City Schools host annual School Board Dinner

The Dyersburg City School Board held its annual school board dinner at the Professional Development Center on Monday evening.

Hosted by Security Bank, the dinner allowed school board representatives, school administrators and central office personnel to discuss issues concerning the system and the community.

"This has been a tradition now for a couple of years," said Dyersburg City Schools Superintendent Lloyd Ramer. "And I think it's a good tradition. Security Bank is a good partner."

"We appreciate what you do in the community," said Security Bank President and CEO David Hayes. "For a company like us to be successful, we are truly dependent on our community. And what you do for the community is greatly appreciated."

Superintendent Lloyd Ramer allowed each administrator to update board members on programs and initiatives in their buildings. Board members were then given the opportunity to ask questions.

Dyersburg Primary School was praised for the school's Special Education and Positive Behavior programs, new initiatives for healthy snacks and exercise, and additional second-grade classes.

DPS:

* Currently participating in the Blue Cross Walking Works for Schools program - Nancy Deere reported that halfway through the school year, students have walked a total of 13,000 minutes.

* Recently hosted the Assistant Commissioner of Special Education Needs and will likely receive an award for its Special Ed program. Awards will be announced at the end of February.

* Opened two new second-grade classes in order to change the ratio of teachers and students and provide aid to students who are struggling.

* Adopted a new motto this year - "Everyone learns at DPS!"

* Pre-K Positive Behavior Program has seen tremendous improvement.

* New report card format - "I like the new report card," said Amy Heckethorn. "I think you are just going to have to educate the parents. For those with older children, who have been through TCAP testing, I think they will understand it and like it."

* Fruits and Vegetables Grant - Ann Cook reported DPS is feeding 850 to 875 students and teachers fruits and vegetables each day.

"That is a big thing, to have fruits and vegetables instead of cokes and snack food," said Ramer. "Yeah, I've had some calls that 'my child doesn't like broccoli.' I don't like broccoli, either, but if you put some dip on it, it's not so bad. We really, really would like to get that at the Intermediate School, too."

"(It is) very interesting to (hear) the students' conversations," said DPS Principal Linda DeBerry. "(We've heard them) say, 'I really prefer cantaloupe over honeydew.'"

Dyersburg Intermediate School is undergoing several renovations and has at least two unique new programs to help students rise academically.

DIS:

* Air conditioning has been added to the gym

* Renovations are under way in the library and the center court

"I am glad that there is air conditioning in the gym at DIS," said Heckethorn. "And thrilled about the library."

* New lighting in the hallways

* A new chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society has been established

* Students are filling up an aquarium with dog biscuits for animals at the Humane Society. To add a biscuit, students must pass an AR test.

At Dyersburg Middle School, most of the comments centered on new technology purchased for the school.

DMS:

* Laptops available for each student in the school.

"Mr. Ramer blessed us with laptops for all of our students," said DMS Curriculum Coordinator Seela Newbill. "So we've seen teachers engaged in professional development and students totally engaged in the classroom and putting out an amazing product. We are trying to prepare them for this digital age they are entering."

"I've enjoyed seeing the vigor in which our teachers have embraced this technology," said Cal Johnson. "It's been a good thing."

"We intend to take that program to the high school next year," said Ramer. "So that at least four freshman classes will have laptops for every student."

At Dyersburg High School, the new trimester schedule was the topic most discussed by both board members and administrators.

DHS:

* Trimester scheduling began with the fall 2009 semester - DHS Counselor Connie Wright reported that trimester scheduling has now been implemented in the Crockett County, Trenton, Collierville, Millington and Alcoa school systems. Milan began its trimester schedule the same time as DHS, with the Fairview system's trimester already in place. Wright said several other school systems are also considering changing to trimester scheduling.

"I am really interested in this trimester system," said Heckethorn. "I spent about two years researching the block schedule. I liked (the block system) at first. But the more I learned about it, the less I liked it."

DHS Counselor Kim Worley said the trimester schedule allows the school to offer a larger number of mathematics and science classes than required by the Tennessee Diploma Project.

* Archery - Deere reported that archery will soon be offered at DHS through Coordinated School Health and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

* Tour by Chamber Leadership class - "The Chamber Leadership Class toured DHS and interviewed about 15 students cold turkey," said DHS Principal Mickey Mahon. "They asked them about everything from the classes down to the dress code."

Mahon said the students were pleased, even with the dress code.

"Because I think they realize what that could have been," said Mahon. "And they can still dress to express who they are."

Administrators from each school praised recent changes to The Learning Center and the alternative environment it provides to students struggling in the traditional classroom with either behavior or academic issues.

At the Learning Center:

"(Dr. Tina Williams' work at The Learning Center) will help raise the high school's graduation rate dramatically by allowing students with difficulty in the classroom to thrive in small-group environments," said Mahon.

"I'm lucky enough to be in the building with Tina," said Joetta Yarbro. "We don't want to overlook what Bart did last year and the changes he made. The difference is incredible with these kids."

Yarbro said the city and county schools have worked to provide universal discipline policies through the juvenile court system.

"We have tremendous support from our judges," said Yarbro. "And if you see them, you can tell them how much we appreciate that support."

"I think it is ironic, 17 years ago when I became superintendent, Nettie Thomas came to me and said, 'You are really missing out by not having the social work piece of this puzzle," said Ramer. "And now, we have not only the social aspect, but Coordinated School Health, Healthy School Teams, and we have found out that all of those components work together for the good of the child."

"There are students that need a different environment to be successful," said DHS Curriculum Coordinator Kim Worley. "I know of three students so far this year who will be able to graduate because of (Tina's) efforts."

"I'd like to be able to (continue to) expand our Alternative School and not have it in such an old building," said Heckethorn.

At the Professional Development Center:

* New technologies for providing professional development for educators - Professional Development Director Danny Walden reported that webinars are available from educators' desktops. Walden also said additional professional development is being provided by satellite to the PDC from the state Department of Education.

"Not only are we using technology to offer opportunities (through webcasting) but the state is doing this development in a high-tech way," said Walden. "Technology is changing us, folks. It's a very exciting time."

Questions and comments raised by school board members ranged from technology and 21st-century learning techniques to the time-proven basis of effective education - caring for the whole child.

"We want to thank all of you for everything you do," said Amy Heckethorn. "We realize we can't have great programs without great people. I don't know of any school system that works so hard for everyone to learn. Every once in a while, we get phone calls, but you make it easy to be a board member."

Heckethorn was also interested in whether the new attendance policy was working. She also suggested checking on high school graduates two years after graduation.

"We have so many success stories and we need to publicize that more," said Heckethorn. "I've looked at the billboards, but they are so expensive. Still, I'd like to publicize that more."

"I've been a board member for nine years, maybe 10," said Joe Yates. "And I can honestly say that it's about the kids. It's not about the teachers, but we've got great teachers. So my question is, as a board, is there something on the horizon that we aren't seeing? Is there anything out there that you need that we haven't done or are we just the best board since sliced bread? We want to take every argument away from those people who want to take their children to another school system. So, what do you need?"

"We need to keep a place like the Learning Center and keep it staffed," said Wright.

"Little people need technology, too," said DeBerry. "The Mandarin Chinese has been wonderful for our students."

"Lloyd has instilled in us, as board members, that when there is a TSBA event, we need to be there," said Yates. "When I go to these meetings, they are singing to the choir. You are the pacesetters. They say, 'You need to do this.' We are already doing it. They say, 'You need to meet this.' We are already meeting it. We do have room to grow, but we are out there in front."

"Education has very little to do with technology," said Gleyn Twilla. "The most important thing is you and the other educators, and everybody in that building. We have to be one family with one goal: to make each student the best person they can be."

Twilla said educating the whole child and teaching character is just as important - if not more important - than academics.

"Give me a C student with a good attitude instead of someone who makes straight A's and has a bad attitude," said Twilla. "Computers allow you to individualize your education for students. (When I look at our educators,) what I see are people who care about our children. I appreciate what you are doing and I personally feel the most important thing is you - our educators. That's why Dyersburg School System is as good as it is - the people. And we appreciate each one of you."

"I've been a board member eight years, and I've been to enough seminars on 21st Century Learning to know that we are trying to hit a moving target," said Hubert Jones, who said that leaders in education change 'the most important thing' that educators need to focus on at school board seminars each year. "What I want to know is - we are doing a lot right, but what do we need to do to add 21st Century Learning Skills to go out into the workplace?"

"For those kids that are math and science oriented, we need to be able to offer those higher classes," said Worley. "We have an opportunity with the trimester schedule to even have more math and sciences and we need to be able to offer those classes to the students who need them."

"Even as little people, we set goals in kindergarten to help students take ownership of their education," said DeBerry. "We have the chance to make them excited about learning and to create lifelong learners."

"How does the trimester work with the nine/two schedule? Is that working or do we need to work with our schedule?," asked School Board Chairman Dr. Randy Prince. "The Dyersburg City School System, a lot of people look to us to see what we are doing and then follow suit. This schedule is not set in stone and we can revisit it, if we need to."

"Well, the students are three-quarters into the first trimester at their first break," said Connie Wright. "They have three weeks left when they come back. That's not as bad as the second break, though. They are three weeks into the second trimester when they are offered intersession and they are not going to take it, not at three weeks."

"We can put that upon Lloyd and you, too, to see if we need to make changes in the schedule," said Prince.

Prince also praised each school in the system for their part in each student's education, cited the system's ACT scores as the true measure of success for graduates.

"People, we astound everyone with our ACT scores," said Prince. "When we are at these conferences and people find out our ACT scores and then the number of students we have on free and reduced lunches, they are overwhelmed. They can't believe it. To be sixth through 11th in the state in ACT scores, that's wonderful."