Author Archives: HISD Communications

Superintendent joins Children At Risk to highlight positive impact of Pre-K education 

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Richard Carranza, together with superintendents from surrounding districts, joined Children At Risk on Tuesday for a press conference to bring awareness to the positive impact of early childhood education on student learning.

Children At Risk is part of a multitude of community groups that are calling on state lawmakers to put more funding into Pre-K programming. They are taking action because the state’s Pre-K grant program, which started in 2015, is not fully funded in this year’s budget legislation.   Continue reading →

HISD hosting special education parent forums 

District taking look at how to better provide services

HISD is inviting parents to three special education forums where they can ask questions and provide comments as part of a broader effort to reform special education services in the district.

The meetings will be hosted by the HISD Office of Special Education Services, which supports students with disabilities in gaining college and career readiness and independent living skills through active engagement in grade level curriculum. Continue reading →

Washington HS hosts students from Zimbabwe for science, technology learning collaborative 

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Booker T. Washington High School recently hosted a group of nearly 50 students from Zimbabwe as part of a 10-day international collaborative learning project.

The collaborative between Rydings College in Zimbabwe and Washington High School primarily was focused on science and technology and included visits to Space Center Houston and the University of Houston. Students hoped to bring back ideas on how to make wind turbines and processes for water purification.

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Excellence – Whatever it Takes: Sam Houston motto rings true as construction begins

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The excitement was palpable as the Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center Mariachi Band began to perform on Friday, formally kicking off the celebration designed to mark the start of construction on their new school.

Blustery winds didn’t stop dozens of students, teachers, parents, and alumni from gathering in the school parking lot to witness the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Sam Houston — part of the 2012 Bond Program — and catch a peek of the construction that already is underway.

“I believe strongly that our students deserve a state-of-the-art school,” Sam Houston Principal Alan Summers said. “Not only because they deserve to go to a school that looks good, but also because they deserve to be in a building that has facilities to help prepare them for life after high school.

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HISD Board president to host Hispanic Parent Summit with free workshops, resources 

Wanda Adams, HISD Board of Education President and District IX Trustee, will host a parent summit to provide Hispanic families with access to information and resources to prepare them to support their kids’ academic achievement.

The  free event will take place on Saturday, April 8 at Grissom Elementary School (4900 Simsbrook, Houston 77045) with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a parent panel and various workshops aimed to help parents and caregivers influence their children’s education. Parents will also be able to have their children screened for dyslexia, receive assistance completing FAFSA/TAFSA applications, learn about selecting the best schools for their kids, and much more.  Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education names new chief audit executive

Garland Blackwell

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education has selected Garland W. Blackwell as the district’s new chief audit executive.

Mr. Blackwell most recently served as an internal audit director for Parsons, a global engineering services firm, where he established and directed the internal audit process for its regional offices in the Middle East and Africa. He has more than 25 years of internal audit and financial experience.

“The HISD Board of Education is pleased to welcome Mr. Blackwell to our district,” said HISD Board President Wanda Adams. “He is an accomplished internal auditor who will provide critical oversight of the district and recommendations for improvement that will safeguard district resources and support our core values. It has been a priority of our board and audit committee to fill this position to ensure that integrity and transparency are maintained across the district.”

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Rain or shine: Parker ES makes headway despite weather delays  

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Construction on the new Parker Elementary School — Houston’s original music magnet — is almost 25 percent complete with the steel structure already in place and build-out of the interior walls underway.

“Things were very slow in the beginning due to rainy weather, but since the walls have gone up, things have been moving along quite quickly, said Parker Principal Lori Frodine. “We prefer a quality job rather than a rushed job, so we are very happy to see that.”

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National Public Health Week event for families scheduled for April 1

The Houston Health Department will observe National Public Health Week (April 3-9) with a family health event on Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Judson Robinson Community Center (2020 Hermann Drive, Houston, 77004).

The goal for this event is to create an interactive, fun and engaging experience for HISD families. The Houston Health Department is a longtime partner with HISD and hopes to connect as many families as possible on to on-the-spot services such as:    Continue reading →

Real Men Read volunteers passionate about reading to students 

Real Men Read is a mentoring program in which men volunteer at least one hour a month to read to students in third grade.

“Real Men Read is not just a program, it’s a passion,” said Read Men Read volunteer Bill Turney, who reads to Askew Elementary School students once a month. “My objective is to transfer to the children my love of reading.” He said that reading to young children not only keeps him young but allows him to experience the joy of being a child again.   Continue reading →

I am HISD: Bellaire teacher’s book will likely become a movie 

Bellaire High School English teacher Jennifer Blessington.

Bellaire High School English teacher Jennifer Blessington’s fourth young adult novel, “Moxie,” caught the attention of Amy Poehler, and her production company, Paper Kite, has acquired the film rights. Poehler, 45, is an actress, comedian, director, producer, and writer. She was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live“ from 2001-2008 and the star of “Parks and Recreation“ from 2009-2015. Roaring Brook Press will publish “Moxie” on Sept. 19. Jennifer publishes her novels under the name Jennifer Mathieu.

What grade do you teach?

I have taught sixth, seventh, eighth, and 11th grades. Currently, I teach English II at Bellaire High School.

How long have you been teaching?

I am currently in my 12th year in the classroom.

When did you publish your first book?

My first book, “The Truth About Alice,” was published in the summer of 2014.    Continue reading →