Officer Robert Valdez
HISD police officer Robert Valdez helped the Houston Police Department catch two bank robbery suspects on Nov. 20.
Valdez, who was off-duty at the time, told Channel 13 that he followed the suspects’ car after being flagged down by witnesses.
You can read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Reagan High School Coach Stephen Dixon, who was named a finalist for the Touchdown Club’s Coach of the Year award. You can read that full story here.
- Twenty Wainwright Elementary School teachers who received $50 gift cards from a local Sam’s Club to purchase classroom supplies through Walmart’s Teacher Rewards program.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
A "beehive" entry from last year's competition
Jordan High School cosmetology students will be hosting their 17th annual citywide hair competition, called “Hair Explosion,” on campus (5800 Eastex Frwy, 77026) on Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, from 6 to 9 p.m.
This event is one of the largest of its kind in Houston, and students from all over HISD, as well as Beaumont, Klein, Magnolia, Spring, and many other ISDs compete to see whose cuts are king. The categories are daytime, nighttime, and fantasy. Representatives from Super Cuts and Visible Changes will act as judges.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- Dec. 8: Deadline for H-E-B award nominations
- Dec. 12: Regular Board meeting
- Dec. 13: Toys for Toys campaign ends
- Dec. 18 (.pdf): Payday
- Dec. 20: Deadline for guaranteed first-round consideration of Magnet applications for 2014-15 school year
- Jan. 1 & 15 (.pdf): Payday
- Jan. 14-Feb. 2: Souper Bowl of Caring food drive
- Jan. 16: Regular Board meeting
- Jan. 17: MLK Oratory competition
- Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
- Jan. 25: Museum District’s Open House for Educators
- Jan. 29 (.pdf): Payday
- Jan. 30: Fund for Teachers application deadline
- Feb. 12 & 26 (.pdf): Payday
- Feb. 26: State of the Schools luncheon
- Feb. 28: Deadline to apply for Ruby Sue Clifton scholarship
Chief Schools Support Officer Andrew Houlihan will be hosting HISD’s first Twitter chat for principals on Friday, Dec. 6, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
The first topic to be discussed is literacy. Here are some questions to think about beforehand:
- What instructional best practices are you utilizing at your campus to promote an increase in academic performance in reading and writing?
- How are you managing expectations around such best practices?
- How are you promoting collaboration amongst teachers, parents and administrators in order to infuse literacy awareness?
- What must we do to increase literacy rates across campuses?
Just type in #HISDPrincipal to follow along and see what other members of Team HISD are saying. And if you’d like to participate, be sure your tweet includes the hashtag #HISDPrincipal.
A moderator will be following the discussion to keep things moving along.
In this week’s I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Crockett Elementary School teacher Geetha Thomas talks about how her after-school art program is producing a steady stream of award-winning artists, why so many of her students’ works have graced the district’s annual holiday card, and what prompted the common theme among their entries.
You recently celebrated your tenth anniversary with HISD. Have you always taught at Crockett? How did you first come to the district?
Geetha Thomas, with some of her students
Yes, I’ve completed ten years at Crockett and feel very blessed. I continue to teach fifth grade and have been given the opportunity to serve as a lead teacher for reading, to function as a grade-level chairperson, and also to teach English as a Second Language (ESL).
I was teaching in the Middle East—in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the American International School—until unfortunate events like the Iraq War brought me to Houston, where my daughter lives. My former principal, Elida Troutman, hired me on the spot.
According to the district’s email system, you teach English as a Second Language, but I remember you primarily as an art teacher. Do you teach both or have you switched subjects?
I was primarily a regular teacher, but after discovering the great need to teach reading to English-language learners, I got my ESL certification. Our fifth grade is departmentalized, so I teach reading during the school day and art in the after-school program. Learning to draw and paint develops self-confidence, self-discipline, persistence, and the knowledge of how to make multiple revisions to create high-quality work, which finally leads to academic success.
Back in the 2000s, students working under your direction won the district’s holiday art card contest four out of five years in a row. Why do you think that is? What is it that you teach your students to make their entries so outstanding? Is there a particular technique?
My philosophy of teaching art to children is quite simple: to engage and inspire with age-appropriate techniques and subjects, which helps develop a positive work ethic, flexibility, and pride in a job well done.
I teach painting techniques to one student at a time. The student and I sit side-by-side and paint the same subject. The child watches, learns, and repeats the process continuously and the end result is a fantastic product. Now she or he becomes the advanced student and helps another child using the same techniques, while I teach another student. This technique is time-consuming, but very effective. The enthusiasm that students demonstrate is because they are allowed to paint the subject of their choice. Thursday is “free art day”—any subject, any medium (watercolors, acrylics, oils) any technique, and best of all, painting with their friends.
If memory serves, three out of the four students referenced above had snowmen on their winning entries. Was that at your suggestion or something they came up with on their own?
Geetha Thomas's student, Noe Resendiz, holds the artwork he created that was selected as the design for the official 2007 HISD Holiday Card.
How funny! I hadn’t actually realized until now that three of the winning entries were paintings of snowmen. However, I vividly remember Noe, a fourth-grader whose artist mother had died of cancer. Noe had inherited her skills, and to overcome his grief, he would come to art class every day and paint. When I entered him into the holiday card contest, he wanted to paint a snow globe, since his mother loved snow globes. He drew two snowmen inside the globe, saying it was him and his mother. I also vaguely remember another student who had visited Chicago for the first time and had built a snowman there. That was her inspiration.
What is your own art background? Do you pursue your own creative projects? How has your own work been recognized?
I don’t have any formal education in art, but I feel excited and inspired every time there is an opportunity for me to create it. There is such a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction during the process, as well as in imagining how it could inspire those who might see my drawing or painting.
But since I teach art for one hour a day, every day, that is enough for me. I am more interested in exhibiting my students’ art, not mine. My students’ work has appeared in the Art Car Parade and at the Houston ROXX event, and won awards from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Air Alliance Houston, Torani, and Tar Wars.
Professionally, I have been recognized as Crockett’s Teacher of the Year, the ESL Teacher of the Year, and now, a Highly Effective Teacher.
Do you plan to remain at HISD? What’s your favorite part of teaching?
For now, HISD is my home, but my dream is to start an art studio that would serve as an intimate place to teach children enriching and inspiring art lessons. I know I should say that my favorite part of teaching is developing young minds and souls, imparting knowledge, and influencing the future, but it isn’t. My favorite part is teaching stuff I love and making the kids love it, too.
| 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. |
- Bodies in Space: Blended Learning and the 3-D Environment
- Closing a ‘Fear Gap’ So That Students Can Achieve
- Obama Administration Backtracks (Again) on Teacher Equity
- TX School Board Having Another Crisis Over Evolution in Textbooks
- 3 Ways Districts Can Pay For Special Education Students: Report
- The Power of Preschool Done Right
Pin Oak MS French teacher Sara Tomlinson checks for understanding among her students.
Sara Tomlinson, a French teacher at Pin Oak Middle School, has been using the strategies described by Doug Lemov in his book, Teach Like a Champion (TLAC), for the past three years, and she checked in with us recently to explain how her favorites have shifted over time.
“When I first started working with TLAC, I would have said that my favorite was ‘Tight Transitions,’” said Tomlinson. “The ease with which my transitions happened using that technique was amazing, and it was great for a newer teacher to have so quickly.”
“Now,” she said, “I find that my new favorite is ‘Check for Understanding.’ There are a variety of strategies out there on how to do the checking, but what was always lacking was what to do with all that data. Simply walking around and observing our ‘Do Now’ activity each day allows me to decide whether or not it’s necessary to re-teach or expand on a topic. This was a huge step for me, which has led to a much more successful CFU.”
Tomlinson also observed that unless teachers create classroom environments where making mistakes is expected—and even encouraged—students won’t feel safe enough to test their limits by volunteering answers or trying new things.
“In order to best utilize the data I gathered, students first needed to be comfortable showing me their errors,” she said. “Using strategies from the Teach the Error section of CFU (the new 2.0 version), making a mistake in class is now normal and acceptable. Students understand that you must make mistakes in order to learn from them. Now, they use their mistakes as the driving force behind learning and fewer fall through the cracks due to feeling discouraged.”
Sixteen HISD schools are now involved in the partnership between Doug Lemov, the author of Teach Like a Champion, and Uncommon Schools. The pilot program was launched during the 2011-2012 school year at seven HISD middle schools. Read more about it here.
Larry Marshall
Next month, Larry Marshall will say goodbye to HISD after marking more than 50 years in public education as both an employee and a trustee.
Marshall first joined the district as a teacher back in 1955, and retired as the deputy superintendent in 1991 after 36 years of dedicated service. He was subsequently elected to the Board of Education in 1997, and served 16 years over four terms before deciding not to seek re-election.
Marshall will take part in his last regular board meeting as the District IX representative on Dec. 12, and to recognize his many contributions to Houston’s largest public school system, his fellow trustees will be hosting a farewell reception in his honor immediately beforehand.
Marshall will remain an active board member until his successor is sworn into office before the first meeting of 2014 on Jan. 16.
Many other employees are also marked milestones between Nov. 24 and Dec. 7. See if you know anyone on this list, and check back next Friday for more.
35 years
- Mary Trigo, instructional coordinator, Janowski ES
30 years
- Cassandra Augustine, clerk, Transportation Services
- Percy Brown, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Bernadette Cooper, teacher, Williams MS
25 years
- Sheryl Hogue, teaching assistant, Benavidez ES
- Debbie Jayne, teacher, Pugh ES
- Valerie Poole, teacher, Wesley ES
20 years
- Rosalind Jolivette, attendant, Food Services
- Carrie Lewis, attendant, Food Services
- Jesus Lozano, teacher, Love ES
- Angelica Martinez, officer, Police Department
- Teresa Norris, teaching assistant, Pleasantville ES
- Albert Pickett, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Veronica Pruneda, secretary, Cunningham ES
- Cruzaide Rivera, attendant, Food Services
- Maria Sanchez, attendant, Food Services
- Mark Temple, campus police officer, Harper Alternative
- Rogelio Urbina, painter, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Roxanne Avina, secretary, Garden Oaks ES
- Carol Coleman, clerk, Pershing MS
- Susan Kutra, teacher, Mitchell ES
- Melissa Gonzalez, teacher, Whittier ES
- Anna Goodman, teacher, River Oaks ES
- Jerry Hill, senior manager, Accounting
- Angela Isart, special populations program specialist, Advanced Academics
- Helman Ledesma, teacher, Rodriguez ES
- Martha Miner, teaching assistant, Hamilton MS
- Willie Struggs, mechanic, Transportation Services
- Jamie Wilkes, teacher, Rice MS
10 years
- Adela Aguirre, attendant, Food Services
- Silvia Carmona, clerk, Grady MS
- Pedro Cervantes, repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Ruben Diosdado Jr, maintenance team lead, Construction & Facility Services
- Sofia Garza, attendant, Food Services
- Gloria Guzman, attendant, Food Services
- Nicole Hancock, teacher, Stevenson MS
- Veronica Hendon, clerk, Construction & Facility Services
- Malinda McGinty, teaching assistant, Longfellow ES
- Silvia Morales, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Cecelia Resendez, teacher, Travis ES
- Katiuska Silva, teacher, Windsor Village ES
- Tom Smith, crossing guard, Hartsfield ES
- Jacqueline Walker-Brown, attendant, Food Services
5 years
- Janice Anderson, teacher, Chávez HS
- Elizabeth Bautista, teacher, King ECC
- Zula Bell, crossing guard, Anderson ES
- Nicole Brown, teaching assistant, Askew ES
- José Calvillo, executive secretary, Deputy Chief Academic Officer
- Juan Carranza, repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- James Carter, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Roxanne Castillo, clerk, Washington HS
- Iris Chávez, attendant, Food Services
- Krischele Delacerda, teacher, Pershing MS
- Stephen Delaune, associate teacher
- Charlotte Delco, speech therapist, Child Study
- Chelsa Foley, teacher, Bell ES
- Gloria Garza, secretary, Pugh ES
- Crystal Hatton, teaching assistant, Hines-Caldwell ES
- Betty Jean Hicks, clerk, Crossing Guards
- Emilia Lozano, clerk, Lamar HS
- Geraldine Madison, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Christina Masick, general manager, Information Technology
- Bobby Menendez, teacher, Pershing MS
- Scott Mickleberry, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Doris Jean Miller, crossing guard, Ketelsen ES
- Nancy Oncken, teacher, Longfellow ES
- Columbus Onyeanu, associate teacher
- Tonja Taylor Robertson, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Jaime Roya, teacher, Chávez HS
- Bonita Saddler, teaching assistant, Harper Alternative
- Mary Simon, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Henry Earl Smith, crossing guard
- Rosa Mae Taylor, crossing guard, Mading ES
- Liliana Torres, teacher, MacGregor ES
- Jonathan Trinh, dean of instruction, YMCPA
| Check back next Friday for more December Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Shearn ES teacher Edgar Jiminez gathers data from his students.
The first step in arriving at any given destination is determining where you are now and how far you have to go to get there.
HISD teachers face a variation of this same dilemma every year, as they assess a new crop of students to see where they are academically, and start making plans for how to get them where they need to be by the end of the year.
Student data plays an integral part of this planning process, but how do teachers use data to drive their instruction strategically?
In this video from Professional Support and Development, you’ll learn about the many tools HISD already has in place to help you assess your students, and get tips on how to identify starting points so that you can set ambitious—yet feasible and attainable—goals for their growth.
For veteran educator Angela Miller, who serves as HISD’s secondary curriculum manager, taking stock involves getting a writing sample from every student—no matter what subject is being studied.
“It’s really important for students to get invested in monitoring their own progress,” she said.
To learn more about the planning video series, please see this related article from the Nov. 22 edition of eNews. To see all planning videos, visit the PSD website. A downloadable flyer (.pdf) containing step-by-step instructions on this topic is also available.
The National Wildlife Federation is hosting a workshop on Saturday, Dec. 14, for middle school science teachers to provide them with tools to launch a student-based energy efficiency program to make their school more sustainable and to get students more engaged in STEM.
The ECO-Schools USA Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Marcile Hollingsworth Science Center (13250 Summit Ridge Dr., 77085). The event is part of an ongoing partnership between HISD and the NWF to help shape HISD into an eco-friendly district.
For complete details, please see this related article.
Be sure to check your benefits confirmation for accuracy
If you’ve enrolled in district benefits for 2014, you should receive your confirmation statement by mail next week. Please review it carefully. If you see any errors, call Benefits Outlook at 877-780-HISD (4473) immediately to make sure you have the benefits you want and need for 2014.
Remember: you will not be able to change benefits in 2014 unless you experience a qualifying life event. For a full list of qualifying events, visit hisdbenefits.org.
Team HISD raises $5,100 to fight diabetes
A team of employees from HISD collected more than $5,100 in donations for the fight against diabetes as a part of the American Diabetes Association’s annual fundraiser, which culminated in a community walk on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Fifty-three participants led by a talented team of dietitians and nutritionists from HISD’s Food Services department braved the early morning rainstorm to help “stamp out” diabetes.
ARAMARK Education has been a major sponsor of the ADA Walk in Houston for more than ten years. However, this was the first year that HISD Food Services/ARAMARK Education worked
Team HISD is still collecting donations. To donate, please visit the team’s website.
Free wind energy workshop for teachers Dec. 7
STEM teachers who are interested in taking teams of students to an exciting exploration of alternative energy can learn more about the KidWind Energy Challenge at a free workshop on Dec. 7.
The workshop will take place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Attucks MS (4330 Bellfort, 77051), and enrollment is limited to the first 20 teachers who apply.
For details, please see this related article.
Deadline for H-E-B award nominations Dec. 8
Each year, H-E-B recognizes teachers, principals, schools, and districts for their efforts to teach the nation’s children through its Excellence in Education awards.
If you would like a person or organization to be considered in any of these categories, please visit this page for details on the award categories available, and this page to nominate someone.
All public school districts and state-certified, full-time public school teachers and principals currently within the H-E-B service area are eligible for nomination.
Nominations are due by midnight on Dec. 8, 2013.
Learn how to bridge the generational gap at Dec. 10 workshop
The Onboarding and Organizational Development Department is offering a new professional development session to help employees understand the values that motivate and inspire each of the different generational groups so that they can better serve their customers, both internal and external.
“If Only They Were More Like Us” will take place from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092).
For complete details, see this related article.
Drop off Toys for Tots at HMWESC by Dec. 13
This is the season of goodwill, giving, and helping those who are less fortunate than us, especially children and their families in need. To assist the U.S. Marines Corps spread holiday cheer by providing toys to impoverished children, HISD employees and schools are invited to participate in the Toys for Tots program, the Marine Corps’ premier community action program.
New, unwrapped toys should be dropped off at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street, 77092) by Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. Please bring the toys to the Strategic Partnerships Department, Level 1, SE.
Marines, with the aid of local social welfare agencies and churches, will distribute the toys to children from economically challenged families on Christmas Day. The ultimate success of the Toys for Tots program depends on the support of Houston citizens. Last year, HISD received the Commander’s Award for Outstanding Toys for Tots participation. HISD employees are encouraged to participate and make this the most successful year.
Museum district hosting educators’ open house Jan. 25
Five Houston-area museums will be conducting an Open House for Educators on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2014, and all interested HISD teachers and administrators are invited to attend. Attendees can learn more about educational resources, tools, and programs available, as well as training opportunities, field trips, and more.
Teachers who present proof of attendance for at least three presentations are eligible to receive Continuing Education credits. Details are available at the Houston Museum District’s website.
Fund for Teachers grant application deadline Jan. 30
Summer may still be months away, but teachers who are interested in broadening their horizons through professional or personal development opportunities should consider applying for a Fund for Teachers grant.
The Fund for Teachers was established in 1998 by Raymond Plank, chairman of the Apache Corporation. Each year, it awards grants of up to $5,000 to individual educators and $7,500 to teams of educators for summer training and enrichment activities.
The grants are as varied as the people who apply for them, and proposals range from “language immersion” projects to geological expeditions and the exploration of historic places or famous travel routes. They are intended to rejuvenate teachers’ passions for learning and teaching so that when they return to the classroom in the fall, they do so with newly gained knowledge and enthusiasm to share. Last year, a teacher from Lovett ES traveled to Iceland to study volcanoes, and in 2012, HISD grant-winners went to Spain, Italy, and Alaska.
Applicants can submit proposals either individually or as a team, but all applicants must have a minimum of three years teaching experience and be full-time teachers, spending at least 50 percent of their time in the classroom, at the time that grants are approved and made.
All applications must be postmarked no later than Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. For more information, please visit the Fund for Teachers website.
Janowski ES teacher Elsa Simon (center) received an iPad Mini from HISD’s Human Resources department in November after winning a drawing for employees who referred candidates for critical-shortage area teaching positions. With her are HR representatives Sherelle Foust (L), Patra Brannon (R), and some of Simon’s students.
Do you know someone who’d be a great candidate for an open teaching position at HISD?
If so, then let us know through the district’s Teacher Referral Campaign!
Elsa Simon, a third-grade bilingual teacher at Janowski Elementary School, referred her friend and college classmate Flor Magaña-Herrera last April, and six months later, she won an iPad mini for her trouble.
Simon was entered into a drawing for the iPad by HISD’s Human Resources department after Magaña-Herrera was hired as a bilingual teacher at McNamara Elementary School.
“I didn’t realize I was eligible to win anything at the time,” said Simon, now in her third year of teaching. “I just knew my friend was looking for a teaching position, and she didn’t know which district to go to. I’ve had such a great experience here, I suggested she apply to HISD.”
Any district employee can refer a candidate for a full-time teaching position, but only those who refer candidates who are subsequently hired into critical shortage positions are eligible for the drawing.
A total of 560 individuals were referred last year through the 2013–2014 Teacher Referral Campaign, and of those, 320 applied, 94 were hired, and 30 filled what are considered critical shortage areas, such as high school math, high school science, Spanish, and bilingual education.
The campaign for the 2014–2015 school year is already underway, and referrals will be accepted until the day before school starts (Aug. 24, 2014).
If you’d like to refer someone (even yourself!), please fill out this online form.
