AISD Notebook

The "Six Point Plan," created by Trustee Loretta Edelen, took up much of the AISD Board of Trustees meeting on Monday. Among other things, the plan calls for "full restoration of funding for the lowest socioeconomic level schools" and for the contracts of principals and teachers at those schools to be tied to the academic performance of the students for whom they are responsible. It also calls for using "successful programs" (noted black educator Marva Collins has been invoked often) and for providing "necessary support services to schools to help students be academically successful."

In recent weeks and months, Edelen's fellow trustees expressed an unwillingness to adopt the plan in toto, believing her initiative to be more of a plan for management and not a policy statement. The board's role in the school district is to set policy, but leave management to the employees they hire. Liz Hartman, in particular, has articulated this point again and again. She introduced a resolution that she believes pays heed to the concerns raised in the Six Points, but does so within the long-term goals and other policies previously adopted by the board. The board voted 7-1-1 for Hartman's resolution, with Edelen voting against, and Diana Casteñeda abstaining.

Angry supporters of the plan vowed Monday night to retaliate by fighting approval of the upcoming $370 million bond proposal. By press time, trustees will have held a work session on the bond issue. A public hearing on the bond package will be held at 7:00pm at AISD headquarters, 1111 W. Sixth St. On February 3, the board is scheduled to adopt an order for an April 13 election.

In other action, the trustees unanimously approved separating the class rankings between students of the LBJ Science Magnet Academy and students in the regular academic program. The issue, for many, was fairness, but taking action proved to be a bit more complicated than was originally thought. That's because students at Johnston High School host a magnet academy (for liberal arts) as well. It seemed only fair to include Johnston in the deliberations, since presumably, Johnston students were in the same predicament as LBJ kids. Representatives from Johnston on a task force assembled to study and debate the issue, however, revealed that their magnet program includes more students who are assigned to Johnston in the first place -- some 30%. (This is not the case at LBJ.) Therefore, the task force recommendation was to leave Johnston out of the new plan to separate the class rankings -- for now. The board discussed this at some length.

Another wrinkle that emerged during their deliberations is the potential problem of science academy students who may drop out of the program and join the regular population in order to improve their class ranking. But a maneuver such as this is really no different than, say, students who transfer from one school to another for the same reason -- to gain an advantage in class ranking. AISD policy does not prohibit either scenario from occurring.

"It's not a perfect plan. But I think it is the best we can do right now, and it will give the students some relief," said Larry Shannon Hargrove, a parent of an LBJ student who may now have a better shot at a well-deserved college scholarship as a result of this more equitable class ranking system. "This is an issue that we've discussed for years," said Mary Long, director of the science academy. "I'm delighted." Still, the plan, hastily cobbled together as it is, represents a solution for this year's graduating class only. Trustee Loretta Edelen asked that a final resolution be brought forward by June 1.