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GoogleDyer County High School is becoming accustomed to world recognition. Earlier this year, the Leo Club was honored as the service organization second in the world for providing leadership, experience and opportunity. The Dyer County High Leo Club received their honor in Singapore.
The bronze medal is given to schools that meet all of the key performance indicator criteria with the exception of AP or International Baccalaureate courses. Although Dyer County does not offer AP, it does offer dual-credit classes. Six DCHS teachers are adjunct teachers with Dyersburg State Community College and are able to teach college courses on the DCHS campus. With the on/off campus dual-credit opportunities, some students have earned up to 55 college credit hours. Many students accumulate enough hours to be considered a college sophomore by the time of high school graduation.
The block schedule, similar to a college or university schedule, enables Dyer County students to leave school and attend Dyersburg State Community College to take more college hours and to better prepare themselves for their future endeavors. This school year alone, DCHS students enrolled in the dual-credit program will earn over 1,520 college hours.
In addition to dual-credit courses, students can also participate in service learning, which involves community service and work-based learning, and take classes at the Tennessee Technology Center in Newbern. Each year over 100 students participate in one of these programs.
When David Armstrong, assistant principal, was asked how he felt about DCHS being nominated for this award two years in a row, he stated, "I am excited that we have again received this award; it shows that our school is succeeding in so many academic areas. I couldn't be more thrilled for our faculty and student body."
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Let's not get too excited. I've taught some of DCHS's forgotten ones (there were a lot, especially in the math area) at DSCC in remedial track. This story tells me, if anything, that DCHS has learned to teach to the tests.
ExPatDyerburgian,
As a teacher myself (and by the way I do not teach at DCHS but at another local high school in West Tennessee), there are a LOT of over exasperated teachers that are overworked, underpaid, and judged solely on the end of course and gateway exams - so much so that they print the results in the newspaper with the teacher name beside the amount passed. EVERY teacher that has one of these ridiculous tests administered has learned to "teach the test" as you say. If not, the TEACHERS job would be on the line. This is a total failure in the education system in this country.
Now, so far as DCHS doing well - I can tell you that as an alumni of DCHS and now teaching in another high school, the staff and faculty of DCHS really care for the students at that school. Every opportunity is given to every student and it is a wonderful environment in which to go to high school. It is obvious that the school and its teachers and administrators have been doing something right for YEARS. Just look at the new building that was built to accommodate the growth. And you can't say that the school building brought all of the growth on - the old school on Williams St. was way overcrowded when it was utilized.
DCHS is and has been a great school, and EVERYONE in Dyer County should be proud of it!!! Go Choctaws!!!
MadisonB,
Sure, I completely agree about the sorry state of this nation's lack of care and concern for teachers. But the solution isn't to publish praise of schools like this and just have everyone feel so great about its "success." Face it: the average Dyer county citizen will read this story and think, "DCHS is doing great. We don't need to do any more to make it a great school." Unless you've dealt directly with the products of the school (its graduates), you don't have any idea as to whether the school (or any school) is doing its students any favors. And in my experience, DCHS is not a school to parade as a success story.
As a graduate of DCHS(senior year only) and the mother of a graduate of DCHS, I can personally attest to the lack of education going on at DCHS. There are some wonderful faculty members who are dedicated and do their jobs very well. Unfortunately, most of those were teaching there when I graduated and are now about to retire. My child struggled through the first semester of the remedial math at Dyersburg State after successfully completing all the higher math courses at DCHS. Somehow, the picture is a bit off-kilter. Yes, the school is very adept at "teaching the test" just as all our schools have become adept at it. School is no longer about education, it is about politics. Who can make the grade so the government sends the money? Who can fill out the quality award application so we get an honor? If our school is being judged on those last two criteria (and they are), we have a winner!! However, in the global market, our children have become the losers. Not just Dyer Countians, but Americans in general. Until we return to the basics and teach our children how to read, write and do basic arithmetic without machine assistance, we will continue to lag behind.
If it weren't for the band program at the time, I'd gone to Dyersburg.
DCHS doesn't prepare for college, and honestly doesn't deserve the recognition. It's a joke.
Tranney,
Thanks for the support. I know I am often the only negative voice here, so it's good (but sad) to know that others experienced the same as me. I hope your daughter was better for having had the DSCC remedial math experience.
Unfortunately, I am going to have to agree with the negativity as well. I also graduated from DCHS, and had friends of mine told by the vice principal (at that time) that they should just drop out and get a factory job because that is where they were going to end up any way. It comes down to self-fulfilling prophecy which is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes it to become true. If the teachers don't believe in their students, they won't believe in themselves.
MadisonB
As a teacher you should know that an adverb modifies an adjective, so "A lot of OVERLY (not over) exasperated teachers"---. Also, when I was going to school, if the noun were a person or persons, the pronoun referencing the person would be "who", not "that" as in "teachers WHO are overworked"
Real World
Expat,
Unfortuntely, no. The semester was a complete bust. She took the experience to heart and knows now what a true education will entail and has undertaken some individual study to prepare her to begin again.
Tranney,
I'm sorry to hear that your daughter didn't do well at DSCC the first time around. But hopefully there have been lessons learned and she'll be ready soon. I can wholeheartedly recommend the math lab, especially Vicki Rainey. She'll move the world to help those students master math.
I went and graduated from DCHS some of the teachers cared about the students but they would pass the children on just to get them out of their hair. It's the same not as it was back then if not worse. I thank God everyday that my childred do not have to deal with the public school system expecally Northview and Dyer County. I'm sorry but the faculity in general ain't nothing but good babysitters for the young children. Sorry for my misspelling and grammer I went to Dyer County.
Real World,
Thank you so much for pointing out some of my mistakes. I assume that since you do not have anything to say directly about this topic, that your primary purpose for your post was to bash me and thus further support the other's argument that DCHS is not a good school. Thank you so much for making this post so enriching and contributing to the topic at hand. Since you obviously have a Ph.D. in English, you should be aware that when you are directly talking to me in that post a comma would be in order after you say my name. Also, it wouldn't hurt to end your ranting with a period. I'm sure that your period and comma keys on your keyboard were just now working, right?
I agree with you all that our education system in America is failing our children. Some teachers do not have enough time to adequately prepare engrossing lessons because they are so busy completing unnecessary paperwork sent down from both the state and national levels.
Nevertheless, I still stand by my statement that DCHS is a wonderful school. I think that anytime a school is recognized for doing a good job the community should be proud.
Additionally, for the students of whom you claim that DCHS failed, DCHS (or any school for that matter) did not fail them but rather they failed themselves. Teachers are expected to not only teach, but also discipline and guide kids when their parents should be doing that job. Not only that, but teachers are not allowed to punish students in any way. Furthermore if anything happens to the precious little darlings, even if it is self directed, then it is the teacher's and school's fault and the parents/students want to sue. The legal and governmental system in this country is totally out of whack and needs a complete overhaul.
Madison B,
You are absolutely right concerning the comma and period as well as several other points. No, I don't have a PH.D in English - only a very good english teacher in high school. It sounds as if you are one of the overly exasperated teachers. Sorry if you feel you're overloaded. I personally don't know about DCHS and am glad they got the accolades. You're right about the parents responsibilities and so many of them neglecting them. It's a combined effort between parents and teachers to educate children properly, and many parents don't do their part. Also, many teachers aren't qualified nor do they do their duties. I agree that there shouldn't be so much governmental interference in education. I'm through with my rantings and hope you've calmed down and will be able to teach tomorrow.
Real World
Madison,
I tried everything I could to enhance my daughter's education, but when I was told at every turn to butt out, I eventually got the message. I was in regular contact with her teachers as a concerned parent (and a former student of theirs). Most, not all but most, told me that her education was none of my business and they would handle it. Tutors were requested and never heard from. I requested additional work to be sent home so that she and I could work together and it was denied.
As for the discipline part, infractions are treated differently depending on the child. Rules are changed at the whim of the top of administration. Rules can be created to suit a situation and rescinded when the situation is considered resolved by the adminstration.
I agree that DCHS now has a fantastic facility, the latest technology and the ability to be a world-class educational experience. I just do not feel that it has reached its potential, nor will it until something changes drastically and that change must start at the top. Someone who is more concerned with education and less concerned with political advancement will have to step in to participate.
IM A 1998 GRADUATE OF DCHS....MEMBER OF THE BETA CLUB...BPA CLUB..(FOR THOSE OF U WHO DONT KNOW ...THAT STANDS FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS OF AMERICA...AND A BASKETBALL CHEERLEADER..I HAD SOME OF THE BEST TEACHERS EVER!! I AM NOW AN ONLINE COLLEGE STUDENT GOING ON 2 YEARS & I HAVE A 3.0 GPA...I OBVIOUSLY LEARNED SOMETHING IN SCHOOL...IF I HAD GONE TO D'BURG HIGH...ALL I WOULD HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT IS WHAT TYPE OF CAR I DRIVE, OR HOW CUTE I LOOK...WHO'S MAMMY & PAPPY HAVE THE MOST MONEY....!! THIS TOWN DISGUST ME...IF THIS WERE COMMENTS FOR D'BURG HIGH...THERE WOULD BE NO DISRESPECT...I BET THAT!! AND FOR EXPATDYERBURGIAN...YOUR LIFE MUST REALLY SUCK...EVERYTING YOU SAY IS NEGATIVE..ID LIKE TO MEET YOU & STRAIGHTUP GIVE U A PIECE OF MY MIND...SEE HOW MUCH YOU TALK THEN...!!
Real World and anyone else upholding this wonderful schoos system we have in Dyer County. One of my children was in the third grade and Newbern Gramer. The school was calling me everyday to come to see about him he had ADHD and the teachers wasn't educated enough to handle a disability. About after the 10th time I went to school I told his teacher to give him a spanking and show him who was in charge. The teacher said that she couldn't do it so she called the asst principle. The asst principle came and said that she couldn't spank him either. Then they called Mr. Beardlesy he brought the paddle. I told all three that my child needed a spanking because he needed to respect his teachers and also the teachers needed to show him who was in charge. NOT THE KIDS IN CHARGE OF THE TEACHER. Well, Mr. Beardlesy said that he was crying too much to spank him GO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT Well I said I can so I as a parent give my child a spanking in school to help make him mind and show respect.
GUESS WHAT? By the time that I got off of work and picked up my child from day care which was about 4pm I had childrens services waiting on me when I got home. Saying I abused my child because for 1 I spanked him too hard (no marks left) and I also embarressed him. (he was in the 3rd grade go figure)
So tell me is it the parents fault or the schools.
My opinion it was wrong years ago when they combined small schools into larger ones.
WHY TRY TO FIX IT IF IT WASN'T BROKE.
I DO NOT LIKE THE DYER COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND I COULD CARELESS IF ANYONE AGREES WITH ME OR NOT!!!
i grad.from dchs in 1990,no doubt times have changed. Kids are using calculator's as early as in the third and forth grade,now kids can't even doing the basic math in their heads without a calculator. Sorry to say it is all about school funding and not about education(thanks to our governor). NO KIDS LEFT BEHIND is garbage. As i have lived in dyer county all my life, i have seen where education means everything. I know that some teachers are paid to much and some not enough but the basic principle is to teach our children so they can be productive in live and not to grow up and be criminal's.
oh yea all4god, its your fault because your child or children have a reason for acting out(ADHD) so get the child so help, please
oops,,some help