Five members of the HISD Communications Department are nominated for a Lone Star EMMY for district videos and programming produced during the 2012-2013 school year. Lone Star EMMY represents the most experienced and talented television professionals from all disciplines of the industry and from all 19 television markets in Texas.
Yearly Archives: 2013
Bloomberg Radio Interviews HISD Superintendent on Winning Broad Prize
Last week, Jane Williams, host and producer of Bloomberg EDU, Bloomberg Radio’s weekly look at education, interviewed HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. Find out what winning the 2013 Broad Prize will mean for HISD students, how the district is working to increase high school graduation rates, the value of partnerships beyond the district, and how vitally important it is that education be about students, not adults. Read more in the Huffington Post.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/113229150″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”80″ iframe=”true” /]
Furr HS Stages Mock Crime Scene to Draw Attention to Banned Book Week
Senior Kevin Berrios, an Advanced Placement Literature student, stands by his project on a banned book by author Clive Barker.
Students at HISD’s Furr High School got a surprise when they got to class on Sept. 26. As they settled into their seats, they heard the stern voice of HISD Police Officer Craig Davis on the intercom, announcing that the library was closed and forbidding students from entering it.
The teens’ curiosity grew all morning, as they passed by a library whose windows were obscured by black paper and covered in crime-scene tape, with a few holes strategically placed to reveal a cart labeled “banned books” filled with titles pulled from their own library’s shelves. The hallway leading to the school library was also decorated with mock crime posters featuring Furr teachers “wanted for reading banned books” and a display case filled with book covers of banned books found in Furr’s collection.
HISD to Celebrate Being Named America’s Top Urban School District
HISD Board of Education, HISD Superintendent, administrators, teachers and students to partake in the district’s celebration
What: Hundreds of school administrators, teachers and students will join the HISD
Board of Education and Superintendent Terry Grier as the district celebrates winning the Broad Prize for Urban Education. The prestigious award recognizes the public school system that has demonstrated the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among poor and minority students. The award also provides the HISD class of 2014 with $550,000 in college scholarships. HISD won the first Broad Prize awarded in 2002 and was also a finalist in 2012.
The celebration at the district’s headquarters will feature school marching bands, cheerleaders, community members and HISD’s #GreatAllOver school bus, among other festivities.
For more information about The Broad Prize, including video and photos, please visit www.houstonisd.org/broadprize.
Who: HISD Board of Education trustees, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, administrators, teachers, students and community members
When: Monday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m.
Where: Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street
HISD Breaking Ground on First New Schools of 2012 Bond Program
An excavator began doing site work this week for the new South Early College High School, marking the first new school to break ground within the 2012 bond program, which will build or renovate 40 schools across the city.
“We are very excited about this milestone,” said Superintendent Terry Grier. “With construction underway, we are one step closer to our goal of providing our students with 21st century schools that will prepare them for college and careers.”
Car Show Proceeds to Benefit Chavez Motor Sports Program
Chavez High School is hosting a community car show to give students more opportunities in its motor sports engineering program.
The show will be held in the school’s teacher parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 28. Judging will be held at 1 p.m. The community is invited to enter their cars, imports, trucks and motorcycles for $25.
Proposal Would Keep HISD Tax Rate Lowest Among 24 Districts in Harris County
The HISD Board of Education will consider adopting a four cent property tax rate increase on Oct. 10. This would represent the first such rate increase since 2001. The proposed property tax rate of $1.1967 per $100 taxable value is nearly 23 cents less than the average Harris County school district – maintaining HISD’s position as having the lowest rate of any district in the region.
In addition to having the lowest tax rate in the county, HISD is among just eight county school districts that grant homeowners an additional 20 percent homestead exemption. As a result, the owner of a $200,000 home in HISD pays hundreds less in taxes than the owner of a home with the same value elsewhere in Harris County.
School Celebrates Attendance Success With Pajama Party
September is Attendance Awareness Month, and HISD schools have worked hard to make sure students are in class. Some schools have used incentives, such as parties, to increase attendance.
Students at Shadowbriar ES donned their favorite pajamas on Fri., Sept. 27 – everything from Hello Kitty and Sonic the Hedgehog to the Buc-ee’s beaver – for a party to celebrate achieving a 98-percent attendance rate. Principal Stephanie Davis said the 74 percent of students who had perfect attendance will get another treat – a popsicle party where they can win prizes.
HISD Wins $12 Million for Magnet Schools
Six HISD schools have been awarded a combined $12 million in federal grant funds for new magnet programs that emphasize science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) instruction.
“This is fantastic news for HISD students, and for local taxpayers,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “We have heard loud and clear from the business community that demand for graduates with a strong foundation of science, technology, engineering and math has never been higher, and that this demand will continue to grow. In addition to strong neighborhood schools, new magnet programs like these make HISD even more competitive as parents and students explore all of the great school choices available to them in our city.”
Share your thoughts with us here on HISD’s 2013 Broad Prize win!
On Sept. 25, 2013, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that HISD was the winner of the 2013 Broad Prize in Urban Education. It was the second time for the district to win the award. HISD also took home the inaugural Broad Prize in 2002. Leave a comment here if you’d like to offer congratulations to teachers, students, principals, or the support staff for their hard work.