Operation Back 2 School
Andy: What Our Students Need
It’s hard to describe Andy Marks-Garcia succinctly. She’s a world-traveler with deep Texas roots. A passionate educator who thought she would be a politician. A bilingual American whose second language (English) has supplanted her first (Spanish). She patrols her classroom with the authority of a mother and the enthusiasm of a child. Andy Garcia is…
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Outstanding Educators Aren’t the Answer
Most of us conjure a specific image when we think about teachers. We all remember a favorite, a man or woman who would stop at nothing to empower and inspire us in our youth. It’s easy to think of great teachers as the Golden Standard. But that can be dangerous. Our students need more than…
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The Second Backpack: Students Carry More Than Supplies Into a New Year
Footsteps and the thunder of rolling trash cans echo through the halls of Shady Brook Elementary. The lights are already off in sections of the building, and most of the desks have been pushed into the corners of their classrooms. It’s the first official day of summer for students in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District,…
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Mikayla: Drops in the Bucket
HURST — The air shimmers above the asphalt on Precinct Line, as thick as always in the dead of Texas summer. From her post underneath a pop-up lemonade stand on her front lawn, Shari Rydzeski can tell that it’s time for an executive decision. But first, she’ll need to talk to the boss. Mikayla, Shari’s…
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One Family, Six Thousand Kids
“I have always felt that Euless was a tight-knit community, but I didn’t realize how well we take care of one another.” Some things have to be experienced to be believed. Others are understood but don’t truly strike you until you are swept away with them. Operation Back 2 School is a little bit of…
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