HISD | Employee News: HISD’s news for district employees

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 the Leadership and Development Department.  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

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.

Teacher Appraisal and Development System
In response to changes to our traditional instructional approach, as well as anticipated data limitations, the HISD Board has approved the omission of Student Performance as a component of the Teacher Appraisal and Development System for the 2020-2021 school year. Teacher’s summative ratings will be calculated based on 70% Instructional Practice and 30% Professional Expectations. Please contact your assigned appraiser if you have questions.

The HISD COVID Student Engagement Survey is currently open for all students in grades 4-11. Students may access through a link placed prominently in the HUB and have through March 8 to complete it, but you may give them the direct link, which is hisdstudentsurvey.net. The survey is not timed and should take students 5-10 minutes. It should be done in a structured environment—at home or at school—and can be done on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. For more information, see this flyer (updated). The survey is available in English and Spanish. 

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 either date below to register:

• March 11 at 1:30 a.m.
• 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. Please join the HISD By Design information session on Tuesday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. To learn more about HISD By Design, visit HoustonISD.org/HISDByDesign.

Social and Emotional Learning
Please joining Social and Emotional Learning’s selfcare series for teachers and staff. The SEL team will visit your campus to provide trainings on anxiety management, mindfulness, building positive relations (with students and staff), understanding trauma and triggers, and other specialized sessions. These trainings will address mental wellness and facilitation of positive relationships, as well as reinforce the importance of adult Social and Emotional Learning.  Consider attending other SEL selfcare workshops to address mental health and wellness. See this flyer for more information. Teachers and staff may register for OneSource Course #1441062. Contact nbatiste@houstonisd.org to join the SEL Selfcare Series. 

SECONDARY TEACHERS

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.

CTE Career Tip Tuesdays: CTE teachers, encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday during February for sessions led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become a competitive job applicant. This month’s topics are Job Search Platforms and Graduate With Top Industry Certifications. See this flyer for more information.

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

HB3 PK teacher qualification requirements update: The SharePoint site is now open for spring submissions. Option 6: PK Teachers must submit professional development tracking forms outlining 15 hours of face-to-face training and 15 hours of campus coaching before spring break. Tracking forms must be typed and signed and approved by the principal before uploading to Option 6 on SharePoint. Instructions on how to upload the form can be found on the SharePoint site or by watching this how-to video. All forms must be received by March 12.

Houston Dynamo/Dash Soccer Starts at Home Program: HISD has partnered with Houston Dynamo and Dash to provide virtual classes for early childhood students and their families with the Soccer Starts at Home Program (SSAH). This targeted preschool program focuses on building the brain-body connection for students, reinforcing, and building brain pathways, and reinforcing parent-child bonds. It also provides training for Pre-K, kinder, and physical education elementary teachers. 

• The next PD session is 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Course # 1449038 SO: 1816257
• Virtual Development Classes: The Houston Dynamo and Dash team is offering parents a weekly live development class from 6:00-6:30 p.m. March 10 – June 2. Teachers, please share this meeting link with parents and encourage them to attend.

“Discovering the Spring Season” for EC teachers is offered from 4:00-5:30 p.m. on March 9 (Course #1448098). Participants will learn interactive activities for students to use this spring. Invite your students to participate in engaging lessons, including hands-on sensory, science, and more exciting opportunities to promote student outcomes.

ALL TEACHERS

Virtual COVID-19 Townhall Meeting: Please save the date for Friday, March 5, at 4:30 p.m. for a virtual townhall meeting, “Dispelling Vaccine Myths,” being held in partnership with the Houston Health Department. Further details for joining this online event will be provided via email.

The HISD COVID Student Engagement Survey is currently open for all students in grades 4-11. Students may access through a link placed prominently in the HUB and have through March 7 to complete it. The survey is not timed and should take students 5-10 minutes. It should be done in a structured environment—at home or at school—and can be done on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. For more information, see this flyer (note that it still has the old deadline). The survey is available in English and Spanish.

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 either date below to register:

• March 11 at 1:30 a.m.
• 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. For more information, see this flyer. Please join the HISD By Design information session on Tuesday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. To learn more about HISD By Design, visit HoustonISD.org/HISDByDesign.

Social and Emotional Learning
SEL Resources: The Let’s Stay Connected Mental Health Hotline provides emotional, social, and psychological supports to students and parents who feel the need for assistance and is available at 713-556-1340 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All callers may remain anonymous. Trained staff from Social and Emotional Learning are available to offer counseling and mental health education, and make referrals in English and Spanish. Please find downloadable resources at the SEL website for webinars and companion handouts. Visit the SEL Google Site for more information on training sessions.

SECONDARY TEACHERS

Career and Technical Education

Please explore the CTE March Professional Development Calendar. There are free after-school and online trainings, summer workshops, on-demand OneSource trainings, and other virtual opportunities. For more CTE course information, please email Dr. Stacey Whitmore at swhitmo1@houstonisd.org. Also, please visit HISD Career Readiness for this week’s CTE Bulletin or click here. For flyers regarding March 2021 supplemental courses, workshops, and professional development, see this flyer.

The virtual town hall hiring, Seniors to Success 2.0, has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 4, from 12:00-2:00 p.m. and student registration is required. A link for the TEAMS meeting will be sent after registering. For more information, email Carolina Cano at ccano@houstonisd.org or Echos Blevins at echos.blevins@houstonisd.org.

CTE Career Tip Tuesdays: CTE teachers, encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday during February for sessions led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become a competitive job applicant. This month’s topics are Job Search Platforms and Graduate With Top Industry Certifications. See this flyer for more information.

Inform juniors about corporate internships that pay students $10 per hour during their senior year. They need to apply now to Genesys Works, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teens. Deadline is March 5. More info in this story.

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.

ALL TEACHERS

The HISD COVID Student Engagement Survey launches today, February 15, for all students in grades 4-11. Students may access through a link placed prominently in the HUB and have through Sunday, February 28, to complete it. The survey is not timed and should take students 5-10 minutes. It should be done in a structured environment—at home or at school—and can be done on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. For more information, see this flyer.

Student responses are confidential but not anonymous. The survey asks students about their experiences with virtual and/or in-person learning, and about any supports they may still need to be successful with their schoolwork during and beyond the pandemic. The survey will be administered in English and Spanish. Principals may share the linked document with school staff, as it contains information on the survey and strategies to encourage student participation. Principals are also encouraged to communicate with families about the survey using the sample statement on the attached document. HISD is collaborating with Rice University’s Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) to administer the survey and expects to have results by April 2, 2021.

Leadership Recruitment and Leadership Development will host the virtual Next Level Leadership Summit, LEARN. LEAD. LINK, on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Learn more about leadership through the lens of central office and campus leaders. Lead yourself to more opportunities, and link yourself with like-minded individuals. Interested internal and external participants can register and see available sessions here. Leaders will hear from live speakers and learn from professional development learning sessions and live modeling of virtual and traditional learning best practices. The event will kick off with welcoming remarks by Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and Human Resources Chief Julia Dimmitt. For more information, see this flyer.

Special Education

 Big Ideas In SPED:  All teachers (general educators and special educators) are strongly encouraged to enroll in the OSES Campus Instructional Support (2020-2021) HUB course to access instructional resources, Special Education updates, and professional development recordings and session materials related to supporting students with disabilities. To get started, click here.

 With the highest percentage of Students With Disabilities (SWD) receiving instruction in the general education classroom, the OSES has developed several sessions that examine specific strategies to support SWD and ways to instruct them to ensure you are addressing their skill deficits, as well as teaching grade level standards. For OneSource course numbers and info on sessions, click here.

 Part 2: Antiracism and Social Emotional Learning. Goalbook, the web-based resource that provides academic and behavior strategies, will host the second of a three-part webinar series focused on using their resources to create an antiracist learning environment so that all students succeed. Click on the date below to register. Please contact jander13@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6844 with questions. February 25  at 12:00 p.m. CST

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 impact student achievement. The application deadline is March 24, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Informational webinars will be held on Feb. 16 and March 9 at 6 p.m. For more information, see this flyer. To learn more about HISD By Design, visit HoustonISD.org/HISDByDesign.

Social and Emotional Learning
Please join SEL for Live Student SEL Lessons every Friday on topics such as coping skills, anxiety, mindfulness, relationship skills, and more. Teachers may click on the link for their session of choice in real time with students. There are separate sessions for elementary and secondary students. Also, please join the SEL Relaxation Corner for self-care techniques each Monday and Wednesday for online sessions scheduled for the lunch hours. Scan the bar code on the attached SEL Relaxation Flier or visit the SEL Google Training Site to access the Relaxation Corner sessions. No registration is required.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

Join the Early Childhood Lead Teacher Meeting #4 on February 16 or 18 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. (course #1448099). Participants will meet regularly to facilitate communication between each campus and the Early Childhood Department. Lead teacher meetings will provide current information regarding district/state issues and district initiatives as well as professional development opportunities.

Soccer Starts at Home with Houston Dynamo and Dash. HISD has partnered with Houston Dynamo and Dash to provide virtual classes for early childhood students and their families with the Soccer Starts at Home Program (SSAH). We encourage every pre-K and kinder teacher to attend a training to learn about this free program and its benefits, as well as strategies to encourage parents to participate. Join the trainings on February 17 or 24 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. (course #1449038). This targeted preschool program will focus on building the brain-body connection for students, reinforcing and building brain pathways, and reinforcing parent-child bonds. It will also provide training for pre-K, kinder, and physical education (PE) elementary teachers on the research behind physical and cognitive development in young children, age-appropriate “ball mastery” exercises, and techniques on how to engage parents.

The Early Childhood Team is excited to announce its first Early Childhood Virtual Conference on February 27 from 8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join them for various breakout sessions that will address the domains of instruction in Early Childhood to build a unique and innovative learning experience. Click here to see the offerings. 

SECONDARY TEACHERS

Career and Technical Education

Visit the HUB for HISD Career Readiness resources and weekly announcements. Also, visit the HISD Career Readiness website for this week’s CTE News Bulletin. Scroll through the CTE February Professional Development Calendar for trainings, webinars, and more. Please see below for amazing skills training, internships, college and career support, and job opportunities from GENESYS WORKS. And the Society of Women Engineers Houston Area Scholarship Application is now open! Details below.

Save the Date: When I Grow Up, the ninth annual career expo for HISD students in grades K-12, is going 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.

Increase rigor in CTE by increasing academic vocabulary in CTE courses and discussing what it means to add rigor in the classroom. See this flyer to register for the TEAMS course on Feb. 22.  An Introduction to CTE Online Auto Curriculum: Auto Lab 2 and TEK Alignment is being offered on Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. See this flyer for more information.

February is CTE Month. The Seniors to Success 2.0 virtual town hall hiring event takes place on Feb. 25 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. and student registration is required. A link for the TEAMS meeting will be sent after registering. For more information, email Carolina Cano at ccano@houstonisd.org or Echos Blevins at echos.blevins@houstonisd.org.

Join us for a CTE Month Mini Session. Graduating seniors can explore career opportunities with industry partners in the Gulf Coast Region. Seniors can also expand their knowledge of careers in the military and aviation industry, and engage with business leaders to learn about out-of-the box careers that will help them earn more. Join us for a live TEAMS event on Feb. 18 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at http://bit.ly/2Lyoy4Q.

Inform juniors about corporate internships that pay students $10 per hour during their senior year. They need to apply now to Genesys Works, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teens. Deadline is March 5. More info in this story.

Now that CTE teachers have taken the OSHA 30 onboard training, please join OSHA for a Phase I check-in on Feb. 17 or Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m. to receive new updates and ask questions you may have regarding the OSHA 30 process. More info here.

Free digital learning on the tech skills of tomorrow. Students need earlier access to industry content that exposes CTE students to potential careers in STEM. For more information visit ptech.org/open-p-tech/ or contact our Business Development Team. See this flyer for more information.

Help students find the right job. See this flyer for Employment and Training Opportunities for Youth Ages 16-24 from Workforce Solutions—Northline. They can help students get or keep a job or get a better job, train for an in-demand career, obtain their GED and/or find funds for college, and get on the path toward financial stability.

The Society of Women Engineers-Houston Area Section (SWE-HA) wants to recognize the amazing work that Houston area students do and encourage females to pursue engineering related fields. See this flyer and visit their website to find out about the scholarships offered and encourage students to apply by March 1.

CTE Career Tip Tuesdays: CTE teachers, encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday during February for sessions led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become a competitive job applicant. This month’s topics are Preparing for a Job Fair and Virtual Interview 101. See this flyer for more information.

ALL TEACHERS

HISD Student Survey on COVID-19 is coming. To learn more about student learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, HISD is collaborating with the Rice University’s Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) to administer a survey to all students in grades 4-12 February 15-28, 2021. Teachers are being asked to encourage students to take the survey, which will be posted in the HUB on February 15. For more information, see this flyer.

Student responses are confidential but not anonymous. The survey asks students about their experiences with virtual and/or in-person learning, and about any supports they may still need to be successful with their schoolwork during and beyond the pandemic. The survey will be administered in English and Spanish. Survey results will be shared with school leaders and inform our efforts to continue to support teachers and students by April 2, 2021.

Special Education

Big Ideas in SPED. With the highest percentage of Students With Disabilities (SWD) receiving instruction in the general education classroom, the OSES has developed several sessions that examine specific strategies to support SWD and ways to instruct them to ensure you are addressing their skill deficits, as well as teaching grade level standards. For OneSource Course Numbers and info on sessions, click here.

Part 2: Antiracism and Social Emotional Learning. Goalbook, the web-based resource that provides academic and behavior strategies, will host the second of a three-part webinar series focused on using their resources to create an antiracist learning environment so that all students succeed.  Click on the date to register.

• February 10th – 1:30 CST
• February 25th  – 12:00 CST

Please contact jander13@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6844 with questions.

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. Informational webinars will be held on Feb. 16 and March 9 at 6 p.m. For more information, see this flyer. To learn more about HISD By Design, visit HoustonISD.org/HISDByDesign.

Social and Emotional Learning
Please refer to the Rethink Ed Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) online platform app located on  Clever. Rethink Ed supports the whole child and empowers learning environments with lessons such as “You are Special,” “No One is You-er than You,” “My Kind of Strong,” “It’s a Feeling,” “Growing from Feedback,” “You are Special,” and much more for different grade levels. Rethink Ed provides teachers a SEL lesson complete with preparation material and videos. Students will develop SEL skills to help build resilience, develop self-control, and manage stress. Rethink Ed is designed to improving student, peer, and teacher relationships. Click here for the Rethink Ed SEL Lessons Quick Reference Guide (PDF).

NEW TEACHERS

TADS: Each month we will spotlight one of the Instructional Practice (IPR) criterion within TADS. This month’s IPR focus criterion is I-3 Differentiates instruction for student needs by employing a variety of instructional strategies. Join us for a live webinar session where we will dive into effective practice strategies that will support your ability to ensure that you are:

• adapting the depth, pace, and delivery model of what is taught in a lesson to allow students to access the lesson at multiple levels of challenge
• providing extra support, enrichment, or variation of work in order to meet the needs of each student, when necessary
• strategically utilizing flexible instructional groups and varied instructional arrangements that are appropriate to the students and to the instructional purpose of the lesson
• using analysis of student progress data to plan differentiated instruction, including intervention and enrichment
• affording and encouraging students to engage in learning experiences or performance tasks that allow for interest or skill-based choices in processes or products

If you are interested in joining our live webinar session via Microsoft Teams, please click on the I-3 Differentiates instruction for student needs by employing a variety of instructional strategies live webinar link to register for a session.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

Early Childhood teachers are encouraged to take OneSource Course #1448155 to learn and discuss how to plan and implement effective math workstations for virtual and face-to-face learning settings. “EC Math Workstations in PK” is offered 4:00-5:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.

SECONDARY TEACHERS

Career and Technical Education

Visit the HUB for HISD Career Readiness resources and weekly announcements. Also, visit the HISD Career Readiness website for this week’s CTE News Bulletin. Please see below for all of the amazing skills training, internships, college and career support, and job opportunities from GENESYS WORKS. And the Society of Women Engineers Houston Area Scholarship Application is now open! Details below.

February is CTE Month. Seniors should join us to learn strategies and tools for success, as well as meet employers and learn of job openings. The Seniors to Success 2.0 virtual town hall hiring event takes place on Feb. 25 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. and student registration is required. A link for the TEAMS meeting will be sent after registering. For more information, email Carolina Cano at ccano@houstonisd.org or Echos Blevins at echos.blevins@houstonisd.org.

Join us for CTE Month Mini Sessions. Graduating seniors can explore career opportunities with industry partners in the Gulf Coast Region. Seniors can also expand their knowledge of careers in the military and aviation industry and engage with business leaders to hear about out-of-the box careers that will help them earn more. For more information, email Carolina Cano at ccano@houstonisd.org or Echos Blevins at echos.blevins@houstonisd.org.

• Join us for a live event on Feb. 11 from 5-6 p.m. at http://bit.ly/2Luc6TC
• Join us for a live event on Feb. 18 from 5-6 p.m. at http://bit.ly/2Lyoy4Q

Free digital learning on the tech skills of tomorrow. Students need earlier access to industry content that exposes CTE students to potential careers in STEM. IBM and its collaborators know what tech skills are critical for the future and have packaged that knowledge specifically for students ages 14-20. For more information visit ptech.org/open-p-tech/ or contact our Business Development Team. See this flyer for more information.

Help students find the right job. See this flyer for Employment and Training Opportunities for Youth Ages 16-24 from Workforce Solutions—Northline. They can help students get or keep a job or get a better job, train for an in-demand career, obtain their GED and/or find funds for college, and get on the path toward financial stability.

Inform juniors about corporate internships that pay students $10 per hour during their senior year. They need to apply now to Genesys Works, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teens. More info in this story.

The Society of Women Engineers-Houston Area Section (SWE-HA) wants to recognize the amazing work that Houston area students do and encourage females to pursue engineering related fields. See this flyer and visit their website to find out about the scholarships offered and encourage students to apply by March 1.

CTE Career Tip Tuesdays: CTE teachers, encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday during February for sessions led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become a competitive job applicant. This month’s topics are Preparing for a Job Fair and Virtual Interview 101. See this flyer for more information.