Monthly Archives: July 2013

New Teacher Academy Reveals Foundation of Support for Instructors

Hundreds of teachers—some brand-new and some just new to the Houston Independent School District (HISD)—gathered at the Kingdom Builders’ Center on July 29 for the start of the district’s four-day New Teacher Academy.

The event is designed to provide HISD’s newest instructors with an overview of the district, its expectations for their performance, and the many tools available to assist them, both in the classroom and out of it.

Continue reading

HISD Invites 85 Firms to Review Architect-Selection Process

Elvis Eaglin, senior manager in Procurement, oversees the transfer of RFQs in January.

HISD’s 2012 bond program garnered unprecedented attention from architectural and engineering firms when the district asked for qualifications last December to design 40 schools slated for renovation or construction.

A total of 85 firms responded by the Jan. 15, 2013 deadline, giving the district a diverse pool of choices as it began selecting firms for the first 24 schools, plus renovations for middle school restrooms and athletic facilities.

Continue reading

Longtime HISD teacher Jean Hines Caldwell Dies

Jean Hines Caldwell

Jean Hines Caldwell, a longtime Houston ISD teacher and counselor, passed away Sunday at the age of 83.

Caldwell began her career at HISD as an audiologist and spent 38 years as a teacher and guidance counselor at Wheatley High School. In 2005, HISD named an elementary school in her honor. Jean Hines Elementary School is located at 5015 W. Orem Dr. in southwest Houston.

Continue reading

Millionaire Club Spotlight: What Are You Reading This Summer?

Jack Yates HS librarian Velda Hunter

HISD’s Millionaire Club is a literacy initiative designed to encourage students to read for pleasure during the summer months. Each week, we’ll catch up with one HISD librarian to find out what’s on his or her reading list. This week, we spoke with Velda Hunter, a librarian at Jack Yates High School.

What are you reading right now? What attracted you to those selections?

I never read just one or two books at a time. I am reading a variety of good reads, including high school Name That Book selections. Mystery is my favorite genre, so the mystery-thriller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is one of the first I chose from the new Name That Book list.

Continue reading

Early Adopter Teachers Help Lead Laptop Initiative

HISD is calling upon some of the district’s most tech savvy teachers to help launch PowerUp, HISD’s groundbreaking initiative that will eventually give every high school student a laptop computer.

“Students learn differently than we did as children so you have to engage and empower them with technology,” said Bellaire High School teacher Seth Mintz during a training session involving select teachers from the 11 schools involved in phase 1 of PowerUp. Mintz and the other teachers were hand-picked by their principals because of their proven willingness to embrace technology in the classroom. This group of early adopters have been tasked with helping their campus colleagues embrace the initiative and its potential.

Continue reading

HISD Announces New Health Science Futures Academy at Westside High School

Provides students chance to earn an associate’s degree and technical training

The Houston Independent School District, in partnership with the Houston Community College and the University of Texas MD Anderson School of Health Professions, announces a new Futures Academy of Heath Science Careers at Westside High School.  Press conference will be on Tuesday, July 30 at 10 a.m. at Westside, 14201 Briar Forest Drive.

Continue reading

Trip to Israel Gives Principal Better Understanding of Refugees’ Struggles

Las Americas Principal Marie Moreno

Las Americas Principal Marie Moreno and Stevenson MS teacher Patricia Cooksey recently spent 10 days on a study tour to Israel and the West Bank in hopes of learning more about the region and gaining a better understanding of the struggles refugee students face.

“One-hundred percent of my students come from war-torn countries or have suffered some type of trauma in their home country,” Moreno said. “In order for me to understand exactly what they’ve gone through, I wanted to physically see it for myself. My kids are truly the lucky ones who escaped such horrible conditions.”

Continue reading

Two Brothers Serving as HISD Principals Featured in July 25 eNews

Two brothers who each serve at principals at HISD schools are featured in the July 25 edition of Community eNews.

Dameion and Clayton Crook didn’t dream of becoming principals when they were children, but education is in their blood. Their mother, father and aunt were all teachers. The brothers were once up for the same job!

Other stories highlighted in eNews include:

Continue reading