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

Program offers up to 30 additional leave days for catastrophic illness/injury

HISD’s Supplemental Sick Leave Bank (SSLB) program offers participants up to 30 additional leave days in the event of a catastrophic injury or illness resulting in an extended work absence.

SSLB membership confirmations and enrollment materials will be emailed to eligible employees during the week of August 14, 2017. Enrollment forms and plan details are also available on the SSLB webpage. Current SSLB participants are automatically re-enrolled in the program.

Employees eligible for the SSLB program may enroll or cancel membership during the open enrollment period through September 1, 2017. A final enrollment period for the school year will be held in November for enrollment only.

Employees may view their SSLB membership status on the new Total Rewards Statement. Simply login to the OneSource Employee Self-Service menu and select Total Rewards Statement. Contact Employee Support Services at 713-695-5561 for additional assistance.

Services include full exam, cleaning, X-rays and fluoride treatment

Going to the dentist is rarely an experience we look forward to, but what if HISD brought the dentist to you?

HISD’s dental insurance provider, Cigna, is partnering with Biomedent to provide onsite dental care to all HISD employees on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Nutrition Services Administration (6801 Bennington Street, Houston, TX 77081). 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.”

For an appointment request or questions please send email to Diana Batiste at diana.batiste@cigna.com, if you need further information you may call 713-556-6663.

Future onsite dental events will be scheduled in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Naviance is hosting a competition among its high school users to design the next SuperMatch™ college search tool. All HISD high schools and grades 6-12 combined campuses are eligible to participate.

Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of Hobsons college research and design experts, and the winning campus will receive $5,000 to use toward its college and career readiness initiatives. Please note that only one entry per campus is allowed.

For official rules and additional information, click here. All entries must be submitted to Hobsons via the online official entry form. The submission deadline is Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST).

If you would like the HISD Office of College & Career Readiness to review your entry before submitting it, please email Derick Hutchinson at DHutchI2@houstonisd.org.

Best of luck!

All teachers to be trained on new platform during pre-service

All teachers will undergo training on OnTrack, the district’s new assessment platform, during August pre-service. Principals, assistant principals, and instructional technologists who have already attended OnTrack training give the platform, which is replacing EdPlan, high marks.

“The running records entry is made easy for teachers,” said Milne Elementary Principal Therese Pollard. “It is going to save teachers valuable time.”

“Our students are going to love the feedback cards,” said McReynolds Middle School Assistant Principal Pablo Resendiz. “It’s a great way for students to gauge their growth and progress.”

Pollard, Resendiz, and other members of Team HISD, have even taken to social media using the hashtag #HISDOnTrack to sing their praises for the new platform. Students and staff at the 18 elementary, middle, and high schools that piloted OnTrack during the spring of 2017 also have rave reviews. In fact, some have even declared their “love” for the new system. Check out the reaction and “love-o-meter” ratings from students and staff at the High School for Law and Justice in the video below.

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/209567310″]

All schools have assigned between one to three designees to deliver OnTrack training to teachers during August pre-service. Designees have undergone several “trainer of training” courses and have developed a professional development plan for their campus. Principals have been asked to designate three to four hours for OnTrack training. In addition after training, all teachers and campuses will have access to a set of task cards, online videos, and other resources at www.houstonisd.org/ontrackinfo.

For more information on OnTrack training or available resources, contact the HISD Student Assessment Department at (713) 349-7460.

School leaders & teacher leads who missed summer session invited  
School leaders, instructional coaches, and teacher leads who were unable to attend summer literacy leadership trainings are invited to attend a one-day learning session on August 7 or 8.  The session will support campuses in the development of literacy plans for 2017-2018 and will include topics unique to instructional leaders.

Elementary School Leaders
The Elementary Curriculum and Development Team’s Literacy By 3 session will include topics such as:

• Providing targeted instruction by placing students in fluid small groups
• Reviewing weekly walk-through documents to assist in regular classroom observations
• Increasing the effectiveness of independent reading practice to maximize instructional time
• Providing support and ideas for campus-based professional development

The one-day learning session will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Lockhart Elementary on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8.  Mornings will be devoted to the K-2 literacy classroom and afternoons will focus on grades 3-5. Register. To register use the information below.

Secondary School Leaders
The Secondary Curriculum and Development Team’s session on August 8 at Chavez High School will focus on the key components of Literacy in the Middle and Literacy Empowered and will support campuses in the development of literacy plans for 2017-2018. These plans will ensure short and long term goals are met, practices are research-based, and resources are meaningful. To register, use the information below:

Week of training, PD, and networking welcome newest members of Team HISD

Nearly 1,500 new HISD teachers, including those new to teaching and experienced teachers who are new to the district, will be welcomed officially to their campuses on July 31. After a welcome meeting with their principal, campus induction coordinator, and teacher mentor, all new teachers will attend an afternoon networking session at the Houston Food Bank. During this event, they will load school supplies into backpacks, which will be distributed to HISD students at a later date.

Starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, new teachers will attend the 2017-2018 HISD New Teacher Academy at Kingdom Builders Center. During the four-day academy, they will be immersed in district priorities, curriculum, effective practices, and the importance of social and emotional learning for students. Superintendent Richard Carranza and Board President Wanda Adams will welcome the group on Aug. 1. Dr. Stephen Klineberg, founding director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, will discuss the demographics of Houston and the importance of public education to the future of the city in his keynote address on Friday, Aug. 4.

HISD has searched the state, country, and even traveled internationally to recruit and hire the best teachers available to join Team HISD. Nearly 41 percent are new to teaching, while 59 percent have one or more years of experience.