Yearly Archives: 2014

HISD board to vote on 2014-2015 budget at special session Thursday

After two months of preparation and review, the Houston ISD Board of Education will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at district headquarters to consider adopting a $1.74 billion budget for 2014-2015. The proposed budget addresses the district’s key priorities – increasing teacher pay, supporting the implementation of a comprehensive literacy plan, and funding required increases and expenditures that will ultimately save the district long term.

“Preparing an annual budget is a complex process that requires sound forecasting and tough discussions,” Houston Independent School District Chief Financial Officer Ken Huewitt said. “The workshops, countless hours of review and discussion have resulted in what we believe is a very strong budget proposal that is fair and in line with the district’s goals and priorities.”

Under the proposal, all teachers will receive raises between $1,100 and $2,300, depending on length of service. The budget also begins a phased-in plan to adjust the overall teacher pay scale, bringing starting salaries to $49,100 to make HISD more competitive with neighborhood districts in an active recruiting market.
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Love of literacy brings out colorful characters

School leaders dress up as favorite book character to bring attention to importance of reading

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The second day of the HISD Summer Leadership Institute attracted some colorful characters to share their love of reading, including Fancy Nancy, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Willy Wonka. Continue reading →

Dowling MS community hears about plans for new school

Dowling Middle School community members and staff on Tuesday night had a chance to learn about some of the beginning steps in the design process for the new fine arts school, which is being built under the district’s 2012 bond program.

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Literacy By 3 takes the spotlight at HISD’s Summer Leadership Institute

An individual’s ability to acquire knowledge is usually contingent on one simple fact: whether or not he or she is literate. Without the ability to read and write with ease, even the simplest of concepts can remain stubbornly—and maddeningly—out of reach. That’s why HISD has made this critically important topic the focus of its annual Summer Leadership Institute.

The Institute got started this year on June 17 at the NRG Center, and the district’s Literacy By 3 movement—which aims to have all students reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade—was in the spotlight.
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Washington HS design internship kicks off with straw bridge challenge

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Engineering students at Booker T. Washington High School cut straws into triangles and fastened them with tape to build a two-foot bridge that could hold a little extra weight.

“We need to build a sturdy platform that can withhold everything,” said student Nakiyah Scott while working with her teammate Monday on a bridge-building challenge that helped kick off a summer-long design team internship program at Washington.

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Chávez HS grad ‘paying it forward’ with EMERGE Class of 2014

As a member of HISD’s inaugural EMERGE class in 2012, Chavez HS alumna and Tufts University sophomore Phuong Ta (far left, front row) helped coordinate the top-tier university tours for this year’s EMERGE students.

When I graduated from Chávez High School two years ago, I was the “first” in many ways—the first one in my immediate family to go to a four-year college (as my family had only moved to the United States two years before that), one of the first students from Chávez to attend a private institution outside of Texas, and one of the first students to graduate from the pilot cohort of the EMERGE program. Along with the immense sense of pride and joy I felt upon my acceptance to Tufts University, I was also under the stressful realization that it was my responsibility to be successful, not just for my family and myself, but also for my community.

Being a first-generation college student was far more challenging than I prepared myself for. Continue reading →

Whidby ES baton-twirlers headed to state finals after first-place finish in Corpus

Baton-twirling’s heyday may be about 60 years behind it, but a group of 14 girls from HISD’s Whidby Elementary School is bringing back that lost art with an amazing run for the national title next month.

The Whidby team, which just ended its very first year under the guidance of teacher Crystal Evans, is already headed to the state finals in Dallas at the end of June, after earning the first-place prize and the highest possible ranking (a “one”) at a regional competition of the National Baton Twirling Association in Corpus Christi. Continue reading →

School tours give principals a look inside successful Guided Reading programs

Figuring out how to do something for the first time can be tricky, but having an expert on hand to show you the ropes can make it a lot easier. That’s why HISD has asked the principals of eight elementary schools with effective Guided Reading programs in place to offer tours to other campus leaders.

Guided Reading is a critical piece of the district’s Literacy By 3 initiative, which aims to have all elementary students reading at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. A big part of its successful implementation will depend upon the creation of both individual classroom libraries and a central storage area for Guided Reading materials that all teachers can use as a resource. Continue reading →