Cadet commands attention from academies

Monday, March 20, 2006 | 7:09 a.m.

So what does it take to win acceptances to all four of the nation's prestigious military academies, along with scholarship offers totaling $1.4 million?

In the case of Durango High School senior Jenny Graves, the answer is "work, work and more hard work."

It's the academic equivalent of a hat trick - plus one. Graves has appointments from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard academies.

She is ranked in the top 10 of Durango's graduating class, competes in four sports and served as unarmed drill team commander.

"She knew she had to be well-rounded, which meant a balance between academics, athletics and scholarship," said her Air Force Junior ROTC instructor, retired Lt. Col. Jim McEvoy. "A cadet like Jenny Graves probably only comes along once in a career."

In eight years, Durango's Air Force cadets have earned 36 ROTC scholarships and 12 academy appointments.

During the hunt for a new superintendent, consultants for the Clark County School Board released only the names of the six semi-finalists from an original list of 39 candidates. The secrecy drew criticism from members of the public who clamored for a more open search.

But Clark County's process looks positively transparent compared to the search under way for a Boston schools chief.

According to the Boston Globe, school officials in the Massachusetts capital "would not say how many candidates' applications and profiles were reviewed or how much the search costs." Private donors, whom the Boston school officials refused to identify, are paying for the search, according to the Globe.

"Wow, what's their open meeting law like?" asked Clark County School Board member Susan Brager-Wellman.

But she said that some information must be held back during executive searches.

"We would have enjoyed seeing applications from all 39 people, but they would lose their jobs," Brager-Wellman said. "In the real world, if your bosses even think you're leaving they pack you up."

Fourteen new textbooks are up for public review before heading to Clark County's classrooms.

As required by the state, the community must be given the opportunity to evaluate proposed titles. The district's Textbook Committee, which includes teachers, administrators and parents, will review the public's comments before making recommendations for adoption.

The textbooks will be on display from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the district's Curriculum and Professional Development Center, 3950 Pecos-McLeod.