Mr. Brasfield: You have to be quiet for this. I want to personally and individually shake the hands of each one of these teachers and tell ‘em thank you. Thank you, Mr. Northcook. Thank you, Ms. Nicholas. Thank you, Ms. Hollick. Thank you, Ms. Bates.

Mr. Brasfield: Walton is a school that contains students and teachers who can do just as good a job on this side of town as they can on the east side or the west side. All you have to do is find the right teachers. And if you find the right teachers, then you can reach the moon.

Mr. Brasfield: And thank you, Ms. Bush. Thank you, Ms. Green. Thank you, Ms. Burroughs. And thank you, Ms. Lewis. Give them a hand!

Audience screams

WALTON NOW RANKS AMONG THE TOP INNER CITY SCHOOLS IN TEXAS. TO MOVE INTO THE ELITE GROUP OF EXEMPLARY SCHOOLS, THEY’LL NEED TO DO BETTER WITH KIDS LIKE TAVARES.

Ms. Morgan: I’m going to ask you to read a story. After you read it, I will ask you a few questions, okay?

Tavares: Okay.

Ms. Morgan: Tell me when you’re ready.

Tavares: I’m ready.

Ms. Morgan: Go.

Tavares: Tim and Sid like to…

TODAY TAVARES IS TAKING HIS YEAR-END ASSESSMENT.

Tavares: Mom said, ‘We can not get wet.’ But, Dad…

WHILE HIS READING IS SLOW AND LABORED, THE WORDS DO HAVE MEANING FOR TAVARES.

Ms. Morgan: Why did Dad decide to go on and jump in the pool – jump in the pond and get wet? What changed his mind?

Tavares: It was too hot.

Ms. Morgan: He said it was hot.

TAVARES’S DAD COMES IN TO REVIEW THE RESULTS.

Ms. Morgan: Now, I, uh, timed him on reading this… and I came up with 30 words per minute. The goal for first grade is to read 60 words per minute. So we’re still not where we should be. I would like for Tavares to attend summer school. But just looking at the progress that he made from the beginning of the year to now, I think this is great, so we can only go higher.

Ms. Jackson: He’s in the library now walking around looking at books, you know, and that’s a joy. This is where the joy comes in. We’re kinda over the pain…

TODAY IS THE DAY BEFORE SCHOOL GETS OUT.

Ms. Morgan: Let me hear from a boy now. Uhhh, Tavares.

Tavares: Put your pencil down!

Ms. Morgan: Come on, Richard! Put your pencil down. Okay, Tavares.

Tavares: I am so glad I came to first grade, because I have learned – learned math. I like my math book.

TAVARES HAS COME A LONG WAY. AND HE’S SORRY TO SEE FIRST GRADE COME TO AN END.

Tavares: I’m not glad that school is over.

Ms. Morgan: How come?

Tavares: Because I wanna stay in school.

ONE REASON STANDS OUT IN HIS MIND.

Tavares: School teach me how to read.

HIS FRIEND GIGGLES, BUT TAVARES IS SERIOUS.

Tavares: Nicholas, that’s not funny. School teach me how to read.

Ms. Kemp: Are you ready? 1…2…3! Let ‘em go!

Ms. Kemp: I would not call the success of this school a miracle, because we worked. We worked. We read to those kids. We gave two and three lessons a day and it proved to us that if you want something bad enough, if you want the success of every kid, if you want every kid to read, they can do it.

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Photo Credit for Bearden Elementary: Maude Schuyler Clay
Photo Credit for Walton Elementary: Chris Hamilton