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Stay Involved...Stay Active
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August 2007
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Tom Frost, Senior Chairman of Frost Bank, named
Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year
Tom Frost, Senior Chairman of Frost Bank, has
demonstrated a legacy of support for public education
in Texas and Friends of Texas Public Schools is
proudly honoring him for that commitment as its 3rd
Annual Texas Public Schools Friend of the Year.
"We are proud to recognize Mr. Frost's legacy of
commitment to, and support of, public education in
Texas," said Scott Milder, President and CEO of
Friends of Texas Public Schools. "Like past honorees
Charles Butt of H-E-B and Michael Boone of Haynes &
Boone, Mr. Frost recognizes that true motivation for
students and educators lies not with heavy handed
and harsh criticism, but rather in hope, optimism and
encouragement."
Frost enthusiastically accepted the honor and
invitation to attend a reception that will celebrate his
many contributions to public education, as well as the
collective achievements of Texas public school
educators and students. The reception is scheduled
for Thursday, November 1st, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at
the Pearl Brewery Stables in San Antonio. To sponsor
a table or to RSVP, please contact Milder at
smilder@cambridgestrategics.com
"The future of our society lies in public education's
responsibility to teach citizenship and, at the same
time, provide the opportunity to attain the skills to
compete in today's economy," Mr. Frost said. "This
award is an honor to me personally and a tribute to all
who volunteer their time and resources to providing
the best possible opportunities for our youth."
Read more...
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TAKS passing rates hit record highs for all students in all subjects!
Recent data released by the Texas Education Agency
shows that, from 2004-2007, despite rising
standards, the percentage of all students passing the
reading portion of the TAKS exam rose 9 points from
80% to 89% and the percentage of all students
passing mathematics rose 11 points from 66% to
77%. Additionally, the percentage of all students
passing the science portion of the exam climbed 15%
and scores on the writing portion of TAKS went up 3
points to 92%. The largest gains in each subject area
are found in the economically disadvantaged student
subgroup. For example, the percentage of these
students passing the science portion of the exam
jumped 21 points!
Click here for details on these scores and for the
other student subgroup scores.
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This month's featured sponsor
Seawinn Inc. has renewed its sponsorship
commitment! Seawinn is an information technology
solutions company whose background is built on
massive technology infrastructures found in major
metropolitan school systems. These systems involve
large-scale broadband and fiber wide-area networks
providing collaborative applications to hundreds of
thousands of diverse users. Seawinn solutions
include document management, data warehousing,
application development, project asset and change
control. Be sure to ask about their new, revolutionary,
web-based lesson planning software!
www.seawinn.com
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New talent joins Friends of Texas Public Schools Board of Directors
George O'Dwyer is Executive Producer and
Owner of 501 Post, a premier post production
company specializing in production of television and
radio spots as well as major motion pictures. George
secured the talent, including Clay Walker and Tanya
Tucker, and produced the radio spots for the thank-a-
teacher campaign last spring.
Les Harrison with Lamar Outdoor Advertising
has joined the Board to lend his expertise in
coordinating all billboard advertising. Over the last
year Les has been instrumental in securing
complimentary billboard space in a dozen different
markets valued at over $120,000.
Lou Sartor is President of PlainsCapital Bank
in Carrollton and has stepped up to assist with
managing and maximizing returns on the
organization's funds. Lou is passionately committed
to public education and has dedicated years of service
to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Education
Foundation Board.
Read about our new Advisory Board members in next
month's edition!
Click
here for a complete list of board members.
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Myth of the month
Source: "Debunking Seven Myths About Public Education" by Molly A. Hunter and Matthew Samberg
Myth #1: Public Education is "Failing"
Since the launch of Sputnik and especially since
publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983, public
education in America has taken a beating from
policymakers and the media, and conservative
pundits have constantly predicted doom for the
nation's economy. Yet, public education produced the
engineers who enabled the U.S. to win the space
race, and our economy has been strong and resilient.
Public education's major role in these achievements
should be celebrated, not ignored.
Read
more...
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Test your TAKS readiness
The following question is taken from the 11th grade science TAKS test
The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis produce
protein crystals that are toxic to the digestive
system of insects. How can these bacteria be
used to control insects in crops?
A Apply the bacteria to growing plants.
B Expose the bacteria to low levels of light.
C Remove plants from areas containing the
bacteria.
D Treat the bacteria with a solution of the
protein crystals.
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Order our "Congratulations Texas Educators" posters
Be sure to order our new 2007 Congratulations Texas
Educators posters featuring the latest collective
successes of our Texas public schools! Posters will
be available when you return from the Labor Day
holiday and are free of charge. (Donations welcome to
cover shipping.) Our new posters are 22x28 inches
and look great in teachers' lounges, classrooms and
school offices, not to mention in the hallways of
businesses and in the waiting rooms of doctors'
offices. Contact Brandie Cleaver at fotps@hot.rr.com
to order posters for your schools and community.
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