ODESSA, Texas — UT Permian Basin STEM Academy parents are being critical of the University's plan for the academy's future. The issue has been a hot button topic for those parents since the summer.
You'll remember parents protested partnering with IDEA Public Schools back in May. Dr. Woodley took that option off the table and regrouped in an effort to hear parents out. Since the summer, a task force has been created to address parent concerns. Even so, parents say they still feel in the dark.
"I certainly do understand the angst that parents have when there is uncertainty. We are using the task force as their representative, but we want to go beyond that," UT Permian Basin President Dr. Sandra Woodley said.
The task force has been meeting once a month. With the help of the University, the future of the academy is on a three-year path to meet four goals. Those goals are listed in a newsletter sent out to all parents on Friday.
In part, the newsletter states, “the goal of the University is to secure the long-term future for the STEM Academy. The University does not wish to close the school. The University is committed to finding the solution within the next three years and hopeful that a solution can be found earlier than that.”
“The goal is to successfully implement a solution that achieves the following preferences as much as possible:
Current students with opportunity to continue
Faculty & staff with opportunity to continue
Maintain STEM model
Permanent structures to secure STEM’s future
Dr. Woodley reiterated her commitment to those parents Monday afternoon saying nothing has changed with the three-year timeline, saying she plans to take steps to dispel any miscommunication.
"It's very easy in the middle of securing the future for your own children without proper communication to make assumptions that aren't true. We want to alleviate all that."
In an effort to do that, Dr. Woodley will have sign-ups for small group meetings. It's open to all parents who want to meet and address any concerns about the STEM Academy's future.
“I want to give all parents who want to say something, to have the opportunity to do so,” Dr. Woodley said. “We want to go the extra mile to ensure everyone has a voice.”
Many parents have taken to social media to air out their concerns – some fearing the school will move or close within the next year. Dr. Woodley says that is simply not true.
"The work of the task force began last summer. The STEM Academy will remain open and functional the entire time and we want to find a solution going forward and I think we will," she said.
Another parent took to social media writing, "please consider look at STEM's test scores…. we are one of the best schools in Midland and Odessa."
That's what NewsWest 9 did this afternoon. The most recent accountability scores released by the Texas Education Agency shows the STEM Academy received a "C" rating in almost every area. One section of the report states, "this campus is identified for targeted support and improvement."
By comparison, we looked at Ector County ISD schools as a whole. Those scores are on par with STEM Academy scores – receiving a "C" rating in almost every area.
If you haven't seen the communication sent out to STEM parents, below is the letter in its entirety:
In May of 2019 Dr. Woodley asked the STEM community to develop a task force to represent the voices of the STEM stakeholders in researching the options for long-term sustainability of the STEAM Academy. The task force is comprised of a combination of parents, community members, teachers, staff, and board members with a variety of backgrounds and specializations in the areas of land & facilities, philanthropy, TEA charter policies, and budget & sustainability. The task force is charged with gathering information and researching all possible sustainable avenues to propose to the STEM community for feedback and to Dr. Woodley for review and final decision.
Dr. Woodley would like to share this carlifying information with our STEM community:
The goal of the University is to secure the long-term future for the STEM Academy. The University does not wish to close the school. To the contrary, we believe a suitable long-term solution will be found over the next several years.
The University is committed to finding the solution within the next 3 years and hopeful that a solution can be found earlier than that. The school will remain open and functional during the exploration period.
The goal is to successfully implement a solution that achieves the following preferences as much as possible:
Current students with opportunity to continue
Faculty & staff with opportunity to continue
Maintain STEM model
Permanent structure to secure STEM’s future
This month the task force will be meeting with Dr. Scott Muri, Superintendent of ECISD, and the board President of an existing charter school to discuss possible future partnerships with these two entities. In addition to that, we will soon begin sign ups for small group conversations with Dr. Woodley to ensure that all voices are heard as we move through the process. We encourage our STEM family to participate in the upcoming small group discussions to ask questions and discuss ideas.
Summary of the Timeline:
One to three years (as needed) for exploring options with STEM task force and University officials – with goal to implement solution within this timeframe if feasible.
Beginning in December 2019, President Woodley will provide opportunities for anyone in the STEM family to sign up for small group conversations with her to ensure all voices are heard as we go through the process. We will provide dates and times so parents or employees can sign up.
Upcoming Events
November – Task force information meeting with school district superintendent and school board president of existing charter
November – Sign ups begin for small group conversations with Dr. Woodley
November – December – Small group conversations continue
