Living Legend: Dr. Carrol A. Thomas Beaumont ISD Superintendent
- By Staff Writer
- Published 05/18/2009
- Education
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BEAUMONT- Dr. Carrol A. Thomas is a highly sought-after educational leader who is renowned for his work in inspiring those in communities and government to achieve the best for those who depend on public education. He excites youth to learn, teachers to teach, staff persons to support and administrators to lead. Thomas has served as Superintendent of Schools for the Beaumont Independent School District since July 11, 1996. The BISD Board of Trustees that unanimously hired him expressed confidence that Thomas is committed to quality education and will focus on the tasks at hand.
Thomas went to Beaumont from North Forest Independent School District in Houston, Texas, where his work earned him the Superintendent of the Year for Region 4, and he was one of three finalists for the award of Superintendent of the Year in the State of Texas. Under Thomas’ leadership, North Forest I.S.D. was the first and only school district to move from “Accredited Warned.”
When Thomas went to BISD, the district was one of the lowest performing districts in the state. BISD is now ranked among the top school districts in Texas for improving student performance. The district has gone from only one campus receiving state recognition in 1996, to over one-third of the 32 sites receiving either recognized or exemplary status in recent years.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&I, his superintendent’s certificate from Texas Tech and his doctorate from Texas Southern University. He is married to Linda, an elementary school principal, father of two daughters, Carol Lynn and Gracie Elizabeth.
We salute Dr. Carrol Thomas as this week’s Living Legend and invite you to send in who you think will make a good Living Legend and why they should be honored as such to news@aframnews.com.
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8 Responses to "Living Legend: Dr. Carrol A. Thomas Beaumont ISD Superintendent" 
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said this on 19 Jun 2009 8:03:10 PM MST
What's legendary is the beautiful building of South Park High School that Dr. Thomas has green-lighted for demolition. Sure, it'll cost $15 million dollars *more* to destroy an historic building and replace it with a throwaway version than to remodel and update the existing structure. But what's a little extra in an already bloated bond?
Besides who really cares about eighty-plus years of history in a half-dead neighborhood anyway? That's old school...oh wait: decrepit Central High School continues to stand. Shall we just nod earnestly and consider Dr. Thomas' expertise in "exciting youth to learn" as we watch an architectural treasure fall to the ground? This is progressivism gone mad, and we should all be frightfully ashamed! It's an outrage that our youth will be denied the honor and historical richness of learning inside one of the most revered educational buildings in the region. At least there will be a gargantuan cookie-cutter sports facility across town to enjoy. It, too, will be the stuff of legends...at least until lack of maintenance sends it to the wrecking ball. Unless Dr. Thomas realizes the egregious error that BISD is about to make in destroying old South Park, he might better be hailed as the Rich Man Who Killed Poor South Park. Some legend! |
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said this on 30 Jun 2009 12:19:52 PM MST
Your criticism of Dr. Thomas is unfair. How many people do you know that have accomplished the level of success that he has in two separate school districts. The building is just that, a building. Why are you so bent on trying to repair and preserve such an outdated physical structure? It was never about the building, but about the lessons taught in the building, about the people that you met in the building, about the teachers that cared in the building, and about the education received in the building. Our children (all of them) deserve a building that affords them a first class education. All of the bells a whistles that the citizens are willing to pay for through the bond issue. Let go of the physical building and hold on to the precious memories of all that transpired in the building. Let it go and allow that children of this generation to benefit from a new state of the art facility. I wonder how much of your criticism is leveled toward Dr. Thomas because he is.......... (I'll let you fill in the blank). Thank you Dr. Thomas for the job you have done, are doing, and will continue to do.
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said this on 02 Jul 2009 10:22:52 PM MST
Sir, wonder no more: my criticism is leveled toward Dr. Thomas because he is unwilling to listen to the citizens of the city who believe (rightfully so, to my mind) that destroying an historic building to build new (at nearly double the cost of upgrading) is an outrage. The district's plan for destruction defies logic both monetarily and from an educational standpoint. Furthermore, the structure is important to the city (the whole city!) in which it stands. The district's callous disregard for the historical significance of the South Park landmark reinforces a disturbing message to young people: that the past is unimportant, and that progress only registers on the scale of shiny and new.
If you are unfamiliar with the history of the South Park neighborhood and the founding of the school, may I suggest the book The Story of South Park and The Founding of Lamar University (Ray Asbury, 1972)? |
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said this on 19 Nov 2009 9:29:20 PM MST
D.Pearson I am a citizen of beaumont and I say tare it DOWN!!!!!!!!!
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said this on 03 Dec 2009 7:36:11 PM MST
"Tare" it down? Seriously? Citizen or no, you should be aghast at both your disrespect for classic, inimitable architecture and history, as well as your orthographical faux pas.
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said this on 19 Nov 2009 9:19:27 PM MST
tare it down to the ground.
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said this on 01 Jul 2009 8:40:55 AM MST
All the flowery language that Victor spews forth masks the reality of the situation. It is sickening that people equate "new" with "good." As D. Pearson says -- and has been widely reported -- the old building is sound enough and could be more than adequately retrofitted at a savings to taxpayers. Why this man Thomas is one of the highest-paid superintendents in the state -- all while the district is losing enrollment -- is beyond belief. He is a "living legend" for all the wrong reasons, and the destruction of South Park will cement that legacy.
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said this on 18 Dec 2009 3:12:10 PM MST
If walking into a brand new building of education you are suddenly turned into a scholar, then perhaps you should expect when walking into your garage that you should immediately become a automobile. Living history is something that I would expect most folks of color would respect and honor. But, it seems that anything that dates itself to before Rosa Parks is looked upon as racial or slave overtones and therefore deserves to be obliterated. Wise up.
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