. Whidby's Montessori program also would be transferred to Dodson. The district is applying for $2.2 million for Dodson to cover the Montessori classroom set-up, materials, furniture, one technology lab, teacher training and administrative support. Dodson already gets some magnet funds from HISD, so if the district doesn't get the federal magnet grant, Grier said the current magnet funds would be used to turn the school into an entire Montessori school. I've asked how much Dodson currently receives in magnet funding. I'm not sure that it's as much as $2.2 million (over three years).
*Whidby — The school would become a health sciences magnet, like nearby DeBakey High School for Health Professions. In August 2010, the school will add five hours of health science classes. The following year, all subjects will be taught through the lens of health science, according to Pola. The district is asking for $2 million in the federal magnet grant to cover a mobile microscope lab, another lab that includes thermometers, scales and other machines, plus 36 interactive whiteboards and 16 mobile science labs. Whidby, like Dodson, receives some HISD magnet money now, so if the grant doesn't come through, it will be stuck with just that money. I've asked how much that is.
As a reminder, all these schools would be stand-alone magnets. Students zoned to the schools would get a spot in the magnet program, Pola said, but others from across the city could apply. Students zoned to the new magnet schools who don't want to attend would be assigned a different zoned school, or they could apply to another HISD magnet.
Board member Larry Marshall was not happy with the proposal, saying he doesn't think the U.S. Department of Education will be impressed. He wants the district to focus its attention on its "unacceptable" schools, especially the "unacceptable" schools with magnet programs. On the other side of the debate was board member Paula Harris, who said the district shouldn't pass up the funds just because it can't make everyone happy.
Posted by Ericka Mellon at April 1, 2010 11:26 AM
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Where does HISD believe this "federal" money is coming from? The moon? This plan is absurd. Board member Larry Marshall is absolutely correct. Focus on improving schools that need the most help. As a taxpayer who writes a healthy check to the IRS and a former HISD administrator, I don't want my money wasted on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds plans. Dr. Grier, please be more responsible.
Posted by: DaveDeBlasio at April 1, 2010 03:04 PM
Larry Marshall is a smart man! Thank you from Garden Oaks Community!!
Posted by: Clarissa Lang at April 1, 2010 03:52 PM
This magnet grant hoopla is smoke and mirrors to try to show that Grier is doing something. We're talking about radically changing a few schools with little to no input from the stakeholders of those schools.
While this may throw these schools into more chaos, it won't do much to help students in HISD over all.
Posted by: random poster at April 1, 2010 06:22 PM
I agree with Mr. Marshall. Inadequate is inadequate. I appreciate that he wants to correct this problem at schools within HISD. However, they can not be fixed all at once. There is no Grant that could help correct all the inadequacies within the entire district. This money is going somewhere. It should come to Houston.
You have to take the first step. A 12 Million dollar Federal Grant is a nice first step.
(Clarrisa, nicely spoken for a PTA president that only supports for part of the school. And is speaking for the 12 members of the Neighborhood Children First Coalition and their dirty tactics)
Posted by: Stephanie Acosta at April 2, 2010 08:28 AM
Montessori education is beautiful and individualized to each and every learner; but, parents should have the option to decide if it is right for their individual child. The rifts in this community are unfortunate and unnecessary because this was not handled correctly. Moving at lightning speed is not the way to bring about positive change but this new administration continues to ignore all of the research concerning leadership and education.
Posted by: So Sad at April 2, 2010 10:56 AM
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