Don’t forget: if your department hasn’t already submitted its tagline for HISD’s new branding initiative, don’t wait any longer!
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, July 31, 2014. Taglines should be five words or fewer and sum up what your department does for the district.
Here are some examples from other departments:
- Career Readiness Learning Today. Earning Tomorrow.
- College Readiness Higher Expectations. Higher Education.
- Linked Learning Relevant Education. Real-World Application.
- FUTURES Academy Today’s FUTURE. Tomorrow’s Workforce.
- Major Projects Innovation. Transformation.
Submissions should be sent to info@houstonisd.org.
Barbara Mora
When Barbara Mora first came to HISD in the summer of 1979, she was a divorced mother of two young children who was “looking for a miracle,” but a tip from a neighbor helped her embark on what would eventually be a 35-year (and counting!) career with the district.
“I am not sure I really thought about how long I was going to work for HISD,” said Mora. “I always just had the attitude of doing the best I could with the resources we were given.”
Mora started out as a scheduler when she first came aboard, but has risen steadily over the years to her current position of custodial area manager in Construction & Facility Services.
“My favorite part of the job has been the ability to work in an ever-changing environment,” she said. “We have a group of individuals who want to provide a clean, safe learning environment for all children, and the relationships I have built with them goes without saying; this truly is ‘Team HISD.’”
Mora officially marked her 35th anniversary with the district on July 23, but a few other employees are also marking theirs this week (July 20–26). See if you know anyone on this list:
25 years
- Cyrus Perriatt Jr, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Phillip Hill, program specialist, Special Education
- Sanjukta Maiti, teacher, Park Place ES
- Litman Warren,bus driver, Transportation Services
10 years
- Byron Amerson, teacher, Sterling HS
- Estela Arteaga, attendant, Food Services
- Carolyn Benson, attendant, Food Services
- Jacqueline Brown, attendant, Food Services
- Bertha Bustos, attendant, Food Services
- Barbara Charleston, attendant, Food Services
- Aydee Cruz, attendant, Food Services
- Maria Elizondo, attendant, Food Services
- Yesenia Flores, attendant, Food Services
- Magdelena Gil, attendant, Food Services
- Gloria Jaime, attendant, Food Services
- Geraldine Johnson, attendant, Food Services
- Keely Kelly, attendant team lead, Food Services
- Brenda Lafayette, attendant, Food Services
- Ingrid Martinez, attendant team lead, Food Services
- Sandra Mejia, attendant, Food Services
- Esperanza Mendoza, attendant, Food Services
- Catalina Miranda , attendant, Food Services
- Maria Murillo, attendant, Food Services
- Maria Rangel, attendant, Food Services
- Anabel Ruiz, attendant, Food Services
- Olga Sarmiento, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Thomas Sturdevant, assistant foreman, Transportation Services
- Marco Talamantes, senior computer operator, IT
- Esperanza Vallejo, attendant, Food Services
- Griselda Vega, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Katie Williams, attendant, Food Services
- Verna Williams, attendant, Food Services
5 years
- Tyrone Green, teacher, Lamar HS
| Check back next Friday for more July Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
HISD in the News
- Companies need coders; what one school is doing to meet demand
- Austin school district should follow progress of HISD construction jobs
- Houston schools vie again for North Carolina teachers
- Terry Grier on the education of Houston’s children: The buck stops here
- Pinemont Park resident helps shape HISD policy
National News Links
- California schools’ risks rise as vaccinations drop
- Immigrants unlikely to spread disease, but may need medical care
- Exercising digital decorum in sacred spaces
- Poll shows participation in summer programs is one the rise
- Key to nurturing altruism in students: Remind them of the joy of it
HISD in the News
- U.S. classrooms prepare for flood as migrants become students
- Parents, students learn together over the summer
- Westbury HS band fundraising for Hall of Fame trip
- New Lamar HS will blend past with present, future
- HISD, HCC offer new Middle College High School
- Colorful murals decorate the inside of Liberty HS
National News Links
- Drumming up excitement for books: Ten tips for reading teachers
- Districts debate the merit of advanced degrees for teachers
- How ‘gamification’ is transforming one-size-fits-all education
- Where are the nation’s ‘most productive’ school districts?
Moses Lucio
HISD’s Construction and Facility Services (CFS) department launched an internal Employee of the Month program last month to recognize 24 members of its team per year—one per month from each of its two main branches: facilities (maintenance) and operations (custodial services).
Terry Tse
The honorees for July are:
- Terry Tse (facilities)—Tse is a senior HVAC repairer in Area 3 who was described by his nominators as “a hard-working team player who is willing to do whatever it takes to complete his assigned work and help other employees solve their issues. He never says ‘No.’”
- Moses Lucio (operations)—Lucio is a custodian at Hamilton Middle School who was described by his nominator as “a credit to the department, an ideal employee, and a model custodian. He answers the call of duty on a moment’s notice and has received glowing reviews for his assistance at other campuses.”
Congratulations to Tse and Lucio!
| 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. |
Maria Cruz
In July of 1999, Maria Cruz was looking for a change. She had had enough of her job’s irregular schedules and was ready to find something more stable and consistent.
“As an auditor, sometimes you would work early in the morning, and sometimes you would work late at night,” she explained.
Enter Cruz’ sister-in-law, who suggested she apply for a clerking job in HISD’s Bond Services. Cruz was hired within the week, and 15 years and two promotions later, she is still serving in that same department.
Now, Cruz says she finds the most satisfaction from the relationships she has built with her colleagues, but she also enjoys helping principals make decisions about how to decorate facilities when new schools or wings are being built.
“You get to walk through the schools with the principals and pick the colors,” she said. “It’s kind of fun.”
Cruz officially marked her 15th anniversary with the district on July 13, but a few other employees are also marking theirs early this month (July 13–19). See if you know anyone on this list:
30 years
- Aaron Booker, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
25 years
- Maria Gonzalez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
10 years
- Harvey Bradford, teacher, Westside HS
- Stephen Dixon, teacher, Reagan HS
- Kathryn Gorski, ASPIRE program manager, Compensation
- Gary Kansas, teacher, Hamilton MS
- Norma Silva, secretary, Rodriguez ES
5 years
- James Cavazos, IT Customer Service Representative, Barrick ES
- John James, teacher, Madison HS
- James Wilson Jr, teacher, Madison HS
- Tonya Woods, principal, Lewis ES
| Check back next Friday for more July Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
School may technically be out, but it’s been a busy summer for Jay Stubbs, Bellaire High School’s speech and debate coach. He took a team to nationals, was inducted into the National Forensic League Hall of Fame and even received the Texas Bar Association’s Leon Jaworski Award for Teaching Excellence in Law Focused Education—and that’s just in June!
You can read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- The Office of Special Education Services, which was named the winner of the McLean-Yoder Award for Professional Excellence by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities. This award is intended to honor either an individual or a team who exemplifies high quality professional service to individuals with severe disabilities.
- Elrod Elementary School librarian Monica Babaian, who was named one of 100 Digital Innovators for 2014 by PBS LearningMedia. She was selected from a pool of hundreds of applications by an esteemed group of judges as one of the most tech-savvy K-12 educators from across the country who serve as leaders in the education technology space to promote student engagement and achievement.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
Ever eaten an entire pint of ice cream after a bad break-up or treated yourself to a huge dinner out after a super-stressful day?
If this describes you, the July 23 workshop offered through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by HISD’s Benefits Department might be for you.
Entitled, “Healthy Eating and Stress Management,” this workshop will explore the relationship between unhealthy eating and stress, and ways to develop healthier eating and stress-management habits.
The workshop will take place in room 3C12 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), from noon until 1 p.m.
Interested employees are asked to register via eTRAIN using course code BN0041.
Only one more workshop remains after this one in the summer series. To see a full schedule, click here (.pdf).
Lamar HS business manager Brad Weber is a big fan of the new system.
A new PeopleSoft tool is saving HISD principals, department managers, and support staff a lot of time – more than a week in some cases. The pilot period for the Online Position Management (OPM) software that launched April 30 has ended, and everyone involved agrees that it was a huge success.
“Position requests that used to take a week or more to be processed are completed in as little as two hours, or in one exceptional case, 17 minutes,” said long-time Lamar High School business manager Brad Weber. “I simply go online and open an OPM form, fill in the job details, and submit it. The system emails my principal that it is ready for review. After he signs off on it, it goes to a budget analyst for approval.”
“Unless the position requires another approval, that’s all there is to it,” said HISD Budget Analyst George Perez. Under the old system, the requestor would fill out a paper form and get it signed by the principal or manager. The form would then travel by inter-office mail to district headquarters, sometimes getting lost or delayed along the way.
“The OPM pilot was tested on HISD high schools and Construction Facilities Management, and it significantly reduced the time it took to create new positions, close old positions, and make other necessary changes,” said Senior Budgeting Manager Tony D’Angelo. “Based on the results and feedback gathered during the pilot, OPM will be implemented in all HISD schools and departments over the next few months.”
“Getting the software up and running has been a lengthy process,” Perez said, “but overall, the new system is saving us a ton of time. In addition, it prevents errors – if something is incorrect, the system won’t accept it. In the past, it might take a week or more just to figure out you had made a mistake.”
The OPM launch has been a collaboration among three HISD departments — Budgeting and Financial Planning, Information Technology, and Human Resources. See this story for additional background.
OPM training can be accessed by logging into eTutor and clicking on the PeopleSoft tab.
Almost two dozen campuses have been assigned new leaders since school let out for the summer, with 14 elementary schools, three middle schools, two middle colleges, and three high schools seeing new principals. Superintendent of Schools Terry Grier also announced the hiring of four new School Support Officers: three at the elementary level and one at the high school level. Brief bios for all of them are below.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Briscoe ES—A product of HISD’s Alternative Certification Program, Franklin Cahuasqui began his career in education in 2005 as a fifth-grade bilingual teacher at Seguin ES. For the past two years, he has served as an assistant principal at Hartman MS, where he led the development of the Magnet School of Health and Medical Science. Cahuasqui holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Sam Houston State University.
- Burnet ES—Ana Cantu last served HISD as the assistant principal of Petersen ES. She began her educational career 21 years ago, as a teacher in the Department of Defense’s Early Childhood Department. Her past positions include G/T specialist, bilingual coordinator, and Title I coordinator in Clear Creek ISD. Cantu holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Texas A&M University–Kingsville, and earned her master’s in educational administration from Lamar University.
- Fondren ES—Michael Walker, who was the principal of Fondren from 2006 until 2013, has been selected to lead that campus again this fall. He came to HISD from Hempstead and Spring Branch ISDs, and he has been recognized with a number of awards, including H-E-B Elementary Principal of the Year. Walker has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida A&M University and a master’s in educational administration from Texas A&M University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational administration through Walden University.
- Garden Villas ES—Meron Tekle is currently serving as dean of students at YES Prep North Forest. She started her educational career at YES Prep North Central, where she taught sixth-grade math, science, and math intervention. She was then recruited and served as the founding teacher and administrator to North Forest ISD’s YES Prep partnership school, where she taught math and led as the grade-level chair. Tekle holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. John’s University and a master’s in business administration from Rice University. She was also a member of the fourth cohort of the Rice Educational Entrepreneurship Program.
- Hilliard ES—Dr. Mokysha Benford is currently serving as an assistant principal at Forest Brook MS. She previously served as dean of accountability and as a Title I instructional coach. She began her educational career 15 years ago as a classroom teacher in La Marque ISD. Dr. Benford holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Houston, and a doctorate from Texas Southern University.
- Jefferson ES—Siomara Saenz-Phillips began her educational career as a high-school government and middle-school English teacher in McAllen ISD. She has worked for Community EducationPartners (CEP) as an education specialist and a learning community instructional leader. In HISD,she taught at the Gregory Lincoln Education Center and served as an assistant principal atScarborough ES and Neff ES. For the last six years she has been the principal atSouthmayd ES. Saenz-Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas – PanAmerican. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Houston and has begun her doctoralstudies there.
- Mading ES—Nicole Haskins is currently serving as the assistant principal of Marshall Middle School. She began her educational career in HISD as an elementary teacher, and later served as a district administrator in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Haskins holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Stillman College, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Southern University. She is currently completing a doctor of educational administration degree from Texas Southern University.
- Neff ES—Amanda Wingard started her career in HISD as an elementary teacher in 2003 at the same school she both attended and will be leading this fall. She previously served as an instructional coordinator and assistant principal there. Wingard earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her master’s from the University of Houston Downtown. She received her principal certification through the Principal Academy for Collaborative Engagement.
- Patterson ES—Juan Gonzales is currently completing his 13th year as the principal of Briscoe ES. He began his educational career in HISD as a bilingual teacher at Sutton Elementary, and served as an assistant principal at Edison MS. Gonzales holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s of education from the University of Houston.
- Peterson ES—Lysette Cooper began her journey as an educator in 2000 as a third-grade reading teacher with Clear Creek ISD. She began her career in HISD as a fifth-grade ESL and G/T teacher at Milne ES, but she has also served as the instructional coordinator and assistant principal there. Cooper received her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Houston. She also holds a master’s degree in education leadership.
- Sherman ES—Benjamin Hernandez began his career in HISD in 2002 as a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Lantrip ES. After nine years as a teacher, he moved out of the classroom and into the role of Teacher Development Specialist for the Apollo 20 elementary schools. Hernandez has also served as a project manager for the EdPlan formative assessment system and an academic program manager for TIF 3 and TIF 4 federal grants. Hernandez is a native Houstonian and earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston.
- Southmayd ES—Sandra Cisneros became a member of Team HISD in 2005 when she started teaching at Moreno ES. In 2010, she served as an instructional specialist at Bonner ES and was named their assistant principal in 2012. Cisneros earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Houston and her master’s degree in educational administration from Sam Houston State University.
- Stevens ES—Jennifer Barrientez is currently serving as the elementary mathematics curriculum director for Harmony Public Schools. She also served as the principal of Meador ES in Willis ISD and assistant principal at The Rusk School in HISD. She began her educational career 11 years ago as a classroom teacher in Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD. Barrientez holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Sam Houston State University, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Sam Houston State University.
- Walnut Bend ES—Michele Dahlquist has 21 years of teaching experience and 10 years of experience in school administration. She served both as a district coordinator of gifted programs and as adjunct faculty for the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. Dahlquist holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Lyon College in Arkansas. She has done extensive graduate work in the fields of gifted education and curriculum and instruction, and earned her master’s degree in educational administration and leadership from Lamar University.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
- Black MS—Paolo Castagnoli is currently serving as the dean of students at East Early College HS. He has been with HISD for the last nine years, working both as a teacher and an assistant principal at Scarborough HS. Prior to joining Team HISD, Castagnoli taught social studies for six years at the YES Prep Southeast campus, where he also served as the department chair. Castagnoli holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in education, both from the University of Houston.
- Fonville MS—Iris Reyes is currently serving as associate principal of Revere MS, where she also served as the dean of students. She began her career as an elementary bilingual and ESL teacher in HISD, and has also worked as an Alternative Certification Program trainer. Reyes holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Texas Christian University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston. She received her principal certificate from the University of Houston-Victoria.
- Hartman MS—Stephen Linkous is currently serving as the principal of Kepner Middle School in Denver, Colorado. He began his career in education 19 years ago as an English as a Second Language and social studies teacher. He has also served as a football/track coach and dean of students. Linkous holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Park College. He earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Denver.
MIDDLE COLLEGES
- Middle College High School at HCC Fraga—Angelica Vega is currently serving HISD as a performance and continuous improvement manager in the Office of School Support. Prior to that, she served as a dean of students at East Early College HS and a math teacher at Stevenson MS. Vega holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Texas A&M University-College Station. She also earned a master’s degree in school leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
- Middle College High School at HCC Gulfton—Diana Del Pilar has served as the principal of Helms Elementary School for the last four years. She was previously in Spring Branch ISD for six years and served as assistant principal and school improvement specialist for English and Spanish language arts. Del Pilar also served Aldine ISD for 15 years as a bilingual instructional specialist, a bilingual teacher, and a teacher assistant. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas.
HIGH SCHOOLS
- Jones HS—Geovanny Ponce has been the principal of Hartman Middle School for two years, but he has also served as a teacher, dean of instruction, assistant principal, and campus network specialist. He was recognized as the New Principal of the Year in 2013 and Assistant Principal of the Year in 2012. Ponce was also a member of the 2012 cohort of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program. Ponce received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Honduras, a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of Houston, and his teaching certification from St. Thomas University. He is presently working on his doctorate in education at Duplichain University.
- Lee HS—Jonathan Trinh has 19 years of experience as an educator, most recently as the dean/associate principal of Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy. He has been recognized with a number of awards for excellent teaching, including the Exxon Science Teacher of the Year Award, MIT’s Inspirational Teacher Award, and the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association’s Number Sense Coach of the Year Award. Trinh has also coached University Interscholastic League state championship teams in math and science for five years. Trinh holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas Southern University and a master’s degree in school administration from Lamar University.
- Sam Houston Math, Science & Technology Center—Rupak Gandhi is currently serving as the principal of Neff ES. Prior to that, he served as an assistant principal at Lee HS. Gandhi began his educational career eight years ago as a special education resource teacher at Coop ES. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in special education from Grand Canyon University.
SCHOOL SUPPORT OFFICERS
Elementary School Office 2
- Dr. Phillip Hickman most recently served HISD as the assistant superintendent of School Support Services, but he has also been a principal, assistant principal, dean, counselor, and school psychologist. Dr. Hickman holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri–Columbia. He also received a master’s degree in educational administration from Southern Illinois University in Evansville, and a doctorate in education from St. Louis University.
- Diana Gibson-Johnson began her career in HISD as a teacher at Harvard ES, but she has also served as an assistant principal at Tijerina ES, and the principal of R.P. Harris ES, Clinton Park ES (now closed), and most recently, Windsor Village ES. She also has experience as an executive principal and lead principal. Under her leadership at R.P. Harris and Windsor Village, the campuses achieved the state’s highest rating. Gibson-Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Southern University.
Elementary School Office 3
- Erick Pruitt served seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps before beginning his career in education. He worked in Chicago Public Schools for 16 years, serving as a teacher, New Leaders resident principal, contract principal, and deputy chief of schools. Pruitt earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education from Purdue University, his master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, and his doctorate in education leadership from National Louis University.
High Schools Office
- Dr. Esther Omogbehin is a veteran administrator with a remarkable record of success in improving schools at all levels. She has also traveled extensively, assisting schools in Ghana and Nigeria, and she has held several leadership roles as a presenter and implementer. Dr. Omogbehin joined the San Diego Unified School District in 1994 as a classroom teacher and held a number of other positions: staff developer, literacy administrator, beginning teacher support provider, vice principal, principal, and lead principal. She continues to be a mentor to aspiring leaders and teachers. Dr. Omogbehin holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Language Arts, a master’s degree in multicultural education, and a doctorate in educational leadership from San Diego State University.
