Weekly Teacher Download for May 10, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
HISD community shares what makes our teachers special
As we look back on Teacher Appreciation Week last week, we would like to spotlight some of the best teachers in HISD! There were many submissions, with a wide range of teachers from campuses across the district. See this story to read what is great about our teachers as submitted by students, their parents, and fellow educators. For more teacher spotlights, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Social and Emotional Learning
Educators and students have worked relentlessly amid a chaotic pandemic to meet academic expectations. With testing season here, students might be facing testing anxiety. Pre-test journaling is one intervention that can prove beneficial in regulating emotions and increasing student performance on assessments. The National Academy of Sciences has published research suggesting that students who write down any worries about the exam prior to the test perform better than those who do not. Try this prep activity: Before testing begins, the proctoring teacher prompts students to journal their worries/thoughts about the exam in writing.
Academics
According to guidance provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), districts may apply for a waiver for spring 2021 that allows a district to change a traditional school day to an asynchronous instruction day to provide additional planned teacher professional development or preparation days. The district was approved by the HISD Board of Education during the April regular board meeting to apply for this waiver from the state to offer asynchronous instruction for students and teacher professional development on Friday, May 28. As a result, all students will participate in at-home virtual learning on May 28. In-person instruction will only be available to students without internet accessibility or access to appropriate digital learning device. This instruction will be offered at the student’s regular campus. For complete details, see this story.
Teacher Incentive Allotment Program
Next spring, HISD will be participating in the TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that aims to help districts boost student success while recruiting and retaining high-quality educators. This program will help increase salaries for the district’s highest performing teachers while ensuring students have equitable access to the most effective teachers. Please take a few minutes to complete the Teacher Incentive Allotment Stakeholder Engagement Survey. Responses will be submitted anonymously, and all information is confidential. Visit www.houstonisd.org/tia to learn more.
Multilingual
Save the date! The third annual multilingual symposium, “The Blueprint: Engineering Foundations that Build Academic Language,” via Teams is set for June 25-26, 2021. The deadline to register is June 24, 2021. See this story for more information.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Career and Technical Education
Please see the May 2021 CTE Bulletin Vol. II regarding how to submit your CTE Teacher of the Month entry, CTE student highlights, professional learning opportunities, workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, and other CTE resources. See the bulletin for information on a 2021-2022 certification planning open lab on May 28, a panel and introduction to Junior Achievement for grade 9-12 CTE teachers, and training May 28 on advanced Microsoft Excel tips for secondary CTE teachers. CTE content is aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions.
Please view the May 2021 Professional Development Calendar, including OneSource courses, where CTE teachers can receive one hour of credit. Please register through OneSource Learning to receive proper credit for courses you plan to attend. Visit the HUB for weekly Career Readiness updates, resources, and announcements. Join CTE on May 20 for Career and Military Singing Day. See this story for more details. See also the 2021 Region 4 Distance Learning Event Schedule effective throughout the summer.
Career Tip Tuesday is a series of short informative career videos for students to help them learn helpful tips to support their employability skills and prepare for post-secondary goals. Teachers and students can subscribe to the CCR YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/hisdCareerTipTuesday to receive updates as new videos are released the second and fourth Tuesday of the month during the school year. The videos for May are “New Employee Orientation” and “Paycheck 101.”
EMERGE
EMERGE is recruiting current 10th graders, and we need help identifying competitive applicants. The EMERGE-HISD Class of 2023 application has a deadline of May 31. Students can apply at http://bit.ly/emergeapp23. EMERGE recruitment sessions will be held twice a week virtually through Sat., May 29. Students can sign up at calendly.com/emergerecruitment. See this flyer and this brochure for more information. For questions or more information on EMERGE, please visit houstonisd.org/emerge or contact EMERGE Student Recruiter Bethany.Okezie@houstonisd.org.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
Early Childhood
Summer Reading with Raz-Plus: Course #1450031 on May 11 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. Participants will learn how to support children who lose literacy skills over the summer. Skill loss can be avoided if students are encouraged to keep reading. Raz-Plus provides great solutions to help students reinforce and build reading skills during summer months.
Circle EOY Assessment
The CIRCLE EOY Assessment window will be open May 3–June 4, so start preparing all the items necessary to make this administration a successful one for you and your students. Feel free to visit the CIRCLE Assessment Folder inside our Early Childhood Guide HUB Course to find virtual administration guidance. Below are a few reminders as you plan for the assessment:
- If you are requesting that a student be added or removed, the change must first be made in PowerSchool Connect before the PK specialists can make changes in the CLI rosters.
- Use the this link to submit requests to update/make changes in your CLI rosters.
- If you are a 50/50 Dual Language teacher or if there are two or more teachers at your campus who will be assessing a group of students, reach out to the specialists listed below to request access to share students’ rosters.
- If your campus administrators need access to campus CIRCLE data/CLI Engage, have them email Maria or Claudia.
- Email Claudia.Azcarate@houstonisd.org or Mnavarr8@houstonisd.org with any CIRCLE questions.
Supplemental Sick Leave Bank (SSLB): 2021-22 Pre-Enrollment May 3 – May 31
Program offers up to 30 additional leave days for catastrophic illness/injury
The HISD Supplemental Sick Leave Bank (SSLB) program offers participants up to 30 additional leave days for extended absences due to a catastrophic injury or illness.
The SSLB membership enrollment materials will be emailed to eligible employees during the week of May 3, 2021. Enrollment forms and plan details are also available on the SSLB webpage. Please note that current SSLB members are automatically re-enrolled in the program.
Eligible employees may enroll or cancel membership during the pre-enrollment period through May 31, 2021. An open enrollment period will be held in September for employees to enroll or terminate membership. A final enrollment period for the school year will be held in November for enrollment only.
Contact Employee Support Services via email at BenefitsESS@Houstonisd.org or 713-695-5561 for additional assistance.
HISD Nutrition Services LEAD program produces dedicated graduates
At Northline Elementary School, energetic students rumpled their breakfast bags and laughed with each other while gathering in the cafeteria to line up for class.
The lively breakfast scene is not unusual. In fact, Mayra Flores had witnessed it hundreds of times before. But this time, it signified the start of a new chapter for the newly promoted Nutrition Services team lead.
“I have earned the opportunity to use my leadership skills in this cafeteria as a Team Lead,” Flores said. “I am proud and ready to put into practice all that I learned.”
Flores was one of 10 Nutrition Services employees to graduate from Nutrition Services’ latest LEAD — Leadership, Education and Development — Program. Beginning in February, the 10-week program offered class instruction combined with on-the-job cafeteria management experience.
Program completion was celebrated virtually. Other graduates include Genita Bennett, Breanna Busby, Mariah Gibson, Brina Hodges, Nadia Huerta, Precious Jiles, Tynisha Johnson, Jaleesa Reedy, and Maria Reyes.
Together, they represented one high school, three middle schools, and six elementary schools.
Each employee was recommended for the program by Nutrition Services operations managers. Once in the program, the candidates undergo a series of tests to demonstrate their understanding of running a cafeteria like a business.
During the first two weeks of the program, trainees participated in virtual classes, building leadership skills with role-playing sessions. For the remaining eight weeks, they reported to different cafeterias, where they were immersed in hands-on training for food ordering, inventory auditing, and budgeting.
“This experience was something they all chose to make a positive impact on students,” Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins said during the graduation ceremony. “I commend all our new Team Leads for their hard work, commitment, and dedication. I’ll see you in the kitchen!”
As part of the program, the candidates learned district procedures for creating and serving good food while maintaining compliance with federal and state food regulations.
“It’s a rigorous program, and we are proud of our graduates,” Nutrition Services Senior Operations Manager Keith Lewis said. “They are living proof that success is about being focused on your goals. They are going to be phenomenal.”
Weekly Teacher Download for May 3, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teachers, you are truly are the heart and soul of HISD, and over the past year, you have stepped up as true team players for our students and families. You have transitioned to virtual learning and back again, often teaching two classes at once—one at home and one in-person. As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, we have updated our Educator Discount Page with year-round discounts for you! In addition, Kendra Scott is offering 20% off the full purchase price all week with your district ID. Thank you so much for your service.
Teacher Recruitment
HISD Teacher Recruitment is hosting a virtual teacher job fair from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2021. Interested internal teacher transfer candidates do NOT need to complete an application but must register to attend. Register at http://bit.ly/may8teacherregistration. All registered candidates will receive final details by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7. For questions, contact TeacherRecruitment@HoustonISD.org or call 713-556-7373.
Academics
According to guidance provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), districts may apply for a waiver for spring 2021 that allows a district to change a traditional school day to an asynchronous instruction day to provide additional planned teacher professional development or preparation days. The district was approved by the HISD Board of Education during the April regular board meeting to apply for this waiver from the state to offer asynchronous instruction for students and teacher professional development on Friday, May 28. As a result, all students will participate in at-home virtual learning on May 28. In-person instruction will only be available to students without internet accessibility or access to appropriate digital learning device. This instruction will be offered at the student’s regular campus. For complete details, see this story.
Teacher Incentive Allotment Program
Next spring, HISD will be participating in the TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that aims to help districts boost student success while recruiting and retaining high-quality educators. This program will help increase salaries for the district’s highest performing teachers while ensuring students have equitable access to the most effective teachers. Please take a few minutes to complete the Teacher Incentive Allotment Stakeholder Engagement Survey. Responses will be submitted anonymously, and all information is confidential. Visit www.houstonisd.org/tia to learn more.
Leadership Development
Apply now for the Campus Leadership Internship Program: HISD is seeking qualified internship candidates who would like to become campus leaders in the district next school year. The 2020-2021 HISD Campus Leadership Internship is a one-year paid residency that includes a $15,000 scholarship to the University of Houston for a master’s degree. For more information, see this story.
Social and Emotional Learning
Please join SEL for Live Student SEL Lessons every Friday on topics such as coping skills, anxiety, mindfulness, relationship skills, and more. Teachers may click on the link for their session of choice in real time with students. There are separate sessions for elementary and secondary students. Also, please join the SEL Relaxation Corner for self-care techniques each Monday and Wednesday for online sessions scheduled throughout the lunch hours. Scan the bar code on the attached SEL Relaxation Flier or visit the SEL Google Training Site to access the Relaxation Corner sessions. No registration is required.
Multilingual
Save the date! The third annual multilingual symposium, “The Blueprint: Engineering Foundations that Build Academic Language,” via Teams is set for June 25-26, 2021. The deadline to register is June 24, 2021. See this story for more information.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Career and Technical Education
Please view the May 2021 CTE Bulletin regarding how to submit your CTE Teacher of the Month entry, CTE student highlights, professional learning opportunities, upcoming workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, and other CTE teacher-related resources. CTE content is aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions.
EMERGE
EMERGE is recruiting current 10th graders, and we need help identifying competitive applicants. The EMERGE-HISD Class of 2023 application has a deadline of May 31. Students can apply at http://bit.ly/emergeapp23. EMERGE recruitment sessions will be held twice a week virtually through Sat., May 29. Students can sign up at calendly.com/emergerecruitment. See this flyer and this brochure for more information. For questions or more information on EMERGE, please visit houstonisd.org/emerge or contact EMERGE Student Recruiter Bethany.Okezie@houstonisd.org.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
Early Childhood
The CIRCLE EOY Assessment window will be open May 3–June 4, so start preparing all the items necessary to make this administration a successful one for you and your students. Feel free to visit the CIRCLE Assessment Folder inside our Early Childhood Guide HUB Course to find virtual administration guidance. Below are a few reminders as you plan for the assessment:
- If you are requesting that a student be added or removed, the change must first be made in PowerSchool Connect before the PK specialists can make changes in the CLI rosters.
- Use the this link to submit requests to update/make changes in your CLI rosters.
- If you are a 50/50 Dual Language teacher or if there are two or more teachers at your campus who will be assessing a group of students, reach out to the specialists listed below to request access to share students’ rosters.
- If your campus administrators need access to campus CIRCLE data/CLI Engage, have them email Maria or Claudia.
- Email Claudia.Azcarate@houstonisd.org or Mnavarr8@houstonisd.org with any CIRCLE questions.
Weekly Teacher Download for April 26, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
Teacher Incentive Allotment program
Next spring, HISD will be participating in the TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that aims to help districts boost student success while also recruiting and retaining high-quality educators. HISD is eager to be a part of this program because it will help increase salaries for the district’s highest performing teachers while also ensuring students have equitable access to the most effective teachers. HISD is seeking stakeholder feedback, so please take a few minutes to complete the Teacher Incentive Allotment Stakeholder Engagement Survey. Responses will be submitted anonymously, and all information collected is confidential. Visit www.houstonisd.org/tia to learn more about the program.
Leadership Development: Apply now for the Campus Leadership Internship Program.
HISD is seeking qualified internship candidates who would like to become campus leaders in the district next school year. The 2020-2021 HISD Campus Leadership Internship is a one-year paid residency that includes a $15,000 scholarship to the University of Houston for a master’s degree. For more information, see this story.
Office of the Chief of Staff
HISD is seeking input for the development of the Local Designation System as part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). The aggregate information will be shared with various committees to help guide the design process of the Local Designation System. All information is completely anonymous and confidential. To find out more about TIA and HISD, visit our website at www.houstonisd.org/TIA. Click here to complete the survey.
Recruitment and Selection
Attention paraprofessionals! Are you interested in becoming a full-time teacher but want to finish your degree while still working as a paraprofessional? Apply for the Community Teacher Equity Development Program, which is a partnership between the University of Houston College of Education and HISD, at https://bit.ly/32m7F24 by April 26, 2021. For more information, see this flyer.
Social and Emotional Learning
The Let’s Stay Connected Mental Health Hotline provides emotional, social, and psychological supports to students and parents who feel the need for assistance and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 713-556-1340. All callers may remain anonymous. Trained staff from Social and Emotional Learning are available to offer counseling and mental health education, and make referrals in English and Spanish. Please find downloadable resources at the SEL website for webinars and companion handouts. Visit the SEL Google Site for more information on training sessions.
Multilingual
Save the date! The third annual multilingual symposium, “The Blueprint: Engineering Foundations that Build Academic Language,” via Teams is set for June 25-26, 2021. The deadline to register is June 24, 2021. See this story for more information.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Career and Technical Education
Please view the Weekly CTE Bulletin, April 2021 Vol. IV, regarding how to submit your CTE Teacher of the Month entry, CTE student highlights, professional learning opportunities, upcoming workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, and other teacher-related resources. Please review the HISD Grant Development Newsletter, V. 4. High school principals and CTE administrators, join us for open labs to discuss Industry-Based Certification Entries for the 2020-2021 school year. Also, please see the April Professional Development Calendar. All OneSource courses are self-paced for CTE teachers; register through OneSource to receive credit. Visit the HUB for Career Readiness updates, resources, and announcements, including Career and Military Signing Day on May 20. In other news, Eagle’s Trace Retirement Community is now hiring student servers, and the Out 2 Learn website offers information on a variety of out-of-school programs for children and youth ages 5 to 18.
EMERGE
EMERGE is now recruiting current 10th graders, and we need your help identifying competitive applicants. The EMERGE-HISD Class of 2023 application is live with a deadline of May 31, 2021. Students can apply at http://bit.ly/emergeapp23. EMERGE recruitment sessions will be held twice a week virtually through Sat., May 29. Students can sign up at calendly.com/emergerecruitment. See this flyer and this brochure for more information. For questions or more information on EMERGE, please visit houstonisd.org/emerge or contact EMERGE Student Recruiter Bethany Okezie at Bethany.Okezie@houstonisd.org.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
Early Childhood
Pre-K Adoption Information: There are three Savvas learning videos on the Early Childhood HUB to give insight into the instructional materials you will be receiving this summer at your campus. You will also find a digital brochure with a description of their print and digital components.
Imagine Math Benchmark Assessment: Every student starts with the first benchmark test, which is automatically assigned. Because the third benchmark is not mandatory, although we highly recommended it, the benchmark needs to be assigned by the classroom teacher. Watch this short video to learn how to enable the Benchmark Assessment by May 3: Benchmark Enablement: Imagine Math. After you have enabled Benchmark tests, review the video on Reading and Interpreting Benchmark Reports.
Customer Service Rep honored for going above and beyond to help parents
Business Operations Customer Service Representative Oliver Nichols has developed a reputation amongst his peers for always being able to find answers to callers’ questions — no matter how difficult they might be.
Last week, he was rewarded for that excellent service with the Business Operations Customer Service Impact Award. He was nominated for the award by several of his colleagues.
“I’m definitely overwhelmed by all the support,” Nichols said. “I simply try to come in every day and do my job at an optimal level. I appreciate the recognition.”
The Customer Service Impact Award recognizes Business Operations employees who display exemplary performance, deliver fantastic customer service, and regularly go above and beyond to add value to their department and positively influence co-workers.
Gathered among a small group of colleagues at Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Center, Nichols was presented with a certificate of appreciation and award. During the presentation, feedback from some of his callers was also read out loud.
“The customer service agent was very understanding and gave me more accurate information,” one caller said.
“The agent was extremely personable, courteous, and helpful. I sincerely appreciate them investigating why my bus route was late,” said another.
Interim Business Operations Team Leader Tasha Gordon described Nichols as “extremely diligent” and noted that he takes good care of the parents calling in with questions and concerns.
Customer Care Senior Manager Delorian Moore echoed her sentiments as she thanked Nichols for his hard work, especially under the weight of the pandemic.
“It’s the little things that count,” Moore said during the award presentation. “For you to be reliable, resourceful, and just confident in the information that you’re giving, it means the world to our callers. Thank you.”
HISD hosting virtual hiring event for Achieve 180 schools
HISD is hosting a virtual teacher job fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 24. The event is focused on Achieve 180 schools. This event is for internal candidates only. External candidates may attend the earlier virtual hiring event.
Achieve 180 was launched in Houston ISD in 2017, and was created to support, strengthen, and empower underserved and underperforming communities.
Interested candidates can register to attend at forms.gle/7kMesdpEVfmNF8ij8.
See this flyer for more information.
For questions, contact TeacherRecruitment@HoustonISD.org or 713-556-7373.
Paraprofessionals, do you want to be a full-time teacher?
Are you interested in becoming a full-time teacher but want to finish your degree while still working as a paraprofessional?
Apply for the Community Teacher Equity Development Program, which is a partnership between the University of Houston College of Education and HISD, by April 26, 2021.
Join a Zoom informational session at 4:30 p.m. on April 22, 2021, by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5415280411.
Apply for the program at https://bit.ly/32m7F24 by April 26, 2021.
For more information, see this flyer.
Weekly Teacher Download for April 19, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
Office of the Chief of Staff
HISD is seeking input for the development of the Local Designation System as part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). The aggregate information will be shared with various committees to help guide the design process of the Local Designation System. All information is completely anonymous and confidential. To find out more about TIA and HISD, visit our website at www.houstonisd.org/TIA. Click here to complete the survey
Recruitment and Selection
Attention paraprofessionals! Are you interested in becoming a full-time teacher but want to finish your degree while still working as a paraprofessional? Apply for the Community Teacher Equity Development Program, which is a partnership between the University of Houston College of Education and HISD, by April 26, 2021. Join a Zoom informational session at 4:30 p.m. on April 22, 2021, by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5415280411. Apply for the program at https://bit.ly/32m7F24 by April 26, 2021. For more information, see this flyer.
Greentown Houston on April 22
This Earth Day, the City of Houston is opening Greentown Houston, the city’s first-ever climate-tech startup incubator. On Earth Day 2020, the City of Houston announced its Climate Action Plan, and one year later they are presenting a celebration of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and innovation that will power Houston’s climate leadership. Located in the city’s Innovation District, Greentown Houston will provide more than 40,000 sq. ft. of prototyping labs, offices, and community spaces for about 50 climate tech startups totaling 200-300 employees. At the Grand Opening on April 22, which will be livestreamed, they will introduce the startups and corporations helping drive climate action in Houston and beyond. Visit https://greentownlabs.com/greentown-houston-grand-opening/ to join the livestream event.
Social and Emotional Learning
SEL is continuing to serve students throughout April by focusing on helping them cope with test-taking anxiety. Students may log into Microsoft TEAMS for a 30-minute, activity-based, interactive session. During these sessions, students will learn skills to use before, during, and after the STAAR exam to combat anxiety. Sessions for both elementary and secondary are Fridays beginning at 9 a.m., with two sessions in the morning and two sessions in the afternoon. Sessions are 30 minutes and classrooms can join based on their availability at Live Student SEL Sessions Teams Link. See this flyer for more information.
Multilingual
Save the date! The third annual multilingual symposium, “The Blueprint: Engineering Foundations that Build Academic Language,” via Teams is set for June 25-26, 2021. The deadline to register is June 24, 2021. See this story for more information.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Career and Technical Education
Attention all middle and high school CTE teachers, as well as CTE administrators: Please view the April 2021 Vol. III Weekly CTE Bulletin, where you will find an opportunity to nominate a CTE Teacher of the Month, submit CTE student highlights, view upcoming workshops, explore job opportunities for youth, and other resources. Please see the April 2021 Professional Development Calendar for self-paced OneSource courses for CTE high school teachers. High school counselors and CTE administrators are welcome to take these courses, too. Please register through OneSource Learning to receive proper credit. Visit the HUB for weekly for Career Readiness updates, resources, and announcements. For those who teach in the Law and Public Safety Program of Study, you have access to free weekly webinars in addition to ongoing news/articles about the world of justice.
EMERGE
EMERGE is now recruiting current 10th graders, and we need your help identifying competitive applicants. The EMERGE-HISD Class of 2023 application is live with a deadline of May 31, 2021. Students can apply at http://bit.ly/emergeapp23. EMERGE recruitment sessions will be held twice a week virtually through Sat., May 29. Students can sign up at calendly.com/emergerecruitment. See this flyer and this brochure for more information. For questions or more information on EMERGE, please visit houstonisd.org/emerge or contact EMERGE Student Recruiter Bethany Okezie at Bethany.Okezie@houstonisd.org.
Weekly Teacher Download for April 12, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
Leadership Development: Apply now for the Campus Leadership Internship Program
HISD is seeking qualified internship candidates who would like to become campus leaders in the district next school year. The 2020-2021 HISD Campus Leadership Internship is a one-year paid residency that includes a $15,000 scholarship to the University of Houston for a master’s degree. For more information, see this story.
Office of Special Populations – Interventions Office
“Momentum: Getting Back on Track,” the first annual Interventions Office Conference, will be on Saturday, April 17, 2021, from 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. This virtual event is designed to empower and engage HISD employees, families, community members, and other partners to drive strategies that focus on four learning strands that guide our work and help us plan the future. Teachers, administrators, and instructional personnel at all levels are invited to participate. Click on this link to register and view the conference schedule.
Special Education
Big Ideas In SPED: The Office of Special Education Services has developed several sessions that examine specific strategies to support SWD and ways to instruct them to ensure you are addressing their skill deficits, as well as teaching grade level standards. For OneSource Course Numbers and information on sessions, see this flyer.
Social and Emotional Learning
According to Safe & Civil Schools, teachers can decrease student misbehavior with planned breaks to allow learners to move around, change activities, or redirect attention to provide mental breaks from challenging activities. Teachers can schedule whole class breaks by breaking a larger activity into smaller activities. Also, insert breaks in between tasks. Tailor breaks for individual students who struggle with focusing during work time. Present a break card to the learner to request a break or assign the learner a classroom job, such as handing out papers or running an errand.
Career Readiness
When I Grow Up, the ninth annual career expo for HISD students in grades K-12, is going to be virtual this year. Set for 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, it features hands-on career exploration, summer job opportunities, raffles, prizes, and entertainment. See this flyer for more information.
Multilingual
Save the date! The third annual multilingual symposium, “The Blueprint: Engineering Foundations that Build Academic Language,” via Teams is set for June 25-26, 2021. The deadline to register is June 24, 2021. See this story for more information.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Fine Arts
Dance teachers, there is an open call for dance film choreographies for an HISD dance film festival on April 24. This is an opportunity for your middle and high school dance students to screen their dance films and receive professional feedback. Register here. For more information, contact Sanja Korman at skorman@houstonisd.org.
Career and Technical Education
Attention all middle and high school CTE teachers, as well as CTE administrators: Please view the April 2021 Vol. II Weekly CTE Bulletin, where you will find an opportunity to nominate a CTE Teacher of the Month, submit CTE student highlights, enter the Best of CTE Pathways Video Competition, and take advantage of professional learning opportunities, a Youth Talent Showcase, the launch of Amazon Fulfillment Center Virtual Tours, upcoming workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, and other CTE teacher resources.
Please see the April 2021 Professional Development Calendar for self-paced OneSource courses for CTE high school teachers. High school counselors and CTE administrators are welcome to take these courses, too. Please register through OneSource Learning to receive proper credit. Visit the HUB for weekly for Career Readiness updates, resources, and announcements. For those who teach in the Law and Public Safety Program of Study, you have access to free weekly webinars in addition to ongoing news/articles about the world of justice.
EMERGE
Attention all HISD Strategy & Innovation Team Members! EMERGE is now recruiting current 10th graders, and we need your help identifying competitive applicants. The EMERGE-HISD Class of 2023 application is live with a deadline of May 31, 2021. Students can apply at http://bit.ly/emergeapp23. EMERGE recruitment sessions will be held twice a week virtually Wed., April 14, through Sat., May 29. Students can sign up at calendly.com/emergerecruitment. See this flyer and this brochure for more information.
EMERGE prepares and empowers high-performing students from underserved communities to apply, attend, and graduate from top colleges and universities across the nation. These institutions offer substantial financial aid packages and boast highly supportive communities with graduation rates at or above 75%. To qualify, you must:
- Be economically disadvantaged and generally the first in your family to attend a four-year college or university
- have a strong academic profile that includes getting good grades in rigorous courses
- Have academic vitality + achievement, perseverance, and open mindedness.
For questions or more information on EMERGE, please visit houstonisd.org/emerge or contact EMERGE Student Recruiter Bethany Okezie at Bethany.Okezie@houstonisd.org.
