Yearly Archives: 2015

Summer Bridge program preparing Futures Academy students for success

Rising sophomores get tips from former Futures Academy students and EMERGE fellows

The journey from high school to college to a career can be challenging, but HISD’s Futures Academy is helping students develop the skills they’ll need to get there.

The Summer Bridge Program is arming rising high school sophomores with critical knowledge in the areas of time management, team building, communication, and money management. Four sessions are scheduled for June and feature classes taught by Futures Academy and EMERGE alumni.

“One way we thought this message would resonate with students is by having former HISD Futures Academy and EMERGE students returning from their first year in college lead the sessions,” said Michael Love, assistant superintendent of the Futures Academy. “This allows the students to learn directly from peers who recently walked the same hallways as them.”

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Linked Learning gives recent grads a jump on public works careers

LiLe_PubWksTour_440x230Students from Furr and Chávez high schools tour largest wastewater facility in the city

The source of our water is becoming the source of a career for several HISD graduates. Fifteen students who just graduated from Furr HS and Chávez HS were selected to partake in a three-week class on water maintenance that will result in them gaining Class D water operator licenses as well as eligibility for employment with the City of Houston Public Works Department.

The class is a part of HISD’s Linked Learning initiative, which combines academics and hands-on learning to prepare students for real-world experiences and career pathways.

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HISD Board of Education votes to continue offering maximum local homestead exemption

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted Thursday to give homeowners an additional tax break by continuing to offer a local homestead exemption that goes above and beyond the standard state exemption.

This year, the state Legislature raised the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 through Senate Bill 1, which is subject to voter approval in November. In addition to the state’s exemption, HISD homeowners take an additional 20 percent off the appraised value of their property, the highest homestead exemption allowed by the state.

Last year, this local homestead exemption saved HISD homeowners more than $134 million in property taxes. That is an additional annual savings of about $667 for the owner of a $278,637 home, which is the average home value in HISD.

Trustees are scheduled to meet again next week to consider the budget for the 2015-2016 school year. The board will meet June 15 to review the budget and again on June 18 to adopt the budget. Trustees must formally approve the budget before it can go into effect for the 2015-2016 school year.

HISD Transportation hosting mobile recruitment event to hire bus drivers

BusDrivers_440x230The Houston Independent School District is kicking off a weeklong mobile recruitment event to hire additional bus drivers for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Four HISD mobile hiring buses are scheduled to make appearances at 18 locations throughout Houston, where qualified candidates may be hired on the spot.

All new school bus drivers will receive at least 30 hours of paid training throughout the school year and are eligible for financial incentive payments, including a $250 sign-on bonus and a $900 attendance incentive.

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Westside HS wins national ‘Cooking Up Change’ competition

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

When the heat was turned up, the Westside High School’s Culinary Arts Program team stayed cool under pressure, taking home first place at the Cooking Up Change National Finals on Monday in Washington, D.C.

Students Jose Acosta, Jalien Noel, and Briseida Salas, working under the direction of Westside Chef Reggie Martin, wowed the judges with a menu that highlighted different flavors from the Bayou City: cowboy Cajun chicken lollipop, twisted Texas cabbage and collard greens, and a pineapple tart.

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HISD budget plan includes raises for teachers, principals and staff; no tax rate increase

Salary increases that will help the Houston Independent School District hire and retain effective principals, teachers and district staff remain a top priority for administrators as they continue to develop a budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Under the proposed budget, teachers would get a minimum salary increase of 2 percent, with beginning teacher salaries jumping up to $50,500 — almost $4,000 more than they earned just two years ago. Certified bilingual teachers would earn an additional $4,000 annual stipend, a significant increase over the current $1,250 stipend.

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‘HUB Camp’ introduces educators to new teaching and learning resource

Online platform to go live districtwide at all K-12 schools this fall

Summer camp may be traditionally for students, but during the first two weeks of June, nearly 1,000 HISD elementary teachers and campus instructional technologists attended “HUB Camp” to receive training and learn more about the district’s online teaching and learning platform, known as the PowerUp:HUB, or “HUB” for short. During the 2015–2016 school year, the HUB will be transitioning from the pilot phase at 48 schools to full districtwide implementation at all 283 HISD schools. The implementation is part of the district’s larger efforts to digitally transform instruction and integrate technology into content development and classroom instructional practices.

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New bookmobile taking HISD’s literacy message on the road

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3 LLC.

Children living on the far north and south sides of Houston have a new reading resource this summer—and it will be coming to them.

HISD’s brand-new bookmobile will be visiting city parks in the North Forest and Sunnyside communities on alternating Fridays to provide children with a chance to pick out their own reading materials without having to visit a library.

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Service Excellence Employees of the Month for June honored

Five HISD employees were recognized as June’s Employee of the month for Service Excellence at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Tuesday morning during a special breakfast with Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla. Continue reading →

Nutrition Services partners with high-school transition coaches to build students’ job skills

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Through HISD’s Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) program, high-school students can go into local businesses for a couple hours a day, a few of times a week, to develop their workplace skills through on-the-job training.

For the first time this year, HISD’s Nutrition Services department is one of the partnering organizations, and it is working with two or three students from each of five high schools: Lee, Madison, Scarborough, Sharpstown, and Waltrip. Participating students learn about the food service industry by working in school cafeterias, performing tasks such as washing dishes or serving fruit.

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