Cornelius Anderson has been selected as the new principal of Wesley Elementary School. Anderson has been an educator for 16 years and has served in various roles, from paraprofessional to principal. He began his career in Garland ISD as a special education paraprofessional and dyslexia facilitator before joining Denton ISD as a kindergarten teacher, dean of instruction, and assistant principal. Since 2014, he has served as the principal at Stafford Intermediate School in Stafford MSD and was named district administrator of the year for 2015-2016. Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas Woman’s University, master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education, and completed the superintendent certification program at Sam Houston State University.
Yearly Archives: 2017
HISD wins five Golden Achievement Awards, multiple other NSPRA honors
The Houston Independent School District has received 14 National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) awards, including five Golden Achievement Awards.
The Golden Achievement Awards, the highest honor given by the organization, were for the following:
- 2017 HISD State of the Schools communications campaign, which included a dedicated website, invitation, program, and other materials.
- Listen and Learn Tour to introduce new HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza to the community, complete with branding, flyers, online survey, and signage – as well as a live “virtual” town hall meeting streamed on district’s website, social media, and TV channel.
- Family-Friendly Schools Certification, including a video, branding materials, and a dedicated website.
- Social Media Scorecard to provide schools with feedback on their social media channels and school websites. The Communications team created a rubric for grading and provided the feedback in customized reports for each school, as well as resources and best practices.
- 2016 Educators of the Year, including branding for the superhero-themed event, signage, and a social media campaign.
Faith Fugit named new principal of Elmore Elementary School
Faith Fugit has been selected as the new principal of Elmore Elementary School. Fugit has been with HISD since 2004, serving as a teacher and a human resources recruiter prior to moving into school administration. For the last four years, she has been an assistant principal, first at Elmore during the transition of the former North Forest ISD and most recently at Westbury High School. Fugit earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master of arts in teaching from Trinity University. In 2013, she completed the University of Texas Collaborative Urban Leadership Project, where she earned an additional master’s degree in educational administration.
Keeley Simpson named new school support officer for Southwest Area
Keeley Simpson has been selected as school support officer for the Southwest Area. Since 2007, she has served as the principal of West Briar Middle School and was named the district’s Secondary Principal of the Year for 2016-2017. Simpson has been an educator for 15 years and has served in various roles. She began her career in Texarkana ISD as a history teacher before joining HISD as a teacher, assistant principal, associate principal, and dean of instruction at Lamar High School. Simpson earned her bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in educational administration from Texas A&M University. She currently is working on her doctorate at the University of Texas, with graduation slated for May 2018.
LaTonya Hodge named new principal of Fondren Middle School
LaTonya Hodge has been selected as the new principal for Fondren Middle School. Hodge has been an educator for 14 years and has served in various roles, from teacher to manager. She began her career in HISD as an elementary and middle school teacher before joining Pasadena ISD as a counselor. Hodge also has served as the assistant principal of Burbank Middle School and currently serves as the manager of graduate teaching fellowship at KIPP Houston Public Schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary students and master’s degree in counseling from Prairie View A&M. She earned her doctorate from the University of Houston in teaching and teacher education.
Isaac Daniels named new principal of Hobby Elementary School
Isaac Daniels has been selected as the new principal of Hobby Elementary School. Daniels has been an educator for 11 years and has served in various roles, from teacher to assistant principal. He began his career in HISD as a science teacher before becoming a teacher development specialist to support teachers in science, math and English language arts. Since 2016, he has served as the assistant principal at Gregory Lincoln Elementary Center. Daniels earned his bachelor’s degree in pre-medical biology from Texas Southern University and his master’s degree in educational leadership from University of St. Thomas.
Benjamin Hernandez named new principal of Marshall Middle School
Ben Hernandez has been selected as the new principal of Marshall Middle School. Hernandez currently is the principal at Sherman Elementary School. He has served in HISD for over 20 years and began his career in education in 1997 as a physical education teacher at Bonner Elementary. He also has served as a bilingual teacher at Lantrip Elementary School and a teacher development specialist for the Apollo 20 schools. Hernandez has held district leadership positions as project manager for the EdPlan learning management system and academic program manager for the TIF 3 and TIF 4 federal grants. He is an inaugural member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Teacher Advisory Committee and a recipient of the White House Champion for Change award. Hernandez earned both his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Educational Administration and Supervision degrees from the University of Houston. He currently is attending the University of Texas at Austin as part of the Cooperative Superintendency Program.
HISD Board of Education approves 2017-2018 school year budget
Proposed budget includes almost $49 million for salary increases, $2.2 million for special education
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a 2017-2018 school year budget that includes almost $49 million in salary increases and $2.2 million for special education.
The salary increases are designed to ensure the district is providing all employees with a competitive and livable wage, while the special education funding is designed to provide that department with essential additional resources. Continue reading
HISD Board of Education to consider proposed 2017-2018 budget during Thursday meeting
Proposed budget includes $48.6 million for salary increases, $2.2 million for special education
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider a proposed 2017-2018 school year budget that includes $48.6 million in salary increases and $2.2 million for special education.
The salary increases are designed to ensure the district is providing all employees with a competitive and livable wage, while the special education funding is designed to provide that department with essential additional resources. Continue reading
STAAR scores now available: What you need to know
The Texas Education Agency has redesigned the STAAR student report cards and revised the way students’ performance is labeled on STAAR tests in grades 3-12. The results of the May 2017 STAAR and End of Course (EOC) tests are now available online at www.TexasAssessments.com. Read below to learn how to access your child’s score, how to read the new student report cards, and what has changed with STAAR performance labels. Continue reading