Weekly Teacher Download for April 5, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
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 am – 1:00 pm. 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: https://hisdinterventionsofficeconf.sched.com/.
Social and Emotional Learning
Rethink Ed: This online SEL curriculum helps students learn skills for positive behavioral responses. Rethink Ed provides direct instruction in the areas of emotions, stress management, support systems, and resilience. Educators and counselors can filter these areas by grade level. Click here to access the Rethink Ed self-care series and lesson plans. Visit the Rethink Ed HISD page and the SEL Google site for more resources. If you need assistance, please contact SEL@HoustonISD.org.
SEL Campus Spotlight: “As a school counselor working on two different campuses, I have had the pleasure of implementing the HISD SEL curriculum through the Rethink Program that consists of social and emotional skills needed to be successful in teaching students to manage feelings, identify emotions, build good relationships, and make sound decisions,” said Fondren and MacGregor ES Counselor Marisela C. Sigala. “I have been able to teach these skills in various settings such as ancillary, classroom, small group, and individually. The student’s response to the program has been positive, as students welcome skills based on learning that helps them answer questions and doubts they have in their personal life.”
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.
TADS Waivers
The Board of Education has approved waivers for certain components of DNA(LOCAL) impacting TADS. The impact, as it relates to TADS, is as follows:
- All probationary contract teachers will continue the TADS appraisal process as outlined in DNA(LOCAL).
- For term and continuing contract teachers not on a PPA participating in TADS, teachers earning all 4s and 3s in all Instructional Practice and Professional Expectations criteria at their Progress Conference will have their Progress Conference ratings applied as their EOY Conference ratings, and an EOY Conference will not be held. Additional formal walkthroughs and observations will not be conducted.
- For term and continuing contract teachers not on a PPA participating in TADS, teachers earning all 4s, 3s, and no more than two 2s in all Instructional Practice and Professional Expectations criteria may have their Progress Conference ratings applied as their EOY Conference ratings, or these teachers can opt to continue the appraisal process according to policy. If a teacher chooses to apply the Progress Conference ratings as the EOY Conference ratings, an EOY Conference will not be held, and additional formal walkthroughs and observations will not be conducted. If the teacher chooses to continue the appraisal process, the appraisal process will continue as outlined in DNA(LOCAL).
- For teachers not on a PPA participating in M-TADS, teachers who have maintained ratings of 4s, 3s, and no more than two 2s in all Instructional Practice and Professional Expectations criteria during the current appraisal year will carry over their 2019-2020 Summative Rating as their 2020-2021 Summative Rating.
Coaching visits and follow-up coaching conversations are encouraged for all teachers. If you have any questions regarding the above, please reach out to your assigned campus appraiser.
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. I Weekly CTE Bulletin for the latest CTE updates, opportunity to submit CTE student highlights, CTE curriculum support, CTE certification and instructional support, professional learning opportunities, summer virtual professional development requests, teacher-led professional development requests, virtual programs, workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, youth resources, scholarship opportunities for high school seniors, career tips, and other CTE teacher resources. Sign in here using your credentials to visit the Career Readiness Course on the HUB for weekly announcements.
ELEMENTARY AND PRE-K TEACHERS
EC Literacy Routines in PreK: Register for Course #1450030 on April 6 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. to learn how to use Literacy Routines strategies in the PreK classroom to nurture language and literacy development. Participants will gain a clear knowledge of how to use these practices and strategies to make content comprehensible to all students.
Virtual learning classes for PK parents: Please see this story for information on free virtual early childhood classes through the Soccer Starts at Home Program. Parents can register at this link. These virtual classes support parents with the implementation of the program at home.
HISD appraisal open labs with Leonard Daily
For employees who have not yet completed their Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDP), Progress Conferences (PCs), Employee Self Assessments (ESAs), and Goal-Setting Conferences (GSCs) and have questions, Leonard Daily is hosting several opens labs in Teams. He will review and answer questions.
Employee Self Assessments (ESAs) are optional and the windows are opening. Goal-Setting Conferences (GSCs) are required and are now overdue and may take away your ability to have employees complete ESAs. GSCs must be completed before the employee-self assessments (ESA) can be completed. Once the (ESA) window closes you will not be able to re-open it. See the 2020-2021 NTAS SLAS Appraisal Calendars.
To check the status of an appraisal, log into OneSourceMe, choose Performance and then ALL FORMS. If your DUE column displays red, then according to HISD Board Policy DN (Local) and the NTAS appraisal calendar, those accounts need attention. The aforementioned processes must be completed before Employee Self-Assessments (ESA) can be completed. Once the ESA window closes, they cannot be re-opened.
The sessions are Wednesday, March, 31, and Thursday April, 1, 2021. The lab times are below. Click here to join a meeting to access the walk-in type lab. Bring your laptops get your appraisal needs met. Enter and exit at your discretion.
Session I: Wednesday, March 31, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Session II: Wednesday, March 31, 11:00 a.m. tol 11:45 a.m.
Session III: Thursday, April 1, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Click here to join the meetings and access the drop-in labs, which you may enter and exit at your discretion.
For questions, call Daily at 713-556-3100 or 832-594-4810.
Attachments:
Weekly Teacher Download for March 30, 2021
ALL TEACHERS
Social and Emotional Learning
Testing Tip: With STAAR testing in the near future, learners may be exhibiting signs of test anxiety. Efforts to help students build self-confidence must counteract daily academic struggles. Safe and Civil Schools states that one way to offset this effect is to reinforce with positive praise to capitalize on the student’s strengths. When working through difficult tasks, ask the student easy questions that they are certain to get correct. Reinforce by asking easier questions to build momentum and then ask the more challenging question to lend to a more positive learning environment, decrease frustration levels, and allow the learner to build confidence. See the HISD STAAR page for more information.
S.A.V.E. Promise Clubs
SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Clubs are a place for young people across the country to show their leadership, creativity, and passion for protecting their friends, schools, and communities from violence BEFORE it happens. A SAVE Promise Club can be a stand‐alone club or embedded into an existing club. SAVE Promise Clubs meet one to two times per month under the sponsorship of an adult advisor to plan activities and events that reinforce looking out for one another and preventing violence and self-harm. Click here to register your club or to learn more information. Please contact Kevin Jackson at Kevin.Jackson@houstonisd.org with questions.
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
Community Partnerships
HISD Community Partnerships and Target present Representation Matters, a career panel from 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. on April 1, 2021. Click Career Panel to join the event, which is an opportunity for high school students to learn about careers in the retail industry and specifically how a career with the Target Corporation can help them achieve their financial goals, make a difference in their communities, and plan their own professional journey. Students who attend will have opportunities to win prizes. During the panel, students will hear from Target team members (professionals from diverse backgrounds) who will share their personal stories. See this flyer for more information on Target team members who will participate. Students will also learn how these staff members are running multi-million-dollar stores, serving hundreds of thousands of people, and managing thousands of team members every day. The panel will include a live Q& A session.
Social and Emotional Learning
March 30-April 1, 2021, is Say Something Week at HISD. Please see this flyer for suggested activities to complete in the classroom or virtually via TEAMS. Resources include social media posts, a parent letter template, morning announcements, and posters for campus promotion. Sample week activities include a point of view PSA, how to identify trusted adults on campus, researching historical upstanders, and classroom lessons. Download the Say Something Educator’s Guide at this link. Empower students to “know the signs” and learn how to prevent violence in schools. Please email Kevin.Jackson@HoustonISD.org with questions.
Career and Technical Education
Attention all middle and high school CTE teachers, as well as CTE administrators: Please view the Weekly CTE Bulletin for the latest CTE updates, opportunity to submit CTE student highlights, CTE curriculum support, CTE certification and instructional support, professional learning opportunities, summer virtual professional development requests, teacher-led professional development requests, virtual programs, workshops, conferences, job opportunities for youth, youth resources, scholarship opportunities for high school seniors, career tips, and other CTE teacher resources. Sign in here using your credentials to visit the Career Readiness Course on the HUB for weekly announcements.
ELEMENTARY AND PRE-K TEACHERS
Elementary Curriculum and Development
Prekindergarten Evaluation/Survey: The department is working with the Department of Research and Accountability to evaluate the Prekindergarten Program. A PK teacher survey was developed to gather opinions concerning the current teaching model, the impact of blended learning on PK students, and the professional development provided by the department. All information will remain confidential. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and can be found by clicking this survey link. Please complete the survey by March 31, 2021. The results will be used to inform decision-makers and identify ways to improve supports PK teachers and students. Contact Senior Research Specialist Georgia Graham at 713-556-7548 or georgia.graham@houstonisd.org with questions.
Houston Dynamo/Dash Soccer Starts at Home Program
Please see this story for information on free virtual early childhood classes through the Soccer Starts at Home Program. Parents can register at this link. These virtual classes support parents with the implementation of the program at home.
Six HISD elementary teachers selected as finalists for science award
Six district science teachers have been selected as finalists for the 2021 Elementary Science Teacher Award sponsored by alliantgroup. The grand prize winner will be announced in May. The teachers are being honored with a video profile that highlights their inspiring work in the classroom.
This award highlights HISD elementary science teachers who are using innovative teaching methods to spark student interest in science. The grand prize winner will receive a personal cash prize of $3,500, plus $500 for their classroom. The other five finalists will each receive $1,300 for themselves and $500 to spend on their classrooms.
The winners represent educators who exemplify exceptional science/STEM teaching and learning in a virtual world, participate in on-going professional learning aligned to science/STEM educational trends, and build capacity with colleagues. Congratulations to all!
| Finalists | ||
| Teacher | Campus | Area |
| Mahrukh Naim | Paige ES | North |
| Rebecca Munn | Shadowbriar ES | West |
| Andrea Jaime | Roosevelt ES | North |
| Ildemaro Tabasco Gonzalez | Northline ES | North |
| Sara Rodriguez | Shearn ES | South |
| Whitnee Boston | Gregory-Lincoln | A180 |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Guillermo Lacomba | R. P. Harris | East |
| Edlyn Enriquez | Pugh | North |
| Ronreance Thomas-Stewart | Petersen | South |
| Pratigyan Purohit | Benavidez | West |
The alliantgroup Elementary Science Teacher Award was created to reward HISD teachers who are increasing student achievement and engagement through innovative lesson plans that emphasize both the important and fun aspects of science. The award is just one of many alliantgroup initiatives to promote the importance of STEM education. For more information on the 2021 Elementary Science Teacher Award, as well as alliantgroup’s other education initiatives, please visit alliantgroup.com.
Target-sponsored retail industry panel for students on April 1
HISD Community Partnerships and Target have joined forces to provide the first “Representation Matters” career panel from 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. on April 1, 2021. The link to register for the Teams event is Target Career Panel.
The event is an opportunity for high school students to learn about careers in the retail industry and specifically how a career with the Target Corporation can help them to achieve financial goals, make a difference in their communities, and plan their own professional journey. Students who attend will have opportunities to win prizes.
During the virtual career panel, students will hear from Target team members (professionals from diverse backgrounds) who will share their intriguing, personal stories. See this flyer for more information on Target team members who will participate.
Students will also learn about how these staff members are running multi-million-dollar stores, serving hundreds of thousands of people, and managing thousands of team members every day. The panel will include a live Q& A session.
Target continues to make an investment in the Black community with employment opportunities and by featuring Black entrepreneur products in the stores. High school students who are at least 16 years old can begin their careers at Target today.
Open labs for questions regarding HISD appraisals
Spring break is over, and for those employees who have not yet completed their Goal-Setting Conferences, they are delinquent. To check the status of an appraisal, log into OneSourceMe, choose Performance and then ALL FORMS. If your DUE column displays red, then according to HISD Board Policy DN(Local) and the NTAS appraisal calendar, those accounts need attention (see below). The aforementioned processes must be completed before the employee self-assessments (ESA) can be completed. Once the ESA window closes, they will not be able to re-open it.
Leonard Daily is hosting several opens lab in Teams. He will review and answer questions regarding Goals, Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDP), Goal-Setting Conferences, and assigning appraisers.
There are sessions on Wednesday, March 24, and Thursday, March 25. The lab sessions listed below consist of “how-to” instructions for HISD’s 2020/2021 non-teacher appraisals (NTAS).
Click here to join the meetings and access the drop-in labs, which you may enter and exit at your discretion.
Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Session II: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
For questions, call Daily at 713-556-3100 or 832-594-4810.
Attachments:
There are special pricing options for HISD employees.
The Houston Independent School District will hold its annual State of the Schools event on Wednesday, March 24, at noon, benefitting the Houston ISD Foundation. This year’s event will be held virtually, and Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan will share her State of the Schools address and showcase the great things happening in the district.
As employees of the district, the Houston ISD Foundation is offering special pricing options at various levels for HISD employees. These pricing options will enable members of Team HISD to purchase single tickets starting at $25 for general viewing. Or, if preferred, employees can purchase tickets as a group to be “seated” together. Some pricing options also include: access to a post-event Q&A, a special gift, and being listed as a supporter on the foundation’s website. To view ticket options and purchase, click here.
Funds raised benefit the Houston ISD Foundation, which supports projects and programs that fall outside of the district’s operating budget in the following priority areas: College & Career Readiness, Whole Child, Innovation, and Equity.
Thank you for in advance for your support. We look forward to gathering virtually with you on March 24 for the 2021 HISD State of the Schools.
Going above and beyond to serve: Almeda ES Cafeteria Lead wins HISD Impact Award
Taji Tillis is a woman who believes in the power of asking.
So, in December, when the cafeteria team lead at Almeda Elementary School saw a need for more resources in her community, she took a chance and approached the head of her department to make a big ask.
Could her campus be turned into an HISD food distribution site? Within 24 hours, the Almeda distribution site was born.
“I knew she could either tell me ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Tillis said, referring to her conversation with Nutrition Services Officer Betti Wiggins. “There was nothing wrong in just asking.”
read more…Weekly Teacher Download for March 12
ALL TEACHERS
Academics
Are you interested in learning more about the DDI Specialist program? Do you enjoy supporting teachers in PLCs and using data to inform instruction? Student Assessment is hosting this cohort to help develop skills in aspiring DDIS in conjunction with Leadership and Development. Student Assessment is seeking interested candidates for the DDIS cohort and possible candidates for future DDIS support in schools. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online by March 24, 2021. Please contact Student Assessment at 713-349-7460 for assistance and/or questions. DDIS cohort application link: http://tiny.cc/DDIS2021.
Latinx Teachers’ Fellowship opportunity
The Latinx Teachers’ Fellowship will provide a national cohort of 45-75 Latinx K-12 teachers with a learning network of peers and the tools to collaboratively prepare to maintain and improve the skills needed to serve large ELL populations during the re-entry process. Applications are now open. The fellowship carries a stipend of $25 per hour up to 25 hours. Apply at https://www.tfaforms.com/4881244. The priority deadline is April 12, and the final deadline is May 10. Visit their website at www.latinosforeducation.org. For more information, see this flyer and this story.
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.
Special Education
Part 3: Antiracism and Designing Instruction
Goalbook, the web-based resource that provides academic and behavior strategies, will host the final session of its three-part webinar series focused on using their resources to create an anti-racist learning environment so that all students succeed. Please contact jander13@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6844 with questions. Click on this date to register: March 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Strategy and Innovation
HISD is seeking innovative project proposals from educators for HISD By Design, a new program aimed at funding innovative projects and programs from educators that directly impacts student achievement. The application deadline is March 24, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. If you missed the informational webinar, you are in luck! You can watch the video here. To learn more about HISD By Design, visit HoustonISD.org/HISDByDesign.
Social and Emotional Learning
Teachers, if you would like to encourage the “camera on” function by shaping behavior, begin with rewarding behaviors that ultimately lead students to gain confidence and ease anxieties that come with keeping the “camera on.” Shaping can take as long as your learners need and focuses on rewarding those engaging in the behavior. Plan to have an engaging 10 seconds in class for students to turn on their cameras and participate. Reward using classroom reinforcement systems, and repeat this for one to two weeks, increasing “camera on” time to 30 seconds and rewarding those who participate. Continue to increase the time as you see fit and always reinforce those who participate.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Cesar Chavez–Dolores Huerta Student Symposium
In honor of the Cesar Chavez–Dolores Huerta holiday, HISD is pleased to announce the inaugural “Cesar Chavez–Dolores Huerta Student Symposium.” The theme is “The Power of Your Voice,” and students will focus on advocacy. The deadline to submit student projects is March 22. The virtual event will be held from 9:00–11:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 27. Students in grades 6-12 will create and present projects based on this year’s theme. Teachers are encouraged to offer extra credit or one grade replacement for the course in which the project is created.
Project Outline: Grade 6–12 students complete a project related to the annual theme by conducting primary and secondary research on the importance of advocacy. Each submission will address the following questions:
- How have the lives of Chavez and Huerta inspired you to advocate for your community?
- How is their message still relevant today?
Students will present their work in the form of an essay, documentary or website. For more information, see Virtual Cesar Chavez-Dolores Huerta Student Symposium.
Career and Technical Education
Attention all middle and high school CTE teachers, as well as CTE administrators: Please view the Weekly CTE Bulletin for the latest CTE updates, highlights, curriculum, certification and instructional support. You will also find Region 4 professional learning opportunities, summer professional development requests, teacher-led professional development requests, virtual programs, workshops, conferences, scholarship opportunities for high school seniors, career tips, teacher resources, and opportunities for juniors and seniors to engage with professionals. Sign in here using your credentials to visit the Career Readiness Course on the HUB for weekly announcements.
2021 Virtual Girls Construction Camp for 8th-grade female students and their parents, teachers, and school counselors. In an effort to inspire young women to consider a career in the construction industry, CMEF’s Construction Careers Youth Committee is partnering with local industry female professionals to facilitate the 2021 Virtual Girls Construction Camp on March 30 from 10:00-10:40 a.m. The focus of the camp is to provide the students with a new awareness and appreciation for the construction industry and its vast diversity of career opportunities, as well as provide students with information that will assist them in their decision to select a Graduation Endorsement Plan and Career Pathway they may not have otherwise considered. A Teams link will be sent the week of March 22. For more information see this flyer and contact Dr. Steven Horton at s.horton@cmefhouston.org or 281-478-3920.
Save the Date: 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.
ELEMENTARY AND PRE-K TEACHERS
Houston Dynamo/Dash Soccer Starts at Home Program
Virtual Learning Classes: weekly classes will be hosted every Wednesday at 6 p.m. through May 26 for parents and children ages 3-5. Parents can register at this link. Once registered, they will not have to re-register for each session. Parents will receive a follow-up email prior to the start of every Wednesday session. These virtual classes support parents with the implementation of the program at home.
Open labs for questions regarding appraisals
Spring break is nearly here, and for those employees who have not yet completed their Goal-Setting Conferences, Leonard Daily is hosting several opens lab in Teams. He will review and answer questions regarding Goals, Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDP), Goal-Setting Conferences, and assigning appraisers.
There are sessions on Wednesday, March 10; Thursday, March 11; and Friday, March 12. The lab sessions listed below consist of “how-to” instructions for HISD’s 2020/2021 non-teacher appraisals (NTAS).
Click here to join the meetings and access the drop-in labs, which you may enter and exit at your discretion. Goals, IPDPs, and Goal Setting Conferences are now delinquent but will be covered in the lab.
Bring your laptops and get your appraisal needs met.
Session I: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session II: 10:40 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Session III: 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Attachments:
