Los Fresnos students get second chance

LOS FRESNOS - On Amanda Peña's wall, there is a diploma-sized void.

After four years at Los Fresnos High School, she fell short of passing the math section of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Because she didn't pass, administrators told her she wouldn't graduate.

"That's the only thing that held me back, and it's been looming over my head ever since," Peña said.

Thanks to a new program started by the Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District, she'll now have a chance to earn her diploma - two years after the TAKS held her back.

The school districts newly inaugurated College, Career and Technology Academy offers intensive, personal attention to former Los Fresnos High School students who were unable to fulfill graduation requirements. The program, a brainchild of Superintendent Gonzalo Salazar, is currently open to people between the ages of 17 and 23.

The idea was powerful enough that Peter Gonzalez, a veteran of 31 years of teaching, was convinced to leave retirement to teach science at the academy.

"When the students choose to enroll, it's because they really want to learn," Gonzalez said. "These are kids who have been in the real world. When they come back to the classroom, they see the relevancy of what they're learning."

The academy's summer session, which started June 9, has 14 students. Each has a different reason for not receiving a high school diploma. Administrators name TAKS scores, pregnancies and extenuating family circumstances as common explanations.
Because each student has to fulfill unique course requirements, curricula are tailored to individual needs.

"The program is much more individualized than typical high school classes," Gonzalez said. "I think the personal attention will make a huge difference."

Perhaps the program's biggest draw is that it offers a high school diploma, not just a GED.

"The diploma is a form of self-pride," said Manuel Almanza, the academy's parental involvement coordinator.

Administrators say that some students are anxious to show the document to their young children.

Last week, the College, Career and Technology Academy received a grant from the Texas Education Agency, which could be worth as much as $250,000. In September, when the grant becomes available, it will supplement the money that the academy currently receives from Title 1 grants and local funds.

But some of the academy's most valuable gifts, according to Director Cindy Arredondo, come in the form of parternships with local businesses and institutions. Several Los Fresnos businesses will soon allow students to shadow them in their workplaces. A relationship with UTB-TSC will make for an easy transition to a university education.

Amanda Peña has already started her course of study at UTB, where she is studying to become a paralegal, but that hasn't kept her from pursuing the diploma.

"I'm going to get this done," she said, "and then I'll finally be able to move on."