Volume V, Issue 25 (August 28, 2020)

“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” ― Mark Twain

Vol. V August 28, 2020

Sharing the good news about Longview Independent School District

High school using ‘Remind’ groups for communication

FUN ON THE FARM Lobo FFA wins at several competitions

W

hat a great weekend Longview FFA members had!

Not only did our students compete on Friday, Aug. 28, at their showmanship showcase but they had 8 student show at the Hooks Blowout

Longview High School will use Remind.com to communicate effectively with students and their parents.

Using Remind.com texts sent directly to students and parents has proven to be very successful in communicating important school information and opportunities to students and parents.

Longview High School asks that all students and parents join their class year by following these directions: Seniors and their parents: Text @ hfh2adg to 81010 and then follow the directions you receive from Remind.

Juniors and their parents: Text @ g8d388 to 81010 and then follow the directions you receive from Remind.

Sophomores and their parents: Text @6b84kkb to 81010 and then follow the directions you receive from Remind.

Freshmen and their parents: Text @e8egke to 81010 and then follow the directions you receive from Remind.

on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Cooper Mayes exhibited his goats at the Chisum Livestock Show in Paris. Cooper won first place in 2 classes and was selected as Reserve FFA|Continued to page 4

Potential testing plan approved for LISD The Longview Independent School District Board of Trustees approved pursuing a COVID-19 testing protocol for both students and staff, during a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Board members approved a preliminary agreement with U.S. MedTest Affirmative Solutions Group, a premier provider of testing, tracing, and tracking

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ongview oice

products and technologies supporting the global pandemic response.

“This could be a big deal. Longview would be the only school district in the entire country undertaking something like this right now,” said Dr. James Wilcox, LISD Superintendent of Schools.

BOARD|Continued to page 3

Opinion Photos

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Order 11 Help 12

Obituaries Social

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

OPINION

Parents have become teachers

By Dan Coleman Education Week Unpaid, untrained, and uncertified for their new role, parents and caregivers were the primary source of instruction for U.S. children this spring—and are likely to remain so for at least the fall semester. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, parents of the average school-age child spent 13 hours per week teaching their children this spring—helping with homework, getting them set up for lessons online, and much more. After multiplying by the 25 students typically in an elementary class, parents were providing 10 times the total amount of instructional hours that a teacher would have provided to the same class in a week! Whether they realize it or not, most school principals are now responsible for an instructional staff of thousands that includes parents as well as paid staff.

But not every child has a teacher at home. Their parents

may be essential workers greatly. To do so would or unable to work from only widen the gap behome. Most will lack the tween the trajectories our financial wherewithal children are traveling. to hire a tutor or pair up Our schools must, inwith other families in a stead, allocate resources pod. In the words of one to ensure that each child parent we interviewed has the supports they while researching the need. Yet, as they hurry nation’s shift to remote to get ready for a fall COLEMAN reopening, whether in learning: “I don’t have time to look up different person, online, or hybrid, resources for my kids to learn many administrators seem not to from. I’ve got to make sure we’ve have calculated just how fundagot food, and a roof, and water, mentally the nature of school— and soap.” and their own responsibiliSchool leaders, then, must ties—have changed. On the one solve the two very different prob- hand, they must serve a group of lems faced by these two different students who will receive most of groups of students: those whose their instruction from a “faculty” parents can play the role of teach- that has never taught before— ers-at-home and those whose par- the massive pool of parents and ents cannot. When inequities are caregivers who (like all novice more visible than ever, we must educators) will desperately need not make the mistake of treating support in order to help teach all families the same—giving all their children at home. On the families the same attention from other hand, school leaders must paid staff or the same amount of serve a different group of stutime in school buildings—when dents, who likely received very their resources at home differ so little to no instruction this spring

and fell through cracks that have never been wider.

If school leaders can give their new parent-faculty the support they’ll need to be more confident and effective in their role as assistant teachers, then they can focus their paid staff—and, if it is safe, their school buildings—on serving those children whose parents or caregivers are unable to help with their learning at home.

To get parents on board, schools should spend the next weeks collecting up-to-date email addresses and cellphone numbers for every parent and caregiver. Believe it or not, many school districts are still missing digital contact information for 40 percent or more of their parents.

Now that parents constitute a key part of the school’s instructional staff (with responsibilities for IT access and related issues as well), teachers need to be able to reach parents as easily as they would a colleague down the hall.

— Dan Coleman leads Big Sky Blue Design and is a former classroom teacher.

Don’t make college kids the Coronavirus police

By Karen Levy The New York Times Hundreds of American colleges and universities have opted to begin the fall semester at least partly in person, allowing some or all of their students onto campus to live and study.

These schools are going to great lengths to impress upon students that their behavior determines whether campuses can stay open or whether they will have to head back to their parents’ homes by October. In many cases, schools are requiring students to sign “social contracts” in which they promise not to party, have overnight dorm guests, walk across campus without masks or otherwise conduct themselves as college students normally do — and often attaching strict penalties if students violate the rules.

In addition to agreeing to conduct themselves according to these rules, students are also being asked to police one another for violating them. College campuses have long monitored their students’ behavior to enforce various expectations, from attending class to completing assigned

readings to sticking issues like harassment around at football games. and other misconduct.

In the age of Covid-19, And if students eventuthese forms of monitorally test positive for the ing are intensifying — virus — say, after attendand students are being ing an illicit social gathtasked with becoming ering — contact tracing surveillors themselves. protocols may require New York University, them to report others for example, implores who broke the rules.

LEVY students to “politely In many ways, it urge” the noncompliant makes sense that unito wear masks and social-disversities are relying on students tance — and if they don’t listen, to be the eyes and ears of public to report the fellow students to health management. Students higher-ups. Tulane University are much more likely than a urges students to “hold your dean or provost to know about friends and peers accountable” what’s really going on in the for having parties. The Univerdorms and frat houses. And sity of Nebraska at Omaha asks providing an anonymous way for students to commit to “discourstudents to whistle-blow about aging large in-person group gath- unsafe conditions can certainly erings” to help fight the virus. be a good thing, since it is unreaOther schools are recruiting sonable to expect all students to students as “health ambassadors” come forward publicly. to “utilize peer-to-peer influence” But there’s a risk that these and training them in bystander peer reporting systems may not intervention techniques. Many be effective in controlling the schools are setting up tip lines spread of Covid-19 on campus where students can anonymousbecause they put students in very ly report those who fail to wear tough positions. Of course, many masks or social-distance, or askstudents understand the high ing students to use hotlines that stakes of a coronavirus outbreak were originally created to report and have a desire to help keep

their communities safe. Some students may feel a sense of civic duty to participate in policing their classmates’ behavior. But others may be loath to report on their friends, especially when doing so could result in harsh penalties. And students risk being socially ostracized if they are branded with the stigma of being a “narc” by their peers. Students may find themselves weighing the complex burdens of playing a role in preserving public health against the potential personal costs of reporting.

We’ve seen this play out time and time again on college campuses, when students’ refusal to snitch on one another has impeded investigations of hazing practices and sexual violence.

And we’ve already seen similar dynamics unfold in the current pandemic — local officials have had to resort to subpoenas to get infected individuals to comply with contact tracing, and people have been targeted with threats and harassment for “snitching” to officials about noncompliant business practices.

— Karen Levy is an assistant professor in the department of information science at Cornell University.

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

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BOARD |Continued from page 1 Dr. Wilcox explained that the plan could include once- or twice-weekly testing of district students and staff, as well as any campus visiWILCOX tors, with results available “in minutes or hours, instead of days and weeks.”

“This could enable Longview ISD to take action almost immediately to ensure that our campuses and district facilities are as safe from COVID-19 as possible,” he said. “That includes the possibility of pre-game testing for extracurricular competitions.”

Dr. Wilcox told trustees that more details would be available in the coming days, as the district leadership continues to discuss various aspects of the program with company officials, as well as government authorities.

“One of the main goals [of this program] is to provide customized, end-to-end protocols through a multi-system approach that allows us to balance the medical, ethical, legal, and financial scales as we continue to battle this pandemic,” he said.

“We are focused on applying every available resource at our disposal to ensure a consistently safe environment and comprehensive plan for our students, our staff, our parents, and our entire community.”

Dr. Wilcox explained that the plan could include once- or twice-weekly testing of district students and staff, as well as any campus visitors, with results available “in minutes or hours, instead of days and weeks.”

“This could enable Longview ISD to take action almost immediately to ensure that our campuses and district facilities are as safe from COVID-19 as possible,” he said. “That includes the possibility of pre-game testing for extracurricular competitions.”

Dr. Wilcox told trustees that more details would be available in the coming days, as the district leadership continues to discuss various aspects of the program with company officials, as well as government authorities.

“One of the main goals [of this program] is to provide customized, end-to-end protocols through a multi-system approach that allows us to balance the medical, ethical, legal, and financial scales as we continue to battle this pandemic,” he said.

“We are focused on applying every available resource at our disposal to ensure a consistently safe environment and compre-

Trustees also approved Career and Technology Courses and Pathways for the 2020-21 Longview High School Course Selection Guide; funding for the administration of the Iowa and CogAT Assessments; Communities in Schools contracts for 2020-21; Local At-Risk Criterion for 2020-21; and official minutes of the Aug. 10th Regular Meeting.

MORE INFO

hensive plan for our students, our staff, our parents, and our entire community.”

GEARBOX

Board members also approved the adoption of the GBX Creative Computing Curriculum.

The program, designed by Frisco-based video game studio Gearbox Software, incorporates International Baccalaureate (IB), Science Technology Engineering & Math (STEAM), and Project-Based Learning (PBL).

“By 2022, experts forecast the gaming industry will produce $196 billion in revenue,” said Shalona McCray, District STEAM & Community Engagement Coordinator. “It’s no wonder then that tech giants like Apple and Google are trying to cash in by launching gaming streaming services.”

The approval will allow Gearbox Software pilot their MCCRAY video game design and production program on Foster, Judson, and Longview High campuses.

McCray explained that a full third of the world’s population — 2.6 billion people — play video games, “plugging into massive networks of interaction that have opened up opportunities well beyond entertainment.”

“Gearbox’s training materials are designed for teachers to customize curriculum according to their class needs and capabilities,” she added.

BALANCED BUDGET Board members also held a public hearing before unanimously voting to approve the Proposed 2020-2021 Budget and Tax Rate.

LISD Chief Financial Officer Joey Jones is projecting a balanced General Operating budget of $90.2 million for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which calls for property tax cuts and significant state revenue from their public school charter partnerships.

Jones said the total proposed budget revenue is about $90.2 million, which is about an $8.3 million increase from the 201920 budget. The total proposed expenses are about $90.2 million.

The revenues are a mix of local, state, and federal funds for operations during the 202021 fiscal year.

Jones said the budget as currently presented to the board “is a complete picture of next year” and that potential disruptions related to COVID-19 “will be handled as they present themselves”.

The proposed maintenance and operations tax rate is $.9664 and the interest and sinking tax rate is .4730 cents for a total tax rate of $1.4394 per $100 valuation. The tax rate is a deJONES crease from the current rate, which is $1.4431 per $100 valuation.

Jones explained that the district is adopting a tax rate that will raise more taxes for Maintenance & Operations than last year’s rate.

“The tax rate will effectively be raised by .478 percent, and will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately negative -$4,” he said.

SSC CONTRACT

The board approved a contract extension for custodial services with SSC Services.

The cost for the district is $2,951,131, with a 1.7 percent Consumer Price Index increase.

Jones told board members that the partnership “provides us with additional resources in our changing environment and together we address the needs of the district.”

The Dallas-based company handles janitorial services throughout the district.

IN OTHER NEWS

During the course of the meeting, the LISD Board of

Trustees usually meet in the boardroom of the LISD Education Support Center (1301 E. Young Street), but often set special-called meetings at various locations around the district.

The next regular meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m.

Sept. 14th.

Due to public health protocols currently in place, the public will not be admitted into the trustees’ boardroom. The meeting will be streamed online at LISD.org/BoardroomLive.

For more information about the Longview ISD Board of Trustees please go to LISD.org.

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

FFA |Continued from page 1 Champion overall.

We couldn’t be more proud of how much our students have grown in their showmanship abilities and we predict many more buckles in our students’ future!

BLOW OUT

Tommy Carlisle got 1st Place Junior Showmanship goat and second place in class.

Yahir Gaona got 1st and 3rd place with his lambs and got 2nd place showmanship with his lamb and his goat, then 5th place in his class with his Goat.

Nancy Suarez got 4th place in her class with her goat.

Parker Wiley got 2nd place with his goat.

Isaiah Moyer got 3rd place with his goat.

Katie Grace Carlisle got 5th place with her goat.

Kacee Wilkins-Clark won 1st place in her class with her heifer and 4th in her class with her market steer.

Amazing job, everyone!

THANK YOU THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

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During this difficult time for our community, we are so thankful for the many local restaurants who are offering delivery, drive-thru, and carry-out service for the convenience and safety of our families. Longview ISD is glad to say ‘Thank You’ for being such wonderful community partners!

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Did we miss your restaurant? Send your business name, address and phone number to ask@lisd.org.

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Bodacious BAR-B-Q

904 N 6th St 903-753-2714

1300 W Loop 281 903-759-3914

2227 S Mobberly Ave 903-753-8409

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Bubba’s 33

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The Butcher Shop

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The Cace Kitchen

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Cafe Barron’s

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Carter’s Bar-B-Que

200 E Loop 281 903-232-1606

102 Lehigh St 903-758-6066

415 N High St 903-212-7720

405 W Loop 281 F 903-663-4737

519 S Eastman 903-236-3271

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Casa Ole’

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The Catch

410 W Loop 281 903-236-3491

3312 N Fourth St 903-663-2940

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Chiangmai Thai Kitchen

103 W Loop 281 #430 903-663-6622

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Chick-fil-A

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Chipotle

507 E Loop 281 1740 W Loop 281 3500 McCann Rd

415 E Loop 281 903-663-7664 12 Chili’s Grill & Bar

2800 Judson Rd 903-663-2221 13 Cotton Patch

1228 McCann Rd 903-236-4009 14 Cowboy Chicken

3080 Eastman Ste 100 903-663-0777 15 Edible Art

504 W. South Street

903-234-2114 16 Fat Boyzzz

607 North Access Road 903-619-3301 17 Flying Burger & Seafood

322 E Hawkins Parkway 903-475-1537

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Fuji

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Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

3098 N Eastman 903-663-9888

310 E Hawkins Pkwy 903-663-7545

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Goung Zhou

2002 Judson Rd 903-247-8000 21 Hot Dog Express

106 E Marshall Ave 903-753-8081 22 Jason’s Deli

103 W Loop 281 903-663-5161 23 Jucy’s Hamburgers

2701 N Eastman

3356 Gilmer Rd

816 W Marshall Ave

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Little Mexico

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Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt

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Mi Casita

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Papacita’s

3495 McCann Rd 903-758-2194 25 Lizzy’s Diner

2900 Tuttle Blvd 903-663-1154

310 E Hawkins Ste 100 430-625-8053

324 N Spur 63 903-758-8226 28 Newk’s Eatery

110 E Loop 281 903-753-7000

305 W Loop 281 903-663-1700

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Pizza King

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Posados

1100 E Marshall 903-753-0912

110 Triple Creek Cir 903-234-9115 32 Raising Cane’s

212 E Loop 281 903-238-8800 33 Roma’s Italian Kitchen

102 E Tyler St 403-625-7240 34 Rotolo’s Pizzeria

3407 N Fourth St 101 903-212-7448 35 Saltgrass Steak House

411 E Loop 281 903-232-1513 36 Schlotzsky’s

1429 W Loop 281 903-297-8030 37 Slim Chickens

204 E Loop 281 903-824-1735 38 Tuscan Pig Italian Kitchen

401 S High St 903-651-1833 39 Whataburger

105 TX-63 Spur

3123 Eastman

3308 Fourth St

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

DISTRICT WIDE • International Baccalaureate project partners with “We Help Two” and sells “funky socks” to help supply legs and feet to amputees all over the world.

• LISD schools earned 40 total distinctions on state accountability ratings, an increase from 34 earned last year, and the highest in the region.

• Each year HUNDREDS of out-of-district students transfer INTO Longview Independent School District, citing “education opportunities” as their reason.

• Local corporate partnerships with Eastman and Komatsu and Longview Manufacturing Academy.

• Went totally ‘green’ on all building projects resulting in a $200,000 award from SWEPCO for energy conservation.

• Raising Highly Capable Kids parenting class in partnership with Longview Chamber of Commerce.

• Brand new partnership for innovation with East Texas Advanced Academies which will bring new funding and ideas to public education.

• LIFT program annually paying out close to $1 million in staff bonuses for improved testing scores.

• Signing Santa to help deaf ed students communicate with “Santa.”

• Hosted Adjunct Fair for SFA to help employ Adjunct staff in Longview and through Longview ISD. • Purchased multiple pieces of strategic real estate, without increased debt, for future expansion.

• State and National Technical Student Association winners.

MONTESSORI

LONGVIEW HIGH • Longview High School celebrated a class of over 100 International Baccalaureate Diploma students for 201920.

• The senior IB Diploma students have all completed at least 150 hours of service learning activities, culminating over 6500 hours of community service for 2019-20.

• The IB students participated in the campus service learning project, We Help Two, and were able to sponsor 5 clients with prosthetic legs in developing countries.

• Longview High School began the application process to become an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) school and to offer the IB Career-Related Programme school.

• Longview High School graduated 51 seniors who will also graduate with Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees from Kilgore College for 2019-20.

• Additionally, 80 seniors graduated with at least 24 hours of college credit.

• For the 2019-2020 school year, 594 unduplicated LHS students took a total 7,950 credit hours. This averages slightly more than 12 hours each. These numbers are for hours taken at Kilgore College. Other students took hours through Stephen F. Austin University, University of Texas, and LeTourneau.

• 251 members of 2020 Senior class took 3,617 hours.

This averages slightly more

• Every year of Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox tenure the LISD budget has been “in the black.”

• LISD farm-to-table program, partnering with local farmers for cafeteria produce.

• Hosted “Axe”epted East Texas meet and greet for area students attending SFA in Fall 2019.

• Partnerships in education with UT, SMU, Texas Tech, SFA, KC, Letourneau, and UT-Tyler.

• Longview ISD middle school students earn “Duke Scholar” honors every year.

than 14 hours each. These numbers are for hours taken at Kilgore College. Other students took hours through Stephen F. Austin University, University of Texas, and LeTourneau.

• 99 more of the 2020 LHS seniors qualified for the KC Connection Scholarship that allows them to complete their Kilgore College Degree or Certificate at the reduced tuition rate of 60% of regular tuition. These scholarships represent an average of $1,500 each year per student.

• LHS opened the GO Lab for students to use as needed for course work.

• Longview High School hosted it first Magnet Showcase Night.

• Largest FREE public Montessori school (for 3-to5 year-olds) in the nation, provided free of charge to Longview area children.

• Eight-week Montessori training for other districts in Texas hosted by ETMPA.

Principals, did we miss your school’s achievements? Please send us your brags and we will include them!

ask@LISD.org

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

CHOOSE

R LONGVIEW

SCHOOL

APPLY NOW

ChooseLISD.org

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

JOHNSTON-MCQUEEN

WARE EAST TEXAS MONTESSORI ACADEMY

JUDSON

601 W Garfield Ave.

259

EAST TEXAS MONTESSORI PREP ACADEMY

LONGVIEW HS

400 N Eastman Rd.

J.L. EVERHART

281

JOHNSTONMCQUEEN ELEMENTARY

BRAMLETTE FOREST PARK

80

EARLY GRADUATION

BRAMLETTE STEAM ACADEMY

ETX MONTESSORI PREP S. WARD

WARE

422 FM 2751

FOSTER

111 Tupelo Dr.

HUDSON PEP

31 20

NED E. WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY 5230 Estes Pkwy.

J.L. EVERHART ELEMENTARY

149

2919 Tryon Rd. NED E. WILLIAMS

HUDSON PEP ELEMENTARY 1311 Lilly St.

SOUTH WARD ELEMENTARY

1011 S Mobberly Ave. JUDSON STEAM ACADEMY 5745 Judson Rd.

FOREST PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL

1644 N Eastman Rd. FOSTER MIDDLE

1504 S Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

LONGVIEW HIGH SCHOOL

201 E Tomlinson Pkwy.

EARLY GRADUATION HIGH SCHOOL 410 S Green St.

Registration Begins Soon Now, it’s your turn to learn more:

Visit ChooseLISD.org or call 903-381-2200.

Paid for by the MSAP funds.

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

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What daycare centers look like during COVID-19

By Jackie Mader USA Today AUSTIN – The afternoon heat had hit 95 degrees when the back door swung open to the playground at the Sweet Briar Child Development Center, nestled in the middle of an apartment complex in south Austin. Five toddlers meandered out of the building and onto the playground, followed by two teachers, their noses and mouths covered by masks.

One teacher pushed a cart holding small pitchers, watering cans and a bucket of water toward a garden teeming with flowers.

“Let’s water the sunflowers!” the teacher said, handing children the pitchers and watering cans.

The children spread out, sprinkling water on their roots and gazing up at stalks that towered over them. After a few minutes, the teachers began herding the children away from the garden, and one wheeled the water cart back into the building.

In the past, the water may have stayed outside to fill a water table or sensory bin, where little hands could splash and children could cool off in the Texas heat. But at a time when Texas is still seeing high numbers of Coronavirus cases, including at child care centers, emergency rules meant to prevent the transmission of the virus mean water tables and sensory bins are strongly discouraged.

Nationwide, many child care centers and preschools that managed to survive the

coronavirus-induced shutdown are now trying to open their doors once more. Those that did not shut down permanently are facing immense obstacles, including staff shortages and a lack of funds, as well as arduous requirements for cleaning and sanitizing. In some states, agencies that oversee child care have given centers dozens of

pages of new, more stringent regulations that, among other things, require centers to keep all children’s belongings at school, to stop serving family-style meals and to clean more frequently than ever.

Some new requirements for centers mean toddler and preschool classrooms have lost or are discouraging some of the

basic elements of early childhood, like experiencing the world through physical touch and learning to share toys with friends. In many cases, parents can no longer enter center buildings and must hand their children off at the front door or even commit to sending their child to a center without ever having set foot inside it.

At a center in Utah, older children are wearing masks and learning to “walk like mummies” to keep distant from other children. In Arizona, children make “airplane arms” when standing in line to leave more space between each child.

Across the country, children are changing into indoor shoes when they enter classrooms, relinquishing their bags and lunchboxes for daily disinfecting, and are no longer mingling in groups on playgrounds.

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THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

Company helps parents with teaching their kids

By Dom DiFurio Dallas Morning News Employees on the production floor at Carrollton-based distillery BuzzBallz are still coming into work, even as their kids start virtual learning this month.

North Texas parents unable to do their jobs remotely, like those at BuzzBallz, are having to make tough decisions as the school year gets under way.

Many schools are beginning the year with several weeks of online learning due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in North Texas. And while teachers are available over video conferencing, younger students still require assistance navigating the new environment — a role parents were saddled with in the spring when schools abruptly halted in-person teaching.

“What are my employees going to do with their kids if they’re a single parent or they have a dual income household?” BuzzBallz founder and CEO Merrilee Kick said.

Now chief executive of the fast-growing North Texas distillery, Kick is a former educator turned entrepreneur and is keenly aware of the value of continued education for kids.

“When I started this company about 10 years ago, that’s where I came from,” Kick said.

So Kick took the unusual step of bringing school into

the office.

Kick and the leadership team at BuzzBallz polled employees and came up with a concept they call “The Nest.”

The company converted a conference room into a one-room schoolhouse for employees’ kindergarten through sixthgrade children to use for online learning.

“They just need some supervision to make sure that they can get online ... somebody to pay attention to them,” Kick said.

The company equipped the room with the headphones and tech students need to log in for classes, and is providing lunches for them on-site.

It also hired Texas Education Agency-certified teacher

Dallas News Christine Drumm to work oneon-one with the students and will hire a teacher’s aide soon as well, Kick said.

The classroom started hosting three students this week and expects more will join in the coming weeks as additional school districts in the area start their school year.

Employees drop their kids off at The Nest at 6 a.m. when they start their shift on the factory floor and pick them up at 3:00 p.m. when they leave. The classroom is sanitized throughout the day and students are expected to wear masks, have their temperatures taken and wash their hands frequently, Kick said.

“We don’t know if it’s the right answer. ... We’re just

kind of living and learning and going through it as we go and changing things,” Kick said.

Of course, any form of in-person learning in the age of COVID isn’t without its risks.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued lengthy guidelines for reopening school environments which includes keeping students six feet apart and installing physical barriers where it is difficult to maintain distance.

On a scale of lowest to highest risk, the CDC considers small, in-person class activities where the learning environment is frequently disinfected and social distancing and masking is followed to present “some risk” of COVID-19 infection. Complete virtual learning is classified as the lowest risk form of education.

BuzzBallz, known for its ready-made prepackaged cocktails and for being the only woman-owned distillery in the country, has seen tremendous growth since its founding.

The distiller also operates the Southern Champion brand, which includes small batch spirits.

The company employs about 150 and has doubled its revenue nearly every year, Kick said. She expects this year’s revenue to be $65 million to $70 million.

How to prevent cheating during remote learning at home

By Alyson Klein Education Week The student had perfect scores on the first two tests in Michele Kerr’s math class, offered virtually this summer because of the coronavirus. But, in just a few minutes of oneon-one conversation during her online office hours, Kerr noticed he struggled to grasp the material.

Kerr quickly figured out what was going on. “You cheated” on those tests, she told the student. He admitted she was right.

Kerr, who teaches math and engineering in California’s Fremont Unified School District, is always on the lookout for academic dishonesty. But she and her colleagues across the country are on heightened alert now that the coronavirus has forced thousands of schools to offer more virtual learning

experiences than ever before.

“I expect cheating to go up in this new environment and I expect that it will have negative effects long term on how much students learn in their classes,” said Arnold Glass, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University who has done research on the impact cheating has on learning.

Already, some teachers have

reported that grades were higher this spring, when many schools went online only, and wondered if cheating could be at least partly the reason.

Here are 4 tips for discouraging and preventing student cheating:

EMPHASIZE INQUIRY

A big part of the solution, educators and experts say: Give assessments and assignments

that require students to analyze information, craft creative presentations, or explain their thinking.

“If you are developing critical thinking and inquiry-based activities that frankly require kids to think and apply their learning, you’re not going to have cheating, because you can’t cheat on that, you really can’t,” said Michelle Pearson, who teaches social studies at Century Middle School in the Adams 12 school district in Thornton, Colo.

On the other hand, answers that can be easily found on a cellphone, for assignments like “multiple choice and fill in the blank stuff, [that’s] not necessarily higher-level thinking that should be in a final assessment,” she said.

It’s possible to offer creative, cheating-proof lessons even in Home|Continued to page 13

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

Page 13

Twenty-seven percent of colleges are primarily online

By Amelia Nierenberg The New York Times In a matter of days, nearly all U.S. colleges and universities will be back in session — whether it’s online, in person, or some combination. Davidson College and The Chronicle of Higher Education are tracking the reopening plans of nearly 3,000 institutions: 6 percent will be online-only; 27 percent will be primarily online; 15 percent will be a hybrid of online and in-person; 20 percent will be primarily in-person; 2.5 percent will be solely in-person; 6 percent are doing something else entirely; 24 percent of schools have still not yet finalized their plans.

Struggling to salvage some

normalcy — and revenue — during the pandemic, many colleges and universities are inviting students into dorms and classrooms. But that comes with strict rules: No parties. Regular coronavirus tests. Wellness pledges to self-report symptoms. And some mandatory quarantines — with some suspect meals — before students can enter the dorms.

“Colleges are very risk averse, but at the same time, they’re consumer-oriented,” said our colleague Anemona Hartocollis, who covers higher education. “They’re torn between the desire to make the students happy and the desire to preserve their own reputations.”

There’s one problem with that plan: It requires students to self-police their own social distancing.

more overt” than usual, she said, given how easy it is to cheat in a virtual environment.

She’ll tell students, “Let’s be real with each other now, obviously you can take a picture of your work and text it to your friend. What do you gain by doing this? What do you lose by doing this? What’s your motivation for doing it?”

Students in Record’s class can receive college credit for their work, either through Advanced Placement or a dual enrollment agreement with the University of Connecticut.

She’ll remind them that the consequences for cheating in high school—say, getting a zero on an assignment—pale in comparison to the consequences of cheating in college, where students can be suspended or expelled from school.

could tell who was cheating,” she said. But it will help when she has a new crop of students.

BLAME GAME

At the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Notre Dame, dozens of coronavirus cases popped up almost immediately, many of which were linked to large parties. Those schools shut down in-person education and switched to online-only classes.

“If you look at the pictures, kids seem oblivious,” Anemona said. “But when you’re that age, it’s easy to just get lost in the excitement and forget.”

Some schools, including

Purdue University and the University of Connecticut, have begun imposing tough penalties on social distancing violations. Syracuse University, which began classes on Monday, suspended 23 people after a large outdoor gathering last week. An official warned that revelers “may have done damage enough to shut down campus, including residence halls and in-person learning, before the academic semester even begins.”

The professors Julia Marcus and Jessica Gold predicted this more than a month ago in The Atlantic: “Students will get infected, and universities will rebuke them for it; campuses will close, and students will be blamed for it.”

HOME |Continued from page 12 a remote learning environment, Pearson said. For instance, last spring, when her district shifted to all-virtual schooling, she asked students to research one of nearly 300 historical sites and create a presentation explaining its significance to westward expansion.

CLASSROOM CULTURE

Some educators are trying to create a classroom culture that discourages cheating and dishonesty, even if it’s in an online environment.

Teachers at Oriole Park Elementary School in Chicago have been trying to help students understand that assignments and tests are about figuring how best to help them learn. That means starting the school year talking “less about grades, and more about: we want to know how you can get the most out of your education here,” said Emily Hogan, who teaches 1st grade.

Hogan’s colleagues have also brainstormed creating an “honor code” for their classes that focuses on academic honesty.

“We are talking about character and what character is comprised of and how they can be a good person when nobody is watching,” she said. Such conversations are necessary because it would be impossible to cut off all avenues to cheating.

“There’s no way we can micro-manage them,” Hogan said.

That approach can work for older students, too.

Kristin Record, who teaches physics at Bunnell High School in Stratford, Conn., plans to address the cheating issue more directly than in the past.

“My plan is to be a little

USE FEEDBACK

Allowing students to assess each other’s work is another good way to cut down on cheating, said Pearson, the Colorado teacher. That’s something that’s a hallmark of her classroom, both in person and now online.

“I work diligently to really create a community network of peer feedback, where kids are giving direct feedback to each other, they are critically thinking about what their partners are writing,” she said. “When you have peers evaluate peers, it reduces [cheating] tremendously because they are held accountable to their buddies.”

Kerr also recommends getting a good sense of what students know by asking them to turn in their classwork daily.

That wasn’t as necessary when her district went all-remote in the spring. “I knew my kids and

TURN ON THE CAMERA

Technology tools can also help cut down on the temptation to cheat.

For instance, Kerr requires her students to turn their computer cameras on during tests and quizzes. And she disables the “chat” function in Zoom so that the class can only communicate with her, not each other.

Jacob Ryckman, who teaches English and English as a Second Language in the Plano Independent School District in northwest Texas, says some

of his colleagues use software, available on Google’s Chromebook, that allows teachers to get a glimpse of their students’ computer monitors.

Google classroom lets teachers create a quiz or assignment that must be completed in a certain time frame. And it permits teachers to change settings so that students can’t open any other windows, making it tougher for kids to pull off a quick search.

But, of course, students could still look things up on their phones or other devices.

“Especially when kids are working remotely, there’s no 100 percent fail-safe [strategy],” Ryckman said.

Page 14

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

OBITUARIES Longview ISD offers our most sincere condolences to our extended Lobo family ROSA RODRIGUEZ Nací el 5 de Octubre del 1991 mis padres Fermín Rodriguez Barrios + y Cristina Correa Mata, tuve una infancia feliz, perdí a mi Padre a los 13 años a partir de ahí aprendí a ser fuerte, vi la vida muy diferente, fui feliz compartiendo alegrías y tristezas con mi familia y amigas nunca tuve tiempo de estar enojada o triste, ahora me voy; sé que dejo triste a mi madre; me sobrevivirán mis hermanos, Lirio S. Rodriguez y José A. Rodriguez, mis medios hermanos Savannah Corona y Fermín Rodriguez, mis abuelos Esteban Rodriguez, Amparo Barrios y Nicolasa Mata viuda de Correa, mis tíos Tranquilino, Ma. Alberta, Daniel y Luis Antonio Correa Mata y mi tía Elena Hidalgo de Correa. Mis tíos por parte de mi padre Marcelino, Juan J., Julio Rodriguez Barrios y María Ana Garcia y de mas primos y sobrinos. Las personas que

VERA LOUISE BERNEY Vera Louise Litton Berney passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Aug. 24, surrounded by her family. Vera was born on September 19, 1924, in Dryden, Virginia, to Mabel and Earl Litton.

Early in her life her famBERNEY ily moved to Pennington Gap, Virginia, where she later graduated high school. As a station manager for the L & N Railroad, her father frequently had Vera riding on trains to various locations all over Virginia, which she thoroughly enjoyed. It was also from her father that Vera developed her great love of baseball, especially the Texas Rangers! Upon graduation from high school, Vera attended Radford College, the sister school to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where she majored in business. While at Radford, she was selected a Radford Beauty for two straight years.

Upon completion of her studies at Radford, Vera went to work at Tennessee Eastman and was immediately assigned to their site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to work on the Manhattan Project, which produced the atomic bomb. Vera always said, “We were all so shocked to find out at the end of the war what we had really been working on!”

With her return to the main headquarters of Tennessee Eastman in Kingsport, Vera renewed her acquaintance with her

me ayudaron en todo sentimental y moralmente, Mario Esparza Martínez, Gabino Gomez, Velia Guevara, Lety Urbina, y Tere Jiménez especialmente a mis amigas de corazón, Chantol Smith, Alyssa Taylor y Destiny Darden, me voy en paz y dando Gracias al Señor por permitirme vivir 28 años con alegría estuve muy agradecida con Dios ahora, Msgr. Xavier Pappu y Padre Mark Dunne oficiaran una misa para mi eterno descanso Amen.

I, Rosa Isela Rodriguez Correa, was born on October 5, 1991, my parents Fermin Rodriguez + and Cristina Correa Mata, I had a wonderful childhood, my father passed away when I was 13 years old, I looked at life differently I lived my life to the fullest, always smiling and having the time of my life, there were times of sadness but I never had time to be sad or upset. I leave this world in peace, but I leave my

mother sad; I am survived by my siblings, Lirio S. Rodriguez and Jose A. Rodriguez, Savannah Corona, Fermin Rodriguez, my grandparents Esteban Rodriguez, Amparo Barrios and Nicolasa Mata viuda de Correa, my uncles, Tranquilino, Ma. Alberta, Daniel y Luis Antonio Correa Mata and my aunt Elena Hidalgo de Correa. My uncles from my father’s side, Marcelino, Juan J., Julio Rodriguez Barrios and Maria Ana Garcia and cousin and nieces and nephews.

To the people who helped me physically and emotionally, Mario Esparza Martinez, Gabino Gomez, Velia Guevara, Lety Urbina, and Tere Jimenez especially my friends and sisters at heart, Chantol Smith, Alyssa Taylor y Destiny Darden, I leave in peace and thanking the Lord for letting me live 28 wonderful years with love, Msgr. Xavier Pappu y Padre Mark Dunne will officiate my services for eternal peace.

Amen

brother’s friend, Lynn Berney. The two were married for almost sixty years at the time of Lynn’s death. Shortly after their marriage, Lynn was transferred to help with the formation of the newly founded Texas Eastman in Longview. The two happily made their home in Longview for the rest of their lives and reared their three daughters, Linda, Mary, and Jane. Lynn and Vera were avid travelers with the trip to the Holy Land being one of their favorites. She was extremely devoted to her husband Lynn and faithfully helped with his care in later years.

An active homemaker, Vera’s very first priority was taking care of her family. She was also very involved with Bluebirds, Campfire Girls, and the various school PTAs. Vera was an active member of the First United Methodist Church for almost seventy years. She was devoted to the Thelma Morgan Sunday School class, being one of the original members. For many years she served on the flower committee at the church, regularly delivering flowers to the sick and infirm. She also taught children’s Sunday School for many years at the church. Vera had a strong faith in the Lord, which was so evident in the way she lived her life.

Vera’s great love was her grandchildren who could do no wrong! Mammaw and Pappaw took the four grandchildren on many trips throughout the years and had great adventures with them. As the grandchildren grew older, Vera and Lynn became great soccer and tennis supporters,

traveling to out of town games and matches as often as they could. They became the official grandparents of the Longview High School tennis team. She has continued to love and support the grandchildren and great grandchildren throughout their lives.

Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Lynn Berney, her parents, Mabel and Earl Litton, and her two brothers, Jack and Harry Litton. She leaves behind her three daughters, Linda Buie and husband Jim, Mary Berney, and Jane Gullette and husband Bill. She also is survived by four grandchildren, Jed Buie and wife Susan, Melinda Buie, Will and Peter Gullette, and four great grandchildren, Ella, Jack, Max and Bobby.

The family would like to extend great gratitude and love to Vera’s wonderful caregivers: Khadijah Brown, Barbara Wright, Desiree Belew, Nita Hutchins, Tara Eignor, Geneva Johnson, Kami Whitworth, Angela Singleton, and Patti Wright.

The family also extends heartfelt thanks and gratitude to HeartsWay Hospice for the love and care provided to Vera. A special thanks to Sheryl Alligood, Mom’s HeartsWay nurse.

If one desires, donations may be made to HeartsWay Hospice, 4351 McCann Road, Longview, 75605 or the First United Methodist Church, 400 N. Fredonia Street, Longview, 75601.

A celebration of life was held Monday, Aug. 31, in the First United Methodist Church Faith Center under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview.

PUBLIC NOTICES LISD Board meeting set for September 14

Trustees usually meet in the boardroom of the LISD Education Support Center, but often set special-called meetings at various locations around the district.

The next regular meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 14.

For more information about the Longview ISD Board of Trustees go to LISD.org.

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — August 28, 2020

Page 15

Will COVID-19 silence school bands, choirs?

By Corey Mitchell Education Week For Penelope Cruz, the first disappointment was the canceled Carnegie Hall performance.

The second came on Friday, March 13th.

On that day, as more schools shut down nationwide, Cruz, who directs the choir at White Plains High School in New York, delivered a prescient warning. It came a day after her students learned that Carnegie Hall had canceled their scheduled performance and all others for the month of March as it shut down to slow the spread of Coronavirus.

“One of my students said to me, ‘Do you remember that last Friday and you said to us, ‘This may be the last time we sing in this room together for this year?’

We all thought you were kind of crazy,’” Cruz recalled. “I kind of said it not to be doomsday about it, but we needed to be emotionally prepared.”

Not much has changed in the time since. Carnegie Hall is still shut down, Cruz is still separated from her students, and the White Plains school district, where Cruz teaches, will begin the school year in September with all-remote learning for at least the first week.

In the span of several months, group singing and musical performances and rehearsals, once a source of glee for millions of students, are now potential disease incubators—especially if those performances are conducted indoors.

Science has established a clear link between the spread of particles when people speak, sing, and play instruments by mouth and Coronavirus infection.

Choirs have been tied to several Coronavirus outbreaks around the world, and marching band competitions have been shut down in dozens of states.

At Biloxi High in southern Mississippi, all 240 members of the school marching band undergo temperature checks with digital thermometers and answer a series of coronavirus screening questions before practice each day. During drills, students and staff must remain six feet apart.

“These are the hoops we’re trying to jump through to make this possible,” said Travis Coakley, the school marching band director. “My philosophy the whole time has been, if we can find a way to do this safely, we have to try.”

TAKING NOTES

The University of Colorado and the University of Maryland are leading a six-month study

that explores how singers and musicians transmit aerosol particles. The research is funded by organizations trying to determine how in-person performances and practices can take place safely in person amid a global pandemic.

Preliminary findings, published in July, revealed that singing and the playing of brass and wind instrument generate respiratory aerosols at high rates, but that requiring participants

to wear masks and using bell covers for instruments reduces the range of emissions.

A second round of research released this month reinforced the findings that, when indoors, the risk of coronavirus infection spikes if someone is exposed to viral particles for more than 30 minutes.

The researchers, who have released preliminary results to help educators understand how they can safely resume

instruction in classrooms, band rooms, and rehearsal spaces, expect to complete their work in December.

In March, a two-and-a-halfhour-long church choir practice in Mount Vernon, Wash., was one of the first events that shed light on the dangers of mass gatherings and aerosol spread.

In the week after the practice, three people were hospitalized and two eventually died; 52 of the 61 attendees became ill, with 32 confirmed to have COVID-19. The other 20 had symptoms consistent with the virus. Investigators with the Skagit County Health Department determined that only one person at the practice had symptoms a few days prior. Doctors later confirmed that person had COVID-19.

LONGVIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICE AREA REPRESENTATIVES & POLICE OUTREACH SERVICES TEAM

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