Parents, teachers and principals need to fill out ‘Your Voice’ survey by May 20
HISD Board President Anna Eastman and Board Trustee Manuel Rodriguez Jr. are encouraging HISD parents, teachers and principals to fill out and return the Your Voice customer satisfaction survey by May 20, 2013. The survey is the largest of its kind in the history of the district and is being conducted by an outside party so all responses will remain confidential and anonymous. Continue reading
Those interested can attend informational session on May 15
HISD is expanding its current partnership with the University of St. Thomas to offer a Master’s of Education in Special Education Leadership through a grant program. The district already collaborates with UST to offer a Master’s in Business Administration program for aspiring principals. Like its predecessor, this special education master’s degree features greatly reduced tuition, principal certification and participation in a cohort group that will remain with each other throughout the program. Continue reading
The next meeting of HISD’s Employee of the Month selection committee is right around the corner,
so don’t wait if you know someone who deserves to be nominated. HISD recently streamlined the process to make it easier than ever for people to submit a nomination. Just click here, fill in the fields, and press “done.” Your nomination will automatically be submitted for consideration at the next meeting. Please note that only employees serving in a non-instructional capacity (i.e. plant operators, secretaries, clerks, custodians, crossing guards, etc.) are eligible for this award.
Nine meetings scheduled across Houston in April and May
April 25, 2013 – In an effort to provide taxpayers a guide to understanding the district’s budget, the Houston Independent School District is hosting a series of community meetings across the city that will outline the budgeting process from planning, to adoption and implementation.
“We want our constituents to understand how HISD’s budget process works, how much money does each school get and even how they can get involved,” said HISD Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Huewitt. “Our goal is to ensure HISD’s budget and financial information is readily available and user friendly so that taxpayers know exactly how their tax dollars are allocated and spent.”
The meetings will cover key aspects of HISD’s budgeting process such as where the money comes from, how much is designated to each of the 276 campuses, who decides how the money is spent at each campus and who monitors the budget, among other topics.
HISD’s General Manager of Budget and Financial Planning Sharon Eaves will be leading the budget presentations at the community meetings.
Upcoming Community Budget Meetings:
All proceeds to be split between the school and The Berry Foundation
April 22 is Earth Day and campuses across the district are celebrating with a variety of fun and educational activities.
Jennifer Levy, a kindergarten teacher at Briargrove Elementary School, took a novel approach this year by staging the school’s first annual 1K Berry Earthy Fun Run over the weekend. Continue reading
April is Autism Awareness Month, and in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day, communities across the globe are being asked to “Light It Up Blue” on April 2.
Staffers around HISD wore blue shirts, shoes and other items to signify “Light It Up Blue” day.
Only about 1,375 students have been identified with autism spectrum disorders in HISD (a figure that represents less than one percent of the district’s entire student population), but Autism Support Team Coordinator Lorraine Klim-Drew says that because more are being diagnosed every day, it’s still important to increase awareness on this subject.
Continue reading
Clifton Middle School’s annual event to help families see connection between school and careers
Students of all ages from all HISD schools are invited to attend Clifton Middle School’s annual College and Career Night on Tuesday, March 19, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This is the seventh year for the event, which will feature representatives from 18 colleges, and all 16 Texas career clusters. Continue reading
HISD's Parent Engagement department says the reaction to the Parent Book Club has been so popular, they're looking at expanding the program to other schools.
In an effort to promote the importance of parental involvement and literacy simultaneously, the HISD Parent Engagement Department has launched a new Parent Book Club.
Nearly 30 parents attended the club’s first meeting on March 1 at Roosevelt Elementary eager to discuss the first chapters of the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and participate in the group exercises. Continue reading
Lovett Elementary is in the top three of elementary magnet schools with applications received.
Starting March 25, parents will have two weeks to let schools know where they want to send their children this fall.
Letters notifying parents of their children’s magnet application status will be mailed out starting Friday, March 22, and students who are “accepted” must indicate that they will attend their school of choice during the 2013–2014 school year by signing and returning the enclosed Student Entrance Agreement no later than Friday, April 5 (postmarked). Continue reading
HISD currently has openings for motivated teachers who are invested in making an impact on student achievement. To attract the best candidates, we are currently accepting early applications for the 2013-2014 school year. The deadline for the early application round is March 18, 2013. We are continuing to access applications for the 2012-2013 school year.
While vacancies exist in all areas, the highest need for teachers exists in critical shortage areas including bilingual (Spanish), secondary Spanish, secondary math, secondary science and specific areas in special education.
To get started, click here and follow the directions to start your application for employment with HISD today! Candidates who apply early will have the best chance of securing contracts for the 2013-2014 school year.
For more information about a teaching career at HISD, visit the teacher recruitment page by clicking here.
HISD’s eighth annual Parent Conference and Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, March 2, at Pin Oak Middle School (4601 Glenmont, 77401), from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The event is hosted by the HISD Special Education Department and Family to Family Network.
Conference highlights include multiple breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics (such as Sibling Support, Apps for Disabilities, and Inappropriate Behavior) and separate sessions for high school students/young adults with disabilities.
Advance registration is required to attend the breakout sessions. To sign up, please visit http://www.familytofamilynetwork.org/ and click on “Events/ Conference” or call 713-466-6304.
A downloadable flyer is here (.pdf).
What can you get for telling Food Services what you think about your school’s daily breakfast and lunch dining experience? During the weeks of February 18 – March 8, secondary students at 74 selected schools will get a chance to win one of four Apple iPads Food Services is giving away. You can’t beat that! Students in grades 6-12 that go online to www.studentvp.com/HISD, complete the quick survey, fill out the confirmation page and turn it in to their school’s cafeteria manager will get their names entered in a drawing to win one (1) of four (4) Apple iPads! Continue reading
First-grade students at Bruce Elementary School are getting new help achieving their reading goals. The United Way of Greater Houston is partnering with the school in a new literacy mentor program.
The program will pair a volunteer and a first-grade student together for the entire year. During that time, the volunteers will read a book with the students and will later help them complete a literacy exercise.
United Way President and CEO Anna Babin presented books to all of the first grade students along with a $5,000 check to principal Trealla Epps. Both Babin and Epps said they believe the initiative will encourage the volunteers to develop positive relationships through mentoring and literacy.
HISD is now recruiting highly-qualified teachers for the 2013-14 school year to help us fulfill our mission of providing each and every one of our students with an excellent education. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply online here by the Early Bird application date of January 14, 2013, to have the best chance of securing an early contract for the 2013-14 school year. Continue reading
Christmas arrived early for nearly three hundred kindergarten through third grade students at Benbrook Elementary School. On Saturday, December 15, the students were awarded free bicycles and helmets from the group Elves and More for achieving their reading goals for the semester. Continue reading
Dear HISD Community,
Schools are supposed to be places where our children feel safe to learn and play with their friends. On Friday, we were reminded that even our best efforts to protect our precious students are sometimes not enough to prevent tragedy. I know that all of you join me in praying for the Newtown community and sending them our sincere condolences as they grieve their unimaginable loss.
As Houston ISD students and employees return to class today, I want to assure you that we are taking action to ensure our schools are as safe as possible. We have nearly 200 fully certified police officers in the HISD Police Department, and they are vigilantly patrolling our school neighborhoods and walking our campus hallways. Every school in HISD regularly performs safety drills, and every campus leadership team has an emergency preparedness plan in place. In the days and weeks to come, our police department leaders will be reviewing our procedures to determine whether any modifications are necessary to further protect our children and employees.
HISD also employs a well-trained team of psychologists whose services are available to every campus. Our principals and teachers will not hesitate to bring them in to help any student who might need their care. It is not uncommon for children to have questions and to express fears in these times. We encourage parents to address their children’s concerns proactively. The National Association of School Psychologists offers some helpful tips for parents as they discuss this tragedy with their children. Those suggestions include reassuring children that they are safe, and acknowledging their feelings. You can find more recommendations on the group’s website by clicking here.
The final week of school before winter break is always a time of celebration and anticipation. We owe it to our children to keep it that way. We also owe them a collective commitment to doing whatever it takes to keep them safe while they are in our care. I want to personally wish each of you a joyful holiday season, and encourage you to hug your children just a little tighter and a little longer this year.
Terry B. Grier
[Gallery not found]More than 200 area third- through eighth-grade students, teachers, and parents attended a computer programming symposium on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy.
The Inaugural Schlumberger Log-in Symposium provided participants with free access to computer programming and robotics software, equipment, training, and other resources. There also were student robotics and computer exhibitions from Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy on display.
Volunteers from Schlumberger, Rice University, University of Houston and Texas Southern University served as mentors and instructors for the students. They also held informational seminars for parents interested in learning about education opportunities in the computer programming and technology fields.
Houston ISD and its Parent Super Centers were recently cited in an Education Week article about school districts reaching out to the community with technology and social networking.
The Houston Independent School District will honor parents during its Parental Involvement Day Celebration on Friday, November 16. The celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Delmar-Tusa Athletic complex (2020 Mangum).
The annual event will recognize parents for the role they play in supporting their children’s educational and personal growth. It will also offer parents innovative strategies they can use to help their children learn.
Continue reading
HISD’s Class of 2012 earned a record $180 million in college scholarship offers, and seniors this year are hoping to match or surpass that number. To assist students in their scholarship search, HISD’s College and Career Readiness Department is holding the “No Dollar Left Behind” Scholarship and Financial Aid Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Challenge Early College High School (5601 West Loop South, 77081).
Students and parents attending the fair will have the opportunity to speak with various scholarship exhibitors, learn how to improve their scholarship search and get tips for successful essay writing. Representatives from the Department of Education will also be on hand to answer questions.
“Many of our HISD families believe they can’t afford to send their child to college, but there is plenty of aid out there if you you know where to look,” said HISD Counseling Manager Nefertari Mundy. “In fact, there is nearly $150 billion dollars available from the federal government in the form of grants, loans, work study and scholarships. We want to make sure our students leave no dollar behind.”
Students attending the fair will also have a chace to win a $1,500 scholarship and can meet with representatives from 20 different organizations that have scholarships available to HISD students, including the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo, the Houston Hispanic Forum and the Childrens Defense Fund, to name a few.
Regional colleges like Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern and others will also be on hand to discuss scholarships that their institutions have to offer students.
HISD seniors attending the fair can also receive a free meningitis immunization thanks to the Meningitis Initiative. Students must have this vaccine to attend most colleges.