Countless school districts would be fortunate to have Dr. Wiley J. Dobbs as superintendent. Twin Falls (Idaho) School District No. 411 (TFSD 411) is the lucky one, though, where Dobbs has held this role since 2003. According to Bryan Matsuoka, vice chairman of the Twin Falls School District board of trustees, Dobbs is an energetic and positive leader.
“Dr. Dobbs has created an environment that promotes rigorous learning for all students,” adds Patti O’Dell, associate superintendent of the Twin Falls School District. “He does not shy away from challenges or difficult decisions. Instead, he works tirelessly in the shade of shrinking budgets, to create opportunities for students from all walks of life.”
A district like TFSD 411 needs someone like Dobbs at the helm. The district serves nearly 8,000 students in Twin Falls. It is comprised of seven elementary schools, two middle schools, one alternative middle school, classrooms at the local juvenile detention center, two high schools, and one alternative high school. All these facilities are accredited, and the Idaho State Department of has characterized the district as “high-performing.”
TFSD is the eighth-largest among Idaho’s 114 school districts. It also is one of the largest employers in an eight-county region, with more than 450 certified and 400 classified staff.
Offering sanctuary
Along with traditional facilities, TFSD has one of only four refugee centers in the state of Idaho. Launched in the 1980s, the refugee center has brought students from Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Burma, China, Mexico, Thailand, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran into the district’s classrooms.
When Dobbs became superintendent in 2003, he and the district office administrative team recognized the need and opportunity to provide better services to this specific group while helping the district’s teachers meet the varied and oftentimes challenging needs of these students.
In September 2009, the district opened the Newcomer Center. This facility serves as an intake and welcome center to assist refugee students and families through their transition into American culture, TFSD 411 itself and the community. The center facilitates a centralized registration process that reduces frustration and confusion, and qualified English Language Learner teachers complete language and placement assessments within a few days of registration.
“Classrooms and teachers at the center provide transitional time where students can adjust to westernized school and cultural norms,” Dobbs says. “The goal is to prepare students to transition to mainstream classrooms with the ability to participate socially, communicate effectively and meet the academic standards.”
Unfortunately, due to limited resources during the 2009-10 academic year, the center was only able to support secondary students in grades six through 12, so elementary students were still placed in mainstream classrooms to begin the year.
However, in 2010 and 2011, TFSD 411 received funding through the Idaho Refugee School Impact Grant to expand and accommodate elementary students in kindergarten through 5th grade at its Morningside Elementary School, and secondary students at Robert Stuart Middle School.
“Our Newcomer Centers are fully staffed with outstanding, highly qualified teachers, para-educators and a family liaison,” Dobbs adds.
The extra resources have proved fruitful, as well. Data from the 2010-11 school year shows improvement within the district’s refugee student population. The district made its Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives in the percent of ELL students who advanced at least one level of language on the Idaho English Language Assessment; 27 percent is the requirement, and 46.8 percent of TFSD 411’s ELL students advanced. Also, the district exceeded the 15 percent goal for students who attain proficiency, with 20.8 percent of students in TFSD 411 making this mark.
“While our academic achievement indicators continue to increase with our refugee students, and while we are thrilled with the continued growth and progress these students are making, we also continue to be grateful for the opportunity that all of our students, our teachers, administrators and staff, and our community have to interact with and befriend people from all over the world,” Dobbs says.
Spreading the word
In Dobbs’ opinion, there is too much negative press about the state of the U.S. public education system. Instead of lamenting this issue, TFSD 411 took it upon itself to broadcast the good things this district accomplishes every day.
In 2008, the district began working with Intermountain Film and Video Productions to create public service announcements (PSA) that highlight the schools and the district overall. These began running in the fall of 2009 with the overarching message of “Public Education Works!” The seven PSAs can be viewed on the district’s Facebook page and YouTube.
“As educators, we continue to be challenged as never before to be successful and to connect with each and every student, their parents and our patrons,” Dobbs says. “In today’s world, dropouts are doomed.
“We must work effectively within teams to learn, share and use the most effective teaching strategies, utilize data and technology to adjust instruction to meet the varying educational needs of all students, provide interventions and extra time and help for students who need it, and produce evidence of success,” Dobbs adds. “In addition, it is important to reflect a positive attitude about our work as educators and promote the outstanding things we do in our school district.”
