Friday, Nov. 21, 2008

News briefs

KISD teachers achieve ’highly qualified’ rating

For the third year in a row, the Keller school district is reporting 100 percent of teachers in core academic areas are rated as highly qualified. The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act requires that all teachers in core subjects be highly qualified, meaning they have proper certification, a bachelor’s degree or better and passed current testing.

The district provides ongoing professional development to teachers so they can maintain the "highly qualified" rating, officials said.

Construction of Fire Station No. 4 on track

After six months, construction of Fire Station No. 4 is on schedule to be completed in late winner, Keller Mayor Pat McGrail said in his Nov. 14 weekly announcement. Crews are working on the building’s exterior, roof and interior walls, and installation of plumbing and electrical was set to begin this week.

Construction of the 11,100-square-foot station, at Keller-Smithfield Road and Bear Creek Parkway, is being funded by $3.7 million of voter-approved bonds. Staff positions were included in this and last years’ budgets.

Heritage Elementary student handcuffed after assaults at school

A Heritage Elementary School student was handcuffed by police and taken to a local hospital for mental evaluation after kicking, punching and biting an assistant principal and a teacher, according to Fort Worth police reports. The scuffle Tuesday began when the student assaulted her older brother in a classroom, the teacher told police. The teacher intervened and was also assaulted while escorting the student to the assistant principal’s office. There, the principal was "punched in the stomach more than once, punched in the face and also bit three times," according to the report.

The two restrained the girl, who kicked and fought to free herself. She was placed in handcuffs once police arrived. After the school was unable to reach the girl’s mother, she was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center for evaluation.