Monthly Archives: May 2015

HISD Superintendent named ‘Champion of Children’ by Children’s Defense Fund

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier was honored Thursday as a “Champion of Children” during the 16th annual Beat the Odds Awards Luncheon hosted by the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas. Grier was honored Thursday for his outstanding leadership and service to children and families in the community.

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The award is the result of a partnership between the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and AASA, the School Superintendents’ Association. Together, they promote the importance of good health in ensuring that children learn, develop, and succeed in school, and work to enroll families in Medicaid and the the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Continue reading →

Billboards and website promote district’s search for additional talented teachers

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HISD’s Talent Acquisition team, in partnership with Clear Channel, has three billboards targeted toward helping recruit teachers to the district.

Anyone who’s ever been stuck in Houston traffic has probably caught themselves reading the billboards that line our city’s freeways.

HISD’s Talent Acquisition department is now taking advantage of this captive audience with three new billboards posted around town which will help with teacher recruitment. The billboards direct people to a new website www.TeachHISD.org, which features personal video testimonials for a variety of teacher candidate types.

“Our HISD recruitment team works diligently to source top teaching talent for our classrooms throughout the hiring season,” said Patra Brannon, general manager of Talent Acquisition. “These billboards and new website will only broaden the audience for our recruitment efforts and allow future candidates to connect with those employees who have chosen to work in our great district.”

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HISD announces Nurses of the Year at ‘Excellence in Nursing’ celebration

L-R are School Nurses of the Year for 2015: Cynthia Tanner (Walnut Bend ES), Evelyn Skinner (Osborne ES), and Majorie Robinson-Vaval (Worthing HS).

L-R are School Nurses of the Year for 2015: Cynthia Tanner (Walnut Bend ES), Evelyn Skinner (Osborne ES), and Majorie Robinson-Vaval (Worthing HS).

HISD’s Health and Medical Services department recognized almost two dozen campus and district healthcare workers on May 15, during a districtwide tribute to “Excellence in Nursing.”

Among those honored were the district’s Nurses of the Year for 2015: Worthing High School’s Majorie Robinson-Vaval at the secondary level — and, in a first for the district, both Evelyn Skinner from Osborne and Cynthia Tanner from Walnut Bend, who tied for the top prize at the elementary level.

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Carnegie Vanguard chemistry teacher wins prestigious award

Rajadurai_Christy_150Christy Rajadurai, a chemistry teacher at Carnegie Vanguard High School, has won the 2015 Thomas Aczel Award for Excellence in High School Teaching from the American Chemical Society – Greater Houston Section (ACS-GHS).

Rajadurai will be presented with a $500 check and a plaque at the ACS-GHS Spring Awards Banquet on June 3. As the winner for the Greater Houston Section, Rajadurai is now a candidate for the ACS Southwest Regional Award.

Rajadurai has taught Advanced Placement and pre-Advanced Placement chemistry for five years at Carnegie.

Elves & More rewards students’ literacy achievements with bikes

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Elementary students got to build the bicycles they earned through improved literacy goals last Friday, May 15, at the Houston Zoo. Second- and third-graders worked hard all semester to achieve goals set by their teachers to improve their literacy skills. The “Getting Young Minds in Gear” event was led by Elves & More, a program that uses bicycles as an incentive to encourage literacy in elementary school students.

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Recruitment fairs benefit schools, teacher candidates

NOTE: The next teacher recruitment fair is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2015. In order to attend, you must be a pool-approved candidate. To view and apply for teaching positions at HISD, click here.

The lobby of HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center was buzzing on the evening of May 13, filled with occasional cheers and even bell ringing; the sounds reminiscent of a pep rally.

HISD's teacher recruitment fairs give educators a chance to meet directly with principals who are hiring for the upcoming school year to discuss joining Team HISD.

HISD’s teacher recruitment fairs give educators a chance to meet directly with principals who are hiring for the upcoming school year to discuss joining Team HISD.

In reality, the district was hosting a teacher recruitment fair, designed to bring together highly effective educators and principals looking to fill vacancies. Each time a candidate accepted a teaching position at HISD, the Talent Acquisition team would ring a bell and cheer.

Because HISD stresses hiring early in order to attract the best possible quality candidates, events such as these provide a unique opportunity where campus leaders and teacher candidates can find the best fit for the upcoming school year. Continue reading →

HISD superintendent surprises Bellaire High School student with $10,000 scholarship

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Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier made a surprise visit to Bellaire High School on Wednesday to present a dedicated and hardworking graduating senior with a $10,000 college scholarship.

The award was given to Alisa Hamilton, who was selected by Dr. Grier because of her drive to succeed academically and be involved on campus despite significant personal challenges. Hamilton, who is homeless, does not live with her parents and has worked two part-time jobs to make ends meet. She has done all of this while maintaining good grades and participating in Bellaire’s DECA business club. Continue reading →

High school seniors look forward to maritime careers

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Senior students in the Yates High School Maritime program recently took a big step forward in their education. On May 14, five seniors in the Maritime program received their Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards at the TWIC La Porte office. TWIC cards grant these students access to U.S. ports, waterways, maritime facilities, and vessels.

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Parent Leader Summit helps families arm themselves with information

Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones presents a certificate of recognition to keynote speaker John Robinson.

Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones presents a certificate of recognition to keynote speaker John Robinson.

Dozens of parents came to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on May 16 for the District II Parent Leader Summit. The event connected more than 80 families from 46 different schools with HISD departments and community organizations to share information on parent advocacy, special education, school choice options, and more. The event also featured several organizations that provide parents with options on how to raise money for their children’s schools.

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