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Full of youthful enthusiasm and self-flattery, I could change the world by working at Pearce. Go to Austin, Texas to view events for the entire area, and not just this court location. He was a Dallas eye doctor named John Eisenlohr, who was a prominent member (and later the president) of the Texas Ophthalmological Association, a group whose lobbyist was George Christian. Laura Grayson holding a framed photograph of Rod. The Austin Independent School District received formal notification from Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott that he is ordering the closure of Pearce Middle School, effective with the 2009-2010 school year. 58 acre lot loaded with oak trees and yard to spare, this home was built for entertaining. I have gotten through in the past by ignoring the events, denying their reality and power. Jo Anne Christian materialized in the administrative office, her palms flat on the counter, as she demanded, Wheres John? Soon, the Austin police arrived. Savage, he said with a smile on his face, its me, Daniel. Daniel, the malcontent from my seventh period class, had grown at least a foot since I last saw him. I could run away from the problem, I could rationalize my decision, but for the kids of the Two-Three it was a reality impossible to escape. In fact, Ray barely remembered a single thing about that entire year. Where he had mesmerized Murchisons gifted and talented, Laura taught mostly those who were socially disadvantaged or at risk. The population of 150 or so residents included about thirty juveniles, of whom no more than sixteen in Johns age range were housed in a separate dormitory. As a pastor I try and lead our church to embrace the refugee, disabled, those on the margins, those turned away from other churches. I coughed to get her attention, but Leticia was mesmerized by this note. J. E. Pearce Middle School sits in a part of Austin my students called the Two-Three. In an announcement that has rocked Austin ISD staff and parents, School Commissioner Robert Scott has announced that Pearce Middle School will close before the beginning of the next school year. City: Austin. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. I recognized Darius, one of the boys from the basketball club. Refi. Find 1 listings related to Pearce Middle School in Ccr on YP.com. View Event; Austin Middle School; 07 Mar 2023 8:00 am. Still, Ray kept talking. He was trying to get in touch with a former classmate, Rob Draper, who hed heard had just published a novel. After speaking to Ray in 1999, I wrote John Christian a letter to see if he would be willing to share his story in GQ, where I was working at the time. In 1984 the system asked 12 years in prison of a fifteen-year-old Colorado boy named Jason Rocha, who suffered from depression but had committed no prior acts of violence before he shot his thirteen-year-old friend to death. In 1992 Texas sentenced Edwin Debrow to 27 years for killing a cab driver during an attempted robberydespite the fact that the twelve-year-old was too young to stand trial as an adult. Im going to bring a gun tomorrow., He wasnt laughing. The screaming intensified. Grayson 40 Years Later, and invited former classmates and teachers to join. What remained unreported until now was the identity of the man who had become Johns adoptive father. Pearce Middle School is a public tennis facility situated at 6429 N Hampton Rd, Austin, TX 78723. Like many Austin professionals, he knew the Christians socially. 3900 Pearce Rd, Austin, TX 78730 $6,737,392 Redfin Estimate Beds 8 Baths 12,270 Sq Ft Off Market About This Home Gated estate w/ 3.2 acres w/ views of Lake Austin, 360 bridge & backing to 500 acre Emma Long Park, has lake access. Thats especially true when no resources are spared to treat a violent adolescent, as was the case with John Christian. $96,474 (2018) 7211 Northeast Drive Austin, TX 78723. But we have not done a good job bringing it up directly. Id had enough. It was Rods turn to stay home with the baby, so he called Murchison and requested a substitute teacher for his classes, beginning with GT English. Wow. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy, Providing Guidance in Education & Learning, Public School | 6th Grade - 8th Grade | 519 students. . To Garcias surprise, the typically stoic father broke down in tears. Sure, I made a small part of the day more pleasant for some students, but I didnt change the course of any of my kids lives, much less the nature of the school. The District had hoped for notification of TEA's decision in early June, as was the case with the notification on Johnston High School in 2008. Eichenbaum was outside the office when she heard the screams from the classroom and at first laughed to herself: Oh, Lord. You just dont understand him the way I do, he said. Is he . No one seemed to believe him. Eisenlohrs children attended Highland Park High School, in the affluent community where John would spend the next two and a half years. Pearce Middle School, located at 6401 N. Hampton Drive, was originally named for James E. Pearce, who was the principal of Austin High School from 1895-1917. Then there was Johns pedigree. He was this strapping young man with a keen mind and great energy.. Fuck you, the boy yelled as he lunged at me, swinging his fist inches from my face. I was abandoning kids who desperately needed another caring adult in their lives, kids who through no fault of their own were stuck by the convergence of powerful forces in a school that didnt work. Mr. Sitting, as he always did, not behind his desk but on his stool directly in front of them, Grayson had begun by asking his students what the hell had happened the previous day. Im just now remembering. Middle School: Pearce Middle; School District: Austin . Theyd come over the hill and kill everyone around me. Inside the Decades-long Effort to Commemorate a Notorious Waco Lynching. Composite scores are determined by combining a school's results for each test and grade and weighting scores by the number of students taking each test. Register for FREE to view the profiles of 428 other alumni first name First name, please! Elaine Moore, a former student of Rod Graysons who witnessed the shooting, photographed at Murchison in February. Community: Keith Forester, Gary Smith, Georgia Clifton, Renice Wernette, Irene Burney. In Nathers view, the recognition that so many lives were deeply affected by the shooting was proof that such a story needed to be written. Urban/Rural Designation: City - Large Get directions. But no, I wasnt the Rob Draper who had gone to Murchison. Susie Gerrie Davis remembers his insisting on several revisions for a written assignment, telling her, I think you could do something pretty important with this gift of yours, and thats why Im requiring so much work from you. (Davis has since become the author of several faith-based books.) He began making inquiries. Several yards away a tall Latino boy brandished a red bandanna indicating his affiliation with the Bloods. File your review. Blood poured out of one of his ears. He shot Grayson three times, in the arm, chest, and forehead. That same day, John reportedly destroyed a map he had designed for a school assignment. It started after the shooting. 3308 Pearce Rd, Austin, TX 78730 $1,595,000 Est. Another Murchison student, David Mider, ran into John at the Texas Tavern, in the UT student union, and learned that the boy who had killed one of Miders favorite teachers was now studying at UT. We were all interested in women, but he wasnt the uninformed idiot I was. . You ask how I got through? As John turned and walked out without another word, the classroom exploded into screams. PEARCE SERVICES is the nation's leading service provider for critical telecom, network, and renewables infrastructure. John thanked her, saying that the man named J.C. was comforted by what she said. Hed done some reading on Hitler and the Nazis, which wasnt uncommon for boys our age. Keep in mind ratings are solely based on a school's performance on its state's standardized tests. I paused and glared at her. The officer pivoted to me. Recently, a fellow schoolteacher told Laura that he had traveled to Emporia State University, in Kansas, over spring break to visit the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Then they were clinging to her, sobbing hysterically. The pilot programs coordinator, Marilyn Eichenbaum (now DuVon), saw his potential right away. Each school's rating is determined by comparing it's test scores to those of other schools in the same state. Why did John seem so unaffected? The board approved the renaming 71, with trustee Robert Schneider opposing. While the campus will remain open, under the current leadership, the Commissioner ordered the District to contract for professional services to help improve student achievement in under-performing subject areas at Reagan, as well as provide for additional professional development. The Christians hired the citys most prominent criminal defense attorney, Roy Minton. She handed me the notebook. The nonprofit research group Children at Risk ranks public schools in Texas based on standardized test scores, attendance numbers and student retention rate. At night, according to George Scott, they sometimes argued heatedly. At the same time, the handsome and witty young teacher (I think every girl had a crush on him, including me, said one student) was an attentive, empathic big-brotherfigure. Gallery. Ten years later, in 2009, Rays youngest daughter, Olivia, who was ten years old, was struck by a Cadillac Escalade and killed at a street crossing on Razorback Road while her sister Hannah watched. Ratings do not take into account other important factors you should consider when evaluating a school. Rays pro bono lawyer was outmatched by the legal team assembled by the young drivers father. At home that night I realized something had changed. The boy with a gun. In the ensuing years, I gave little thought to the Austin tragedy. I once asked Mr. Green how he stayed upbeat at the end of a difficult day. They met up for the first time in years to talk about the grief theyd carried for two decades. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In this area, Pearce was only two to five percentage points away from meeting required improvement and being rated Academically Acceptable. Richarte High School, Georgetown TX But after talking about all this, Ive been in a very weird state of mind. 707 E 47th Street #A, Austin, TX 78751 is a Duplex, Rental property listed for $4,250 The property is 1600 sq. I used to have a recurring dream that I was surrounded by people who seemed to think everything is fine, and I was trying to tell them that it isnt. I havent heard from you, so I dont really know what to write. Then again, he also said of being buried, Thats not where I am., She knew that. The Christians asked that their son be permitted to visit Timberlawn on an outpatient basis. A few days later, Ray drove twelve hours northwest to Littleton, Colorado. The hallucination portended something. For years, Bazar would be haunted by this conversation. . Earle has been ill for some time, according to his wife, Twila, who spoke to me on his behalf. The agenda for that day had already been set. In his letter to Superintendent Carstarphen, the Commissioner also addressed the accountability status of Reagan High School. The following school year, they were bused to different high schools. What occurred in the next two minutes would be remembered through traumas kaleidoscope. (Its not clear whether Earle was aware that Minton had previously represented Judge Cofers son. Private schools do not have ratings because private schools are not obligated to report their test scores to the public. Hes practicing law. In the end, this is the only path I see that makes sense, that has any hope, however long the shot. Pearce Middle School, located at 6401 N. Hampton Drive, was originally named for James E. Pearce, who was the principal of Austin High School from 1895-1917. Ripoff Report | Complaints Reviews Scams Lawsuits Frauds Reported. A few days after the shooting, Bazar visited his friend at the Gardner Bettsjuvenile detention facility, in South Austin. Austin, TX 78753. I had this recurring dream. For the "all student group," 72 percent passed reading, 64 percent passed math, 71 percent passed social studies, and 82 percent passed writing. Rumors swirled around the quiet new student. A few minutes after the bell rang, yelling reverberated from the far end of the hallway. Reunite with old classmates, learn about class reunions and take a look back at your yearbook photos! Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Ray spent the rest of the evening at the home of a former classmate whod settled in Northwest Hills. Chalk dust. He could see that someone had tried to wipe away the blood, but traces remained. James Neff, a reporter from the Austin American-Statesman, rang the doorbell. . His dad was the main topic of conversation, said Bazar. Peculiarities form the contours of the Murchison shooting. DONATE NOW! Keep in mind that your school pictures, yearbook photos, class reunion and all other photos you upload to the Pearce Middle School alumni site will be shared with all the alumni members on our Pearce Middle School website. A few days later, my phone rang. C. Playing along, the girl picked up the phone and spoke a few reassuring words to the nonexistent person on the other end. NEW CONSTRUCTION. Seeing him, Grayson may have smiled, may even have laughed. This is particularly true for the 21 witnesses of the shooting, 8 of whom I spoke with; for Rod Graysons widow, Laura, whom I also interviewed; and for the killer, John Christian, who did not respond to repeated interview requests. Blood gushing. "The Pearce community has come together to ensure that our children know it's important to be strong academically, work hard, be persistent and achieve high standards. Within minutes, I was learning for the first time about the shooting on May 18, 1978. The collateral continuing tragedy is this silence around the event. He added, I know a couple people whove said, We dont know where this [Texas Monthly] story is going. They dont want it to be a hit piece on the Christian family or something that says, This kid escapes justice. I dont want to hurt John. In any such scenario, however, the process can succeed only if both sides participate. Susie Gerrie Davis, a former student of Rod Graysons who witnessed the shooting, photographed at Murchison in February. Hes been a great uncle to my kids. If socioeconomic status is a primary driver of academic performance, and if student achievement suffers in high-poverty schools, why do we continue to organize schools in a way that predetermines some for failure and then blame teachers? A middle-class teacher coming into a low-income school and helping poor students realize their true potential makes for an excellent White Savior Film, but Dangerous Minds isnt real life. Ray looked me upand, yes, I had just published my first novel. They were the bedrock of Pearce. One former classmate, Cathy Olson Muth, was home from college, eating with her family and friends at a restaurant in Northwest Hills, when she happened to see a familiar reflection in a mirror. So the Murchison kids tried to move on. Ray, in the meantime, had continued to spend his post-Murchison years in a state of what he would tactfully term self-anesthetizing. A wayward path took him to Central America, where he was inspired to later attend seminary and become a spiritual directoressentially a roving ordained minister gravitating to those who had experienced trauma. Some of them, assuming he had survived, were hoping to visit their teacher in the hospital. We are a PK-8 elementary school serving over 140 students this year. Though George did not want the Statesman to publish Garcias storyand, indeed, a few people representing the Christians had paid a visit to theneditor in chief Ray Mariotti to express that very sentimenthis posture was anything but belligerent. Yet John continued to hover over his life like a spectral question mark, both inexplicable and utterly familiar. (John went on to study at the universitys prestigious law school. I have not seen you in a long time. John had been at Timberlawn for twenty months when a representative of the Christian family returned to Judge Cofers courtroom. John wont talk to you. His knee was healing from surgery, so he ambled to his truck and gave chase. He said something about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Did he have a family? I dont remember talking to anyone specifically. Austin ISD chief Meria Carstarphen talks bluntly about the poisonous politics between the state and the district over the bungled "repurposing" of Pearce Middle School (spoiler alert: she . For one, there is the trajectory of John Christian: from gifted student to teenage killer to middle-aged tax attorney quietly working and living in Austin today. . Later, Ray went outside and pulled his bicycle from his Honda. I would rather not recall the aspects of my stint at Pearce that seem to affirm this assessment: the death threats, the police roaming the hallways, the schoolyard beatings. A few months ago I stopped at a Greek fast food restaurant on the way home from work. These students were deemed exceptional not because they had high grades but because they seemed to possess a certain creative spark. It was also the case that an adolescent boy could, in broad daylight, during the morning rush hour, walk along a suburban street and down a grassy hill to school carrying a Browning .22-caliber rifle and nobody would think to stop him. His eyes were wide open. Before leaving I told Daniel I was proud of him and gave him a handshake and half-hug, the way men do. What transpired next is based on the recollections of eight eyewitnesses in the classroom as well as those of others at school that day. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Gym class had been underway outside by the football field. Rumor had it that the administration, fearing students would hide weapons in lockers, barred their use. John Ray came home to a shattering quiet. Support the Chronicle, The Pearce Pirate faces the same fate as the Johnston Ram, Right-wing board member objects to hyphenated Americanism, Board votes unanimously to dump controversial, error-riddled book, At 71, the Texan is a bigger star than ever and just getting started, From New Line to Warners, the exec discusses his career, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. I try and pay attention to my own pain and not expect more from myself than I can give, knowing I will be a fraud if I do. Recognizing the need in the area of science, the District prepared an academic improvement plan to address the instructional deficits at Pearce. As she would later say, At that point, as a mother, as a teacher, as a human being, as pained as I was that Rod was dead, I felt sorry for that kid. Back in the early nineties, Laura happened to meet a woman who had worked as an intake officer at the Gardner Betts juvenile facility, where John had spent two weeks immediately after killing her husband. Still, it had to be a joke, Ray thought. After the bell rang, Raywho had stood helplessly off to the side while his classmate went on his manic riffmuttered, John, when Mr. Grayson hears about this, hes gonna kick our butts., Dont worry, John replied. Austin was a small town in those days, so it was no surprise that Judge Cofer, like George Christian, had an LBJ connection: his father had been Johnsons attorney following his scandal-ridden 1948 U.S. Senate race. Everything was a gnawing mystery. John Ray, a former student of Rod Graysons who witnessed the shooting, photographed at Murchison in February. Tests taken by fewer than 10 students are not calculated in the composite score. According to the research Ive done, thats not what happens at all.. The Christians werent rich by Texas standards, but they had forged elaborate social and professional ties to power brokers and superachievers that extended well beyond Texas. The board can rename a. Thank you Pirates! The cops are coming, I shouted at him. Pearce-middle school Homes for Sale and Real Estate in Austin TX (Students' names have been changed.) A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. PEARCE SERVICES is the nation's leading service provider for critical telecom, network, and renewables infrastructure.With over 1800 team members, operating out of 25 offices throughout the country, we have delivered solutions for more than 50,000 wireless and wireline sites for commercial carriers, and public and private utilities . Standing in line to order, I recognized the young man stuffing pita bread with lamb and vegetables, but couldnt quite place him. And Andre Terry, one of Murchisons few African American students, who was bused to school from the East Side, would one day credit his junior high school teacher for pushing him to follow his artistic impulses and become a fashion designer. I spent several planning periods observing her to improve my own teaching. And while George Scott recalled his own childhood with fondness, Johns experience might well have been different. This school has received a rating of 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, which reflects how Pearce Middle School performed on the state's standardized tests. Nor was it the habit of adolescents to speculate on anyones psychological burdens apart from their ownunless, that is, they were confided in, as Bazar was by John. After law school, Mr. Pearce took a position with Aetna Life & Casualty as Vice President of Acquisitions for their health plans division. Betterestimate.com (512) 619-6498; info@betterestimate.com; . George asked Neff about the schoolteacher who had been shot. And because test results predict life outcomes the likelihood of securing a job, getting divorced, going to prisonbetter teaching can lift students from poverty. . They proposed that the boy live with an unnamed physician in Dallas, who would become Johns legal guardian. All rights reserved. Still, the fury was as oppressive as the grief. Browse reviews, directions, phone numbers and more info on Pearce Middle School. Hes definitely made the most of the opportunity that hes gotten., But George Scott went on to say that he, like the witnesses to the shooting, has been haunted by the incident. But two other things happened that might have signaled Johns downward spiral. MLS # 3424468 Ratings are meant to give an overview of a school's performance in the most recent state standardized tests TrueSchools has records for. Whoever dies first has to come back and tell the other if the candles mean anything. After Rod died, she went to see a psychic, who informed her, Hes standing behind you. Even those who believed him to be harmless couldnt help but be bothered by the soft landing he seemed to have been accorded. Austin Middle Schools Directory of Middle Schools in Austin, TX. Teachers arent the problem, poverty is. Austin, Texas 78731 (512)441-1411 512-469-2975 (fax) Georgetown . Ron Bolek, our Ecuadorean-American principal, liked to compare our situation to the Peace Corps.