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E-mail This StoryThe latest Mesquite ISD campus was named in honor of former superintendent James Terry, Ed. D., a highly-praised and popular figure in the Mesquite ISD.
His popularity may only be bested by his wife, Fran Terry, a unique educator which taught in elementary, middle school and high school classrooms for 32 years in the Mesquite ISD.
The Mesquite ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved Monday the naming of the library at James Terry Middle School in honor of Fran.
“That library is a beautiful facility,” said trustee Gary Bingham. “Fran has an incredible heart for family, for kids and for education.”
The library was the final structure within the school reserved for naming. The board and superintendent Linda Henrie, Ed. D., indicated it was the perfect honor for a long-tenured, deeply-appreciated employee.
“She always exemplified excellence in every situation,” Henrie said. “Fran was a dedicated teacher. She had such a good rapport with students.”
Fran taught first grade, third grade, sixth grade and middle and high school math.
“Thirty-two years in the classroom is commendable,” Henrie said.
An official ceremony naming the library in honor of Fran will take place later this school year. Terry Middle School opened in August.
“This is a well-deserved honor for her,” Henrie said.
In other business, Wilkinson Middle School has qualified for $120,000 in funding under the Texas Educator Excellence Grant program. The grant is intended to be an incentive to award educators who demonstrate the ability to achieve higher levels of student academic achievement. Seventy-five percent of the grant is distributed directly to teachers and the other 25 percent may be used for other incentives.
The district also unveiled the selection committee for math instructional materials and textbooks to be adopted for middle school and high school classes and English and Spanish instructional materials and textbooks for sixth grade. Textbooks are to be adopted for classroom use during the 2007-08 school year.
A report was also presented on highly-qualified teachers in the district. To become highly-qualified, a teacher must be degreed, certified and pass a competency exam evaluation including a combination of teaching experience and college work in the subject area they teach. The Mesquite ISD has 99.19 percent of its teaching staff certified as highly-qualified.
“That compares very favorably with the state,” said Lanny Frasier, assistant superintendent of personnel services. “By the end of this year, all teachers have to be highly qualified and we feel we will be at that level.”
One hundred percent of elementary teachers in the district are highly-qualified.
Contact Brian Porter at bporter@acnpapers.com
