Superintendent Terry Grier recognized almost two dozen employees with Team HISD hats recently for their exceptional service and dedication. Those honored during the district’s regular central office staff meetings on Dec. 10 were:
- Sgt. Frank Davis, HISD Police Dept., for taking on the additional responsibility of supervising the northeast part of the district while a fellow sergeant was out on sick leave.
- Alfred Hoskins, Construction & Facility Services, for his prompt and tireless work overseeing more than 300 facilities and leading a team of more than 700 employees.
- Gwendolyn Johnson, Health & Medical Services, for her leadership and being named the 2014 Texas School Nurse Administrator of the Year.
- Caroline Becker, Marisa Hartling, Elisheia Hatcher, Amanda Ponder, William Thomas, Audrey Torres, Secondary English Language Arts Curriculum, for their commitment to the Read Houston Read program as volunteers.
- Julia Amponsah-Gilder, Sharon Bauknight, Beryl Broom, Leng Fritsche, Betty Garcia-Hill, Shirley Holman, Student Assessment, for coordinating a unique partnership with the campus across the street for Read Houston Read.
- Beth “Renée” Zuelke, Career and Technical Education, for her leadership in correcting issues within the program, which led to it being taken off the Texas Education Agency’s oversight list.
- Pat Sykes, Transportation, for serving as the administrative assistant, customer service representative, and special events coordinator for her department.
- Yu-Ting Chang, Victoria Mosier, Jennifer O’Brien, Laurie Zimmerman, Research & Accountability, for working with principals and teachers to help them navigate the ASPIRE Award program and answer questions.
- George Perez, Budgeting & Financial Planning, for playing a critical role in the release of Online Position Management, taking an antiquated paper process and converting it to a streamlined online system.
- Priscilla Martinez, Business Operations, for successfully transforming the service culture in Business Operations through robust training and orientation programs for its 7,000 employees.
Dr. Grier also took time out to thank the more than 130 employees who heeded the call to make a needy child’s holiday a little brighter this season by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to one of the meetings. The toys will be distributed through the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign.
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HISD in the News
- Grier talks about computer coding with President Obama
- River Oaks ES graduate shows off his skills as an inventor
- Seven of nation’s largest districts to start offering computer science
- Yates HS alum with Down Syndrome set to graduate from college
- Reagan HS Hall of Fame inductee shares love of ‘Red Coats’
National News Links
Susan Ovren
Susan Ovren has been helping keep HISD a safe place for students to learn and employees to work for a quarter of a century now, and in that time, she has watched the evolution of the Risk Management department with a deep sense of satisfaction.
“When I started here, we didn’t even have computers,” noted the veteran safety and loss prevention manager, “but we have been very fortunate in being able to integrate technology. Over the years, we’ve added a lot of new services and we have a lot of resources online now that schools can download.”
Ovren describes her years with the district as “a labor of love,” and describes some of her proudest achievements as the launch of districtwide safety councils, the implementation of intruder drills that help schools correct potential security vulnerabilities, and the creation of a new set of emergency management resources scheduled for distribution in early 2015 that will replace the old “Red Book” safety manual.
“It has been a wonderful experience,” said Ovren, who plans to retire at the end of 2014. “I have loved every minute of it. I think of my team as my extended family. HISD is truly one of the best places to work.”
Ovren officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on Dec. 11, but a few other employees also marked theirs this week (Dec. 7–13). See if you know anyone on this list:
30 years
- Dwayne Hayden, construction services representative, Bond Program
- Shirlene Haynes, instructional specialist, External Funding
- Cary Kaminski, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Christine Turner, instructional specialist, Anderson ES
25 years
- Cynthia Cantu-Luera, secretary, North Houston Early College HS
- Celinda Rodriguez, press operator, McCarty Printing
20 years
- Lino Nino, officer, Police Department
- Lenette Pruetz,teacher, Condit ES
- Stanley Richardson, quality assurance analyst, Construction & Facility Services
- Maribel Salinas,student information representative, Park Place ES
10 years
- Juanita Almanza, teaching assistant, Almeda ES
- Renato Calhoun, teacher, Cook ES
- Rosa Gonzalez, teacher, Patterson ES
- Angel Martinez, teacher, Southmayd ES
- Magdalena Perez, data entry clerk, Laurenzo ECC
5 years
- Petra Gonzales, teaching assistant, Lewis ES
- Erica Harris, teacher, Carnegie Vanguard HS
- Kenneth Johnson, dispatcher, Construction & Facility Services
- Elizabeth Jones-Ueding, licensed specialist in school psychology, Child Study
- Markeith Martin, associate after-school program specialist, Sugar Grove Academy
- Salomon Muñoz Jr, electrician, Construction & Facility Services
- James Rodriguez, instructional specialist, Brookline ES
- Luz Sierra, teacher, Coop ES
- Amy Silverman,librarian, Poe ES
| Check back next Friday for more December Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
During the summer, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) updated and strengthened its training requirements regarding the identification and prevention of child abuse.
All non-campus-based employees are required to complete the updated course by May 31, 2015.
To help the district meet the TEA mandate, the training – which provides information about child abuse prevention, maltreatment and sexual abuse of children – is available through HISD’s eLEARN system. Most employees have been pre-enrolled in the course.
To begin the training, log into eLEARN, click “Select a Course,” and choose the “Child Abuse Prevention: Maltreatment, Sexual Abuse & Reporting” course title. If you do not see the course in your queue, you can use the “Self-Registration” link at the top of the page to enroll. The course code is LD0349_0014.
All teachers and principals have either completed the training or are in the process of completing it.
If you have any additional questions, email HISDeLearn@houstonisd.org.
HISD hosted its inaugural Teacher Exchange forum on Dec. 2, the first in a series designed to give teachers from across the district an opportunity to network and share best practices they can use at their own campuses.
The forum – which was developed and organized by the Onboarding and Organizational Development team and hosted at the Energy Institute High School – brought together educators to discuss how to implement PowerUp technology in their classrooms.
HISD is committed to providing the best possible education for our students, but employees also have the opportunity to learn new skills to enhance their careers.
The Onboarding and Organizational Development team offers 18 classes throughout the year – with topics ranging from time management to effective business writing – which are designed by HISD employees for HISD employees.
And with annual goal-setting meetings taking place, now is a perfect time to review the department’s calendar and pick an upcoming class or two that will help you reach your professional goals. read more…
HISD in the News
- HISD recruits volunteers to help its students read
- McNamara ES teacher named Faculty Member of the Week
- Community says goodbye to former Yates HS coach and principal
- After a century, Condit Elementary School looks back, ahead
- Pilot nurse training program targets allergic reactions
National News Links
The Professional Educators Compensation and Support Committee (PECAS) is seeking input from district employees around how HISD supports and rewards its teachers.
The committee – which includes teachers, principals, union representatives, and central office staff – will host a town hall meeting from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St, 77092). During the meeting, attendees can share their ideas about how HISD should approach three key areas: teacher base pay, bonuses and incentives, and appraisal and development.
PECAS, which was formed earlier in the year, is discussing the best ways HISD can attract and retain highly effective teachers. During the HISD Board of Education’s Jan. 19 retreat, Superintendent Terry Grier will share the committee’s advice on what changes should be made.
For more information about PECAS, click here. To RSVP for the town hall meeting, click here.
District employees enrolled in one of HISD’s medical plans will have two “premium holidays” in December, so those employees’ paychecks amounts will be higher than normal.
Thanks to participants’ efforts to help control medical plan expenses, no medical plan premiums will be deducted from the Dec. 17 paycheck. Please note that this only applies to regular medical benefits. All other benefits deductions (dental, vision, supplemental life, etc.) and any arrears deductions will be withheld from the Dec. 17 paycheck.
In addition, benefits premiums are only deducted twice each month. Since the Dec. 31 paycheck is the third of the month, no premiums will be deducted from that pay period.
Cynthia Legette
When Cynthia Legette first came to HISD back in 1979, she thought she was accepting a temporary position as a clerk in Food Services. Now, the longtime employee is celebrating her 35th anniversary with the district.
“I went through a temporary service at the time, and it was supposed to be for just one day,” said the Furr High School graduate. “But one day turned into a month, and then they asked me if I wanted to stay permanently.”
Legette spent her first 25 years with HISD in Purchasing, but for the last ten, she has been working as a budget clerk in the little-known Medicaid office, which provides services not only to HISD, but also to 80 other school districts.
“A lot of people don’t know about us,” she said, “and they are so shocked when they hear. But I work in the call center, helping people with login problems on the eSHARS system or questions about what’s billable. We provide consulting services to other districts and bill Medicaid for Special Education services provided to students. That returns money to districts that can be used to pay the salaries of other employees, such as nurses, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists.”
Legette said the most gratifying part of her job is knowing that she is helping students with special needs receive a high-quality education. “My daily work fosters an environment where all students can achieve and learn to believe in themselves,” she said. “That makes for a more sound and secure future for both the students and their communities.”
Legette officially marked her 35th anniversary with the district on Nov. 26, but a few other employees have also marked theirs over the past few weeks (Nov. 21–Dec. 6). See if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Rita Robinson, counselor, Coop ES
30 years
- Natalie Adams, teacher, Sharpstown HS
- Joyce Thompson, teacher, Montgomery ES
- Delores Tisdale, teacher, Askew ES
25 years
- Joseph Alva, instructional specialist, Jackson MS
- Marion Gay Jr, teacher, Chavez MS
- Linda Houston, student information representative, Lockhart ES
- Chandra Jones, registrar, Westbury MS
- Theresa Meza, student information representative, Fonville MS
- Robert Miller, teacher, Stevenson MS
- Stephen Roquemore, Special Education employment representative, Madison MS
- Cynthia Vega, student information representative, Briscoe ES
- Jose Zaragoza Jr., site services team lead, Construction & Facility Services
20 years
- Debra Coleman, attendant, Food Services
- Yolanda Dockery, attendant, Food Services
- Maria Garcia, attendant, Food Services
- Tonya Houston, teacher, Reynolds ES
- Carolina Kopinsky, evaluation specialists, Child Study
- Juana Martin, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Deborah Ross, teaching assistant, Furr HS
- Janan Skaf, teacher, Pilgrim Academy
- Suzette Taylor, teacher, Reagan K-8
- Mary Thomas, teaching assistant, Blackshear ES
- Daniel Torres, parent engagement representative, Benbrook ES
- Alicia Villalobos, attendant, Food Services
- Carolyn Washington, teaching assistant, Hobby ES
15 years
- Sarai Barrera, clerk, Cunningham ES
- Gregory Coker, teacher, Briargrove ES
- Guillermo Garza, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Eugene Salazar,senior manager, Construction & Facility Services
- Cuauhtemoc Sandoval, teacher, Barrick ES
10 years
- Diana Aguirre, teacher, Moreno ES
- Richmond Akrofi-Mensah, senior HVAC repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Karin Atina, teacher, Smith ES
- Vanessa Gamez, teaching assistant, Looscan ES
- Chase May, teacher, Roberts ES
- Vanessa Narvaez, teacher, Ketelsen ES
- Elaine Reed, teacher, Smith ES
- Ana Rodriguez, teacher, Rodriguez ES
- Kenneth Sanders II, teacher, Dowling MS
- Sarah Tovar, instructional specialist, Laurenzo ECC
- Zhong Zhuang, press operator, McCarty Printing
5 years
- Angelica Becerra, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Dennis Bowen, warehouse driver, Food Services
- Shannon Frazier, teacher specialist, Elmore ES
- Griselda Garza, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Catalina Gomez-Monsalve, teacher, Coop ES
- Eugenia Gomez-Warren, teacher, Lyons ES
- Leonardo Hernandez, tractor operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Delton Jones, tree pruner, Construction & Facility Services
- Calvin Justice, warehouse driver, Food Services
- Matthew Lipp, assistant foreman, Transportation
- Maria Mejia, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Ivannia Recio, compliance manager, Alternative Certification Program
- Paola Roldan, teacher, Neff ECC
- Kassie Saucillo, clerk, Herrera ES
- Elva Sifuentes, clerk, Piney Point ES
| Check back next Friday for more December Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |