Yearly Archives: 2013

HISD to Hear from Students on Planning Phase of 2012 Bond

As HISD begins the planning phase for the 2012 bond program, which will replace or rebuild 40 schools across the city, the district is seeking valuable input from its most important stakeholders: students.

Architecture professors from Rice University and the University of Houston will lead four focus groups on Jan. 31 at the district’s headquarters to get students thinking about what kinds of buildings they would like to see. Each 90-minute focus group will include up to 12 HISD students, all coming from a bond campus high school.  Continue reading →

Trustee Anna Eastman Elected President of the HISD Board of Education

Trustee Anna Eastman was unanimously elected 2013 president of the Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday.

Eastman, who was elected to the board in 2009, pledged to create an environment of “healthy, spirited, and respectful debate” with a focus on raising the level of academic achievement for all students.  Eastman said she will make a priority of ensuring that more HISD students graduate prepared to succeed in college.

“Thank you to all of my colleagues for your support tonight,” she said.

Eastman holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Texas, and a master of social work degree from Our Lady of the Lake University.  She and her husband, Brad, have three children in HISD schools.

Ms. Eastman thanked 2012 President Michael Lunceford for leading the board through the largest successful bond election in Texas history, and for helping the board strengthen its ethics policy.

Other school board officers for 2013 are First Vice President Juliet Stipeche, Second Vice President Manuel Rodriguez Jr., Secretary Rhonda Skillern-Jones, and Assistant Secretary Michael Lunceford (by domingos).

HISD Students Compete in 17th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

Twelve HISD students will compete in the final round of the 17th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. The fourth-and fifth-grade students have written three-to-five minute speeches answering the theme question “If you could talk directly to Dr. King about your dream for our future, what would you tell him?”  Students will be judged on delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation, and memorization. The winner will receive $1,000 and the other finalists will also be awarded a monetary prize. The competition was created to celebrate cultural diversity and to recognize exceptional HISD students as they learn about Dr. King’s legacy.  It is free and open to the public.  Click here to see the speeches from last year’s event.

Who: Twelve students representing HISD elementary schools; HISD Board of Education Trustee Anna Eastman, HISD Chief Elementary School officer Samuel Sarabia, and local civic and community leaders will serve as judges.

What: Final round of the 17th annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition

When: Friday, January 18 at 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Where: Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, 500 Clay Street

HISD Seeks Volunteers for Bond Oversight Committee

The Houston Independent School District is looking for volunteers to serve on its newly reorganized Bond Oversight Committee as the district embarks on its $1.89 billion bond program approved by voters in November.

Administrators decided in December to revise the committee charter to give the group of up to nine members a more active role in monitoring the district’s bond program and keeping the public informed on new construction and renovation projects.

Continue reading →

Reagan K-8 Officially Dedicated, Honoring Former HISD Superintendent

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HISD Trustee Larry Marshall, from left, Principal Joyce Williams, Billy Reagan, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, and Chief School Officer Chip Zullinger cut the ribbon on the new Billy Reagan K-8 Educational Center. For more photos of the dedication, click here.

 

The doors of Billy Reagan K-8 Educational Center opened for students in August, but on Wednesday, the school community got a chance to celebrate the new school with its official dedication.

More than 200 people, including neighbors, parents, faculty, and HISD officials, attended the ceremony at the campus off Anderson Road to recognize the new campus and honor the school’s namesake, former HISD superintendent Billy Reagan. During his opening remarks, Superintendent Terry Grier said Reagan made significant contributions to education in the city of Houston and across the country.

Continue reading →

HSPVA Neighbors Discuss Bond Program, Future of Existing School

HISD officials spoke to a crowd of 15 at the First Montrose Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting Tuesday at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts to discuss how the $1.89 billion 2012 bond program will impact the surrounding community.

The bond project will replace or rebuild 40 schools across the district, including HSPVA.

Meeting attendees asked questions about the future of current facility at 4001 Stanford St., after the school moves to its new proposed location at 1300 Capitol St., blocks away from Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. The new facility will provide instructional and performance spaces appropriate for the arts-centered curriculum, including large theatrical performance areas, along with a recital hall, dance studio, and rehearsal spaces.

Continue reading →

Waltrip Ram Band Prepares for Inaugural Celebration Performances

Donations from local attorney and Texas legislator helped group finally meet its fundraising goal

The Waltrip Ram Band is making final preparations for its trip to perform at the Inaugural Celebration in Washington, D.C.  For the past few months, the band has been holding benefit concerts and other events to raise the $150,000 needed to cover the costs of the trip for the more than 140 students.

Continue reading →

Firms Submit Architectural, Engineering Qualifications for 2012 Bond

Nearly 100 firms met HISD’s Jan. 15 deadline to submit their qualifications to take part in the architectural and engineering phase of the 2012 bond program to repair or replace 40 schools across the city.

District officials accepted proposals up until the advertised deadline of 2 p.m., logging each submission and labeling it with a time stamp.

Continue reading →

17th annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition Finals on Friday

Last year's Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition winner Mattias McBride.

Last year's Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition winner, Matthias McBride.

Dr. Martin Luther King will inspire several elementary school students to pick up a microphone and show off their oratory skills in the 17th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition Finals at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ on Friday, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Twelve  students will be judged on delivery, stage presence and decorum, content interpretation and memorization as they perform original three to five minute speeches designed to answer the question –  “If you could talk directly to Dr. King about your dream for our future, what would you tell him?”

Aimed at celebrating cultural diversity and encouraging continued development of writing and oratory skills, the contest has had an impressive past and led to contest winners spreading Dr. King’s messages of hope on local and national news outlets. Last year’s second-place winner, Donovan Williams, a fifth grader at Cornelius Elementary,  noted, “As a drum major for justice, Dr. King would surely share the baton with us.”

Check here to see the speeches from last year’s event, including the speech from winner Matthias McBride.

What:  17th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition Finals

Where:Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ

 When: Friday, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

African American Advisory Committee Gets Update on 2012 Bond Program

HISD’s African American Advisory Committee heard firsthand Tuesday the latest updates on the 2012 bond program, which includes an ongoing pledge to keep Houston’s minority community informed on opportunities to do business with the district.

“We’re here to stand as a community, and we want to provide as much opportunity as we can,” said Robert Sands, the district’s officer of Construction & Facility Services. Continue reading →