The superintendent of the Lubbock, Tex., schools has been tapped to be the next commissioner of the Texas Education Agency. If his appointment is approved, Michael Moses would replace Lionel R. Meno, who stepped down when his contract expired last week.
Pending approval by the state Senate, a swearing-in ceremony was scheduled this week for Mr. Moses, who has been with the 30,000-student Lubbock district since 1989.
The leadership change comes as the education agency, which sets standards for schools in the state, faces downsizing and possibly decentralization. Legislators are considering proposals that would give more power to local districts.
Going the extra mile paid off for a 13-year-old who traced nine lost Depression-era murals to a high school in the suburbs of Chicago. Hana Field, an 8th grader at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago, made her discovery while working on a class paper on the Works Progress Administration’s art program. During her research, she learned that some paintings from the program had once been at nearby Highland Park High School.
After calling the school a few times, Hana finally spoke with the chairwoman of the fine-arts department, Connie Kieffer, and told her about her project.
Ms. Kieffer, who knew nothing about the panels, began asking questions, and found some answers from a staff member who had been with the school for 30 years. The paintings were discovered in the school’s attic, where they had been stored for 40 years.
The paintings, by Edgar Britton, are in good shape, said Ms. Kieffer. Each depicts an industry such as mining or farming during the 1930’s
The murals were unveiled at a ceremony honoring Hana’s discovery. The paintings will be restored and cleaned, then displayed in the school library. “We are very fortunate that we’ve found them,” Ms. Kieffer said.
The Washington-based Interstate Migrant Education Council has elected Walter Cooper as its chairman. He takes over the position once held by former U.S. Rep. William D. Ford, who will become chairman emeritus. Mr. Cooper is a member of the New York State board of regents.
--Adrienne D. Coles
