Forest Park Middle SchoolLongview ISD

Brian Bowman, Principalbbowman@lisd.org

903-446-2500 (phone) 903-446-2501 (fax)www.lisd.org

"Complete Transformation of the Impossible Campus"

My BackgroundTexas Senate Aide for five years

Teacher and Coach for six years

Central Office Administrator for five years

Wife of 9 years; Three boys (Junior, 8th grader, 1st Grader); Stepdaughter (Junior); “Adopted” son (Junior)

OutlineI. Overview of Forest Park Middle SchoolII. Obstacles to OvercomeIII. Hiring Teachers for the Impossible

CampusIV. Personal level with the students and

familiesV. Community and Parent InvolvementVI. Extracurricular InvolvementVII. Servant LeadershipVIII. Results

2010 – 2011 DemographicsGrades 6 – 8

486 students

43.4% African American 46.5% Hispanic8% White

50% New Staff on Campus

85% Free/Reduced Lunch

2008 Academically Unacceptable

2009 Academically Acceptable with TPM, Unacceptable Without TPM

2008 Missed AYP

2009 Missed AYP

Obstacles to Overcome in 20107th Principal in ten years (3rd in last three years)Had to replaced 50% of staff who had resigned during

2009 school year50% of our students were new because of

desegregation order with Department of JusticeMoved into a new campus at end of July No student schedule requests from prior yearBasically a non-existent extracurricular programNo Academic UIL team6 PTA membersAlmost 200 arrests made by Longview PD previous

yearLow teacher morale

Where to start??

Met with every returning teacher individually

Met with students in groups and individually

Met with parents during the summer, prior to school starting

We then started the process of replacing 50% of our staff……..

Hiring New Teachers for the Impossible CampusHonesty about the history of the campus

Share personal vision and mission and what direction the campus is going

Involve other staff members in the interviews

Hire 100% on personality: You can help and assist a teacher in becoming a good or great teacher; You cannot help or make a teacher love kids!

Forest Park Middle School Home VisitsStaff Development day in August

Come in at 1:00 pm; Fish Fry at 4:30 pmBreak into teams at 5:30 pmVisits from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm

Groups of three – One male with two femalesShare maps with each address highlighted

with student namePackets to welcome students and

parents/guardians

FPMS Home Visits“Single most important day in the past

sixteen years.” – Kristi McAdams, 16 year veteran teacher at FPMS

“Best and most touching event I have ever experienced.” – Donna Comerford, 2nd year at FPMS

“More schools need to follow the lead of Forest Park Middle School and do something different and innovative.” – Longview News Journal

Community and Parent InvolvementPTA members increased from 6 members in

2009 to 153 in 2010.Chick fil A is on our campus on a daily basis

MentoringA/B Honor Roll incentivesChick fil A GamedayTeacher appreciation

Church and Pastor Luncheon in SeptemberClothes Closest project by Crossroads

Church Women’s Ministry

Community/Parent Involvement6th grade orientation the Friday before

school starts80 students in 2010; 180 in 2011

Community Service Projects: Longview PD Blue Santa; Adopt a Student for Christmas; new ones this year

Extra Curricular Involvement

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011

80 students in athletics

40 students in choir

80 students in band

Zero students in UIL

130 students in athletics

150 students in choir

170 students in band

50 students in UIL

Servant LeadershipAdministrators to Staff and Staff to Students

Growth Plans are designed to help individual teachers so they can do a better job for students – not set up just to fire a teacher. We need to change this thinking and philosophy.

Administrators are at a school to assist the teachers; teachers are at a school to assist the students. Schools were not built and established for us – it is for the students and their education

Things we do to serve our staff…. Open door policy for all administrators

Immediate response to a classroom if teacher calls front office

Luncheons for staff – sponsored by Principal Fund, Chick fil A and local churches

Delivering of brownies, tea and lemonade to each classroom for the teacher

Staff involved in campus decision making

Leaders should be cheerleaders, encouragers, positive people, smiling all the time, showing staff and students you love them and care for them!

Student IncentivesEagles Nest

A/B Honor Roll – Partnership with Chick fil A

Top Ten Reasons to Pass the TAKS

Free Dress Day

End of the Year Awards Program

Eagle Extravaganza

Discipline

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011

Almost 200 arrests and citations by LPD

50 altercations and fights

Approximately 1,000 discipline referrals

Students ran the campus

Less than 50 arrests and citations by LPD

7 altercations and fights

Approximately 400 discipline referrals

We ran the campus

AcademicsMath

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011All Students: 64%AA: 58%Hispanics: 73%White: 68%ED: 64%

All Students: 71% (7% gain)

AA: 65% (7% gain)Hispanics: 76% (3%

gain)White: 80% (12% gain)ED: 71% (7% gain)

Average gain of 7.5%

AcademicsScience

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011

All Students: 48%

AA: 45%Hispanics: 46%White: *ED: 46%

All: 62% (14% gain)AA: 66% (21% gain)Hispanics: 60% (14%

gain)White: *ED: 60% (14% gain)

Average gain of 16%

AcademicsSocial Studies

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011

ALL: 82%AA: 84%Hispanics: 79%White: *ED: 80%

ALL: 86% (4% gain)

AA: 87% (3% gain)Hispanics: 89%

(10% gain)ED: 86% (6% gain)

Average gain of 6%

AcademicsWriting

2009 - 2010 2010 - 2011

ALL: 83%AA: 81%Hispanics: 88%White:*ED: 83%

ALL: 89% (6% gain)

AA: 85% (4% gain)Hispanics: 91%

(3% gain)White: *ED: 88% (5% gain)

Average gain of 4.5%

"The measure of a leader is

not the number of people

who serve the leader, but

the number of people

served by the leader."

~ Adapted from a quote

by John C. Maxwell.

Servant-leadership is all about

making the goals clear and then

rolling your sleeves up and doing

whatever it takes to help people win.

In that situation, they don't work for

you, you work for them." ~Ken

Blanchard in "Servant

Leadership" The Management

Forum volume 4 number 3.

"True leadership must be for

the benefit of the followers,

not to enrich the leader."

~ John C. Maxwell

We are more than willing to visit your school, or you may visit Forest Park, to see how we can assist you in helping all of our students.

Brian BowmanPrincipal, Forest Park Middle

School903-446-2500

bbowman@lisd.org