Where C-FB ISD Is In 2011-2012 Budget Process

The district has been working on its 2011-2012 budget ever since the 2010-2011 budget was adopted last August. Now that may sound strange, but it's true. Once, the School Board approves the current school year's budget, we start working on the next one.

The district staff takes to heart the strategic objective "continuously improve operational effectiveness." We are always looking for ways to hold the line on costs while improving student achievement.

Over the last three budget years, the district has worked hard to contain costs while at the same time improve student achievement.  For example, this year, the district closed Montgomery Elementary School and a pre-kindergarten center.  We moved Montgomery students into Dave Blair Elementary, and we returned the pre-kindergarten program back to the elementary schools.

We increased class sizes at grade 5 as well as at the middle and high schools plus we eliminated administrative and non-classroom positions.

We have reduced our staff by 239 positions which is a 7.08% decrease over the last three years. These reductions have occurred through attrition and retirements.

Although we know that early childhood education program impacts learning, the district returned its pre-kindergarten program from a full-day to a half-day program in 2009-2010 because the state only funds a half-day program.

C-FB ISD has implemented operational strategies to save money.  We renegotiated utility contracts to save money and turned to energy-conservation methods. We have moved other operations to online processes to save money and time. For example, our teacher and administrative contracts are now paperless. This change saves printing costs and much more.

A huge obstacle in finalizing the 2011-2012 budget is not knowing how the Texas Legislature will handle the major shortfalls in projected funding over the next two years or how the bills under consideration will impact C-FB ISD's funding.  Although the legislative landscape changes frequently, third party estimates range from $15 million to $44 million in revenue losses for C-FB ISD in the bills currently under discussion.

As I wrote in February, we have been preparing for the worst-case scenarios of limited school funding, and reports out of Austin are extremely gloomy. Based on our long-term sound fiscal management, we believe we can defer immediate major changes in current staffing patterns or signature instructional programs for 2011-2012 and rely on accumulated reserves. However, we must continue to work at minimizing next year’s deficit so we are looking everywhere and anywhere to reduce costs.

The current budget proposal for the upcoming year does not include an increase in compensation for C-FB ISD employees. And, as a position becomes open due to a resignation or retirement, we are evaluating whether to fill the position or leave it vacant.  All departments are looking for ways to reduce costs.

We know that the changes being made will impact our students. But, these reductions and others are necessary to adjust to a reduced funding level. Hopefully, the Texas Legislature will come to some final decisions soon.  Until then, C-FB ISD will continue working to provide the best programs with the resources available to us. We will remain committed our one goal: high achievement for all students.

Life in C-FB ISD

Our main focus in C-FB ISD is high achievement for all students, and most of my week is spent interacting with teachers and principals.  On most Wednesdays, my calendar is blocked out as Campus Day.  That means, I am out in our schools, walking the halls, going in classrooms to see what our students are learning.

I believe that as the leader of C-FB ISD, it is important that I spend my time with our teachers and principals and with our main customers -- students.  We have great teachers and principals -- they truly understand today's learner.  When possible, our school principals join me at community speaking engagements so they can share stories about their campuses.

At recent Irving presentations, Ranchview principal David Hicks, Barbara Bush principal Matt Warnock and Las Colinas principal Abby McCone joined me to talk about the academic, fine arts and athletic achievements at their campuses.  Many in our community may not realize that C-FB ISD serves six communities - Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Irving, Coppell, Addison and Dallas. As you can see from this image, 14% of our students reside in the City of Irving. In fact, we have six schools within the city limits of Irving.  They are:

• Ranchview High School
• Barbara Bush Middle School
• Las Colinas Elementary School
• Tom Landry Elementary School
• Bernice Chatman Freeman Elementary School
• La Villita Elementary School

Las Colinas, Barbara Bush and Ranchview offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program from kindergarten through grade 12.  Our district is one of 146 elite districts and schools in the world that offer an IB continuum from kindergarten through grade 12.  And, C-FB ISD is the second public school district in North Texas to offer IB in elementary, middle and high school.

R. E. Good Elementary in Carrollton was the district’s first IB school.  Good was the first elementary school in North Texas to receive IB primary years programme authorization in March 2008.

I also share with community groups that C-FB ISD is an innovative leader in learning.  Being innovative is what sets our district apart from other public school districts.  Offering innovative programs such as IB and specialized academies in our high schools helps us meet our vision.

Thoughts About Previous Posts

Share Your Stories

Last week, I wrote about the importance of sharing your stories with us.  Since that posting, we have added stories to http://www.cfbisd.edu/ on our Testimonial Pages, on our Vimeo channel and YouTube.  I hope you check them out.  Thanks to those who have shared their stories with us.

We are always looking for stories. So, if you meant to submit your story, here's a reminder; we simply ask you to limit your story to less than 250 words.Share Your Story Form

First Online Annual Report
Thank you to everyone who has viewed the district's online annual report.  We have received positive comments about the first online comprehensive annual report.  However, we know that the world is a busy place, and we want to remind you that the annual report  has been developed so that you can get a glimpse of how your school district is doing.

And, finally last week was especially busy for the students, teachers, principals in C-FB ISD.  Thank you for your efforts on the state-mandated TAKS.  We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District have one goal:  high achievement for all students.

You Can Share Your Story Too!

We have asked individuals who have relationships with C-FB ISD to share their stories with us.  You often see those requests from universities to their alumni or companies to their clients.  We appreciate those parents, community members, teachers and staff members who have already done so.

Here are just a few stories:

"We had our son enrolled in a private school when we heard about the wonderful things that are happening at R. L. Turner High School. We moved him to Blalack Middle School in his eighth grade year just so he could apply to be in the AMAT (Academy for Media Arts and Technology) program at Turner. He received a great education at Blalack, but he has had the most amazing experience ever at Turner. He has enjoyed the staff, students and atmosphere that Turner provides."

                                                                                                   C-FB ISD Parent

"My husband works in Addison so we were looking to move to an area that would make his commute less than 20 minutes one way.The schools and school district were the deciding factor in where we ended up. I did my homework and looked at accountability ratings and other school and rating information for many C-FB ISD schools and the district overall. The stats were quite impressive. My kids ended up going to Kent, Blalack and now Creekview. I feel these schools have provided my children with a private school education from a public school. Their experiences in these schools are preparing them for success in life and I am very thankful to every teacher, administrator and volunteer who has contributed."

                                                                                                      C-FB ISD Parent

"I taught in the district, and then we moved to another state for my husband's career. We came back over a year ago because I wanted to be an educator again in C-FB ISD, and my husband and I wanted our children to be in C-FB schools. C-FB puts students first, no matter what, and gives the most amazing opportunities for teachers to continue growing professionally. Students achieve at great levels in this district because they have educators who believe they can achieve at high levels."

C-FB ISD Teacher

We are videotaping stories from parents, teachers and students.  Last year, one of our parents shared this story with us.  You can find it on our "C-FB Innovative Leader in Learning YouTube' Channel. A Video Story

You can find these and other stories in a special section section on our website, Share Your Stories. This section is available for anyone but especially for prospective families and future C-FB ISD team members to hear from "real C-FBers" on what makes our district special for students and of course, families. And, we believe C-FB ISD is one of the best professional homes for educators too!

Do you have a story to share?  We want to know how the spirit of our district, the C-FB ISD team, or educational opportunities has impacted your life.  If you do, we've made it really easy for you. We've created a form where you can write your story. We simply ask you to limit your story to less than 250 words.Share Your Story Form

We know that C-FB ISD is a great place to learn and to work. We have outstanding students. We have a great community. We have a wonderful team who believes in high achievement for all students.  We  encourage you to share your positive story about C-FB ISD today!

What's Going On About Grading

Grading and grades ... Students, parents, teachers and principals spend much time talking about grades and what they mean.  What is the real purpose of a grade?  What evidence supports a grade? What motivates an individual to make good grades?

Those questions and more were why C-FB ISD formed a Superintendent's Task Force on Grading Procedures last school year.  The task force included teachers and administrators from elementary, middle and high schools plus central office instructional team members.  They spent more than one year studying experts in the field of grading and assessment.  During that time, the task force also obtained feedback from other staff, parents and students as they developed new grading procedures.

One reason the district is changing current assessment practices relates to Senate Bill 2033.  This state law allows a student a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade. The law applies to an individual student and not a percentage of the students as our current procedures require.  Because of this, we don't believe our procedures meet the spirit of the law, and the district needs to change.  And, in our new procedures those changes have been made.  We also believe that these changes will benefit all students and their learning. 

A grade is all about learning. We want to determine if the student understands the state-required standards and the district curriculum required for that grade level or course.  Basically, we are measuring student achievement.

The Task Force has developed a draft of district procedures that will be used by the five pilot campuses for the 2011-2012 school year.  The campuses will use the procedures to determine if the changes move their student achievement forward.  Their work will help us make improvements in the procedures, and then district-wide implementation is planned for 2012-13.

The five piloting campuses are:

• R. L. Turner High School
• Davis Elementary School
• Vivian Field Middle School
• Rosemeade Elementary School
• Early College High School

The principals and our Educational Services Division have held parent meetings on the five piloting campuses.  We believe that the grading procedures are in tune with our district goal: high achievement for all students. 

In an article in the November 2009 issue of Educational Leadership, social studies teacher Tony Winger wrote the article, "Grading What Matters."  Two sentences from his article stand out. They are:  "No matter how lofty our espoused education goals, our grading practices reveal what we truly value. ... If higher-order thinking matters most, then that is what our grades must assess, record, report, and reward."

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District are always looking for ways to improve the educational quality found in our classrooms.  We believe that students must understand what they are learning in school because they need to re-connect and apply it to real-life situations.  C-FB ISD's grading procedures must assess a student's learning and his real understanding of the content.

To read the draft grading procedures, click here: C-FB ISD Grading Procedures

First Online Annual Report - Check It Out

Stakeholder confidence and accountability go hand-in-hand. We in C-FB ISD have always believed in the importance of both. We have just created our first comprehensive district online annual report, and we believe that this communications tool will help our community learn how well C-FB ISD is doing.

The report gives you the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about C-FB ISD.  We provide statistical details about the 2009-2010 school year plus figures about the current year.

Designed primarily around our four strategic objectives, the report has six tabs: leadership, achievement, learning environment, operational effectiveness, stakeholder support and current figures.

Throughout the report, we have links back to http://www.cfbisd.edu/ so you can see live, current information. As we focus on our singular goal of "high achievement for all students," we continually work on our four strategic objectives. I believe that our four objectives are intertwined. As our team improves  operational effectiveness, we are strengthening shareholder confidence. And, as our students increase their achievement in academics, the arts or athletics, we are building shareholder confidence.

Our annual report has been developed so that you can get a quick glimpse of how your school district is doing. Or you can take your time and delve into the report. Writers use the term "3-30-3 rule". That means, a reader can check out the site in 3 seconds, 30 minutes or 3 minutes; whatever time you spend, you will glean valuable information about C-FB ISD.

As you look at our annual report, I believe that you will see that our students are achieving and that our staff is committed to our goal and objectives. And, finally, you will see that C-FB ISD has a plan to move our work forward. We in C-FB ISD thank our community for believing in public education.

Students Helping Students

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high achievement for all students.” This goal guides our work with students whether we are focusing on academics, athletics or the arts. As an innovative leader in learning, we go one step further. Not only do we want our students to graduate college-ready or work-force ready, but we also want them to understand “what counts”. We believe our students are learning what counts through the Board-adopted seven character values.
The seven traits are respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship. Our students model these values through special projects, in their classrooms, on the playing fields, on theatrical stages, in performance halls and in our communities.
Two recent projects where our students model these character values were the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and Kacie’s Run. The track and field meet provides events for more than 160 C-FB ISD special athletes and Special Olympic athletes from neighboring districts.
Our students collaborate with our staff to create an event that builds confidence in our special athletes. The Special Education staff tells me that the number of high school volunteers grows every year. This year’s high successful event allowed our special athletes to compete in the shot-put, javelin, long jump and more.
Take a look at the day by clicking on our track and field photo link: Track and Field Slide Show
Kacie’s Run
Our annual track and field meet would not be possible without Kacie’s Run. This event definitely teaches our students the importance of giving. The run raises funds for the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and bowling competitions for the All Stars.
We had a great Kacie’s Run on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came out to walk, run or to support this wonderful cause. What a great group of volunteers! Imagine C-FB ISD students at Standridge Stadium as early as 5:30 a.m. setting up for the run!
Their work didn’t just start on Saturday. They have worked for months encouraging their fellow students and the community to come out for this great cause. Thanks to the C-FB ISD team who continues with the student volunteers every year. The team teaches the students how to run a special event. The students learn many skills. They learn about marketing, fund-raising, problem-solving, budgeting, and much more.
Kacie’s Run also involves a wonderful C-FB ISD family – Mel and Candi Brekhus. The Brekhus Family has been truly touched that the run has been named in honor of their daughter Kacie, a 2003 R. L. Turner High School graduate. The family serves an inspiration to the students and all of us. Thank you for your continued support of C-FB ISD and our All Stars.
Take a look at Kacie’s Run by clicking on the photo link: Kacie’s Run
Character Values
Students helping students … students helping others … practicing the seven character values … Kacie’s Run and the Special Olympics Track and Field Meet are just samples of what our C-FB ISD students do for others. Our students understand “what counts.” Student can be seen demonstrating our district values -- respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship – in our classrooms and throughout the district. We want our families and the entire community to know that character values are alive and well in C-FB ISD.

Stakeholders valuable to our success

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high achievement for all students.” To meet our goal, we have four strategic objectives. One objective focuses on our stakeholders. Every public school district has many groups of stakeholders, and C-FB ISD is no exception.

Recently, I had the privilege to spend the day with two very valuable groups – Realtors and PTA members.

In C-FB ISD, we recognize the value of working with the real estate community. As I told the group meeting in Irving, you understand the importance of “location, location, location.” In C-FB ISD, we understand the importance of “achievement, achievement, achievement.”


Although we focus on achievement in academics, we have two other “A’s” that are important to our students. Those “A’s” are: Arts and Athletics. Fine arts begin in our elementary schools, and that’s not always true in other public schools. We are fortunate to have certified art and music teachers instilling an appreciation of the arts to our students starting in kindergarten. Our fine arts students achieve on the state and national level in instrumental and vocal music. Their art hangs in Congressional offices and the Dallas Museum of Art.

Certified physical education teachers are in our elementary schools, and sports programs begin in middle school. We are proud that we have teams in all areas making the play-offs this year. And, the spring sport season is just beginning. Recently, we celebrated graduating seniors signing athletic scholarships in football, softball, soccer, tennis and golf.

Overall, the group was impressed with what we offer our students and the achievement of our students. C-FB ISD has one purpose: learning.

We have two real estate tours scheduled at R. L. Turner High School. They are March 29 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and April 7 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Realtors, if you are interested in attending, please contact, cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu for a reservation and more information.

We in C-FB ISD know that school districts are an important factor when selecting a home. We invite the real estate community to come see why we believe families should choose our schools. Please contact us if you have question about our district, or check out Why C-FB on our website.

Council of PTA Luncheon

Every year, the Council of PTA sponsors a luncheon for our principals and the school PTA presidents. It’s a great opportunity for us to get together to visit and share what has been happening on the individual campuses during the year.




We had a great lunch prepared and served by students from Café Smith. Café Smith is student-run restaurant at Newman Smith High School, and periodically the students accept catering jobs. The Barbara Bush Middle School Step Team performed, and we were greeted by cheerleaders from Creekview, Ted Polk and Ranchview. What a great lunch and celebration of student work! The Council of PTA is a great organization that supports the district and our local school PTAs. Thank you to all the volunteers who put the event together.

If you need more information about the Council of PTA, please visit the council’s website, http://www.cfbpta.org/.

We believe that for students to learn and grow, stakeholder involvement is a must. In C-FB ISD, we invite stakeholders to be on our educational team and part of the solution. If you are a C-FB ISD stakeholder and want to be involved, please email us at cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu. We will put you in contact with the principal of your neighborhood school or the leader of a program. Come partner with us.