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

ALL TEACHERS

Free Laying the Foundation Training: The Innovation and Postsecondary Programming Department is partnering with Laying the Foundation through the National Math and Science Initiative to host a series of trainings on Tuesday, July 30 through Thursday, August 2 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and 8:30 a.m.-Noon on Friday, August 3, at Waltrip High School (1900 W. 34th St., 77018). Content-focused trainings will be available for all math, science, and English teachers for third through fifth grade, middle, and high school. Those interested can register for the opportunity here and use promo code: LTFi3Houston20F.

Region 4 Summer PD Opportunities: The HISD Academics Department will be summer training opportunities through the Region 4 Education Service Center. If you are interested in a training, please register through OneSource by May 24 to reserve a spot using the OneSource course numbers that can be found here. Space and funding are limited and supported through the Region 4 School Support grant. If you have any questions, please contact Tho Mei via email at tmei@houstonisd.org.

Schlumberger Coding / Robotics Club Grant: The district is calling all Science teachers to apply for the Schlumberger Coding / Robotics Club Grant for a chance to receive $3,000 for their coding and/or robotics club. Schlumberger aims to increase student awareness and education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields by inspiring the future coders and innovators of tomorrow. The grant will be given to 20 HISD school coding clubs for the 2019-2020 school year. For guidelines and to apply, click here. All applications must be submitted by May 31 to Tarah Davis at tarah.davis@houstonisd.org.

Region 4 STEAM Conference: Instructional Technology is inviting teachers, who wish to attend the Region 4 STEAM Conference on June 17 to register in OneSource, using course #1435042. Teachers that register in OneSource will have the conference registration fee covered by Instructional Technology. However, please note space is limited and paid registration seats will be awarded on a first come basis. Participants will explore the power of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) as it applies to real-world connections, creativity through collaboration, and innovation through art and engineering. This one-day conference incorporates workshop-style sessions organized by grade bands and identified by STEAM strands, allowing you to personalize your conference experience. For more information, click here.

STEM Summer Camps: HISD will host a two-week STEM Summer Camp for elementary, middle and high school students at seven campuses across the district on June 10-13 and June 17-21. The HISD STEM Summer Camp was created to provide STEM-based curriculum activities, project-based learning immersion, and field experiences for students. The two-week program emphasizes enriching students’ knowledge and skills in mathematics, science, and technology, while introducing them to the world of coding and robotics. The camp will be provided at no cost to students and will be led by HISD Certified Teachers. To be eligible, students need to be in good academic standing and follow the application process here. All requested documents are due by May 21.

ELEMENTARY

Summer Math Academy Trainings: The Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Development Department is excited to announce that HISD will host the Texas Education Agency (TEA) math academies during summer 2019 for kindergarten through third-grade teachers. The achievement academies will address effective and systematic instructional practices in mathematics, including problem solving, the place value system, whole number operations, and fractions. To participate, teachers must have an account with Region IV and register here. Please remember that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a $350 stipend for eligible teachers. For complete details on the academy trainings, click here.

SECONDARY

Summer 2019 Training Opportunities: The Secondary Curriculum and Development Department is inviting all secondary teachers to review the summer learning catalog for professional development opportunities that will be held throughout the summer.  The main summer learning event—“R3: Reflect, Refocus, Renew” is currently scheduled for July 24 and July 31 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at HISD Educational Learning Center (10725 Mesa Dr., 77078) and Westbury High School (11911 Chimney Rock Rd., 77035). For the save the date, click here.

Multilingual Symposium: The Multilingual Programs Department will be hosting the Inaugural Multilingual Symposium on June 26-27 at Kingdom Builders Center (6011 W. Orem Dr., 77085) from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a keynote session and up to four additional sessions of their choice on each day. There will be more than 25 different sessions available focused on content specific sheltered instruction sessions provided by Seidlitz Education, foundation courses for teachers of English Learners (ELs) provided by Multilingual Programs, an overview of the new elementary reading adoption, and a dive into the Learning A-Z online resources available to bilingual and dual language teachers. For more information on the event and to view sessions, click here.

ALL TEACHERS

Become a diagnostician: Are you currently a teacher and have interest in becoming an educational diagnostician? HISD’s Alternative Certification Program (ACP) will host an information session for teachers interested in becoming an educational diagnostician at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at Hattie Mae White, Room 1ED34 (4400 West 18th St., 77092). Come learn about ACP’s two-year Educational Diagnostician Alternative Certification Program and how it will prepare diagnostician candidates to support students with disabilities across the district. For eligibility requirements and cost, click here.

2019 Texas Community Schools Summit: The Wraparound Services Department is collaborating with the Texas Community Schools Coalition, Save Texas Schools, Austin Voices for Education and Youth, the City of Houston, Communities in Schools of Houston, the Houston Federation of Teachers, and the Texas American Federation of Teachers to sponsor the 4th Annual Texas Community Schools Summit in Houston on June 11-13. The Summit will focus on ways for schools and community partners to leverage their resources to help support students and their families by removing barriers to learning so that they may succeed socially, emotionally, and academically as they work to become a community school. There is no cost to those that attend and they will receive eight hours of credit toward a flex holiday. To register and for more information, visit OneSource and search course #1437213

Houston Public Library Summer Reading Program: HISD is encouraging all students to participate in the Houston Public Library’s Summer Reading Program to prevent summer learning loss and stay engaged while they’re out of school.  Through their Houston Public Library Learning Link card, all students have access to HPL books and resources throughout the school year and summer.  In the summer reading program, students will earn books and prizes all along the way, as they continue reading.  Students can earn even more prizes for visiting a Houston Public Library location and participating in a number of exciting, free programs geared just for kids and teens. Teachers and staff are encouraged to register students here before they leave for the summer break.

Region 4 STEAM Conference: Instructional Technology is inviting teachers, who wish to attend the Region 4 STEAM Conference on June 17 to register in OneSource, using course #1435042. Teachers that register in OneSource will have the conference registration fee covered by Instructional Technology. However, please note space is limited and paid registration seats will be awarded on a first come basis. Participants will explore the power of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) as it applies to real-world connections, creativity through collaboration, and innovation through art and engineering. This one-day conference incorporates workshop-style sessions organized by grade bands and identified by STEAM strands, allowing you to personalize your conference experience. For more information, click here.

STEM Summer Camps: HISD will host a two-week STEM Summer Camp for elementary, middle and high school students at seven campuses across the district on June 10-13 and June 17-21. The HISD STEM Summer Camp was created to provide STEM-based curriculum activities, project-based learning immersion, and field experiences for students. The two-week program emphasizes enriching students’ knowledge and skills in mathematics, science, and technology, while introducing them to the world of coding and robotics. The camp will be provided at no cost to students and will be led by HISD Certified Teachers. To be eligible, students need to be in good academic standing and follow the application process here. All requested documents are due by May 21.

ELEMENTARY

Summer Math Academy Trainings: The Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Development Department is excited to announce that HISD will host the Texas Education Agency (TEA) math academies during summer 2019 for kindergarten through third-grade teachers. The achievement academies will address effective and systematic instructional practices in mathematics, including problem solving, the place value system, whole number operations, and fractions. To participate, teachers must have an account with Region IV and register here. Please remember that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a $350 stipend for eligible teachers. For complete details on the academy trainings, click here.

SECONDARY

WeTeach Computer Science Workshop: WeTeach is helping eighth through 12th grade teachers become certified in Computer Science on August 5-7 at Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy (1700 Gregg Street, 77020). This certification is necessary to teach courses such as Computer Science I, II or III, or AP Computer Science A and can be used to teach Fundamentals of Computer Science and Computer Science Principles.  WeTeach_CS is offering a $1,000 stipend to certified Texas educators who add a CS certification to their resume.  The cost to attend is $400, however scholarships are available for a small group of participants. For more information, contact Rene Flores at rflore19@houstonisd.org.

In Your Backyard: Are you a Pre-AP or AP teacher looking for ways to make your lessons more engaging? The district invites teachers to the second annual “In Your Backyard” workshop on June 17-18. Day one of the workshop will take place at the African American Library, while day two will take place at the Holocaust Museum. If you are interested, please contact Suzanne Acord at suzanne.acord@houstonisd.org. Space is limited to 20 teachers, who are committed to contributing to HISD’s AP, Pre-AP, and IB curriculum efforts. Participants will be asked to commit to both days of the workshop, as well as PD and G/T credit will be provided.

ALL TEACHERS

Student-Teacher Linkage: Teachers of STAAR- and EOC-tested subjects in grades 4 or higher and TELPAS Reading content in grades 3–8 must submit their linkage rosters on the AIM Portal by May 10. Linkage will be used to calculate Comparative Growth, which will be included in TADS. If teachers need any assistance with this process, they can attend an in-person work group. A schedule of the remaining work groups can be found here. Teachers can also refer to the User Guides, Powerpoint slides, and other useful documents posted here. Questions can also be emailed to research@houstonisd.org.

Schlumberger Coding / Robotics Club Grant: The district is calling all Science teachers to apply for the Schlumberger Coding / Robotics Club Grant for a chance to receive $3,000 for their coding and/or robotics club. Schlumberger aims to increase student awareness and education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields by inspiring the future coders and innovators of tomorrow. The grant will be given to 20 HISD school coding clubs for the 2019-2020 school year. For guidelines and to apply, click here. All applications must be submitted by May 31 to Tarah Davis at tarah.davis@houstonisd.org.

Region 4 STEAM Conference: Instructional Technology is inviting teachers, who wish to attend the Region 4 STEAM Conference on June 17 to register in OneSource, using course #1435042. Teachers that register in OneSource will have the conference registration fee covered by Instructional Technology. However, please note space is limited and paid registration seats will be awarded on a first come basis. Participants will explore the power of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) as it applies to real-world connections, creativity through collaboration, and innovation through art and engineering. This 1-day conference incorporates workshop-style sessions organized by grade bands and identified by STEAM strands, allowing you to personalize your conference experience. For more information, click here.

STEM Summer Camps: HISD will host a two-week STEM Summer Camp for elementary, middle and high school students at seven campuses across the district on June 10-13 and June 17-21. The HISD STEM Summer Camp was created to provide STEM-based curriculum activities, project-based learning immersion, and field experiences for students. The two-week program emphasizes enriching students’ knowledge and skills in mathematics, science, and technology, while introducing them to the world of coding and robotics. The camp will be provided at no cost to students and will be led by HISD Certified Teachers. To be eligible, students need to be in good academic standing and follow the application process here. All requested documents are due by May 21.

Modified TADS Coming Soon: On April 11, the HISD Board approved a modified version of TADS, known as M-TADS. This change allows teachers who achieve a rating of Effective or Highly Effective in all categories of the appraisal system, along with earning a Summative Rating of Effective or Highly Effective, to opt-in to receiving a minimum of one observation and one walkthrough rather than the standard requirement of two of each. To qualify, a teacher must also have: at least 3 years of teaching experience overall, a term or continuing contract, and at least one full year of teaching experience in HISD. Be on the lookout for additional information at the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

ELEMENTARY

Summer Math Academy Trainings: The Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Development Department is excited to announce that HISD will host the Texas Education Agency (TEA) math academies during summer 2019 for kindergarten through third-grade teachers. The achievement academies will address effective and systematic instructional practices in mathematics, including problem solving, the place value system, whole number operations, and fractions. To participate, teachers must have an account with Region IV and register here. Please remember that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also a $350 stipend for eligible teachers. For complete details on the academy trainings, click here.

New ELAR/SLAR TEKS Reboot PD: The Elementary Curriculum and Development Department is pleased to provide professional development on the new K-5 ELAR and SLAR TEKS entitled New TEKS Reboot. These grade-level specific sessions will provide teachers with strategies and best practices for implementing the new standards. To attend, teachers must register for these trainings in OneSource. For details on courses including dates and times, click here.

SECONDARY

Virtual Job Shadow: Career Readiness has made available to all middle and high school students and teachers a powerful, engaging resource known as Virtual Job Shadow. Accessible from the Hub, the tool aids students in planning their futures after high school, and features short, high-interest videos that profile individuals in hundreds of occupations. By interacting with the Virtual Job Shadow platform, students can glimpse a day in the life of many potential careers and learn the next steps toward fulfilling their career goals. To get started using the tool, students can log in through Digital Resources on the HUB and use the instructions found here.

In Your Backyard: Are you a Pre-AP or AP teacher looking for ways to make your lessons more engaging? The district invites teachers to the second annual “In Your Backyard” workshop on June 17-18. Day one of the workshop will take place at the African American Library, while day two will take place at the Holocaust Museum. If you are interested, please contact Suzanne Acord at suzanne.acord@houstonisd.org. Space is limited to 20 teachers, who are committed to contributing to HISD’s AP, Pre-AP, and IB curriculum efforts. Participants will be asked to commit to both days of the workshop, as well as PD and G/T credit will be provided.

ALL TEACHERS

Fan Favorite-Round 2: Over the past week, HISD staff, students, and alumni have voted for their “Fan Favorite” Teacher of the Year. The votes are now tallied, and the top four elementary and secondary teachers are moving on to round two. Support your colleagues and help HISD determine the district’s “Fan Favorite,” who will be announced on Friday, May 17, at the Educators of the Year banquet. Anyone can vote—including colleagues, parents, students, and former students. Vote here through Friday, May 3, and be sure to share your favorite on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels to get the word out. 

Student-Teacher Linkage: Teachers of STAAR- and EOC-tested subjects in grades 4 or higher and TELPAS Reading content in grades 3–8 must submit their linkage rosters on the AIM Portal by May 10. Linkage will be used to calculate Comparative Growth, which will be included in TADS. If teachers need any assistance with this process, they can attend an in-person workgroup. A schedule of the remaining workgroups can be found here. Teachers can also refer to the User Guides, Powerpoint slides, and other useful documents posted here. Questions can also be emailed to research@houstonisd.org.

Metro Summer of Fun: METRO will again provide free rides this summer for all students as part of its third annual METRO Summer of Fun Program. The free rides will be offered from June 1 through August 31, and include the bus and light-rail network, as well as the “Park & Ride” service. Students must have a Student METRO Q^® Fare Card to participate. If they do not have a card, they can register online here.

Modified TADS Coming Soon: On April 11, the HISD Board approved a modified version of TADS, known as M-TADS. This change allows teachers who achieve a rating of Effective or Highly Effective in all categories of the appraisal system, along with earning a Summative Rating of Effective or Highly Effective, to opt-in to receiving a minimum of one observation and one walkthrough rather than the standard requirement of two of each. To qualify, a teacher must also have: at least three years of teaching experience overall, a term or continuing contract, and at least one full year of teaching experience in HISD. Be on the lookout for additional information at the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

2019-2020 TSL Teacher Transfer: 2019-2020 TSL Teacher Transfer: The Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program grant is offering a $10,000 teacher recruitment bonus to effective and highly effective teachers, who transfer from an HISD campus that is not funded through the grant to one of the 88 high-needs campuses identified as part of the TSL grant cohort. Teachers who transfer to one of the 88 campuses will be expected to make a three-year commitment. For details on the criteria to apply, click here.

SECONDARY

Close-Up Austin Academy: The Multilingual Programs Department will fund an all-expenses paid trip to Austin for 20 middle school english learner (EL) students to attend the Close-Up Austin Academy on June 12-14. The Close-Up Austin Academy is designed to bring the democratic process alive for students by providing hands-on opportunities to examine the history and government of the state of Texas. Students and three HISD chaperones will travel to/from Austin by Coach bus and stay at the Marriott Austin South during this program. Teachers and/or principals are asked to select two EL students from your campus to participate in the program. Once you’ve identified the students, please complete and send this form to Terrie Armstrong by May 3. For more info on the program, click here.

Multilingual Symposium: The Multilingual Programs Department will be hosting the Inaugural Multilingual Symposium on June 26-27 at Kingdom Builders Center (6011 W. Orem Dr., 77085) from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a key note session and up to four additional sessions of their choice on each day. There will be more than 25 different sessions available focused on content specific sheltered instruction sessions provided by Seidlitz Education, foundation courses for teachers of English Learners (ELs) provided by Multilingual Programs, an overview of the new elementary reading adoption, and a dive into the Learning A-Z online resources available to bilingual and dual language teachers. For more information on the event and to view sessions, click here.