Author Archives: HISD Communications

Teach Forward Houston fellows meet at UH Summer Bridge 

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A new cohort of Teach Forward Houston students just wrapped up Summer Bridge 2017 at University of Houston, where they lived in the dorms and attended orientation and classes for four days.

The week began with an opening ceremony with last year’s fellows, who will be sophomores this fall. Summer Bridge exposed the new UH students to Cougar Culture, best practices for studying, advice regarding health and wellness, and financial planning to ensure they survive college life. Summer Bridge 2017 ended with a celebratory lunch with family, HISD officials, and UH College of Education (UHCOE) representatives.  Continue reading →

New teachers join Houston Food Bank to help feed local kids 

A group of teachers new to HISD for 2017-2018 school year kicked off their introduction to the district on a very positive note Monday by volunteering at the Houston Food Bank.

The new teachers, a few from as far away as Spain, joined an assembly line process to sort and pack food supplies for the HISD families and many surrounding counties.

“The children deserve all of our efforts and all of our hours together to put together the food they need to have the nutrition that they need to learn,” said Idrisa Abdul-Hamid, HISD senior manager for Onboarding.

For more information on volunteering with the Houston Food Bank, go to HoustonFoodBank.org/Volunteer

HISD Board names auditorium after late District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr.

The HISD Board of Education honored the late District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr. by naming the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center auditorium The Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Board Auditorium during their monthly agenda review meeting on Monday.

Rodríguez, who passed away this month, served as a board member for 14 years. He was elected to the board in 2003 and held every office, including assistant secretary, second vice president, first vice president, and president of the Board of Education. Continue reading →

Washington HS engineering students travel to White Sands Missile Range to launch rockets 

It’s an annual tradition. Students from Dr. Nghia Le’s High Altitude Rocketry class at Booker T. Washington High School and the High School for Engineering Professions travel to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to attempt to launch a rocket they built themselves during the school year.

The results vary from year to year, but this year, the Golden Eagle 6.5 team considered their launch successful, although the rocket did not reach the required 100,000 feet or deliver NASA’s payload.

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Superintendent welcomes 1,500 new teachers for 2017-2018 school year 

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza on Thursday personally welcomed some of the nearly 1,500 new teachers to the district at an exclusive meet-and-greet event.

Attendees at the event included those new to teaching and experienced teachers who are new to the district. The newest members of Team HISD got to network with their colleagues, take selfies with the superintendent, and hear some motivational and encouraging words from HISD’s top leader.

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New Westbury HS construction project moving along


The Westbury High School Huskies are seeing significant changes on their campus as construction on their two story addition is nearly halfway complete.

The $40 million dollar project, which is a part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond, calls for general renovations to the current building, as well as a new addition with 26 classrooms, flexible learning centers, two new gyms, and a dual purpose commons serving as both a dining area and space for students to gather.

“There is great progress being made as far as I can visibly see,” Westbury Principal Susan Monaghan said. “I think it’s going to be awesome for Westbury and the community.”

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Worthing HS undergoing physical and academic transformation


With modern construction underway and a new administration in place, Worthing High School is on the verge of a transformation.

While construction crews work tirelessly to rebuild the 59-year-old school nestled in Houston’s historic Sunnyside neighborhood, new Principal Khalilah Campbell-Rhone is doing the same from the inside out.

“My desire was to come in and put Worthing back on the map,” Campbell-Rhone said, recalling how the school’s academic programs were once highly sought after and school pride was ubiquitous. “We can get back to that.”

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Nearly half of building projects to be completed by start of school year


HISD’s Bond Program continues to make steady progress with eight new or renovated schools set to open to students in August and another eight set for completion in the following two quarters.

“All but one of our projects have finalized construction documents, and by the end of this summer we’ll be at roughly 50 percent completion,” HISD Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders said Tuesday during the quarterly meeting of the district’s Bond Oversight Committee. “We’re really excited about the progress.”

Bond Oversight Committee members heard from Sanders and other members of the district’s bond team as they discussed the status of building programs and reviewed second quarter progress during the group’s regular meeting.

The new schools set to open next month include Furr, Milby and Wisdom high schools, and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men. Renovated schools set to open include Kashmere and Waltrip high schools, Sharpstown International School, and Codwell Elementary, which is not funded by the 2012 Bond. Continue reading →

National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program applications available online now

Parents are urged to complete the forms now to avoid back-to-school rush

Although the start of school is weeks away, Houston Independent School District Nutrition Services is urging all parents and guardians to complete the student applications for free and reduced-price meals online as soon as possible to ensure their child’s school gets the proper state and federal funding.

The National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program applications and surveys are now available at https://mealapps.houstonisd.org. They can also be accessed by visiting the HISD Nutrition Services website and clicking on the “One Form Means So Much” button on the right side of the page.

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HISD mourns loss of Board of Education Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr.


The HISD family is mourning the passing of Board of Education District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr., a dedicated servant to the children of Houston for 14 years and himself a product of HISD schools.

Rodríguez, who passed away on Wednesday, was elected to the board in 2003 and held every office, including assistant secretary, second vice president, first vice president, and in 2016, president of the Board of Education.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Trustee Rodríguez, who was a pillar in the HISD community,” said Superintendent Richard Carranza. “He was a true advocate for educating all children and a champion for change. He was a wise man, a mentor, and a friend to us all. We will forever be indebted to him by his service to public education. His legacy will live on.” Continue reading →