Principal demands perfection and gets it; Houston educator shows students’ poverty doesn’t preclude success

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A One in an occasional series HOUSTON – Mister Rogers and Nancy Blackwell have something in common. Not long after her 6:45 a.m. arrival at Hambrick Middle School, where she’s principal, Ms. Blackwell switches shoes, from modest heels to sensible flats. “You want to see what kind of principal […]

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They’re not your everyday schools; A Fridays-off schedule cuts costs and motivates, some districts say

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A MIDLAND, La. – It sounds like a school calendar Ferris Bueller would dream up: every Friday’s a day off. At Midland High School, in this remote outpost of the south Louisiana prairie, it’s reality. And proponents in several states say it might be a way to score a […]

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Students take TAKS for test drive; Their performance will help determine passing scores

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 21A Bone-chilling excitement! Nerve-shattering suspense! It’s the blockbuster thriller of the school year, the TAKS test — and it’s now playing in select classrooms near you. Across Texas this week, 118,000 students are taking an advance version of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, the state’s new standardized […]

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School defies labels; Frazier Elementary’s poor minority students excel in face of adversity

By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A One in an occasional series Students who enroll at Julia C. Frazier Elementary check their last names at the door. All day, they wear their teachers’ last names like adopted kids. “We treat them like our own kids,” said third-grade teacher Leslie City. “We tell them, ‘From 8 […]

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We were correct (even though it was math)

Page 17A Yes, the answer really was 7. Sunday’s Dallas Morning News featured the TAAS question missed by the most sophomores (64 percent) on last spring’s test. Lots of readers e-mailed to say we’d gotten it wrong. We didn’t. Unlike the testmasters in Austin, we’ll give you another try. (And a HINT: See italics.) “Rachel’s […]

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