Ott's Outlook
AUGUST 2020
It has been a busy and unpredictable summer. As you know we have been working on plans to open school with On-Campus and Remote Learning options for our students and families.
On July 22, area superintendents met with the Bell County Health District (BCHD) to discuss the reopening of schools. This was a very collaborative meeting and I appreciate the BCHD’s willingness to talk with us prior to making any official decisions that could substantially impact public education.
Based on current local data, the BCHD announced an order that included two items that directly and significantly impact Temple ISD:
Schools in Bell County cannot hold in-person classes until after September 7.
Public school districts must submit their plans for reopening to be reviewed and approved.
The Attorney General has since ruled that local health departments do not have the authority to mass-close school districts. Given the back and forth shifting of decision-making authority among state and county entities, it is now clear that our board of trustees has the final authority to manage our district. With this being said, Temple ISD will continue our proposed course and start the school year on September 8 with both On-Campus and Remote Learning options for our families. We believe this decision considers the advice of our local medical professionals, while better supporting our students, parents and staff. The school year will be extended through June 9, 2021 for students to receive 170 days of instruction.
Temple ISD did provide our plans for reopening to the BCHD and they were approved with no further recommendations. In fact, Dr. Smith of the BCHD has held our plan up as the model and is encouraging other districts to use it as a resource when developing their own plans. Our staff worked tirelessly to create these plans and I could not be more proud of the final products that have been produced to mitigate the spread and ensure the safety of our students and staff. You can click on the links below to access some of these comprehensive plans.
I want to thank our staff, students, families and community for your support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and plan accordingly.
Bobby Ott
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Annual Report 2020
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- Laurie Sims, 1st grade teacher at Kennedy-Powell, was selected as the Region 12 Elementary Teacher of the Year!
- Our Board of Trustees was selected as the Region 12 Board of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators!
- Both regional winners are in the finals for their respective state-wide award.
- Our THS Advanced Academics students earned a total of 903 college hours through IB and AP testing this year.
- Our IB students surpassed the World average scores in History, Environmental Systems and Math.
- We had 7 AP scholars - student who passed three or more AP tests in one year.
...Now that you know, please share these exciting accomplishments with others!
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Extended Year Program @ Thornton Elementary with service dog "Summer"
Master Teacher Training
Rewarding staff for their work
Spending time with mentors
TASA Leadership Summit
Planning with campus leaders
Treno's Grand Opening
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Support our Local Restaurants and Businesses...click below!
Bobby Ott, Ed.D.
Email: bobby.ott@tisd.org
Website: https://www.tisd.org/apps/pages/Superintendent
Phone: 254-215-6760
Facebook: facebook.com/templeisd
Twitter: @OttTempleISD