Celebrate Good Times

In her book Lead with LUV, Colleen Barrett reminds leaders to celebrate the big and little accomplishments in life. So let’s celebrate!

On Monday, nearly 25,000 students began the 2012-2013 school year in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. And next Tuesday, we expect to reach over 26,000 students when our Pre-kindergarten students start school. This has been a great start of school and I am confident that we will reach our goal of high achievement for all students.

Did you know?

• This week, our employees welcomed all our smiling faces to school, helped wipe the tears of the moms and dads dropping off their kindergartners, made sure our facilities were in perfect condition, prepared delicious food, and helped enroll our new students. Our 3,000 employees are the best! They are committed to our students and our goal. 
• We hired over 200 new educators for this school year. And I believe this is our best recruiting class ever. 
• When school started this year, the 500 students at Good Elementary School walked into a brand new 82,000 square foot building. The original building was built in 1957 and had several renovations. The new building was built last year adjacent to the old building. Over the summer the old building was completely demolished and replaced with a new parking lot and landscaping. 
• Through Dallas County Schools, our 110 buses transported over 3,750 students a day traveling 1.2 million miles during the year. Thank you to our great bus drivers! 
• Our phenomenal Student Nutrition department serves over 4,400 nutritious breakfasts and 15,850 nutritious lunches per day. This year, we launched four restaurants in each of our high schools. Our students have excellent choices for healthy meals. Find out more on our new blog called Food for Thought. 

Please feel free to share the great things you see in our district with the Strategic Communication Services office. When teachers do a great job -- tell them. When your kids experience success -- celebrate! Let’ s celebrate our success!

A Race for Support

Have you ever trained to run a race or a marathon? It takes consistent, steady practice and hard work. And it takes support. Many runners have trainers or training partners.

The race for high achievement in education is the same. We need supporters cheering us on and helping us reach our goal of high achievement for all students. Our finish line might look a little different than at a marathon. Imagine a stage at graduation with our students walking across as they earn their diploma. Our students and staff have the same feeling of pride and accomplishment that a runner feels when they cross the finish line when our students earn a diploma, learn how to read for the very first time, or solve a complicated calculus problem on their own. We need the strong community support in order to reach our goal of high achievement for all students.

Here’s one story of support in C-FB ISD:

Riverchase is a school community recognized for high academic achievement. Research shows that the support of the community is a crucial component to high achievement. Schools cannot accomplish their goal of high achievement for all students without the support of parents and the community.

Recently, the staff of Riverchase Elementary competed in an “Amazing Race” through the community of Coppell as they prepared for the school year. Staff members “raced” through Coppell (not breaking any speed laws – I assure you) in order to identify and meet various businesses owners and employees in the community. As the staff members interacted with the businesses, they built stronger relationships. Our staff members were even able to meet new faces and begin new relationships with the businesses. For example, teachers met leasing agents at several apartment complexes and learned about how they could work together to help the students who live in the complex.

Schools in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, like Riverchase, value partnering with local businesses in the communities we serve. If you would like more information on how you or your business can be involved in shaping the lives of students in C-FB ISD, contact the Strategic Communication Services Office at cfbinfo@cbfisd.edu.

Welcome New C-FB Staff Members

Urgent Message: Today’s message is to our new educators and staff members in C-FB ISD. However, even if you are not a new staff member, feel free to read on and “listen in” to my message of gratitude and encouragement.


Welcome new C-FB team members! Thank you for choosing the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. You know in many ways a successful school district is like a successful college football program, in that our success depends on our personnel and on the quality of our new recruiting class – that’s you. I am extremely excited to say that we have assembled the best recruiting class ever. Our administrators and principals tell me repeatedly that our new employees are the best they have ever seen. They chose well.

However, you need more than great personnel to have a successful season. You need focus.. a goal. We have that ingredient in C-FB because we share one goal: High Achievement for All Students. Our goal is your charge – the charge of the whole C-FB Team – educate all students at high levels.

All great programs focus on the practice of continuous improvement. The secret to success is practice, practice, practice! It is the difference between average performers and great performers. There is no substitute for practice. As educators, we must continually improve our instructional practice to help our students achieve at the highest levels.

These are the ingredients to a great district: great personnel and great recruiting class, goal focus, and continuous improvement. All successful organizations share these ingredients. And in C-FB, we have these ingredients. We have the best staff – Team C-FB. We have one goal – high achievement for all students. And, make continuous improvement a habit.

To you, our new employees: Welcome to a great school district, and thank you for choosing C-FB. Now go forth and accomplish our goal of High Achievement for all Students.

Thank you, Ambassadors!

C-FB graduated a room full of adults.  Sound strange? Well, the first cohort of Community Ambassadors completed their training sessions this past Thursday and graduated from the program.  Over ninety parents, business leaders, and community members have attended sessions this summer to learn more about C-FB ISD and public education.

We thank our first group of Community Ambassadors.  They are pioneers.  In C-FB, we are reaching out to our community sharing the good news about our district.  Did you know that C-FB students outperform over 3.7 million other Texas students? Find out more. 

Interested in being a Community Ambassador? The next Community Ambassador Program sessions will be September 11, October 30, and December 4 from 11 am - 1 pm at the Technology Learning Center, 2427 Carrick Street in Farmers Branch. Email cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu to find out how to become involved.

For more information, visit: www.cfbisd.edu/ambassador

Come Join Us and Build a Future Together

The Board of Trustees approved their School Board meeting and Work Study schedule for the 2012-2013 school year. We invite you to join us at any or all or our meetings. Find the schedule here.

Architect Daniel Libeskind once said, “Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience, it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious.” As the district seeks to reach its goal of high achievement for all students, we invite you to participate with us on the journey. In C-FB, we know we cannot accomplish our goal alone. It requires all us – parents, students, staff, and the community – working together to help our students achieve at high levels. 

Together we can build a bright future for our students. Come join us in the journey.

2012-13 Board Regular and Work-Study Meeting Dates

Knocked it Out of the Park? Our Summer School Did!

What do words, music, movement service and high achievement have in common? Summer learning in C-FB ISD. Click here to find out more.

Assistant Superintendent Tracy Smith presented information about our 2012 Summer School programs at the August 2 School Board meeting. Our summer program included 4,151 students which is larger than entire enrollment of 800 districts in Texas.

Did you know that summer school is for all students? In C-FB ISD, we offer exceptional summer programs for a variety of students meeting their specific needs. Quality teachers provide a variety of classes for students who choose to continue their learning in the summer through extra enrichment-type classes as well as programs to help students make up credits in order to graduate on time.

Check out the great success of our summer programs:

Bright Spots in C-FB ISD

Check out the great things happening in C-FB ISD. We have many bright spots to celebrate. Together, we are reaching high achievement for all students.

Bright Spots, a set on Flickr.

Reaching High Achievement for All Students.

Gold Medal Success: Thank you Team C-FB

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, we have the best team of staff members who are dedicated and passionate about students achieve at high levels. There is no greater collective group of individuals who use their talents and skills for the education of students than the members of Team C-FB. I have the best position in the world working with the most caring, dedicated team members.

Over the past several years, we have achieved greater academic success than ever before. According to the 2010-2011 data from the Education Resource Group (ERG), C-FB is ranked 8th out of the 200 largest school districts in Texas for our academic achievements and financial efficiency. Team C-FB deserves a gold medal for this accomplishment.

In appreciation for our team’s effort, hard-work and outstanding results in student achievement, the School Board has approved a one and half percent raise for all employees for 2012-2013. It is a token of the Board’s appreciation to our staff members for their continued commitment to high achievement for all students.

Congratulations Team C-FB on your gold medal success.

Study Hard and Dream Big

Recently, I read a book called Hard Optimism by Price Pritchett about remaining positive when opportunities for change and growth arise. One particular section about the benefits of having hope intrigued me. I would like to share a few sentences with you.

“Psychological research shows that hopefulness helps people cope with difficult jobs, handle tragic illness, avoid depression, and achieve more academically. In fact, a study of almost 4,000 college students found that freshman’s level of hope predicted college grades more accurately than either their SAT scores or grade point average in high school.”

As educators, we have a responsibility to help students learn at high levels. In C-FB ISD, we take this commitment seriously and we have made it our goal: High achievement for all students. Our team of educators and staff, though, must also help our students find their passion, love of learning and hope.

Albert Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” As Team C-FB begins a new school year, we believe our students will achieve at high levels. Beyond that, they will learn to hope and dream for a bright future.

So, students, study hard and dream big.