![](http://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/Domain/4//022114enews/ACC_JeffStear_100.jpg)
Jeff Stear
Jeff Stear (Milby HS) and Astra Zeno (Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy) were recently named two of only three finalists for the IPAA/PESA Teacher of the Year award.
Nominees were eligible for consideration if they worked at one of the five campuses in Texas with an active petroleum academy, through a partnership with the Independent Petroleum Academy of America (IPPA) and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (PESA).
Four HISD high schools (Milby, Westside, YWCPA, and the Energy Institute) and one in Fort Worth (Southwest) currently offer that program.
As finalists, Stear and Zeno each received a check for $1,000 and a framed certificate.
If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
HISD held its second official Twitter Chat for principals, administrators, and other campus leaders on Feb. 20, and the focus of the discussion was once again literacy.
Participants were quizzed about everything from their preferred method of receiving professional development to the one professional resource they would recommend to their peers on literacy.
Answers to the latter question ranged from Dr. Paulo Freire’s work on how to better understand and engage illiterate parents so that “literacy becomes legacy” (suggested by Chief Academic Officer Daniel Gohl) to Guiding Readers and Writers by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, which was described as “a great guide to quality literacy in the classroom” by School at St. George Place Dean of Instruction Lisa Hernandez.
To read the full discussion, which was moderated by School at St. George Place Principal Adam Stephens, please visit the Storify website.
FAFSA Day may officially be over, but many students still need help in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to qualify for the more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds available for college.
If you know of students who haven’t finished or submitted their applications, be sure to let them know that help is still available.
DeBakey High School, for instance, will be bringing the financial aid consultant who spoke at its annual FAFSA workshop back to campus once a week through the end of June to assist parents and students with any problems they may be having. And Westside High School will be hosting an additional FAFSA informational/assistance workshop from 8:30-9:30 a.m., on March 6, 2014, in the library.
Students who need help or want to know if their schools will be conducting additional workshops or activities should contact their counselors or college access coordinators for details.
The FAFSA deadline is not until June 30, but many grant and loan programs have a limited amount of funding, so the earlier students complete theirs, the better their chances are of receiving federal assistance.
The second—and final—window for eligible employees to receive a one-time incentive of $500 for notifying Human Resources of their intent to retire or resign will open on Monday, March 10, and close on Friday, April 4, 2014, at 4:30 p.m.
For complete details, please see this related article.
Health and Wellness Centers to remain open over Spring Break
Both HISD Health and Wellness Centers will be open during normal business hours over Spring Break, which is March 17–21, 2014.
- HMWESC location hours—M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues-Thurs: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Attucks MS location hours— M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues & W: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thurs: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Both clinics are closed from 1 to 2 p.m. daily for lunch.
Kick the tobacco habit at March 12 workshop
A variety of biological, psychological, and social factors are associated with addiction to tobacco.
The Onboarding and Organizational Development Department is offering a new professional development session to help employees understand the basics of addiction so that they can finally kick the habit.
“Kick It! Successfully Quit Tobacco Use” will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, in room 3C12 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), and participants will:
- Gain a better understanding of addiction
- Learn quitting strategies
- Get tips for preventing relapse.
Interested employees should register on eTRAIN using course code #BN0037.
Want to grow as a professional? Join HISD’s new Toastmasters chapter!
If you’ve been trying to think of a way to advance in your career, look no further. HISD has a new Toastmasters club that can help you develop the skills you need.
Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Members learn more about public speaking, how to conduct a meeting, how to listen effectively, and how to provide constructive feedback. HISD’s Toastmasters club currently has 30 members and is accepting applications. It received its official charter on Jan. 9.
To see if Toastmasters is right for you, come sit in on one of the monthly meetings. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month from 5:05 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), in either the cafeteria or Room 1E02.
All new members will receive a manual and resources about how to become a better speaker and more confident leader.
For more information, please contact Kim Golden or Theresa Campos at 713-696-0600 or kgolden@houstonisd.org and tcampos@houstonisd.org.
If you are a principal or an employee designated by a campus leader to coordinate the Teacher of the Year selection process, don’t delay—as the deadline to submit this year’s candidate for your campus is Monday, Feb. 24.
In addition to Teacher of the Year, nominations are also being accepted for four other categories of honoree:
- Outstanding Beginning Teacher of the Year
- Outstanding Young Educator
- Elizabeth Brand Memorial Award
- Emily Scott Evans Award
For complete details, please see this related academic services memo.
The Retirement Storefront at HISD will be hosting retirement seminars from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the following dates this spring at HMWESC (4400 W. 18th St., 77092):
- Wednesday, March 12
- Wednesday, April 9
- Wednesday, May 7
All district employees are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits.
Employees must register through e-TRAIN to attend, and select course code #BN0200.
Questions may be directed to V. Janene English at 713-695-5561 ext. 343.
![](http://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/Domain/4//022114enews/BT_AdeebBarqawi_300.jpg)
Adeeb Barqawi, with two of his students at the Houston Symphony
Challenging students to devise their own methods of solving problems is one of the hallmarks of good teaching. And that’s precisely what Adeeb Barqawi does in his physics classes at Kashmere High School.
Barqawi asks students to break down each new problem he introduces into more manageable steps, then figure out an approach to finding a solution and make any adjustments needed along the way.
“At the beginning, there was a lot of frustration due to the fact that my students were not used to dealing with so much uncertainty,” he explained. “But the culture and relationships I built with them allowed them to trust me as someone invested in their future and personal growth. Now, they enjoy dealing with problems.”
To track his students’ growth, Barqawi uses Edmodo and other online tools that allow both him and his students to monitor their progress.
“I view my classroom as a constant feedback loop triggered by conversations, in-class questioning, and a series of formative assessments,” he said. “My students track their data individually and set goals for future objectives. They also create plans for how to improve their grades.”
As a result of Barqawi’s efforts, 85 percent of his students have passed the district-level assessment in physics at 70 percent mastery.
“Knowledge is not something I alone possess and students wait to receive,” he added. “My students and I are jointly responsible for a process in which we all grow.”
Had a breakthrough in your classroom? Tell us about it! Just send an email to info@houstonisd.org briefly describing your situation, and we could feature it here. |
In this week’s I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other members of Team HISD, Milby High School Assistant Principal Charlotte Harris talks about what spurred her to learn another language, why she’s so passionate about serving the Milby community, and which former assistant principal she still considers a mentor today.
You’ve been at Milby High School since 2002, first as a teacher, later as a Title I coordinator, and now as an assistant principal. Why are you so dedicated to serving this particular community?
![](http://houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/Domain/4//022114enews/IAH_CharlotteHarris_300.jpg)
Charlotte Harris
This is the community I grew up in. I learned how to be an adult here, as well as a good student in college, an excellent teacher, and a good administrator. I feel like Milby has given me so much that I’m obligated to give back.
I truly, truly care about this community. We’re a big family here. Anyone who comes into my office, I want them to feel that. Sometimes we have to discipline family members, but they know the next day, they’re still a part of it. I may push you to do better, but I will help you up when you fall down and applaud you when you accomplish things.
Besides, I know where these kids are coming from, because I was right there. I know what it means to go to lunch but not be able to eat because you don’t have the money even for the reduced-price lunch. I know what it’s like to want to participate in after-school activities but not have the bus fare to get back home.
I’m also an example. I’m living proof that with hard work and dedication, you can be anything you want to be. The kids get to see what I’m doing every day. And in my office, I have all of my degrees up on the wall, and kids are always amazed to see my high school diploma there, too. But at the time, that was a major accomplishment.
Those degrees also open up conversations with students, like about “What’s a bachelor’s,” or “What’s an MBA,” and “What’s the difference?” And they get to see that it all started with a high school diploma from Milby.
You started working at Milby just a few years out of high school. Did you always want to be an educator? If not, how did your path lead you here?
I graduated in 1999, but I was confused in college as to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. At one point, I thought I wanted to go into accounting; at another, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. Finally, I decided that I wanted to be a school counselor, so my major ended up being psychology.
Then I discovered you had to teach for two or three years to become a counselor, and I was sad because I thought that meant I had to teach elementary, because there was no psychology content area that I could be certified in. Then I found out I could teach social studies, since psychology is considered a social science, so I kind of fell into history.
I understand you’re also a graduate of Milby. What’s it been like, walking through the halls of your old school as an adult?
Well, I will tell you that on my first day, I was walking into school to get to my class early and a teacher kicked me out of the building, thinking I was a student. Then a few days later, I went into the teacher’s lounge to heat up my lunch and I got kicked out for the same reason. But I understand where they’re coming from. I looked really, really young when I was in college, and once I set them straight, they had that ‘a-ha’ moment.
It has been different, though. I remember walking the halls the first year and reminiscing. But the beauty of it is that when I had questions, I could still go to my former teachers and ask for advice, even if they weren’t in the same discipline. They were more willing to help me and they taught me how to be a better teacher.
I hear you learned to speak conversational Spanish in order to better serve your students and their families. Why was that important to you? And are you fluent now?
I’m not fluent to the level where I could be an interpreter, but I can hold a conversation. I actually started learning Spanish when I attended Milby so I could talk to my friends. Spanish is such a rich language that I just fell in love with it. I continued my studies at UH, but a lot of times in classes, you learn the book side of it, so I had to have conversations with my best friend, Sandra Arredondo, who’s an AP in Galena Park ISD.
In order to really help a community, you need to know the language and the culture. It shows a sense of respect, that you have something in common. Even if I don’t understand every single word, parents know that I get the gist of it and it puts them at ease. They feel more comfortable and confide in me more, so I’m able to help them.
Wait. Was Sandra one of your classmates at Milby?
Yes. We met here in the tenth grade, and we went through UH together. She was in my wedding and I was in hers. I tried to get her to come be a co-assistant principal with me here at Milby, but she loves Galena Park, and she’s doing well there.
Still, I’m not the only person who has come back. We have coaches, clerks, tutors, and also family members who graduated from here. This is a place where people send their children because it’s a tradition. And there’s an expectation that when I have kids, they’ll come here, too. They don’t have a choice. (laughs)
Your principal, Roy de la Garza, jokes that you are just “waiting for him to die” so you can take his job. Is there any truth to that?
(laughs) Yes. My former principal, Richard Barajas, he was my mentor, and a father figure to me. He was actually my assistant principal when I was still a student, and he taught me everything I needed to know and pushed me into leadership roles, so I’m really grateful for that. One time I told him, “Mr. Barajas, when you retire, I’m taking your position.” I just didn’t expect him to retire so soon! Roy is great, though, and very compassionate, so that’s good. I want to make sure Milby’s in good shape for when I take it over.
Do you have any hidden talents? Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people if they knew it.
I used to be really, really shy, and then I joined this drama team in church. I was really, really terrible, just horrible, so they only gave me tiny little parts where I only had to say like one word or something. But then, my senior year, I started to come out of my shell a little, and blossom in drama. I began to get lead roles. I also used to rap at church. I was in a rap group and we had a little routine.
If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
![](http://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/Domain/4//022114enews/MS_RowenaRandle_300.jpg)
Rowena Randle
If job security was what Rowena Randle was looking for when she hired on with HISD, she certainly found it.
Randle, who came to the district from the oil and gas industry back in 1984, was persuaded by a friend to apply for a warehouse position, and she’s been in that same department ever since.
“The oil industry is up and down, and there were sometimes layoffs,” explained Randle. “I had two kids and was looking for something a little more stable, so when one of the ladies I used to work with came here, she suggested I consider it.”
Over the years, Randle has worked in many different areas within the warehouse, including grounds, dispatch, payroll, the computer room, and textbooks. Now, she is a customer service representative for Routes 1, 4, and 8, which encompass approximately 120 different schools as well as the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. The one constant has been the satisfaction she derives from the relationships she has built.
“When you have certain routes that you serve, you tend to come in contact with the same people at the schools,” said Randle. “I never thought I’d have been here this long, but the plant operators (are really nice).”
Randle officially marked her 30th anniversary with the district on Feb. 21, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Feb. 16–22). See if you know anyone on this list:
30 years
- Carlos Lopez, warehouse team lead, Warehouse
25 years
- Yolanda Arcizo, clerk, Herod ES
- Charlotte Gibson-Carter, teacher, Cook ES
- Deirdre Guidry, teacher, Dávila ES
- Angela Lilly, counselor, Harper Alternative
- Brian Mayo, teacher, Madison HS
- Zayda Miranda-Makany, teacher, Jackson MS
- Maria Treviño, teaching assistant, Burnet ES
- Mohammad Zabihinoury, teaching assistant, Bush ES
20 years
- Donna Garmany, teacher, Marshall MS
- Michael Glasgow II, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Anita Guerra, attendant, Food Services
- Keshondra Howard, attendant, Food Services
- Lena Lathon, attendant, Food Services
- Martha Prater, attendant, Food Services
- Yvonne Rusley, attendant, Food Services
- Walter Snell, teacher, Marshall MS
- Sheila Thomas, teaching assistant, Milne ES
15 years
- Laronda Browder, teaching assistant, Mading ES
- Rebecca De La Rosa, teacher, Waltrip HS
- Daniel Del Cid, teacher, Emerson ES
- Jay Stubbs, teacher, Bellaire HS
- Patricia Walker, teaching assistant, Crespo ES
- Alfay White, associate teacher
- LaDonna Wynn, teacher, Bastian ES
10 years
- Amanda Benitez, student information representative, Ortíz MS
- Maria Castaño, teaching assistant, Highland Heights ES
- Olga Fuentes, attendant, Food Services
- Nancy Guzman, teacher, De Chaumes ES
- Shirley Hall, academic trainer, Professional Development
- Joshua Krause, teacher, Reagan HS
- Raquel Montoya, teacher, Piney Point ES
- Ethel Moore, associate teacher
- Wilmer Remo Jr, crossing guard, Robinson ES
- Jean Stewart, attendant, Food Services
- Stewart Teague, teacher, Revere MS
5 years
- Titilola Abumere, attendant, Food Services
- Melissa Byrd, teacher, Williams MS
- Sandra Chacon, teaching assistant, Scarborough HS
- Carol Clayton, teacher, Twain ES
- Ahmad Drumgo, associate teacher
- Bridget Edwards, Special Education chair, Key MS
- Mona El Hafi, attendant, Food Services
- Irina Escobar, attendant, Food Services
- Maurine Garza, counselor, Burnet ES
- Alex Guerra, teacher, Crockett ES
- April Lindsey, teacher, Longfellow ES
- Jeremy Martin II, teacher, T. H. Rogers
- Maria Peña, clerk, Brookline ES
- Sandra Su, teacher, Las Americas MS
- Sheena Tate, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- William Zappa, teacher, Sam Houston MSTC
Check back next Friday for more February Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |