SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT:  SHARPSTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sharpstown Middle School is busy – Principal Jeff Amerson is making sure of that!  This is Mr. Amerson’s second year as principal and he’s brought a “New Attitude for a New Year” and emphasize 3-R’s: Respectful, Responsible, Relentless.  In fact, they want their students to know that they won’t let them give up!  Part of the new attitude includes a new look – check out how great the kids look in their new school shirts!

Mr. Amerson believes that connection is the key to success – connecting with the students who are looking for someone to notice that they are alive, connecting with elementary school students to get them excited about middle school and connecting with the community.  There is a school-wide emphasis on reading.  Mr. Amerson is working to provide Gifted & Talented training to all his teachers in order to help students rise to their greatest potentials.  The rewards are blossoming attitudes and blossoming students.

Perception is often louder than the truth.  Looking at “labels,” SMS was recently rated as “unacceptable” – this was due to the criteria that a school is unacceptable if it has a “drop out rate” of more than 1% (no more than 12 students for SMS).  Unfortunately, if a parent does not notify the school that a student is checking out or does not request records, the child is considered a drop out.  Last year, 16 checked out – most live in apartments and left no forwarding address, and several likely went back home to New Orleans, yet this labeled the school “unacceptable”.  This should serve as a reminder that when judging schools, you have to look beyond labels and look for the facts.  The fact is that Sharpstown Middle School is making progress.

Mr. Amerson wants everyone to know that he has the best teachers and staff anywhere!  They are very devoted to the school and to the community and many, in fact, live here in Sharpstown.  HISD Administration has been very supportive and in touch – in fact, as we were leaving our visit, the West Region superintendent and new Executive Principal were coming in for a meeting.  But Mr. Amerson is not satisfied with limiting good ideas to in-house, he visits other schools to bring the best ideas to Sharpstown Middle School.

Sharpstown Middle School is bringing back Student Council, National Junior Honor Society and a Junior Thespian troupe.  Also coming are advanced classes including high school Spanish and Algebra (IPC will be returning in the near future).  Students have been provided planners (the cover artwork was done by a student) and has restructured the class day so that homeroom is the first and last class of the day, and each student planner is checked to be sure all assignments are noted.  Parents can now be informed of what their children are doing and need to be doing.  And they are very excited about their Theater Arts program – in fact, on the day we visited, they were hosting a production of “Taming of the Shrew” by the Main Street Theater.

They are also concerned about safety, Mr. Amerson has a Zero Tolerance for bullying and makes sure all students know that the adults control the building.  And they have a new system where visitors must present their Texas Drivers License, which is scanned and they are immediately notified if there are warrants or other problems.  But “safety” does not mean “prison.”  Mr. Amerson does not argue about the rules (the rules are the rules) but believes in bugging students instead of ignoring them or screaming at them.  “All kids are a challenge,” says Mr. Amerson, “but that’s the fun and that’s why we do this!  It is a duty – a calling – to teach.”  One student recently came up to him and asked “You really like us, don’t you?”  Yes – he really does!