Weekly Teacher Download for September 24

ALL TEACHERS

HISD Foundation Grants: The HISD Foundation will offer a second round of a relief grants to provide teachers with up to $1,500 to replenish classroom supplies and instructional materials lost to Hurricane Harvey. HISD teachers can submit an online application here for funding to cover the costs of replacing classroom supplies, technology, and other resources that were lost as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey and have still not been replaced. Applications will be accepted through Friday, October 5. Partial or full grants may be awarded based on need, volume of applications, and available funds.

Associate Teacher of the Month: Do you know an amazing Associate Teacher or Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher? The Office of Associate Teachers is pleased to announce the new Associate Teacher of the Month and Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher of the Month programs sponsored by Raising Canes. One Associate Teacher and one Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher will be chosen each month beginning October 2018. To nominate your favorite associate teacher, click here.

Bilingual Teacher Cohort: HISD has partnered with the University of St. Thomas and Houston Community College to prepare elementary bilingual education teachers through a two-year cohort program. The cohort is a perfect opportunity for HISD bilingual paraprofessionals, associate degree graduates, and current aspiring teachers to each a bachelor’s degree through a seamless collaborative process. To learn more about the cohort, click here.

Student Performance—What’s New: 1) Comparative Growth will be assigned when available. Teachers can “opt-out” of its use in their SP calculations with appraiser approval except for: teachers at Achieve 180 schools or teachers who wish to transfer to an Achieve 180 next year; teachers at TSL grant schools or teachers who wish to transfer to a TSL grant school next year; and teachers currently participating in Career Pathways or teachers who wish to participate next year. 2) Appraiser Approved Assessment/Performance Task is a measure for all courses. 3) RL360/Screener is a District-Wide Student Progress measure in Grades 1 & 2.

ELEMENTARY

Digital Resources for Dual Language Teachers: The Multilingual Programs Department is excited to share valuable information related to literacy for bilingual students.  The department has purchased licenses for ALL PreK-5 Bilingual and Dual Language classrooms to access the Learning A-Z bilingual resources—RAZ-Plus and Vocabulary A-Z. In order for licensed classrooms to be provided access, please go to the Multilingual Campus Collaboration Site and complete the Dual Language Teacher Database and/or Transitional Bilingual Teacher Database.  Note that only campus Principals, Dual Language Coordinators, and LPAC Administrators have access to these electronic forms.

Read to Succeed Competition: The district is inviting all elementary campuses to participate in the district’s first-ever Read to Succeed Competition beginning Monday, Sept. 10 to Thursday, Jan. 31. This competition is an opportunity for all pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students to compete against each other to see who can read myON books for the most number of minutes. Students can choose any e-book available through the myON reading platform to read. Click here for more details on the competition and awarded prizes.

SECONDARY

Top-Tier College Night: High school teachers, please encourage your students to attend Top-Tier College Night on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Chavez High School (8501 Howard Dr., Houston, 77017). Admissions representatives from top colleges across the nation will be on hand to answer questions about selective college admissions. Students must RSVP by Friday, Sept. 28. Sign up here to reserve a space and to learn about options for bus transportation from your campus. Dinner will also be provided. For more details on the event, click here.

AP Kick Off Mini Conference: AP and Pre-AP teachers are invited to the district’s AP Kick Off Mini Conference on September 29 at Carnegie High School (1501 Taft Street, Houston, 77019). Participants will choose from a variety of sessions that focus on AP pedagogy, educational technology, and AP resource exploration. Participants can earn PD and G/T hours, as well as a $50 PD stipend. Register in OneSource, course #1248001.