Yearly Archives: 2012

‘Dogs of Character’ teach life lessons at Lockhart Elementary

“The Dogs of Character” rescue dogs recently paid a visit to Lockhart Elementary to teach 600 HISD students some important life lessons. The animals are used to “deliver messages of diversity, tolerance and self empowerment” said Dogs of Character Creative Director Joy Southard.

Click the photo below to see Lockhart students and their furry friends.

Meet HISD’s top Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets of 2012

Reviewing officer and keynote speaker Marquis Alexander was on hand when HISD’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program honored its top six cadets from the Class of 2012 on April 21.  Alexander, who was recently selected as the commander for the 2012-2013 Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets, and his fellow cadets from Texas A&M University served as the selection board for this year’s HISD JROTC competition.

The top six graduating seniors from the class of 2012 are:

Corps Commander (Top Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Ron-Joseph Lastimosa
Lamar High School

Cadet Colonel Ron-Joseph Lastimosa is ranked in the top three percent of his graduating class with a grade point average of 4.67. The International Baccalaureate diploma candidate is a member of the National Honor Society, French Club, Spanish Club, and Student Council. He is also active in the Boy Scouts of America.

Cadet Colonel Lastimosa placed first out of 25 competitors all four years in the Outstanding Cadet Qualification Board competitions. He has been awarded the Superior Cadet medal four times and he is a two-time recipient of both the George C. Marshall Award for Academic Achievement and Leadership and the Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. He has been a member of the Junior Leadership and Academic Bowl team that competed at the national finals inWashingtonD.C.twice. At the 2011 competition, Cadet Lastimosa’s team placed fifth in the nation out of 1,710 schools.

Cadet Colonel Lastimosa serves as captain of the Lamar Marksmanship Team. He is also a member of the Lamar Organizational Color Guard and his church’s youth group. He has held a part time job at the Chocolate Bar since his sophomore year.

Cadet Lastimosa plans to major in investment management at theUniversityofTexasinAustin, from which he has already received a Business Honors Scholarship.

First Brigade Commander (#2 Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Veronica Zaragoza
Waltrip High School

Cadet Colonel Veronica Zaragoza has been an active Cadet in the JROTC program for four years. Cadet Zaragoza, with a GPA of 3.83, is ranked number 31 out of 375 students in her graduating class.  Cadet Zaragoza has served as president of the National Honor Society and commander of the Waltrip JROTC Varsity Female Physical Training Team. She volunteers at the K2 Academy of Kids Sports, a facility for special needs children. Cadet Zaragoza plans to attendUniversityofTexasatAustinand major in social work.

Second Brigade Commander (#3 Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Nallely Prudencio
High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

Cadet Colonel Nallely Prudencio is ranked fourth out of 123 graduating seniors with a grade point average of 4.00. She serves as president of the Business Professionals of America and the Student Council. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, the National Latino Peace Officers Association, the JROTC Academic Team, the Battalion Unarmed Drill Team, and the Houston Leadership for Tomorrow (a service organization). Cadet Colonel Prudencio has been awarded the Superior Cadet Medal for the last two years, and has placed in the Military Qualification Board competition two years straight. She plans to attendGeorgetownUniversity, where she will pursue a degree in computer security.

Third Brigade Commander (#4 Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Thesly Imboden
Reagan High School

Cadet Colonel Thesly Imboden scored one of the highest SAT scores ever earned by a student from her campus. She is currently ranked 19th of 456 seniors in her graduating class and she holds a GPA of 4.09. Cadet Colonel Imboden plans to attend theUniversityofTexasto pursue a degree in communications. She serves as chief editor of the school newspaper, and she is a member of the National Honor Society, the Reagan High School Leadership Council. She is also active in the Peer Assistance and Leadership (PALS) program, which performs community service projects.

Fourth Brigade Commander (#5 Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Cristian Buitrago
Bellaire High School

Cadet Colonel Cristian Buitrago has a grade point average of 4.17. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Operation Military Children, and the Army Reserve Team Panel. He also serves as captain of the JROTC Physical Fitness Team, a counselor for Speak Out for Military Kids, and a representative of the US Army 75th Reserve Division’s Family Readiness Group at Ellington Field. After graduation, Cadet Colonel Buitrago will attend theUnited StatesMilitaryAcademyatWest Point.

Fifth Brigade Commander (#6 Graduate)
Cadet Colonel Merline Gonzalez
Scarborough High School

Cadet Colonel Merline Gonzalez has a GPA of 4.1 and is her class valedictorian. She serves as president of the National Honor Society, and she is a member of the Environmental Club, the Student Council, the varsity soccer team, the Lady Spartans Unarmed drill team, and the Spartans Physical Fitness Team. She is also active as a peer tutor and a ninth grade mentor. Cadet Colonel Gonzalez has been awarded the Superior Cadet medal three times. Following graduation, she plans to attend theUniversityofHouston, where she will major in communications.

HISD Schools Dominate Advocacy Group’s School Rankings

Houston ISD boasts the eight-county region’s top three elementary, middle, and high schools, according to the 2012 Texas Public School Rankings announced Monday by Children at Risk. The rankings include schools from 58 school districts, plus charter schools.

The results mark HISD’s strongest showing since the non-profit child advocacy and research organization began issuing the rankings in 2006. The announcement was made during a ceremony at HISD’s High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, which is among the region’s top 15 high schools.

 The news comes on the heels of this month’s announcement that HISD is among four national finalists for the county’s most prestigious public education award – The Broad Prize for Urban Education.  Selected from a field of 75 eligible school districts across America, HISD was chosen as a Broad Prize finalist because of Houston students’ strong academic performance since 2008 and the district’s shrinking achievement gap.

“HISD has a much-deserved reputation for offering some of the best schools in America,” Superintendent Terry Grier said. “These recent accolades show that our work to replicate this excellence in more schools serving neighborhoods throughout Houston is working. HISD is proving that great teachers working in schools led by great principals are more than capable of helping students overcome obstacles and eliminate excuses for failure.”

Half of the region’s top 10 elementary, middle and high schools for 2012 are HISD campuses. For the third year in a row, HISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions earned the No. 1 spot. T.H. Rogers took the No. 1 spot on the middle school list for the second straight year, and also earned the No. 1 spot on the elementary school list after coming in fourth in 2011.

HISD’s top 10 schools for 2012

 Elementary Schools

T.H. Rogers (No. 1)

Lyons (No. 2)

River Oaks (No. 3)

West University (No. 5)

Condit (No. 6)

Burrus (No. 10)

 Middle Schools

T.H. Rogers (No. 1)

Project Chrysalis (No. 2)

Energized for Excellence (No. 3)

Lanier (No. 10)

 High Schools

 DeBakey (No. 1)

Carnegie Vanguard (No. 2)

Eastwood Academy (No. 3)

East Early College (No. 8)

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (No. 10)

Children at Risk also singled out several other HISD schools for special recognition.

Lee High School was named the Most Improved School in the region.  Lee is one of four high schools taking part in HISD’s ambitious Apollo 20 program that uses research-based strategies aimed at turning around schools with a long history of poor performance.  After one year, students in HISD’s Apollo 20 schools produced academic gains on par with the nation’s most prestigious charter schools.

DeBakey High School was named the region’s top high school for math and science.

Lyons Elementary School and Pilgrim Middle School were named Gold Ribbon schools.

The Children at Risk rankings consider multiple factors designed to tell whether schools are not just meeting minimum passing standards, including: percentage of students scoring at the “commended” level on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, SAT scores, graduation rates, and the percentage of students earning college credit through AP, IB or dual credit courses. Student poverty rates also factor into the rankings. The rankings also consider the annual academic growth made by students in math and reading.

HISD To Honor Top Six JROTC Cadets from the Class of 2012

The Houston Independent School District will honor the top six JROTC cadets from the class of 2012. The top cadets were chosen among all graduating seniors in HISD’s 25 JROTC programs. The six cadets have been promoted to the rank of Cadet Colonel, the highest rank in the JROTC program. HISD graduate and commander of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets, Marquis Alexander will serve as the reviewing officer.

Who:  Cadets from HISD’S 25 JROTC programs, HISD administrators, and HISD Graduate and commander of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets Marquis Alexander

What:  HISD honors top six JROTC cadets from the class of 2012 during the annual HISD JROTC Final Review and Awards Ceremony. The top cadets will be featured leading their respective command groups.

When:  Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 10 a.m.

Where:  Delmar Field House
2020 Mangum Road

HISD Seeks Refund from Hamburger Patty Vendor

The Houston Independent School District has accused a California-based food supplier of breaching its contract with the district by using lean finely textured beef (LFTB) in hamburger patties sold to the district.

HISD officials conducting an inventory of all food supplies in the wake of parents’ concerns about the use of LFTB discovered that Don Lee Farms included the product in quarter-pound beef patties sold to HISD this year. The district has committed to not serving LFTB and has confirmed that no suppliers of ground beef served in HISD schools use LFTB.

HISD’s bid specifications prohibit any variety meats, filler, or extenders in the foods served in the district’s cafeterias. LFTB is treated with Ammonium hydroxide and is not sold as a stand- alone product. It is a cheaper and inferior grade of beef than the district intended to serve to its children.

“LFTB is not an acceptable variety meat, filler, or extender for a product to be served to school children,” HISD’s legal office wrote in a demand letter mailed to Don Lee Farms on April 10. “This constitutes a breach of the agreement and demand is made for immediate pickup of the product and refund of the purchase price.”
As of today, the company has not agreed to HISD’s demand for a refund, and the district is considering further legal action.

HISD this school year has purchased 14,080 cases of quarter-pound charbroiled beef patties from Don Lee Farms at a cost of $523,776. The remaining unused inventory of beef patties supplied by Don Lee Farms totals 1,045 cases worth $38,874.

LFTB is made from meat trimmings that are treated to eliminate bacteria. The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not require food suppliers to list LFTB as an ingredient.

HISD Unveils Budget Proposal to Address $43.6 Million Deficit With No Tax Increase

The HISD Board of Education was presented with a 2012-2013 budget proposal on Thursday that addresses a $43.6 million deficit while maintaining the current property tax rate and per-student funding levels.

Like other school systems across Texas, the Houston Independent School District is grappling with the fallout of the Texas Legislature’s decision to reduce education funding by $5.3 billion over a two-year period. For HISD, the two-year cut totals more than $120 million.

The proposal, which requires school board approval, calls for a $16.5 million employee compensation package that would help HISD keep pace with a growing number of Texas school districts that have already announced plans to approve pay raises. HISD salaries were frozen this school year, and only a portion of teachers received state-mandated pay raises in 2010-2011.

A detailed proposal for distributing the proposed pay raises will be presented to the board in May.

The district’s deficit would be covered in part with a $17 million reduction in the amount of general fund money that is normally transferred to HISD’s debt service fund to help repay loans. This reduction is a one-time option that will not be available in future years. In addition, $8 million would be transferred from the district’s $257 million general fund balance.

HISD finance experts worked with principals and central office administrators to identify several areas of potential savings in 2012-2013. These potential savings include:

• $3.5 million in reduced employee healthcare costs through increased efficiencies that should not impact quality of service.
• $1.7 million less in special funding for six unique schools.
• $1.6 million in non-campus departmental cuts, primarily through eliminating positions and layoffs. Last year, HISD eliminated 221 non-campus positions.

Earlier this year, HISD asked the community for feedback on a plan to implement a uniform bell schedule that would have added 19 minutes to the average school day and save $1.2 million. On Thursday, Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla said the district will not pursue the change after considering feedback from parents and principals. HISD recently conducted a survey and 11 town hall meetings on the topic. The transportation department, which was recently recognized as one of the top school transportation systems in the nation, will continue exploring more ways to increase efficiency.

HISD is also losing $5.7 million in federal Title I funding for programs that benefit low-income students. Because the federal money will no longer cover the cost of programs that allow students to take online courses during non-traditional school hours, the Board of Education previously agreed to use local tax dollars to cover that $3.1 million cost. The board is now being asked to consider whether to continue funding other programs that were formally funded with Title I money.
The Board of Education is set to discuss the proposed budget in several upcoming public meetings before adopting a budget in June.

HISD Students Help Launch National College Planning Website

Superintendent Terry Grier on Friday will visit Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center staff and students to celebrate the Houston Independent School District being chosen to launch the BigFuture college planning website.   BigFuture, a free comprehensive website offered by the College Board, will serve as a nationwide resource for students, counselors, teachers, and parents seeking information about preparing for, applying to and paying for college.  

Who: HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier, Board of Education Trustee Anna Eastman, Richard Middleton College Board Regional Vice-President, Sam Houston Principal Jane Crump, and HISD Students

What: Dr. Grier recognizes HISD as the first school district to work with the College Board to create forthcoming videos to be included on the BigFuture college planning website.  

When: Friday, April 20, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.

Where: Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, 9400 Irvington

District Launches Voter Registration Drive at all HISD High Schools

The Houston Independent School District is launching a campus-based voter registration drive as part of an effort to teach students the importance of participating in the democratic process.  HISD will kick off this drive on Thursday, April 19 at 10 a.m. at Waltrip High School (1900 West 34th).

“Texas had one of the lowest voter turnouts in the country for young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 in 2008, and it is our responsibility as a district to change those statistics,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “Democracy thrives when our schools produce an educated society.”

All HISD high school principals have been deputized to register eligible voters.  In addition, an official from the Harris County Tax Assessor’s Office trained all HISD high school principals on the proper protocol to follow when collecting voter registration cards on campus. 

“As a principal, I am thrilled to be able to assist the district with these efforts.  We also welcome our parents and community members to come here and register to vote,” said Waltrip Principal Steve Siebenaler. “This drive will further complement what is already being taught in our classrooms.”

HISD social studies teachers have been emphasizing the importance of civic participation through voting and other means in class. 

“The importance of voter registration is a key component in the U.S. government course offered to all high school seniors,” said Angela Miller, HISD curriculum manager. “Students learn about the rights and responsibilities of participatory citizenship in our democratic republic.”

There are almost 19,000 high school students between 17 and 18 years of age who are or will be eligible to vote soon.  All HISD high schools will have voter registration cards available on campus to encourage all eligible students to register to vote.  Parents and members of the community can also register to vote at their nearby high school during regular school hours.

To be eligible to vote, individuals must be a U.S. citizen and be 18 years old by election day.

See photos from the official dedication of James Berry Elementary School

Eco-friendly features were on display recently as former principals, teachers, parents, elected officials and community leaders joined HISD Board of Education Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Chief Elementary School Officer Sam Sarabia and Principal Deborah Silber at the official dedication of James Berry Elementary School.

Cick below to see photos from the ceremony and the interior and exterior of Berry ES.

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