PEOPLE
EDUCATION
2023 EDUCATION EDITION
Tabitha Branum Richardson ISD superintendent
Richardson ISD to expand locked cellphone program for 2023 24
WHO SUPPORTS THE PROGRAM
from the state to help us ensure that we have the resources to compensate our educators fairly. HOW HAS THE DISTRICT ADDRESSED OR PLANNED TO CONTINUE ADDRESSING LEARNING LOSS DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC? Our campus leadership and our teachers really recognize that there were two impacts of the pandemic. One was the social and emotional challenges that our students had on the heels of the pandemic, and then academic de cits. Our sta has been all in on really making sure our students have what they need for both of those. [There has been a focus] on how to provide great daily instruction, ... having strong tutoring and strong interventions in place when we see a student doesn’t have a grade-level understanding. WITH THE UPTICK IN SCHOOL VIOLENCE, HOW DOES RISD PLAN TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AMONG STUDENTS?
program gave teachers back 10-15 minutes of class time daily. Also of note Despite the positive impact on learning, the Yondr program has raised concerns among parents about safety during emergencies. Addressing those concerns, RISD Assistant Superintendent Sandra Hayes said students are always discouraged from using cellphones— regardless of the Yondr program— during an emergency so they can follow emergency protocols. Branum added students all have access to email through their dis- trict-provided laptops, and parents can call the district’s front o ce team. Going forward Branum said she hopes the imple- mentation of a strict cellphone-free environment becomes part of each school’s culture. Branum said she doesn’t plan to use the Yondr program districtwide. “Our job is to support the needs of the campus, but it doesn’t always ... look the exact same,” Branum said.
In a May district survey, all participating teachers at Forest Meadow Junior High School supported the cellphone-free policy and the use of Yondr, parents and students had varied responses.
BY CECILIA LENZEN
BY CECILIA LENZEN
The schools joining the program in the upcoming school year were selected based on their principals’ requests, Branum said. How it works Students at participating campuses are required to put their cellphones in Yondr pouches, which remain with them throughout the school day. To use their phone, students would have to get permission from a teacher or administrator, who could unlock the pouch for them. Diving in deeper In 2022-23, district o cials planned to roll out the program at all cam- puses. When parents seemed hesitant about the program, o cials selected Forest Meadow Junior High School to pilot the program. The results were “overwhelmingly positive,” Branum said, adding the
Heading into her second school year as Richardson ISD superintendent, Tabitha Branum spoke with Community Impact about goals and challenges for the upcoming year. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Richardson ISD o cials plan to expand a program to lock up students’ cellphones during the day. The pilot program, which was tested at Forest Meadow Junior High School during the 2022-23 school year, uses Yondr, a company that creates locked pouches for cellphones. During the 2023-24 school year, the program will expand to Lake Highlands High, Lake Highlands Junior High, Apollo Junior High and Liberty Junior High schools. How it happened In July, RISD Superintendent Tabitha Branum said the initiative came from feedback from parents, teachers and students about how much time students spend on the phone. The rst step was strengthening the district’s existing cellphone-free pol- icy. The locked cellphone program was meant to be an enforcement “tool.”
Tabitha Branum was named Richardson ISD’s superintendent in 2022.
Support the cellphone-free environment policy
COURTESY RICHARDSON ISD
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN GOALS HEADING INTO THE 2023 24 SCHOOL YEAR? We want to ensure that every stu- dent, every teacher and every leader meets or exceeds [their] growth goal. How do we make sure that our entire system is focused on ensuring that they are growing academically, socially and emotionally? That is coupled with a continued emphasis on a safe and secure environment. We know our students can’t focus on learning if they walk into school and don’t feel like they are protected. Continuing to imple- ment our safety measures, making sure that our safety protocols are being followed by our campuses and that we’re communicating with our
parents [is a priority].
Agree
Disagree
Trauma-informed care is some- thing we’re investing in. We have a strong partnership with places like the Momentous Institute, who come into our schools, work with our teachers and provide them with the strategies they need to identify when a student might be in crisis and help them de-escalate. We also are working with all of our campus counselors so they can partner with parents. If we know that a child is in crisis and we know that they have experienced trauma, we can make sure that they have the resources that they need, even above and beyond what the district can provide.
Non-Yondr parents
Non-Yondr students
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES RISD IS FACING? I have to start with the budget. We are currently operating under the same basic allotment per student expenditures as 2019, even though we’ve experienced record in ation. Knowing that we adopted a $14 million de cit budget, how do we rightsize our budget while still ensuring the high-quality programs and instruction that our commu- nity deserves? We will continue to advocate with the state to fund public education. One of the greatest strains on our budget right now is the demand for teachers. We need additional support and resources
80%
67%
Support the implementation of the Yondr program
Agree
Disagree
Yondr parents
Yondr students
87%
68%
SOURCE: RICHARDSON ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Che s to Savings! ® DALLAS
PRESTON CENTER 8123 Preston Road (214) 361-6697
9500 N Central Expressway (214) 369-2800
MARSH LANE 9972 Marsh Lane (214) 353-2701
Store selections vary. Sale ends 8/31/2023. Photos for illustration only. Not responsible for typographical errors. SPECSONLINE.COM
Offering Curbside, In-Store Pickup & Delivery
Powered by FlippingBook