BEAUMONT, Texas — Representatives of Third Future Schools gathered at a Beaumont Independent School District elementary campus Monday to begin their plan to get students back on track for the 2023-2024 school year.
School board members have partnered with Third Future Schools to help bring Texas Education Agency ratings up at Jones-Clark Elementary, Smith Middle School and Fehl-Price Elementary.
Third Future Schools is a network of public charter schools serving 4,500 of students across Colorado, Texas and Louisiana.
Leadership Academies was previously being used at Jones-Clark and Smith.
The last time the state rated Jones-Clark Elementary and Smith Middle School was during the 2018-2019 school year. These campuses were given an F rating.
The following school years, the campuses were not rated.
Fehl-Price was later added as another Beaumont ISD school that will be led by Third Future Schools.
Since 2019, Fehl-Price Elementary was operated by ResponsiveED.
The last time the state rated Fehl-Price Elementary was during the 2018-2019 school year. This campus was given a D rating.
The following school years, the campus was not rated.
While at Fehl-Price Elementary on Monday, Third Future School reps talked to 12News about how they plan to bring their visions to life, which includes a place of learning with limited distractions.
"It's not a den, it's not a family room, it's a place of learning," said Superintendent of Third Future Schools, Zach Kraddock
Each classroom will include desks, an 80-inch interactive video board and of course, good teachers who can engage students and keep them interested.
"The most important thing in this classroom and in all the classrooms at Third Future is the teacher, nothing is more important than an effective teacher," Kraddock said.
Fehl-Price is hiring a fleet of new teachers, who will join close to a dozen returning staff members.
"It's most important that parents know, if their kids come here, they will get a great education," said Director of Schools and Instruction for Third Future Schools, Dr. Brandon Thurston.
Thurston says effective change takes parent involvement as well.
"We know the kids are really great kids, but they are struggling, the school is struggling, so its important that our parents and our kiddos stay open minded and we try a different way," Thurston said.
Principal of Fehl-Price Elementary Frances Bushnell says she's excited to experience the "best of both worlds."
"You get the charter school experience and you also get to work with a traditional district as well, so that's exciting," Bushnell said.
Bushnell says the Beaumont community deserves this change in leadership.
"They deserve the best education, they deserve more opportunities, they deserve all the experiences that come with education. Our children are our future and Third Future is going to be the best way to go," she said.
It will be the same school, just with a different approach.
"We're gonna come in, we're gonna do Third Future way, and we're gonna get Fehl-Price where it needs to be," Kraddock said.
Administrators say Jones-Clark, Smith and Fehl-Price will prioritize zoned families, but all families are welcome to enroll.
On June 27, 2023, a town hall meeting will be held at Smith Middle School and on Zoom, beginning at 6 p.m. That meeting can be accessed here.
Families with students at any one of these schools can get answers to questions they have at the meetings, according to Beaumont ISD Director of Community and Media Relations, Jackie Simien.
Simien says the locations of the town hall meetings are being rotated and available on Zoom as a convenience to all affected families.
RELATED: Two Beaumont ISD charter schools change leadership to help student performance, improve TEA ratings
The goal with bringing in this new company is to raise the bar academically and improve student success.
"Academic performance it's hard to say that there is one particular gap for these students, we know that reading fluency comprehension is an issue," Chief Innovation Officer for Beaumont ISD, Anetra Cheatham previously told 12News.
Beaumont ISD board members are promising students and parents that this new partnership will raise the TEA rating from an F to a B+.
"It is a highly differentiated system that is aligned with Beaumont's philosophy with how we want to close the gap for our students," Cheatham said. "It's personalization and differentiation. In their education model students have the opportunity to do rigorous work."
The organization was chosen based on their track record of impacting schools in both Texas and Colorado.
"So, we saw a multiple fronts where they were the best fit for our campuses here at Smith and Clark," Cheatham said.
Beaumont ISD expects their TEA rating to improve by 2027.
If by 2027, Third Future Schools doesn't meet a C rating, the district will have to change their current school model again.
Beaumont ISD officials believe the new partnership will improve student success.
Cheatham previously told 12News, she is welcoming this change.
"Quality, rigorous instruction in addition to that they have a little bit longer. They will have 185 school days, which means kids will have an additional time to get caught up. We know sometimes we just need more time," Cheatham said.
For elementary students at Fehl-Price Classical Academy, the first change will be reverting back to the districts original name, Fehl-Price Elementary.
This will allow Pre-K students on campus.
With the closure of Lucas Pre-K School, Fehl-Price will have to make room
"There is actually room on the campuses to take in Pre-K so it will not cause overcrowding. Gives teachers time to go over their classes for the start of school," said Associate Administrator for Elementary Campus, Dr. Anita Frank.
Cheatham says the change will mostly affect the teachers on campus.
"They will have to reapply, to be considered for the new roles for next year, but again, it has proven to be a smooth process. We expect that to continue," Cheatman said.
RELATED: Two Beaumont ISD charter schools change leadership to help student performance, improve TEA ratings
Third Future Schools was chosen based on its track record of impacting schools in both Texas and Colorado.
"It's personalization and differentiation," Cheatham previously told 12News. "In their education model students have the opportunity to do rigorous work, so we saw multiple fronts where they were the best fit for our campuses here at Smith and Clark.
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