The Dollarway School District embarks on a new era when classes begin Monday on the first day for the 2012-2013 school year.
Frank Anthony, who was appointed as district superintendent in June by Arkansas Department of Education commissioner Tom Kimbrell, is tasked with improving student test scores and creating a culture conducive to learning in the wake of the June 11 decision by the Arkansas State Board of Education to remove then-superintendent Bettye Dunn Wright and dissolve the Dollarway School Board.
The State Board decision came after the Dollarway district was found to have violated state accreditation standards for two consecutive years.
Anthony provided an update Friday afternoon on the state of the district on the eve of a new school year.
Administrator
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Anthony said that Janice Streeter has been hired as the director of academic accountability for the 2012-2013 school year and that her first day on the job was Aug. 1.
“Her priority focus will be on the three priority schools in our district,” Anthony said. “She will of course have other duties but working with Dollarway High School, Altheimer-Martin Elementary School and Robert F. Morehead Middle School will be her top priority.”
Information provided by Anthony said that Streeter has 35 years of educational experience as a district level administrator, an elementary principal, a school improvement specialist and a scholastic auditor among other roles.
Anthony said that Streeter will collaborate with teachers and administrators and provide support with academic programming in the schools and assist with student services and instructional programs in addition to other duties.
Preparations
Anthony said that the district will be ready to educate students Monday.
“We just got out of a principals’ meeting this afternoon,” Anthony said. “I have introduced the staff to my educational philosophy based on the seven P’s, which is ‘prior proper planning prevents pitifully poor performance.’ So, we are ready to start Monday with reasonable efficiency.”
“I am hoping that we are organized and don’t have chaos,” Anthony said. “We want to make sure that the students aren’t having trouble finding where their classes are so that we will get student instruction started with a sense of urgency.”
Anthony said that filling critical positions with qualified job applicants has been his primary challenge.
“I’ve had a few headaches the past several weeks trying to get these personnel issues taken care of,” Anthony said. “As of last week we were in need of a high school counselor, a physical science teacher, an English teacher, a secondary art teacher and an elementary art teacher. But as of today, a retired counselor has agreed to come back for a while and help me, I was able to hire a physical science teacher who started Monday, I have a verbal commitment for an art teacher who will be here Monday morning and I hired an English teacher Thursday.”
District news
The Dollarway district is designated as a Provision II school district for the first time, according to a press release provided by Anthony.
Provision II is an option in the federal School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program for schools to reduce the paperwork and simplify the logistics of operating school meal programs, according to the press release.
Any school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program may opt for Provision II and schools that opt for it serve meals to all students at no charge.
Provision II schools pay the difference between the cost of serving meals at no charge to all students and the federal reimbursement.
Schools with a high percentage of low-income students are able to use Provision II for both breakfast and lunch without losing money.
“This means that all of our students will eat two meals per day at no charge to them,” Anthony said.
The district held a new teacher orientation training on Aug. 8 to assist new teachers in becoming a successful part of the district.
“The teachers left the orientation highly motivated, positive and enthusiastic about being a part of the Dollarway School District,” Anthony said.
The district held professional development for teachers and staff Aug. 13-16, according to the press release.
Personnel
Anthony provided a list of new staff hired by the district who have been approved by Kimbrell.
Newly hired certified staff include Crystal R. Scott as athletic director and girls basketball coach in the District office and Dollarway High School; Vera S. Smith as principal at James Matthews Elementary School; Laura N. Brandon as librarian at James Matthews Elementary School; Eckard Fox as band director at Robert F. Morehead Middle School; Samantha K. Burkhart as an English teacher at Dollarway High School pending the securing of an Arkansas Teaching License by Aug. 15;
Jerron A. Liddell as a vocal music teacher at Dollarway High School and Robert F. Morehead Middle School; Tiffany D. Brandon as a special education instructor at Robert F. Morehead; Reggie Nalls as a 6th grade science teacher at Robert F. Morehead; Jerica Moore as a special education instructor at Dollarway High School pending successful completion of all requirements for Additional Licensure Plan in a timely manner;
Kiwanna T. Wade as an English teacher at Dollarway High School; Rosemary A. Benjamin as a biology teacher at Dollarway High School; Angie B. Lewis as a Spanish teacher at Dollarway High School pending successful completion of all requirements for Non-Traditional Licensure Program; Adrienne M. Doles as a mathematics teacher at Dollarway High School pending successful completion of all requirements for the Non-Traditional Licensure Program; Karen T. Haney as a 6th grade reading teacher at Robert F. Morehead; Emmanuel Thompson as a 6th grade social studies teacher at Robert F. Morehead; Bridgette L. Harris at Robert F. Morehead; Jennifer L. Irons at Robert F. Morehead and JoAnne Landron at Dollarway High School.
Kimbrell approved Anthony’s recommendation that the following certified personnel resignations be accepted: Monica Bones as a counselor at Dollarway High School; Kathy Kimball as librarian at James Matthews Elementary; Dennis Gates as music director at Robert F. Morehead and Dollarway High School; David Small as a biology teacher at Dollarway High School; Ariel Brown as an art instructor at Dollarway High School; LaKesha Foote as an English teacher at Dollarway High School; Jada Jones as an English teacher at Robert F. Morehead Middle School; and Laura Gately as a math teacher at Robert F. Morehead.
Kimbrell approved Anthony’s recommendation that the following classified personnel resignations be accepted: Brenda Lott as a school district nurse; Lena Williams as a cafeteria worker; Tresha James as a paraprofessional at Dollarway High School; and Barbara Marbley as district parent coordinator.