Combined Charities Federation Profile: Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
Named for the U.S. Supreme Court’s first African American Justice, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund exists to provide support for traditionally underserved populations attending the 47 historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) with whom it partners. The TMCF offers young people internships, leadership institutes, and scholarships (provided both privately and in partnership with other businesses organizations) for the pursuit of higher education. Its website is here.
Note: During the district’s Combined Charities Campaign, we’ll take a look at each of the Federations to which employees can donate. These profiles will be posted in no particular order, and will help employees learn about the work organizations are involved with so they can best choose which ones to donate to. For a full list of Federations and the associated organizations, click here.
The Combined Charities leaderboard will be updated weekly to show which schools and departments are raising the most money.
By the time HISD’s latest Combined Charities Campaign reached its halfway point, district employees had generously donated nearly $90,000 to local and national charitable organizations. The total is less than 25 percent of the $400,000 goal the district set when the 2016 campaign was launched, but organizers are confident that employees will continue to support their favorite charities as the drive rolls on.
“Team HISD has always shown its generosity in the past, and I have no doubt it will do the same this year,” said Strategic Partnership’s Tanya Mackey. “I’m always so impressed with the amount of money we’re able to raise. It just reinforces my belief that HISD has some of the best employees in the city.” read more…
HISD in the News
- HISD proposes new policy for disciplinary issues
- Kashmere HS books Tyler Perry stars for homecoming
- New Westbury HS principal steps up to the plate
National News Links
The Houston Independent School District’s Transportation department has been ranked 13th among the top 50 green fleets in North America by the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas organization.
The winners of the 2015 Green Fleet Awards were announced during the National Green Fleet Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 24.The most recent designation marks the fifth year in a row that HISD transportation has made the list.
Get the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Tanya Thompson, a recently retired educator from The Rice School, who was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2015 by the Texas Association for Bilingual Education. Read more about her here.
- Atherton Elementary School, which was awarded a $750 music scholarship from the Gospel Music Heritage Month Foundation to support its fine arts programs. Read more here.
- The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which recently became the only school in HISD to join the Coalition for Leaders for Advanced Student Success. Get that full story here.
- Bellaire High School Class of 2002 member Andrea Sreshta, who (along with a classmate from Columbia University) won a $100,000 grant to fund their invention. Find out what they created together to make the world a brighter place here.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
Texas’ Teacher Retirement System (TRS) is in the process of issuing its annual member statements, but they can be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the TRS system. Below are some tips to help members of Team HISD decipher the information, as well as links employees can useto find additional resources.
What is the Membership Status Tier?
Your Membership Status Tier is listed on page two of the annual statement, and lets you know what TRS benefits you are eligible for.The tier category you are participating in is dependent on factors such as:
- When you first became eligible for TRS
- Your age at different points in time
The first ‘class’ of the new New Employee Orientation.
For new employees, starting a new job can be an exciting but sometimes overwhelming experience, especially at an organization as large and progressive as the Houston Independent School District.
That’s why the district’s New Employee Orientation (NEO) recently went through a major makeover, thanks to a highly collaborative effort across multiple HISD departments. Now, the all-day session is held every Monday and includes more valuable information designed to introduce employees to HISD’s culture and how they play an integral part in producing Global Graduates. read more…
District Change Agent Network being created to provide feedback, support, and regular communications
HISD is in the midst of a large scale, districtwide project that will improve our existing SAP finance and logistics system and migrate current HR and payroll functions from PeopleSoft to SAP. The end goal is to provide a seamless integration between HR, Payroll, and Finance & Logistics which in turn will provide:
- An improved user experience
- Employee Self Service and Manager Self Service (ESS/MSS)
- A single repository for employee and department information
- Better budget control
- A simplified procurement process
The core of this organization’s focus is helping families obtain basic needs — such as food, shelter, and clothing — or providing assistance in times of crisis, such as job loss, natural disasters, or domestic violence. Just a few of the specific projects and programs it sponsors are Tiny Libraries, Bright Beginnings, and THRIVE. Its website is here.
Note: During the district’s Combined Charities Campaign, we’ll take a look at each of the Federations to which employees can donate. These profiles will be posted in no particular order, and will help employees learn about the work organizations are involved with so they can best choose which ones to donate to. For a full list of Federations and the associated organizations, click here.
If someone “googled” your name, what would come up? Everything we do online creates digital footprints that migrate, persist, and can resurface years later. And if we aren’t careful, our reputations can be harmed.
HISD’s Office of Communications and the district’s Educational Technology Department have created a Digital Safety Moment that addresses the importance of digital footprints. read more…
Students in 2nd grade and below would not be sent home for disciplinary issues
Houston Independent School District students in second grade and below will no longer be sent home for disciplinary issues, according to a proposed policy update going before the Board of Education on Thursday.
Under the proposal, campus administrators would not be allowed to suspend or expel pre-kindergarten through second-grade students in response to behavioral or disciplinary issues — except as required by state law. The policy revision further explains that students in third through fifth grades should only be removed from the school setting as a last resort. read more…
