Fulbright award winner takes advice to heart: cultivate relationships
Rusk School social studies teacher and Literacy By 3 team lead Joseph Olan recently became the only educator from Houston to receive a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching for 2014.
Olan was selected from a pool of about 5,000 nominees, and was one of only three winners chosen from Texas. You can read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Bellaire HS senior Bianca Rubio-Castañeda, who was honored recently with the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement, the second highest honor awarded to a JROTC cadet. Rubio-Castañeda was recognized by the HISD Board of Education during its regular monthly meeting on Oct. 9. Read the full story here.
- Waltrip HS junior Jonathan Simmons, who has been chosen to serve on the Souper Bowl of Caring’s (SBOC) national youth advisory board this year. He was one of only 14 students selected from across the nation to participate. Read the full story here.
- Board of Education First Vice President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, who began serving a three-year term on the board of directors of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), representing TASB Region 4D. Read the full story here.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
HISD in the News
- HISD board approves tax rate, class size waiver, and more
- Social studies teachers get comfortable with controversy
- HISD updates principals, parents about Ebola prevention
- Twelve schools in HISD introduce students to yoga
- Healthcare High: New DeBakey High School to open
National News Links
- Are some young people over-exercising?
- To level reading or not to level reading; that is the question
- Why mental health screenings should be part of every school’s culture
- Schools report spike in stress, anxiety among students
- U.S. schools confront fear of Ebola in the classroom
Have you ever wondered what the Lone Star State looked like before freeways crisscrossed the prairies, skyscrapers dotted the downtowns, and resorts lined the coast?
If so, come see the new William Stamps Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) and get an eyeful of our state’s wildlife prior to extensive human colonization. The dioramas reveal the remarkably diverse biomes of Texas and emphasis is placed on rare, endangered, and extinct species.
HISD teachers can attend a special preview of the new exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, from 4:00–7:00 p.m., thanks to the generous support of Shell.
Educators can also take a bite of the new HMNS exhibit on sharks. Get up close and personal with these unfairly maligned predators at the live shark touch tank, track great white sharks swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in real time, and see what’s happening with sharks all over the world through amazing conservation efforts led by top marine biologists.
For complete details, please visit the HMNS website. Registration must be completed by Friday, Oct. 24.
Brad Pearl talks about how he used discouraging data to transform his instruction
Brad Pearl
When veteran educator Brad Pearl received his EVAAS data from Furr HS in the fall of 2012, he also received a rude shock. Despite Pearl being the subject of a video exemplar just a few months earlier that showed other educators how to teach higher-level thinking skills, his students’ scores from the previous year indicated “negative growth,” or regression instead of advancement.
“Initially, it was very frustrating,” said Pearl, “because I knew that I wasn’t a bad teacher. I don’t just work harder, I work smarter. You always have to find new ways not just of delivering information but of building rapport with kids.”
Still, that data gave Pearl cause to reflect and spurred him to adjust his methods. He focused on aligning his lessons more closely with the TEKS, making them more relevant to his students’ daily lives, and bringing technology—specifically, tablets—into the classroom to build excitement.
“You have to get kids to want to achieve at a high level beyond their perceived capabilities,” Pearl said. “And iPads are kind of a toy, but they’re also something that motivates you. You’ve got to have a carrot; it can’t be all stick.”
The result of his efforts was a “huge turnaround” in his EVAAS scores the following year. “I got all excited,” said Pearl. “It still wasn’t high, according to the district level, but it was a 200-point swing, and I went from red to green.” There was now greater alignment of Student Performance, Instructional Practice, and self-perception.
Pearl advises other struggling teachers to find something they’re passionate about and to use that passion to identify tools or resources that would help them advance instruction—and then ask for them.
“It’s very hard to come back from the red (zone),” noted Pearl, “but you can’t just give up, because you’ve got kids you’re working with. I don’t feel ineffective because there’s room for growth. I always know there’s something to improve upon.” Pearl now serves as a campus technologist at Furr High School. HISD is committed to the growth, development and support for all teachers.
Teachers: Have you made changes based on your annual assessment that yielded positive results? If so, share your stories with us at info@houstonisd.org and you could be featured online. We’re particularly interested in educators who have used their goal-setting conferences to ask for particular types of support or resources—and received them as a result.
Questions about the TADS process? Email TADS@houstonisd.org.
HISD’s Professional Support & Development department has just launched a newly redesigned website that puts job-embedded professional development right at employees’ fingertips.
The new site features more than 90 video exemplars—now optimized to be accessible from a variety of devices—showing what an effective teacher looks like in a classroom, effective practices and planning tools that guide teacher development, and training opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The site also provides a place for new teachers, mentor teachers, and teachers in the career pathways program to access current events and support for their roles. Visitors can also find links to department web pages, such as Library Services, Teacher Development Specialists, and the Effective Teacher Fellowship.
Take a tour of the new and improved www.houstonisdpsd.org website today! It is your one-stop shop for all things Professional Development.
Brian Doyle
Brian Doyle never taught secondary students during his many years as a classroom teacher, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in getting them there.
“I think the biggest perk I have is going to graduations,” said the longtime principal of Northline Elementary School. “It’s neat to see kids finish the cycle. (Principal) Connie Berger lets me sit on the stage every year at Reagan High School’s ceremony, and (former Sam Houston MSTC Principal) Jane Crump would let me walk in as a line leader. When former students give me graduation invitations, those go up on the bulletin board so our kids can see their brothers, uncles, and neighbors graduating from high school and college. I’ve got some students up at Texas A&M University now that I’m hoping to get invitations from.”
Doyle is a Brooklyn native who first realized his calling while still in college. “I was getting into political science at Wittenberg University in Ohio and I decided I didn’t want to go through all the schooling to become a lawyer,” he explained. “Then I took an educational psychology class as an elective and thought that was very interesting. I did some in-school lessons teaching elementary kids reading and math, and I got bit by the bug.”
The veteran educator joined Team HISD in 1979 as a fifth-grade teacher at Stevenson Elementary School. He also served as an assistant principal at De Zavala Elementary, Bowie (now Paige) Elementary, and Northline before becoming the principal of Northline in the early 2000’s.
Doyle officially marked his 35th anniversary with the district on Oct. 1, but a few other employees also marked theirs during last week and this one (Sept. 28–Oct. 11). See if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Bernadine Brown, teaching assistant, Westside HS
- Sharon Campbell, counselor, Worthing HS
- Sharon Dailey, associate teacher
- Thelma Hudson, teacher, Edison MS
- Lucille Powell, attendant, team lead, Food Services
30 years
- Cynthia Fairbanks, teacher development team lead, Professional Development
- Linda Gordon, teacher, Lyons ES
- Joanetta Rand, teacher, Sharpstown Intl. School
- Keith Ray, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Martin Pardo, vendor representative, Construction & Facility Services
- Robin Woodard, program specialist team lead, Special Education
25 years
- Brigitte Abbs, Officer, Police Department
- Alma Cepeda, teaching assistant, Marshall MS
- Christina De La Rosa, student information representative, Scarborough HS
- Sandra Felder, nurse, Roberts ES
- Sheryl Goodson, attendant, Food Services
- Gwenolia Green, attendant team lead, Food Services
- Linda Harrison, dean of students, Lamar HS
- Doreen Howard, teacher, Anderson ES
- Elise Johnson, assistant principal, Welch MS
- Sonia Lopez, business partner assistant, Human Resources
- Carolina Ortega, teacher, Pugh ES
- Arlinda Polk, clerk, Reagan HS
- Lewis Rhone, associate teacher
- Lucille Richard, secretary, Construction & Facility Services
- Carolyn Shaver, nurse, Piney Point ES
- Douglas Spencer, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Larry Trout, assistant principal, HSPVA
20 years
- Sinabu Amubieya, teacher, C. Martinez ES
- Mirta Arzola-Contreras, teacher, Janowski ES
- Smiley Capers, teacher, Wheatley HS
- Ivan Castillo, teacher, Briscoe ES
- Jacqueline Cayton, dean of students, Sharpstown Intl. School
- Naomi Guerrero, student information representative, Davis HS
- Anita Hamilton, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Judy Harrison, teacher Foerster ES
- Verlincia Hewitt, attendant, Food Services
- Lina Hoang, network administrator, Medicaid/Property Management
- Damon Matthews, teacher, Jackson MS
- Valentina Mozia, teacher, Marshall MS
- Victor Osayande, associate teacher
- Rowland Osuagwu, teacher, Wheatley HS
- Rosa Romero, attendant, Food Services
- Gerardo Rosete, asbestos abatement, Construction & Facility Services
- Jennifer Siebels, teacher, Shadowbriar ES
- Kim Walker, teacher development specialist, Professional Development
- Mezana Wofford, clerk, Longfellow ES
15 years
- Katherine Bush, clerk, Waltrip HS
- Juliet Cornelius, teacher, Jordan HS
- Maywattie Dyal, teacher, Deady MS
- Cindy Hicks, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Yesenia Juarez, teaching assistant, Ketelsen ES
- Brenda Mendez, clerk, Fonville MS
- Dorcas Parra-Malek, instructional specialist, Cunningham ES
- Linda Rodriguez, secretary, Blackshear ES
- Carlos Soto, instructional coordinator, Northline ES
10 years
- Miguel Alarcon, teacher, HSPVA
- Luz Alfaro-Lopez, teacher, Parker ES
- Ana Arevalo, teacher, Berry ES
- Ronald Bartula, senior HVAC repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Freddy Bayson, crossing guard, Seguin ES
- Derilia Beaubrun, teacher, Johnston MS
- Felipa Briceno, teacher specialist, Piney Point ES
- Hickmatu Bundu, teacher, Sharpstown HS
- Ilba Castro, teacher, DeBakey HS
- Lisa Cavazos, teaching assistant, Oates ES
- Maria del Jesus Arvizu, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Alma Duwaji, clerk, Westside HS
- Delores Eli, aide, Cornelius ES
- Norma Elvir, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Mojtaba Ghazanfarpour, associate teacher
- Peter Gilmore, senior mechanic, Transportation Services
- Latrecia Glasper, teacher, Fonville MS
- Sandra Grajales-Franco, teacher, Mitchell ES
- Mousumi Guin, teacher, Marshall MS
- Christy Guillory-Boxie, teacher, Foerster ES
- Annie Hanuise, teacher, Black MS
- Louanne Harvey, teacher, Eastwood Academy
- Patricia Hearne, clerk, Foster ES
- Donald Hicks, associate teacher
- Ngoc-Bich Ho, teacher, Ketelsen ES
- Annie Kollie, attendant, Food Services
- Lise Lafond, teacher, Lee HS
- Ingrid Lathers, teacher specialist, Young ES
- Luvenia Lewis, teacher, HSLECJ
- Sara Litt, associate teacher
- Luis Maldonado, teacher, Marshall ES
- Rakisha McCoy, teaching assistant, Herrera ES
- Maria Mejia, attendant, Food Services
- Elizabeth Miller, secretary, J. P. Henderson ES
- Brenda Morales, secretary, Eastwood Academy
- Stella Nwokorie, nurse, Petersen ES
- Tamara Oliver, associate teacher
- PatriciaOtabor, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Antonio Ovalle, teacher, Herrera ES
- Gloria Robayo, instructional specialist, Project Chrysalis MS
- Ingra Roberts-Stephens, teacher, Burbank MS
- Chris Rodriguez, clerk, Love ES
- Maricela Rojas, teacher, Poe ES
- Ronnie Roque, maintenance repairer, Food Services
- Barbara Smith, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Francis Svojsik, teacher, Benavidez ES
- Enrique Torres, telecom repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Margarita Torres, crossing guard, Crespo ES
- Mereselda Valdez, secretary, T. H. Rogers MS
- Jose Vasquez, associate teacher
- Cleother Willis, teacher, West Briar MS
- Robert Willis, associate teacher
- Roschellia Young, teaching assistant, Gross ES
- Herry Yulianto, teacher, Rodriguez ES
5 years
- Ciro Almaguer, associate teacher
- Marie Anderson, teacher, West University ES
- Jodi Aserkoff, teacher, Wilson Montessori
- Tommy Babineaux, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- MaxineBaldwin, associate teacher
- Sandy Benavides, secretary, Construction & Facility Services
- Sherlly Brigance, associate teacher
- Nancy Brown, associate teacher
- Armethia Carr, associate teacher
- Laraunda Carter, teacher, McReynolds MS
- Christina Chandler, associate teacher
- Cynthia Chavez, student information representative, River Oaks ES
- Maria Cisneros, teaching assistant, Bonner ES
- Carlos Cordero, teacher, Wainwright ES
- Rafael Cortez, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- ZacharyCummings, teacher, Hamilton MS
- Eula Davis, associate teacher
- Pia De Leon, teacher, River Oaks ES
- Katrica Edwards, attendant team lead, Food Services
- KarmanGhanem, associate teacher
- Donna Gilbert, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Georgette Glaze, accountant, Finance
- Benjamin Glover, teacher development specialist, Innovative Curriculum and Instruction
- Natalie Guajardo, teaching assistant, R. P. Harris ES
- Robert Guercio, licensed specialist in school psychology, Child Study
- Laura Guerrero, attendant, Food Services
- Beverly Guillory, clerk Wainwright ES
- Anaai Hernandez, clerk, Burbank MS
- Conrad Higgs, teacher, West University ES
- Jacquelyn Igbokwe, teacher, Bastian ES
- Deloras Josey-Snyder, associate teacher
- Melanie Kauffman, associate teacher
- Alma Lara, associate teacher
- Hillary Ledet, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Naomi Leos, instructional specialist, Marshall ES
- Kimberly Lis, teacher, Lamar HS
- Jennifer Longoria Enriquez, associate teacher
- Fernando Lopez, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Graciela Lopez, teacher, DeAnda ES
- Canthy Luna, teacher, Shearn ES
- Don Marion, teacher, Johnston MS
- Jose Martinez Sanchez, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Tania Martinez, teacher, Neff Early Learning Center
- Gemma McHale, teacher, River Oaks ES
- Angelica Mihabi, teacher, J. P. Henderson ES
- Robert Mulcahy, associate teacher
- Vivian Murry, teacher, Bush ES
- Dorothy Oakes, associate teacher
- Agapita Ortiz, attendant, Food Services
- Sylvia Ortiz, clerk, McReynolds MS
- Charles Page, teacher, Lyons ES
- Christopher Peña, associate teacher
- Marlene Price, associate teacher
- Maribel Rios, clerk, Sutton ES
- Walter Rosado, teaching assistant, De Chaumes ES
- Carina Sanchez, aide, Lantrip ES
- Margie Sanders, associate teacher
- Frank Schnitzer, teacher, Longfellow ES
- Shawnette Shields, teacher, Foster ES
- Meagan Sims, teacher, Robinson ES
- Verlonda Smith, nurse, Frost ES
- Tanya Taylor, teacher, Sam Houston MSTC
- Alicia Thomas, teacher, Field ES
- Robert Tidmore, teacher, Chávez HS
- Nguyet Toliao, teacher specialist, Park Place ES
- Wendy Tovar, teacher, Elrod ES
- Carmen Umanzor, clerk
- Pascuala Valdez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Maria Vega, clerk, Henry MS
- CynthiaVelazquez, teacher, Lyons ES
- Joyce Walker, teacher, Fondren ES
- Jessica Williamson, teacher, Poe ES
- Stephanie Wischmeyer, associate teacher
Superintendent of Schools Terry Grier honored five district employees at the principals’ meeting held on Oct. 1, 2014. The following campus leaders and administrators were recognized with Team HISD hats:
- Sandy Gaw, who serves as the principal of DeChaumes ES, was honored for her generosity and team spirit. Gaw sent some of her own staff members to another campus to help prepare it for the start of the new academic year, even though there were only two days left before classes began—and her school had completely relocated just two weeks prior.
- Silvia Trinh, who serves as the principal at Park Place ES, for her exemplary leadership. Despite having a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students and a high mobility rate, her school’s success has led to it being chosen for a best practices case study project being conducted by the Texas Education Agency. Read more about that here.
- John Threet, who serves as the principal of West University ES, for his sensitive handling of a student with special needs. A sixth-grader’s parent wrote the superintendent to praise that campus for its inclusive atmosphere and the extra effort Threet took to support their son and equip him for success.
- Deirdre Sharkey, who serves as the principal of Attucks MS, for her willingness to house Milby HS students at her campus, while simultaneously maintaining its STEM designation and working to get her school off of the “needs improvement” list and onto the “meets state standards” list.
- Melissa Jacobs, who serves as the principal of Houston Academy for International Studies. Her campus was recently named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Read more about that here.
To see a gallery of all the hat recipients, please visit HISD’s photo archive.
Reminder, this Friday at 11:59 p.m., the ASPIRE eligibility confirmation period will close. All eligible campus-based employees should view their preliminary ASPIRE award eligibility status and submit an inquiry through the ASPIRE portal if there appear to be errors in their eligibility data.
The eligibility confirmation period is the only opportunity to review attendance and Prescriptive Plan of Assistance (PPA) status issues affecting ASPIRE eligibility. This period began on Sept. 22.
The Houston Academy for International Studies has been named a 2014 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School.
“We are thrilled to receive this national recognition for our for our school,” Principal Melissa Jacobs Thibaut said. “It has been an honor to be the founding principal of the Houston Academy for International Studies and be able to envision and grow this program over the last eight years.”
Read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Rodriguez ES and Wharton Dual Language Academy, which have have received official authorization to operate as International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools. These authorizations bring the district total to 16 IB campuses. Read the full story here.
- The Rev. Eugene Jones, who was named one of the State Board of Education’s 2014 Heroes for Children for his service to Jones High School. Read the full story here.
- Three HISD educators were recognized recently as winners of the 2014 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award. Physics teacher Adeeb Barqawi (Kashmere HS), fourth-grade teacher Naureen Ali (Sutton ES) and history teacher Liz Rosenberg (Sam Houston MSTC) are all graduates of the Teach for America program.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
