{"id":457,"date":"2018-04-30T20:48:07","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T20:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/?p=457"},"modified":"2018-05-30T15:31:31","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T15:31:31","slug":"in-a-year-of-changes-fort-worth-school-offers-students-stability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/2018\/04\/30\/in-a-year-of-changes-fort-worth-school-offers-students-stability\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggling Fort Worth School Reboots As An &#8216;Academy&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Mitchell Boulevard Elementary is one of five low-performing schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District that has been designated a \u201cleadership academy.\u201d The school struggles with kids regularly moving in and out and low literacy rates, but administrators believe changes made this year &#8212; including an ambitious literacy goal set by the district &#8212; will put Mitchell Boulevard back on track. The state has rated the school &#8220;Improvement Required&#8221; for three consecutive years.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- meta slider --><\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width: 1024px;\" class=\"metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-474 ml-slider\">\n<div id=\"metaslider_container_474\">\n<div id=\"metaslider_474\">\n<ul class=\"slides\">\n<li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-230 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard20-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-474 slide-230\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Fourth-graders (from left) Lebron Bowdy, Katelyn Sanders, Fidel Espinoza and Glori Solorzano study transitions during a writing camp at Mitchell Boulevard on April 3, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-211 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard1-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-474 slide-211\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Data analyst Vanessa Chavarria (right) gives second-grader Bryant Sanders a high five during Parent Night on March 8, 2018. Photo\/Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-233 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard23-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-474 slide-233\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Teacher Marjorie Garay works with fourth-graders (from left) Lance Moss, Andre Gill, and Katanga Minimums on adding and removing sentences during a writing camp at Mitchell Boulevard on April 3, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-213 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard3-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-474 slide-213\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Fourth-grader Omar Sankoh (left) plays the game, Trouble, with teacher Georgette Kankwende (center) during Parent Night at Mitchell Boulevard on March 8, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-220 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard10-873x668.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-474 slide-220\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">James White (right) watches his son, kindergartner Eighden White, (left) work during Parent Night at Mitchell Boulevard on March 8, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        var metaslider_474 = function($) {\n            $('#metaslider_474').addClass('flexslider'); \/\/ theme\/plugin conflict avoidance\n            $('#metaslider_474').flexslider({ \n                slideshowSpeed:3000,\n                animation:\"fade\",\n                controlNav:true,\n                directionNav:true,\n                pauseOnHover:true,\n                direction:\"horizontal\",\n                reverse:false,\n                animationSpeed:600,\n                prevText:\"&lt;\",\n                nextText:\"&gt;\",\n                slideshow:true\n            });\n        };\n        var timer_metaslider_474 = function() {\n            var slider = !window.jQuery ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_474, 100) : !jQuery.isReady ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_474, 1) : metaslider_474(window.jQuery);\n        };\n        timer_metaslider_474();\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--\/\/ meta slider--><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s 5 p.m. at the Leadership Academy at Mitchell Boulevard Elementary, but these 5- to 10-year-old kids haven\u2019t gone home. They\u2019re getting ready for dinner. About this time every day, a vendor delivers meals such as spaghetti, turkey and cheese wraps or chicken nuggets. They include a side of veggies and sometimes fruit.<\/p>\n<p>Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner is just one change Mitchell Boulevard has made this school year as a <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Fort Worth ISD is spending $4.5 million, including an annual $1 million contribution for three years from the Richard Rainwater Charitable Foundation, to retool its failing schools.\">leadership academy<\/span>. School days are longer. There&#8217;s something called an intervention block from 3 to 4 p.m. that includes targeted and small group instruction. And there&#8217;s an after-school program from 4 to 6 p.m. Hanging around after school isn&#8217;t mandatory, but about 100 kids \u2014 one out of every four here \u2014 stay late.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy momma, she just signed me up because I wanted to learn more,\u201d said 9-year-old Makayla Davis. Like many of her classmates, Makayla needs help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI need to be reading a lot. Reading, it feels like it\u2019s boring, but it\u2019s not because I tried it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The adults at Mitchell Boulevard want more kids to feel that way. Reading has to appeal to kids to make a dent in test scores. Principal Aileen Martina-Qui\u00f1ones, who\u2019s in her first year at Mitchell Boulevard, says it\u2019s critical.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur fourth-grade students last year were \u2014 at least half \u2014 two, three grades below,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"keraflashcard boxwidth55\" ><strong>Leadership academy<\/strong>:\u00a0Fort Worth ISD is spending $4.5 million, including an annual $1 million contribution for three years from the Richard Rainwater Charitable Foundation, to retool its five struggling schools. It hired new teachers and administrators, extended the school day to 6 p.m. and added additional after-school activities and tutoring. Students wear uniforms, which were funded by donations, and the schools serve three meals a day. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fwisd.org\/domain\/3174\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More on the program here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/div>\n<p>The school has a history of kids struggling with reading. In the last decade, passing rates among fifth-graders for reading have dropped 10 percentage points. Last year, just three out of every five fifth-graders passed. It\u2019s not just a problem at Mitchell Boulevard. Across the district, only three in 10 third-graders are reading on grade level. Students who aren\u2019t reading on grade level are four times more likely to drop out.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why Fort Worth has set an ambitious goal: Get 100 percent of third-graders reading on or above grade level by 2025. Educators are working toward the goal by making learning and test prep fun and teaching vocabulary and reading in all subjects, even physical education.<\/p>\n<p>Marjorie Garay, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Mitchell Boulevard, says getting ready for the all-important <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness\">STAAR<\/span> test was nothing like this last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey did a lot of worksheets and a lot of just\u2026kind of &#8216;teach the test.&#8217; And I think this year, they\u2019ve really gone outside the box and have been more creative,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We interact more within the classes and not just &#8216;stay within your own classroom.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><script id=\"infogram_0_891ee704-41f4-4253-9d74-af507b1bba99\" title=\"Reading Passing Rate: Mitchell Boulevard\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed.js?rng\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 8px 0; font-family: Arial!important; font-size: 13px!important; line-height: 15px!important; text-align: center; border-top: 1px solid #dadada; margin: 0 30px;\"><a style=\"color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;\" href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\/891ee704-41f4-4253-9d74-af507b1bba99\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reading Passing Rate: Mitchell Boulevard<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;\" href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infogram<\/a><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h5>Students come and go every day<\/h5>\n<p>While administrators and teachers have control over what goes on in the classroom, one factor outside of school is hurting students. Families are moving in and out of Mitchell Boulevard on a daily basis. That&#8217;s contributing to the school&#8217;s high <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"The count and percentage of students who have been a member of a school for less than 83 percent of the school year.\">mobility<\/span>\u00a0rate.<\/p>\n<p>According to the most recent data available, the mobility rate at Mitchell Boulevard in 2015-16 was nearly 33 percent, meaning nearly 130 kids weren&#8217;t there for six weeks or more out of that school year. To compare, the mobility rate across Texas in that same year was 16 percent. That makes it difficult for students to learn and retain information. And teachers are forced to bring students up to speed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_229\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-229\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard19-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Principal Aileen Martina-Qui\u00f1ones (right) meets speech therapist Jill Williams to discuss student performance on April 3, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The school serves\u00a0many children in nearby apartments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have the three apartments that we serve,\u201d Principal Martina-Qui\u00f1ones said. \u201cEvery day we enroll and we withdraw one or two students. It\u2019s every day. So that\u2019s a big challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Martina-Qui\u00f1ones says some apartments have short-term leases, so some families may move to the complex offering the best deal, even if that\u2019s in the middle of the school year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy goal is that at the end of the year, when the parents, when the community sees the progress the students have made, that they will want to stay,\u201d she said. &#8220;I want to see their growth from now until they move on to secondary [school].\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mt-insert\">\n<div id=\"attachment_212\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-212\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2-800x511.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard2-450x287.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1024px\" >Students and teachers in the hallway during Parent Night at Mitchell Boulevard Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, March 8, 2018. (photo \u00a9 Lara Solt)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h5>Issues at home &#8216;on their shoulders&#8217;<\/h5>\n<p>Along with academic challenges, some kids at Mitchell Boulevard are dealing with problems at home. Teacher and coach Charles Burns says he sees it all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have kids that basically they raising themselves. You have some that are waking up [and] taking care of siblings as a child themselves,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have some that are being neglected, some that are being abused. They see abuse. And they have that all on their shoulders and they bring that to school with them every morning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All this tension came to a head in the fall. Fights broke out. Kids walked out of class. Something had to change. The school moved a couple of key staffers like the counselor from a portable outside to the main building. That made it easier for kids to stop by.<\/p>\n<p><!-- meta slider --><\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width: 1024px;\" class=\"metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-477 ml-slider\">\n<div id=\"metaslider_container_477\">\n<div id=\"metaslider_477\">\n<ul class=\"slides\">\n<li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-226 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard16-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-477 slide-226\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Instructional Coach Fanny Perez reaches out to comfort fourth-grader Ka'Nyia Johnson when she becomes frustrated while trying to construct a story on April 3, 2018. Lance Moss (right) and Christian Griffiths (left) are also fourth-graders. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-222 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard12-893x683.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-477 slide-222\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">First-grader Amira Reyes (center) walks through the school hallway during Parent Night at Mitchell Boulevard on March 8, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-231 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard21-933x714.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-477 slide-231\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Fourth-grader Halima Mohamed studies transitions with teacher Regina Woods (left) during a writing camp to prepare for the STAAR test on April 3, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-217 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard7-898x687.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-477 slide-217\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">First-grader Beatrice Gonzalez works on a tablet while her mother, Janet Charon, looks over her shoulder during Parent Night on March 8, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-234 ms-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard24-890x681.jpg\" height=\"783\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-477 slide-234\" \/>\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\">Marjorie Garay works with fourth-graders (from left) Katanga Minimums, Andre Gill and Lance Moss on April 3, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        var metaslider_477 = function($) {\n            $('#metaslider_477').addClass('flexslider'); \/\/ theme\/plugin conflict avoidance\n            $('#metaslider_477').flexslider({ \n                slideshowSpeed:3000,\n                animation:\"fade\",\n                controlNav:true,\n                directionNav:true,\n                pauseOnHover:true,\n                direction:\"horizontal\",\n                reverse:false,\n                animationSpeed:600,\n                prevText:\"&lt;\",\n                nextText:\"&gt;\",\n                slideshow:true\n            });\n        };\n        var timer_metaslider_477 = function() {\n            var slider = !window.jQuery ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_477, 100) : !jQuery.isReady ? window.setTimeout(timer_metaslider_477, 1) : metaslider_477(window.jQuery);\n        };\n        timer_metaslider_477();\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--\/\/ meta slider--><\/p>\n<p>Another big change, the school created a \u201chouse system\u201d\u00a0 \u2014 think &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fA3dbvRCui0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harry Potter<\/a>.&#8221; Instead of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, students from third to fifth grades are assigned to a &#8220;house&#8221; that represents a different value like Honor, Courage, Knowledge and Trust.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe house system has made a great shift in our culture,&#8221; said assistant principal Vanessa Cuarenta. &#8220;It has made a very positive incentive to follow the values.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Teachers reward students who embody those values.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe students are definitely really proud of their house when they wear their shirts on Fridays,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ll be able to tell you what their house stands for, and when they walk down the hallway, they\u2019ll be like, \u2018Oh you know, we\u2019re part of the same house,\u2019 and it also serves as a reminder [of those values].\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><script id=\"infogram_0_74823496-81f3-40d3-8761-7e31a370e250\" title=\"Economically Disadvantaged Students At Mitchell Boulevard\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed.js?Rd8\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 8px 0; font-family: Arial!important; font-size: 13px!important; line-height: 15px!important; text-align: center; border-top: 1px solid #dadada; margin: 0 30px;\"><a style=\"color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;\" href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\/74823496-81f3-40d3-8761-7e31a370e250\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Economically Disadvantaged Students At Mitchell Boulevard<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;\" href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infogram<\/a><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>Connecting with parents<\/h5>\n<p>The school also has been working on developing better relationships with parents. Last fall, all of the leadership academies in the district participated in a \u201ccommunity walk.\u201d Teachers and staff went door to door meeting families, bringing them water and sharing information about the schools.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe think that with parental interaction, it shows growth in the kids\u2019 academics,\u201d said teacher Marjorie Garay, who also lead the walk. \u201cOnce there\u2019s a relationship with the parents, we\u2019re able to bring the kids more success.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_218\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-218\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/MitchellBoulevard8-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1024px\" >Monique Bowdy watches as her son, fourth-grader Lebron Bowdy, work on a tablet during Parent Night at Mitchell Boulevard on March 8, 2018. Photo: Lara Solt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>During a family night at the school, Monique Bowdy was there with her 9-year-old son, Lebron, who&#8217;s in the fourth grade. She says one thing she\u2019s noticed in her son is how much he mentions a certain someone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis teacher,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That\u2019s all he talks about is his teacher.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Asked what he likes about his teacher, Lebron said, &#8220;That she help me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What does she help him with?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Uhhh math, reading and writing,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The big changes at Mitchell Boulevard seem to click with Lebron. And that, at least, is a small sign of hope for the adults trying to turn this struggling school around.<\/p>\n<p>They have to. Otherwise, another year or two of a failing grade means closure or a state takeover.<\/p>\n<h5>Video: Family Recovers From Bullying At Mitchell Boulevard<\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iLUqSWUxGtI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h6>More about Mitchell Boulevard<\/h6>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/2018\/04\/17\/north-texas-struggling-schools-by-the-numbers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mitchell Boulevard by the numbers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/2018\/04\/18\/explore-the-neighborhoods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore the Southeast Fort Worth neighborhood<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/03\/mitchell_TAPR_16_17.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Full 2016-17 TAPR report for Mitchell Boulevard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/Mitchell-Blvd_2016-17.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016-17 accountability summary for Mitchell Boulevard<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mitchell Boulevard Elementary is one of five low-performing schools in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[15,23,24,13],"class_list":["post-457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-race-to-save-failing-schools","tag-fort-worth","tag-fort-worth-isd","tag-leadership-academy","tag-mitchell-boulevard","post_format-post-format-audio","byline-stella-m-chavez"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=457"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":751,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions\/751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/saving-schools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}