Yearly Archives: 2014

New program designed to lower stress, boost focus in classes

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Twelve Houston ISD schools have a new program designed to improve students’ health and reduce their stress.

The program, which is sponsored by the Sonima Foundation, will teach students skills for a healthier lifestyle. Through group discussion, character education, breathing exercises and yoga, students will learn to focus their attention, calm their minds, reduce stress and think before reacting.  Nutrition curriculum will be introduced later in the school year. Continue reading →

HISD families invited to attend fall Family Learning Academy events

Do you want your child to excel in school? Get into college? Find a rewarding career?

We can help!

This fall, HISD launches the Family Learning Academy – a series of free events to connect district and community resources that support student success with HISD families across the city. Continue reading →

Chávez HS to participate in ‘transformational’ UDL project with Region 4

Chávez High School has been selected to participate in the UDL: Transforming High School Learning Environments (UDL:THSLE) project this year—and it is the only school chosen from the seven county area that makes up Region 4 to do so.

“Your application reflected the level of excitement, planning, vision, dedication of resources, and commitment that we believe is necessary for a successful collaborative partnership,” wrote Dr. Kirsten Omelan, an education specialist with the Department of Special Education Solutions and a project manager with Building Inclusive Schools Initiative. “We look forward to working closely with the faculty, staff, and students of Cesar E. Chávez High School and Houston ISD to support the transformation of teaching and learning.” Continue reading →

Linked Learning kicks off at Westside HS

Freshmen at Westside High School entered the auditorium to cheers of encouragement from their peers at the school’s recent kickoff for Linked Learning, a district initiative that places real-life career experience in the classroom. The event allows students who expressed an interest in digital media and design to learn more about Linked Learning and their ninth-grade project.

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“They’ll get the opportunity to learn about things they’re passionate about,” said Adam Stephens, assistant superintendent of Linked Learning. Continue reading →

HISD Office of Communications unveils new department logos, taglines

Branding is a way to help people recognize products or companies visually at a glance, but in an organization the size of HISD, it’s sometimes easy for individual departments to appear separate from or unrelated to the district and its core mission: teaching and learning.

That’s why over the past three months, 57 different central office departments have been working to come up with short taglines to accompany a common district logo. The taglines are designed to reflect each individual department’s main focus—as well as how it relates to education—while giving clear visual cues that they are a part of HISD. Continue reading →

Meet the North Forest HS senior who already has his own radio show on KCOH

In this edition of I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, North Forest High School senior Joseph Vaughns talks about how he landed his own radio show on KCOH 1230 AM, which life struggles he considers a blessing, and what his plans are for after graduation.

North Forest High School senior Joseph Vaughns hosts his show "Generation Next" at the KCOH studio, September 20, 2014. (Dave Einsel / Houston ISD)

Joseph Vaughns

You host the Generation Next program on Saturday mornings at KCOH 1230 AM. How did a high school senior come to be hosting his own public radio show?

I started at the radio station as an intern when I was in the eighth grade. I learned to work the board as a deejay and to produce the Saturday show call “Person to Person” with Lisa Berry-Dockery.

Time went on and the owners of the station changed; they no longer needed me. They told me they would call me if they needed me and eventually, they did. Early one Saturday morning, I received a call asking me to come in to the station because they needed someone in the morning temporarily. I filled in for about two Saturdays and they asked me if I was interested in the position. I’ve been there ever since.

Tell me a bit more about Generation Next. How long have you been hosting that show and when did it first start airing? What is it designed to showcase?  Continue reading →

Former E-Rate compliance officer named HISD’s new chief audit executive

(Houston Independent School District)

Richard Patton

January of 2005, HISD’s Board of Education created the office of inspector general to address allegations of cheating and help rebuild the public’s confidence by ensuring the integrity of district data. Robert Moore, the district’s highly respected assistant superintendent for internal audit at the time, was tapped to lead that office.

Now, the position of inspector general has been renamed, and a familiar face has stepped into that role. Richard Patton, who served as HISD’s E-Rate compliance officer from Feb. 2010 until this month, was approved by the Board of Education on Sept. 18 as the district’s new chief audit executive. Continue reading →