John Modest, Jr.
John Modest Jr., a lifelong educator and former principal of Worthing High School, passed away Feb. 25, 2016, at the age of 69.
Modest served as Worthing principal from 2013 to 2015, when health complications forced him to retire, even though he wasn’t ready to give up his job.
While at Worthing, he helped oversee the beginning of new construction at the high school as a part of the 2012 bond program. He gave tours of the facility to middle school students in the area to show them how a 21st-century building would transform the way they learn in high school. read more…
HISD in the News:
- Two HISD educators surprised with 2016 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards
- HISD Board Names Ken Huewitt as Interim Superintendent
- Yoga program sees success among Leader-area elementary schools
- New service center opens at Kashmere High, offers lesson in community school model
National News:
The Houston City Council proclaimed Feb. 23, 2106, as Angela Lundy-Jackson Day to honor her work as principal of North Houston Early College HS.
Before Tuesday’s Houston City Council meeting got underway, current councilwoman and former HISD trustee Karla Cisneros had a special announcement.
She motioned for North Houston Early College High School Principal Angela Lundy-Jackson to come before the council to receive a special proclamation.
Cisneros introduced her to the council members as “one of the most amazing educators in our city,” and then, along with Mayor Sylvester Turner, proclaimed Feb. 23, 2016, Angela Lundy-Jackson Day in Houston. read more…
As Superintendent Terry Grier nears his last day as HISD’s top administrator, the staff at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center gathered one last time on Monday to wish him well and thank him for his leadership.
A crowd of more than 100 gathered to listen to him say a few words and mingle with employees before he steps down officially on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016.
[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/156327379″] read more…
Noelia Longoria
Noelia Longoria recently was named the new assistant superintendent for the Office of School Choice.
Longoria has 25 years of experience in urban education, which includes time spent as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, dean principal, and school support officer.
During her most recent positions as lead principal and school support officer, all three of her improvement-required middle and high schools met state accountability standards.
Get the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- HISD Controller Sherrie Robinson has been named the interim chief financial officer (CFO) of the district. Read more.
- The City of Houston proclaimed Feb. 23, 2016, as Angela Lundy-Jackson Day to recognize her for her dedication to HISD students as principal of North Houston Early College High School. Read more.
- The Transportation department recently announced a fitness program called ‘Move It and Lose It,’ designed to help their employees get and stay fit. Read more.
HISD presented with Meritorious Budget Award for 17th straight year
The Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International has awarded HISD its Meritorious Budget Award for excellence in budget presentation during the 2015–2016 budget year.
The award, according to the association website, “promotes and recognizes excellence in school budget presentation and enhances school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing, and presenting a school system budget. After a rigorous review by professional auditors, the award is conferred only on school districts that have met or exceeded the program’s stringent criteria.”
Glenn Reed, general manager of Budgeting and Financial Planning, said his team has high standards when developing, analyzing, and presenting HISD’s budget.
“To be only one of three districts who have participated in this program for 17 years shows HISD’s commitment to providing thorough, transparent, and accurate budget presentations,” Reed said. “This is the result of tireless work by our team, and I’m extremely proud of their achievement.”
Life–size cutouts, social media, and T-shirts bringing awareness to new system that will launch in July
Members of HISD’s first ever Change Agent Network have been tasked with spreading the word about OneSource and many are getting creative in order to make sure all members of Team HISD are aware of the new system that will launch districtwide in July 2016. At Nutrition Services, change agents have created live-size cutouts of themselves to help bring awareness to the single system that will provide a seamless integration between HR, Payroll, and Finance and Logistics.
[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/154790757″] read more…
How safe is that web app? New HISD report card tool tells the story
Whether it’s by delivering presentations using avatars or creating timelines to better understand history lessons, teachers and students use dozens of web applications (“apps”) each day to make learning more fun and engaging.
But just how safe are these apps in terms of data privacy, and what do their creators do with the personal information they collect? The answers can often be found in the applications’ privacy policies, but sometimes a quick scan doesn’t reveal less-obvious dangers. read more…
‘Intent to Apply’ forms due by Friday for Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant
The Texas Education Agency and U.S. Department of Education are once again accepting applications for the 2016-2017 Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.
The program is designed to create community-learning centers in high-poverty areas with low-performing schools. These centers provide academic-enrichment opportunities for children to help them meet state and local achievement standards in core academic subjects. The extra instruction takes place outside of normal school hours and complements the students’ regular classes.
The grant funds will create and expand out-of-school-time (OST) programs that offer extended learning opportunities for children and their families.
Any HISD campus that intends to submit an application must submit an Intent to Apply form to the HISD Grant Department by Feb. 12. For more information, please contact the Grant Department at 713-556-6785. read more…
