Thursday, December 31, 2015
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Mission CISD plans for 2016
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By Lea Victoria Juarez ission CISD has minor changes in store for the 2016 year – minor, but significant, according to Superintendent Ricardo Lopez. Secondary education students will be exposed to high-level instruction, starting with their language arts
classes. The district has adopted the Laying the Foundation Program, a teacher training that is designed to strengthen educators’ skill sets. The goal is for all students to be learning at an Advanced Placement level. Pre AP and AP is drastically different than regular instruction, according to Lopez. Students move away from
“level 1 questioning,” which is basic fact recall, to complex synthesis evaluation. “It’s a systemic framework that ensures [students] can get a whole bunch of literature and be able to analyze it and hit those high standards, which aligns perfectly not only with the state testing but SAT and ACT,” the superintendent said. “It also trains teachers to redefine their approaches to teaching and learning, so the kids will be asked to do things that are different in the language arts arena.” The plan is to roll out science and math in the coming years and drop the initiative down to as low as third grade. When it comes to technology, top of the line tools can be found all throughout the district, Lopez said. From a
cosmetology area to robotics, state-of-the-art systems are integrated into the classroom. In the 2016-2017 school year, the district will complete the high school 1-to-1 initiative that allows every high school student to have a Chromebook. The initiative has been rolling out every year since this year’s junior class entered high school. “When you talk technology, we’re not just giving them gadgets and gizmos,” Lopez said. “We’re giving them a foundation to be able to be the future programmers to be able to be able to utilize the latest technology whenever they go into the workforce and to systemically integrate the practical technology into the learning system.” In terms of construction, Mission High School is ex-
pected to enter the next stage of renovations in March. The Tom Landry Stadium restroom facilities will also be created and completed in 2016, the superintendent said, as well as an upgrade to the stadium bleachers and press box. There is also talk of a new transportation and warehouse area, although nothing is set in stone. The district has outgrown the area, the MCISD CEO said, but it is a project that requires more than a just a renovation. Lopez and longtime district spokesperson Craig Verley both said they don’t know how old the existing warehouse is. “Those changes are forthcoming and our workers really deserve an updated area where everybody can be safe, secure and work in a very
La Joya ISD looks to the new year
New head football coach following his father’s footsteps
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By Luciano Guerra ust three weeks after announcing the reassignment of former La Joya High School head football coach and athletic coordinator George Espinoza, the La Joya ISD Athletic Director’s office announced the hiring of his replacement. Former Coyotes head baseball coach Reuben Farias was advised Dec. 18 that he would be moving into Espinoza’s former office and assuming the responsibilities of being La Joya High School’s head football coach and athletic coordinator effective immediately. As the Coyotes special teams and receivers coach through the recently completed 2015 football season, Farias is by no means new to the football sidelines. As a matter of fact, as the son of a former La Joya Coyotes’ head football coach, Ruben Eluterio Farias, you could say that Farias has been preparing for this opportunity for most of his life. “It’s been a long-time goal of mine to be the head football coach at La Joya,” shared Farias. “I have been wanting to follow in my father’s footsteps since I became a coach. He was the Coyotes’ head football coach back in the ‘70s and was for a time also the head baseball coach, so I will now have the opportunity of doing a couple of the things he did here at La Joya.” The fact that his name is spelled differently than his father’s means that he is not a Jr., however that has not kept him from emulating his father’s career. “My Dad was the head football coach for five, six or seven years before becoming the head baseball coach for a couple of years and then he coached basketball,” added Farias. “Later he became an administrator, then an assistant principal, then the director of transportation and finally a school board mem-
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By Lea Victoria Juarez
Former Coyotes head baseball coach Reuben Farias (right) has been named head football coach and athletic coordinator at La Joya High School. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra
ber.” As a 1984 graduate of La Joya High, the younger Farias played football and baseball for the Coyotes. Having been around the Coyotes’ athletic programs as long as he has, he is looking forward to the opportunity of restoring the proud tradition once associated with La Joya Coyotes’ football. “On the field I am hoping to continue the tradition of defensive aggressiveness that Coach Espinoza brought to the program,” Farias said. “Offensively, we need to put more points on the score-
board. That is one of the goals that we’re going to be focusing on. If we can do that, it is my hope that we will be able to bring some of the pride back to the community that has been lost over recent years.” Of the 22 years that Farias has been employed by the La Joya ISD, he’s been a coach for all but two. “I started working for the district in 1994 as a middle-school coach,” Farias said. “Over the years I worked my way up to the high school level where I first became a junior varsity coach and then eventually a
varsity coach. This would’ve been my 14th season as the head baseball coach.” As the school’s athletic coordinator, Farias will now be involved in the process of hiring his own successor for the position of head baseball coach. “Right now we are in the process of looking at candidates for that position,” explained Farias. “We may just promote somebody from within or we might open it up to other potential candidates. That is something that will be decided soon as we are looking to hire a new coach.”
constructive environment,” the superintendent said. “It’s been a longtime coming for those individuals.” Starting in January, the district will bring back an alumni project they developed a few years ago, but with a modern twist – Picture YourSelfie at College. Mission CISD graduates can submit photos they took of themselves on their cell phones, also known as selfies, to be placed on campuses throughout the district. The photos, along with a quote from the student, will be expanded and placed on 11x17 posters that mimic an Instagram posting. About 30 students have already been featured on the MCISD social media accounts. “We’ve got a lot going on in our district,” Lopez said. “Good things.”
s the second semester begins for La Joya ISD, members of the community can look forward to changes in technology, facilities and community outreach for the new year. But what Superintendent Alda Benavides said she looks forward to the graduation ceremonies the most. “It’s one more student that has bettered him or herself and one more student that we are improving the quality of life for,” she said. I look forward to celebrating those accomplishments, knowing that we’re doing great things at La Joya ISD and that kids are benefitting from it.” One of LJISD’s primary focuses for the 2016 year is strengthening its alignment with House Bill 5, which requires students to complete courses for an endorsement of their choice in order to graduate. Part of the district’s goal is to create community awareness so parents and students know what courses are available for them. Some of the strategies for spreading the word about what LJISD has to offer includes social media, their TV station and community events, such as The La Joya Experience, which is scheduled for Feb. 6. “This event will show what parents have to look forward to if their kids stay with us in our schools,” Benavides said. “Parents will have the opportunity to learn
about each of the secondary schools so that they can know about everything the school offers.” In the spring, the district will reassess their technology needs. Depending on their goals, they will identify the right kind of technology that is aligned with what they’re hoping to accomplish. According to the district website, LJISD is applies Project Share in the classroom. The program allows educators to communicate and share learning opportunities from across the state. As for construction, Benavides said La Joya High School will undergo renovations because it is the oldest campus. The project is in the planning stages, so Benavides was not able to go into detail about the changes, but she said the needs will be prioritized and then made known as they are identified. “We’re always in the process of renovating our buildings and making sure our kids are safe and making sure that our buildings are kept up to date,” the superintendent said. “We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve always kept up with our buildings and that we take care of our needs based on the needs assessment, which is based on when the schools were built.” As the district leader, Benavides said her advice to the La Joya ISD community for the new year is to stay commited. The district serves a challenging demographic, she said, but the demographic also keeps the staff and students competitive. “We have our little slogan that says ‘Transforming lives, transforming the community,’” Benavides said. “Since La Joya ISD encompasses five different communities, our whole idea is to embrace the fact that it takes all of us working together to make sure we educate the kids.”
INSIDE
Rattlers search for new identity
INDEX
Padron announces candidacy
Chamber prepares for community health event
Basketball Coach David Keith talks about stats, playoffs and team potential for the Sharyland Rattler’s 20152016 season.
Mission resident enters the race for the Texas State Representative, District 36 Democratic primary election to be held in March.
Free screenings from Mission Regional Medical Center will be available at the 21st Annual Mission Health Fair Jan. 10.
See story page 10
See story page 4
See story page 6
Entertainment | pg. 2
Lifestyle | pg. 3
Opinion | pg. 4
Sports | pg. 10
Obituaries | pg. 11
Classifieds | pg. 13