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

All high schools must ensure all students in grades 9-12 complete the survey

The Global Graduate survey is now open for all HISD high school students.  Staff at all high schools should ensure all students in grades 9-12 complete the survey in their homeroom or advisory by Nov 17, 2017. The survey can be found on Powerup Go or at www.houstonisd.org/GGsurvey.

The top three schools (0-500 students, 501-1500 students, and over 1500 students) who reach 90 percent participation first will receive a $300 Amazon gift card for their campus thanks to the HISD Foundation

The Global Graduate student survey is intended to see how well the district is doing in preparing students to be Global Graduates and is related to Board of Education Goal #2, which states that the percentage of graduates meeting the Global Graduate standards will increase three percentage points annually from the 2017 baseline of 70% to 85% by 2022. A similar follow-up survey for students will be conducted in the spring.

Onsite Dental Care returns to HISD for all employees 

HISD’s dental insurance provider, Cigna, and partner Biomedent returns to provide onsite dental care to all HISD employees on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Hattie Mae White ESC (4400 West 18th St., Room 2E02). Services include a full exam with charting, X-rays, cleaning, and fluoride treatment. More complex procedures, such as fillings or crowns, would be referred to the employee’s regular dentist.

Employees under Cigna’s PPO would be required to pay their $50 deductible for services. If those employees have already met their deductible for the year, the cost is zero. Those under the HMO or no dental plan at all would pay $100 for the services.

“We were trying to think of a benefit we could provide to employees at little or no cost to them to improve their overall wellness,” said Donna Fernandez, senior manager with HISD Benefits Administration. “This is a pilot program, so if it’s successful, we will continue this onsite benefit to employees.”

Click here to read learn more about the program or request an appointment here.

Teachers and schools can apply for grants up to $20,000

The HISD Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit that supports districtwide and school-based programs and initiatives at HISD, is launching an Innovation Grant program to provide funds for teachers and schools to purchase equipment, supplies, and other items to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom.

Thanks to the generous donations from local community members and business partnerships, the Foundation will award $150,000 in Innovation Grants for the 2017-2018 school year. The new program will allow teachers in grades Pre-K through 12 to apply for a $3,000 – $7,000 grant. Two or more teachers from the same school can also apply for a Teacher Collaborative Grant ranging from $5,000 – $10,000.

In addition, individual schools can apply for a $10,000 – $20,000 grant to innovate learning in their classrooms and two or more schools in the same feeder pattern can apply for a School Feeder Grant of $10,000 – $20,000.

“We are so grateful for the generous donations from our Houston community and corporate partners, who see the value of public education and understand the importance of ensuring our students have dynamic learning experiences that prepare them for success in college and beyond,” said HISD Chief Development Officer Ann Scott. “I can’t wait to see the novel concepts and strategies submitted by our schools and teachers, and ultimately the innovative projects and activities exposed to HISD students.”

Teacher and school applications will be awarded based on their alignment to district initiatives and impact on student success. Applicants are encouraged to avoid the use of school names or other identifying elements in their application so the selection process can remain anonymous.

Funds must be spent in the 2017-2018 school year and grant award recipients will be required to submit an Impact Report by June 1, 2018. Purchases made through the grant are property of the HISD Foundation and will not be considered personal property of the grant recipients. If the grant recipient moves schools within the district, the materials may move with the teacher upon permission from the Foundation. If the teacher leaves the district, grant materials will become property of the school where the grant recipient was last working.

To apply for the grant, teachers and schools can click here click here.

Sprint Foundation providing free Internet access to students grades 9-12

School with highest survey participation rate earns staff lunch

Are your high school students not completing assignments due to no home internet service? We have a solution, but we need your help. The Sprint Foundation has provided the district with a donation to provide free Internet access to high school students (grades 9-12) who currently do not have high-speed Internet at home. To determine eligibility for the donation, students are asked to complete a short survey by Nov. 17 indicating what type, if any, Internet access they have available to them at home.

The school that has the highest percentage of survey participation will have their campus staff treated to lunch, compliments of the HISD Information Technology Services Department. Click here for more information.

Eligible students will be notified by the district and provided with additional details during the spring 2018 semester. Parents and students are not financially responsible for the donation. Recipients will keep the mobile hotspot throughout their high school career (four years) at no cost to the families.

Students may complete the survey at https://goo.gl/SrpWNw.

Here are some suggestions to ensure ALL high school students complete the survey.

1. Choose a class period. For example, all student will complete the survey during second period.
2. Choose a core subject that all students take such as social studies to conduct the survey.
3. Ask teachers to use the survey as a warm-up activity.

If you have questions about the survey or Sprint Foundation donation, please contact Chief Technology Officer Lenny Schad at Lschad@houstonisd.org.

HISD Family And Community Empowerment (FACE) will be joining schools and educational institutions across the country to celebrate National Parental Involvement Day on Thursday, Nov. 16.

All schools are invited to join the celebration and score some freebies in the process. Campuses across the district have an opportunity to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents, families, and caregivers provide both at school and home to support student success.

“The goal is to intentionally plan for families to become empowered through engagement via opportunities to make a change that impacts student learning and the community,” said Dr. Michelle Burke, Director for FACE.

Need ideas to host powerful opportunities for families to be empowered? Contact your FACE Specialist who can help with any of suggestions below:

• Use Coffee with the Principal to review your climate survey results and develop an action plan to target specific areas of needs.
• Take FACE’s Community Organizing 101 training, participate in a Community Organizing Walk, review data, and make a difference.
• Leverage your PTA/PTO to host appreciation forums for parents while inviting them to share their cultural experiences with each other.
• Plan and schedule Data Grade-Level Nights with strategies for parents to help students at home.
• College Information Night with Application Information Workshop, FASFA, and Strength Finder Survey for students.
• Teacher-Parent Conference Best Practices Workshops for Parents

Showcase how you are celebrating parental involvement at your school by posting pictures and/or flyers of your parent events on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtags #HISDFACE or #NationalParentalInvolvementDay.

Schools that participate will be entered in a drawing for school supplies gift bags, books, and more. Don’t miss out and show us how you are empowering and celebrating your families.

Standard work hours for hourly employees should be entered for Nov 3

All HISD personnel will be paid for Friday, November 3, 2017.

So that hourly employees are paid correctly, all HISD Time Recorders need to enter standard work hours.

The deadline to enter and approve time is Monday, November 6, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Employee Services at 713-556-7378.

Congratulations, Houston Astros!

Our hometown heroes have #EarnedHistory and are World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history!

This is a memorable moment for our city and a time to celebrate, especially after the challenges Houston has faced over the past several months.

In honor of our World Champions, and to allow our parents, students, and staff to enjoy the festivities and parade, all HISD schools and district offices will be closed on Friday, November 3, 2017. This decision was also made because we anticipate heavy traffic and congestion surrounding our schools and facilities during afternoon dismissal times.

Let’s help our city celebrate! We are #HoustonStrong and we are #HISDStrong.