Former educator Dolly Cook has always had a passion for helping teachers.
From creating gifted and talented-like activities to tutoring students in math and reading, Cook is ready to step in wherever she is needed.
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At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.
“My purpose is to fill in the gaps,” Cook said.
Principal Adam Hile recognized Cook as a great addition to Trinity Basin Preparatory when she first enrolled her four boys in the charter network’s Titan Academy three years ago.
Many now consider her the connection that binds the parents and school together because she’s quick to step in to help students at the academy, which serves grades sixth through 12th.
Her dedication and positive impact at the Trinity Basin system earned her recognition in 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting Tarrant County’s unsung heroes.
“She’s just always a positive, happy face at our campus,” Hile said. “She brings joy in any classroom or room that she enters.”
Cook’s volunteerism began at Titan Academy with tasks such as sorting through the school’s budget to find available money when teachers requested supplies.
She then began tutoring students in math and reading a few days out of the week, before or after school. Now, she spends two days a week inside classrooms alongside teachers.
Some days, she helps students with lessons or works with small groups to keep children engaged through educational games.
“This gives the teacher the opportunity to do what he or she needs to do,” Cook said. “It looks different each day in the classroom.”
Cook’s presence is especially helpful for students who struggle during lessons in large classrooms, Hile said.
“When she’s able to pull small groups of three and four students to target the specific skills they need, they apply those skills later … and we see their improvement,” he said.
“She’s just always a positive, happy face at our campus. She brings joy in any classroom or room that she enters.”
Adam Hile, Titan Academy principal
When Cook’s not in the classroom, she serves as the vice president of Titan Academy’s parent-teacher organization board.
In December, the group was focused on fundraising and providing teachers with gifts of appreciation amid the bustling holiday season.
“Often the most challenging weeks of the school year are the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Cook said. “It’s just so busy.”
Through the PTO, Cook has hosted holiday and spring programs to make sure teachers are recognized.
“She’s really spearheaded a lot of those things to make sure that the connections between the school and families are strong,” Hile said.
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She’s also volunteered at Trinity Basin’s nearby West Campus, where she wanted elementary students to have a unique educational experience.
Out of an absence of a gifted and talented program, Cook would pull fifth graders from those who finished assignments earlier to keep them engaged. She called them her “fast finishers.”
“They finish quickly and spend a lot of time waiting for what’s next,” Cook said. “I just wanted to give them an opportunity to do more and something different. Not on the computer — away from that.”
For Cook, the reward lies in seeing students excel and teachers being supported. She’s enjoyed seeing former Trinity Basin West students now enrolled at Titan Academy.
“They still will come to me and say ‘hi’ as they pass by,” Cook said. “I just hope that I made their transition a little easier, changing schools and moving up.”
Volunteering at Titan Academy is the work always worth doing, Cook said.
“We work so hard for our pay … but sometimes the job is just worth doing because it needs to be done or because it might help somebody.”
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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