Yates alum finds self-expression through art (and Rock’em Sock’em robots)
In this week’s edition of I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, we speak with Yates High School alum David McGee about what inspired him to become a professional artist, which of the many awards he’s received means the most to him, and how Rock’em Sock’em Robots relate to his artistic process.
Every artist has his or her own style, but my (admittedly, untrained) eye detects some of the best aspects of Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Georgia O’Keeffe in your work. Did any of these painters actually inspire you? As an artist, whose work do you admire or find moving?
I think in my work, if studied, one can find many influences via my interests in travel, literature, and politics. As a painter, it would be very difficult for me to choose any one person. The range of my interests is too vast. Let’s put it this way: From Magritte to James Baldwin, I have a lot of wonderful forefathers.
You’ve received a number of grants and awards for your work, including two from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Which one means the most to you and why?
One of my favorite writers, Philip Roth, was asked this very question. It is great to win prizes; it gives you enough time and space to do what you love to do. I’m just very appreciative to be considered for anything that allows me to work.
You’ve had solo exhibitions in Texas, New York, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, and your work has been included in either group or curated exhibits in such esteemed institutions as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Harvard University, and the Menil Collection. What is it like seeing your work hanging in places like that? Did you ever imagine when you were a kid at Yates High School that that was your destiny?
Absolutely not! While attending Yates, I was a newly formed Texan, arriving from Detroit, Michigan. I basically had no idea about any direction but that of a baseball player. Painting and art came rather late to my life. The creative process and the emotional need to express myself (although dormant) was always within me.
I remember as a child, walking into the Menil for the first time and being awestruck. Although I’ve been to many museums around world, the Menil experience stayed with me. I even wrote a letter to the great Dominique De Menil expressing my admiration, and to my surprise, she wrote back. I imagined how great it would be to show my paintings there one day. Many years have passed, and to my great wonderment, this museum now owns seven pieces of my art, and I have had the privilege of showing there. This one experience is the one I keep with me the most. Perhaps it speaks of dreams and the power of faith.
How did your time at Yates prepare you for your career as an artist? Did you have any great art teachers there, or was it a case of winnowing out other career options that you realized weren’t for you?
My time at Yates was the enjoyable time of a child trying to figure out his options. Ironically, my younger sister Sherri was the superstar at Yates, and I was very much in the shadows. I will say this in closing about my Yates experience — although I didn’t take art classes, I fancied myself a great baseball player in my years there and took pride in my letter jacket.
In some of our photographer’s pictures of you, I spied a Rock’em Sock’em Robots game in your studio. Are those there to provide inspiration or relaxation or both?
(Laughs) My beloved Rock’em Sock’em Robots are a simple reminder of what a self-employed artist must do to maintain his craft — passion and gifts to a world sometimes barely curious.
If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org.
HISD teacher development specialists and instructional technologists will be providing a variety of training opportunities in March for teachers who want to get more familiar with HUB functionality and discover how to integrate the online platform into their daily workflow and classroom instruction.
All high school and middle school teachers are encouraged to attend PowerUp Super Saturday training on March 7 at Chavez High School (8501 Howard, 77017). There, teachers will learn innovative strategies to integrate web tools and practical resources to help digitize their own instruction. Training on the HUB, the district’s new online teaching and learning platform, will include sessions for beginners, intermediate users, and open labs.
The high schools office, in collaboration with teachers, teacher development specialists, curriculum, and the HUB professional development team, have created five STAAR EOC preparation courses that ALL high school students will be able to access 24/7 beginning in March. The courses are designed to assist first-time testers with success on the STAAR, as well as re-testers who need extra support. Each course provides “nuggets” of learning that include quick video clips, essential academic vocabulary, and STAAR-aligned quick checks tied to specific standards. They are designed for self-learning by students before and after school, as well as at home and on weekends.
The next cohort of the University of St. Thomas (UST) master’s degree program (a partnership with HISD) begins this fall and the district is looking for the next group of aspiring leaders to be a part of it.
Graduates of this two-and-a-half-year program will have the business, education, and management skills needed to lead successful urban schools—as well as to obtain principal certification.
Classes will be taught by professors from both UST’s Cameron School of Business and the Graduate School of Education. Applications became available on Feb. 5, and the deadline to apply is March 13, 2015.
To learn more, please consider attending the information session scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26. It will take place from 5:30–6:30 p.m. at the Ryan Professional Development Center (4001 Hardy, 77009; room PL3.
A related online memo is here with additional details.
Questions may be directed to Berti Brown at 713-696-0633.
The Annual Policy Update for 2014-2015 (.pdf) is now available and includes links to important governance documents, some of which were recently modified. These documents are intended to inform employees of policy requirements, convey the school board’s intent regarding core initiatives and goals, and describe the district’s programs and practices.
Hard copies may be purchased from Administrative Services using department or school budgets. You may also access these documents directly via the Policy Online Manual.
Sharon Moore
This week’s Shout Out goes to Sharon Moore, a teacher development specialist in the content areas of math and science.
“Mrs. Moore is not only a servant, but a phenomenal person who simply cares about the minds and hearts of people,” said Ta’Nitra Robinson, a second-grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary School. “She has not only given her time to assist me with classroom instruction, but has also shared so many resources that make instruction better—not only for myself, but for my students.”
Robinson noted that she has “thoroughly enjoyed” learning best practices from Mrs. Moore, as well as the most-effective way of implementing them.
“I am thankful for her transparency, and that she took the time to develop a professional relationship with me,” said Robinson. “It is individuals such as Mrs. Moore who inspire me to go above and beyond.”
| Know someone who deserves a shout out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
Elementary school teachers who want to strengthen their student-engagement skills in the subject areas of science and math are invited to attend the Elementary Math/Science Summit on Saturday, March 7, 2015.
HISD’s Elementary Curriculum and Development department is offering the event from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Kingdom Builders’ Center (6011 W. Orem Dr., 77085), and all teachers in grades Pre-K through 5 are invited.
The deadline to register is Saturday, Feb. 28, so act now to reserve your space. Interested teachers must sign up via eTRAIN, using code number TT3403.
Attendees will have dozens of sessions from which to choose, all designed to inspire, educate, and inform.
For additional details, please see this related Academic Services memo.
HISD teachers and students now can log in directly to the Khan Academy to access videos and assessment content without signing up and creating credentials for the online learning platform. Instead, all classroom teachers and K–12 students can log into the HUB and access Khan Academy content directly by using their HISD log in and password.
Simply visit houstonisd.org/hub and use your district log in and password to sign in. If you are using a district-issued device, you won’t even need to sign in. Then click on “Digital Resources” on the tool bar, and select any of the course icons. If you or your students do not have access to the HUB, you can also use tinyurl.com/hisdapps to navigate directly to Khan Academy.
Teachers and students who are already using the HUB to access Khan Academy love the convenience and accessibility of the integration, and Khan’s instructional videos and assessment content are incredible tools for both struggling and advanced students!
