Yearly Archives: 2012

Camp for eighth-graders instills love of algebra (w/video)

What do you get when you take 26 eighth-graders, one middle school math teacher, and four hours of Algebra a day? MC Williams Middle School is hoping the equation equals success on the STAAR Algebra I End of Course exam.

“All of our eighth-graders passed this year’s Algebra EOC, and we want the same success next May,” said Principal Corey Seymour. “Ultimately, we want all of our students to take Algebra in the eighth grade and earn high school credit.”

For the second year in a row, MC Williams is holding its summer Algebra camp for incoming eighth-graders who will be taking the subject in the fall. The camp is designed familiarize students with the basics of Algebra while developing confidence in their existing math abilities. Unlike other HISD middle and high schools who hold similar summer workshops, the camp at MC Williams lasts for five weeks and features four hours of Algebra a day.

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HISD Awards Top Food Services Staff and Recognizes Cafeterias of the Year

The Houston Independent School District presented numerous awards to recognize the hard work and excellence of the district’s Food Services Department and school cafeterias.

“Providing nutritious meals to more than 200,000 students throughout the school year and summer school takes hard work, and it’s important our employees know just how valuable they are to the district,” Superintendent Terry Grier said.  “We applaud their commitment to ensuring every student has access to a good, healthy meal at school.”          

Awards were given for the following categories: Spirit of Service Award, Honorary Spirit of Service, and Team Lead of the Year.

“We are truly proud of these employees.  The positive attitude and dedication they bring to work every day is truly exceptional,” said Brian Giles, Senior Administrator for Food Services.  “These annual awards serve as a means to let them know we recognize and thank them for their hard work and efforts.”

HISD also recognized the 2011-2012 Cafeterias of the Year based on their ability meet and exceed goals set by the department and provide excellent dining atmospheres, among other guidelines.

 HISD’s Food Services Department has almost 2,000 employees who service nearly 300 schools.  These employees are tasked with providing healthy, nutritious meals for all students, teachers and staff in the district.

 Below is list of awards presented:

Spirit of Service Award         

Kandy Simmons, Herrera Elementary School
Samantha Pearson, Cook Elementary School
Alicia Villalobos, Lantrip Elementary School
Patricia Strickland, Bonner Elementary School
Antionetta Means, Frost Elementary School
Robin Morris, Hobby Elementary School
Janet Vallair Perry, Lovett Elementary School
Maggie Hughes, T.H. Rogers
Veronica Means, Blackshear Elementary School
Gilda Canales, Oak Forest Elementary School
LaDeshia Ricks, Furr High School
Tammie Green, Chavez High School
Kimberly Wilson, Westbury High School
Chiquia White, Marshall Middle School
Ola Livingston, Energized STEM

 

Honorary Spirit of Service

Mark Allen, Operations Area Manager
Bridgette Chenier, Operations/SEA Associate

 Cafeteria of the Year

Lee High School
Hamilton Middle School
Herrera Elementary
Durham Elementary

 Team Lead of the Year

Lanquelyn Sumler, Reagan High School
Marylyn Williams, Hartman Middle School
Danielle Wiltz, Bastian Elementary School
Eliva Jimenez, Gregory Lincoln K-8

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

 Two more Houston Independent School District student experiments will soon be headed to space.  The first experiments launched in May aboard the inaugural Space X Dragon commercial space flight and will return in July.   Two other experiments are now being prepared for the mission to the International Space Station in September.

Four HISD schools, E-STEM Middle School Academy West, Garden Oaks Elementary, Johnston Middle, and Pershing Middle Schools, participated in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 2 to the ISS. 

As part of the program, students worked with teachers and members of the community to complete research on a rigorous scientific proposal along with a design challenge for experimentation in microgravity aboard the ISS.   Students also helped design a mission patch that represents HISD and their work on this project.

 The team from Pershing Middle which took top honors and Johnston Middle school student Emily Soice will represent HISD on the SpaceX Falcon 9 flight in September.  Two HISD mission patches designed by E-STEM Middle School Academy West student Abilio Sanchez and Johnston Middle School student Sebastian Beil from Johnston Middle school will also be aboard the flight.   

 The program was made possible by donations from Advanced Metal Fusion, KBR, Lockheed-Martin, Minute Maid, and Texas Space Grant.

The Student Space Flight Experiments Program (http://ssep.ncesse.org) is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE; http://ncesse.org) in partnership with Nanoracks, LLC. This on-orbit educational research opportunity is enabled through NanoRacks, LLC, which is working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.

‘Camp MI Way’ Gives T.H. Rogers Students Multi-Sensory Experience

Fun activities and amusing songs are both part of ‘Camp MI Way’ at HISD’s T.H. Rogers campus, but the focus of this three-week-long summer camp is not recreation—it’s communication.

“The purpose of Camp MI Way is to give students with multiple impairments a chance to practice and expand their skills in an atmosphere of fun,” said Deborah Carr, the executive director of Home Run Hitters International. “Opportunities for participation in multi-sensory camp experiences with an attentive personal counselor are rare for most of our campers.”

Campers are guided in various activities by student volunteers from both T.H. Rogers and other nearby private and public schools who act as counselors. Activities are designed to engage the five senses, so campers might be encouraged to smell something pleasant or touch a silky fabric and then be asked if they want to smell or touch it again. Trained counselors watch and wait for their answers.

Since many of the campers don’t communicate through speech, this gives them hundreds of opportunities to do so by using movements of their head, legs, and fingers.

HISD Students Reach or Exceed National Average in Four of Five Subjects

June 28, 2012 – Houston ISD students this year matched or beat the average scores posted by students across the nation on the Stanford and Aprenda exams in reading, math, science, and language, according to data released Wednesday.

Forty-seven percent of HISD’s students exceeded the average national score in the fifth tested subject, social science.  Texas school districts are not required to administer the Stanford and Spanish-language Aprenda exams, but HISD does so to track how students compare to the rest of the country.

HISD students in grades 1-8 took the exams this spring. The number of students exceeding the national average increased from the 2010-2011 school year in the subjects of reading (50 percent) and language (53 percent). However, the percentage of HISD students scoring above the national average in math (61 percent) and social science declined (47 percent).  The percentage of students scoring above the national average in science was unchanged (63 percent). HISD scores in all five subjects are higher than they were in 2009.

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HISD to Giveaway New Car at Second Annual ‘Cool to Be Smart’ Celebration

The Houston Independent School District is contacting more than 1,000 recent graduates who qualify to win a brand new car at the upcoming second annual Cool to Be Smart celebration on Aug. 5.

The purpose of this annual event is to encourage and recognize scholars who completed five or more Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses or a combination of both and took the corresponding exams.  Students who score high enough on these exams are eligible to earn college credits.  Click here to watch a video and read about last year’s inaugural Cool to Be Smart event.

“In HISD, not only have we raised the standards and rigor for all our students, we also celebrate their hard work and achievements,” Superintendent Terry Grier said.  “Cool to Be Smart recognizes students who challenged themselves academically by completing college-level coursework. I am so proud that more and more students in HISD are taking these courses and earning college credit during high school.” 

The number of AP exams taken by HISD students that resulted in scores high enough to earn college credit has increased 35 percent since 2009.  All HISD high schools currently offer at least 15 AP courses.

HISD staff will be calling all of the qualifying Class of 2012 students from more than 40 high schools in July to ensure they are present to enter the drawing and win prizes.  These recent graduates will also receive an official invitation by mail.

The grand prize, a new 2012 Dodge Caliber, was donated by Helfman River Oaks Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.

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HISD Board of Education Approves Raises for Teachers, Staff

All Houston ISD teachers will receive 2-percent pay raises under the district’s 2012-2013 budget that includes pay increases for all staff without increasing the property tax rate.

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education adopted the budget Thursday on a unanimous vote. Trustees Lawrence Marshall, Harvin Moore, and Manuel Rodriguez Jr. were absent.

In September, all Houston ISD employees will receive pay increases ranging from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent under the budget approved on Thursday.

HISD’s non-teaching staff last received a pay raise in 2009-2010, and some, but not all, teachers received a raise in 2010-2011. No employees received raises during the 2011-2012 school year. Dr. Grier said the pay increases are necessary to remain competitive with surrounding Houston-area school districts that have already proposed doing so.

All teachers will receive a 2 percent pay raise.

Other employee groups will receive the following salary increases:

  • Principals, assistant principals and deans: 2 percent
  • School bus operators, hourly food services employees, and salaried departmental employees on the lower end of the pay scale: 2.25 percent
  • Substitute teachers and other hourly employees: 2.25 percent
  • Professional employees and upper-level administrators: 1.75 percent

Click here to view the board approved 2012-13 teacher salary schedule. Click here to view a Frequently Asked Questions document about teacher salary schedules.

Other salary schedules can be found at the following links: technology employees, principals, assistant principals and deans, hourly master salary schedule, and the master salary schedule.

Employees with questions about the new salary schedules may submit them via email to compensationdept@houstonisd.org.

Addressing state funding cuts

The $1.58 billion budget addresses the loss of $47.1 million in state funding with $8.9 million from the district’s savings account, which currently stands at about $257 million.

The Texas Legislature’s decision to cut public education funding by $5.4 billion statewide cost HISD schools $125.1 million over a two-year period. Because of these cuts, the state now pays 21 percent of HISD’s budget, compared to 26 percent a year ago. The amount of HISD’s revenue that comes from local tax dollars now totals 79 percent.

About $17 million of the shortfall caused by the cut in state funding will be covered by reducing the amount of general fund money that is normally transferred to HISD’s debt service fund to help repay loans at a faster rate than is required. This reduction is a one-time option that will not be available in future years.

HISD has also identified several areas of decreased spending for the upcoming school year. These include:

  • $7 million in reduced employee health and unemployment insurance costs.
  • $5.5 million less for bilingual and special education programs. This is a result of the declining number of HISD students identified for bilingual and special education services.
  • $5 million less in ASPIRE performance awards.
  • $2.5 million in non-campus departmental cuts, primarily through departmental consolidations and layoffs. Last year, HISD eliminated 221 non-campus positions.

Although the board will not adopt a property tax rate until later this year, Superintendent Terry Grier intends to recommend that HISD maintain the current tax rate, which is the lowest of any school district in Harris County. Last week, the Board of Education agreed to continue granting an optional 20 percent homestead exemption in addition to the standard $15,000 exemption that homeowners across the state receive.

HISD Bond Package Would Rebuild High Schools, Address Campus Needs in Neighborhoods Across Houston

Forty-two schools across Houston, including 24 high schools, would be rebuilt, renovated, or renewed under a recommended bond package presented for the HISD Board of Education’s consideration on Thursday.

The board must decide by August whether to seek approval of the $1.89 billion proposal from Houston Independent School District voters during the Nov. 6 general election.

While including nearly $225 million in recommended projects that would benefit students at all 279 schools in the district, the proposed bond package focuses heavily on the city’s high schools. HISD’s most recent bond programs approved by voters in 1998, 2002 and 2007 have primarily addressed needs at the elementary school level.  The average age of HISD secondary schools now stands at 50 years, compared to 39 years for the district’s elementary schools. 

Many of these schools were designed to meet the needs of students in the 1950s and are no longer able to accommodate the best instructional approaches for helping today’s students meet rising academic expectations, according to independent school facilities experts who presented their findings to the board on Thursday.

Superintendent Terry Grier agreed the district’s high schools are long overdue for major improvements.

“Houston’s prosperity of today is rooted in the historic high schools erected generations ago by our city’s visionary leaders who knew the value of a solid long-term investment,” Dr. Grier said.  “Now is the time for today’s generation to step up and follow their lead.  Houston’s high schools should be places of pride for every neighborhood and, more importantly, the students they serve.  Just like the baby boomers of the 1950s, our children today deserve modern campuses that will bring real value to their neighborhoods for the 50 years to come.”

The proposed bond package would completely rebuild some of Houston’s most historic neighborhood high schools across the city, while others would undergo renovations and renewals.  The proposal also includes new campuses for some of HISD’s prestigious specialty magnet schools, including the nationally renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. The new HSPVA would be built downtown near Houston’s vaunted Theater District on land that HISD already owns at 1300 Capitol.

 

The proposal calls for $1.67 billion to be spent on improvements at 42 schools. This would cover:

 

  • $577 million to completely replace 8 high schools
    • Furr
    • High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
    • Lee
    • Madison
    • Sharpstown
    • Sterling
    • Booker T. Washington
    • Yates

 

 

 

 

  • $354 million to replace the inadequate facilities at 4 high schools
    • Bellaire
    • Lamar
    • Sam Houston
    • Westbury

 

 

 

 

  • $259 million to replace inadequate facilities and renovate 5 high schools
    • Austin
    • Eastwood Academy
    • Milby
    • Waltrip
    • Worthing

 

 

 

 

  • $27 million to build 2 new early college high schools
    • North Early College
    • South Early College

 

 

 

 

  • $61 million to renovate or renew 9 high schools
    • Davis
    • DeBakey
    • Jones
    • Barbara Jordan
    • Kashmere
    • Scarborough
    • Sharpstown International
    • Young Men’s College Prep
    • Young Women’s College Prep

 

 

 

 

  • $121 million to convert 4 elementary schools into K-8 campuses
    • Garden Oaks
    • Pilgrim Academy
    • Wharton Dual Language
    • Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School at Gordon

 

 

 

 

  • $74 million to replace Dowling Middle School and expand Grady Middle School

 

  • $126 million to replace 5 elementary schools
    • Askew
    • Condit
    • Kelso
    • MacGregor
    • Parker

 

 

 

 

  • $67 million to renovate and make building additions at K. Smith Elementary, replace inadequate facilities and renovate Tijerina Elementary, and build a new elementary school on the district’s west end to reduce overcrowding

 

The proposed $225 million in district wide projects would cover:

 

  • Technology upgrades at all HISD schools ($100 million)
  • District athletic facility improvements ($42.7 million)
  • Middle school restroom renovations ($35 million)
  • Safety and security improvements ($27 million)
  • Land acquisition ($20 million)

 

Some of the schools recommended for major construction work are among those that had renovations under the 2007 bond program.  In many of those cases, the previously completed work will be incorporated into the new building design, said Leo Bobadilla, HISD’s Chief Operating Officer.

 

School community input included in plan

 

Earlier this spring, HISD hired Parsons — national specialists in the assessment, design, and project management of education facilities — to update the 2007 comprehensive assessment of the HISD’s facilities.  HISD principals were asked to engage their campus communities as they completed detailed surveys about the condition of their schools.  More than 3,300 parents, teachers, and community members representing 95 percent of the district’s schools participated in this feedback process.  Some of the specific facility issues raised by school communities in the surveys will be addressed outside of the recommended bond through HISD’s normal building maintenance program. 

Links to school community survey results for each campus, along with more details about the data that helped formulate the proposal, are posted online at houstonisd.org.

Using this school community input, existing data from 2007, and information about the condition of HISD campuses based on work completed since 2007, Parsons experts personally inspected dozens of schools and interviewed principals and plant operators to develop the list of campuses included in the bond proposal.  They took several factors into account while developing this list:

 

  • Overall building condition
  • Each school’s educational suitability and technology readiness
  • Enrollment projections and capacity
  • Community input

 

Even with the many projects included in the bond proposal, HISD schools still have many additional facility needs that remain unaddressed, according to the report presented to the board.  Those needs will be identified as HISD moves forward with developing a comprehensive long-range capital improvement plan.

 

Property tax implications

 

Because of the district’s strong fiscal management practices, HISD has been able to maintain the lowest property tax rate of the 20-plus school districts in Harris County. In addition, HISD is among the few districts in Texas that offer an optional 20 percent homestead exemption on top of the standard $15,000 exemption that other school districts offer.  This means that a home with a taxable value of $200,000 in another school district that doesn’t offer the optional 20 percent exemption would be taxed at a value of $160,000 in HISD (a 20 percent reduction).

If an election is called, and voters approve the bond package, HISD would likely adopt a property tax rate increase in the future.  This tax rate increase would have no impact on the homesteads of HISD residents age 65 and older, because their tax rates are frozen.

HISD estimates that the tax rate increase would be phased in over a 4-year period, beginning with an estimated 2-cent increase in 2014.  This would result in an additional $29 in taxes for the owner of a home valued at $200,000.  By 2017, the total tax rate increase resulting from the bond’s passage would reach 6.85 cents, raising the average tax bill by $99 a year, or $8.25 per month.

School construction and renovation work approved by HISD voters in 2007 is nearing completion under budget. So far, HISD has opened 16 new or replacement schools under that bond program, 6 more new schools are under construction, and 2 more are in the planning stage.  More than 100 HISD campuses have undergone renovations so far.  Click here for more detailed information about the work completed under the 2007 bond program.

Photo gallery: HISD student stars shine at AHSA Noche de las Estrellas

On June 13th, the Association of Hispanic School Administrators (AHSA) hosted the 21st annual Noche de las Estrellas Scholarship and Awards Banquet.  AHSA gave away $17,000 in scholarships to eight notable HISD students who plan on becoming educators. To read the Superintendent’s wrap-up of the event, please visit his blog, Talk Supe.

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HISD Board of Education to Consider 2012-2013 Budget

The Houston ISD Board of Education will meet Thursday, June 21, 2012 to consider adopting a $1.58 billion budget that addresses the loss of $47.1  million in state funding and provides staff pay raises without increasing the property tax rate.

The Texas Legislature’s decision to cut public education funding by $5.4 billion statewide cost HISD schools $125.1 million over a two-year period.  Because of these cuts, the state now pays 21 percent of HISD’s budget, compared to 26 percent a year ago.  The amount of HISD’s revenue that comes from local tax dollars now totals 79 percent.

All Houston ISD employees would receive pay increases ranging from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent under the proposal.

HISD’s non-teaching staff last received a pay raise in 2009-2010, and some, but not all, teachers received a raise in 2010-2011. No employees received raises during the 2011-2012 school year. Superintendent Terry Grier has asked the board to consider the pay increases in an effort to remain competitive with surrounding Houston-area school districts that have already proposed doing so. 

           Under the proposal, all teachers would receive a 2 percent pay raise.

           Other employee groups would receive the following salary increases under the compensation proposal:

  • Principals, assistant principals and deans: 2 percent
  • School bus operators, hourly food services employees, and salaried departmental employees on the lower end of the pay scale: 2.25 percent
  • Substitute teachers and other hourly employees: 2.25  percent
  • Professional employees and upper-level administrators: 1.75 percent

The district is addressing a projected revenue shortfall in part with $8.9 million from the district’s savings account, which currently stands at about $257 million. 

About $17 million of the shortfall caused by the cut in state funding would be covered by reducing the amount of general fund money that is normally transferred to HISD’s debt service fund to help repay loans at a faster rate than is required.  This reduction is a one-time option that will not be available in future years.

HISD has also identified several areas of decreased spending for the upcoming school year. These include:

  • $7 million in reduced employee health and unemployment insurance costs.
  • $5.5 million less for bilingual and special education programs. This is a result of the declining number of HISD students identified for bilingual and special education services.
  • $5 million less in ASPIRE performance awards.
  • $2.5 million in non-campus departmental cuts, primarily through departmental consolidations and layoffs.  Last year, HISD eliminated 221 non-campus positions.

Although the board will not adopt a property tax rate until later this year, Dr. Grier intends to recommend that HISD maintain the current tax rate, which is the lowest of any school district in Harris County. Last week, the Board of Education agreed to continue granting an optional 20 percent homestead exemption in addition to the standard $15,000 exemption that homeowners across the state receive.

The Board’s meeting begins at 5 p.m. with a public budget hearing in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 West 18th St., 77092).  Click here to read the full agenda.  The meeting will be carried live on HISD’s website and on the HISD Channel, which can be found on Comcast Channel 18 or AT&T Channel 99.