Author Archives: HISD Communications

HISD Department of Transportation honored for use of ‘green’ school buses

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Mahmoud Chami, Transportation Mechanic Team Lead

District is only one in Texas to receive special recognition

The Houston Independent School District Department of Transportation has been honored with the inaugural Leadership with Propane Autogas Award by the Propane Education and Research Council.

HISD is the only school district in Texas, and one of three in the country, to be recognized by the council for creating a cleaner environment for student bus riders by using propane school buses. The award recipients were announced last week in Reno, Nev. at the Green Bus Summit.

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Construction progress on new Milby HS hard to miss

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If you haven’t driven by the new Milby High School recently, the progress is hard to miss and it’s even visible from the 610 Loop.

Construction on the new 267,000-square-foot project along Broadway in Houston’s East End is about 65 percent complete and tracking on schedule for a projected summer 2017 opening. The school is a combination of new construction and renovation that preserves the historical front entrance while creating a modern learning environment for up to 2,000 students.

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Leland College Prep Academy construction nears halfway point

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Construction on the new Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men, located in Houston’s historic Fifth Ward, has been progressing well over the last quarter, and is now about 50 percent complete.

Part of HISD’s current bond program, the new 139,000 square-foot-facility, located at 1701 Gregg St., will accommodate 900 to 1,000 students once completed in the second quarter of 2017. Continue reading →

New Teacher Academy gives teachers new to HISD valuable resources, connections 

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Near the end of the 2016 New Teacher Academy (NTA), Adrienne Wright found a relatively quiet spot at Kingdom Builders Center to eat her lunch. She exchanged a few friendly “hellos” with new friends she made before reflecting on a busy yet informative week.

As she gets ready to begin her first year of teaching, she said she feels considerably more prepared for the first day of school than she did a week ago. Many of the 1,300 other attendees likely felt the same way.

“It’s actually been excellent,” said Wright, who will teach at Woodson K-8 Academy. The trainings have been excellent. Everything has been well-organized. I am so happy to be working at HISD because they have so much support for new teachers like me. They make me feel confident.”  Continue reading →

Richard A. Carranza named sole finalist for HISD superintendent

Veteran educator known for innovative work promoting bilingualism, global citizenship and addressing students’ social and emotional needs

The Houston ISD Board of Education on Wednesday named Richard A. Carranza as the sole finalist for superintendent of the nation’s seventh-largest school district. The vote was unanimous.

By Texas law, the board now must wait 21 days before taking a final vote on whether to hire Carranza.

Carranza is a life-long educator who served as a teacher, principal and in other leadership posts before rising to his most recent position as superintendent of the 53,000-student San Francisco Unified School District in California. Last year, Education Week profiled Carranza as a national 2015 Leader to Learn From. Fluent in English and Spanish, Carranza has led one of California’s most diverse, high-achieving public school systems since 2012.

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HISD Bond Oversight Committee tours new Condit ES, gets update on 2012 Bond Program

Condit Elementary School Principal Dan Greenberg shared his vision for 21st century learning on Tuesday as he led HISD Bond Oversight Committee members on a tour of his new school, which opens for students next  month.

Placing an emphasis on modern learning styles, the two-story school features bright colors, open spaces, large windows that let in copious amounts of light, and curved walls that create lots of seating nooks.

White boards are found throughout the hallways, creating pockets where students can gather and learn throughout the building.

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HISD receiving $1.2 million for more fresh fruits and vegetables in schools 

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Nutrition Services was awarded $1.2 million from the Texas Department of Agriculture to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to more HISD students. This year, TDA selected two more HISD elementary schools to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, for a total of 39 schools in the district now included in the program.

FFVP helps Nutrition Services meet its goals of providing HISD students with more fresh fruits and vegetables and healthier food options in district schools. Nutrition Services Senior Operations Manager Becky Campbell said the grant gives school children the opportunity to taste products not regularly found on school menus.

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Board of Education to consider superintendent candidates

Trustees could vote to name finalist or finalists

The Houston ISD Board of Education will meet Wednesday morning to discuss superintendent candidates, and possibly announce a finalist or finalists for the position. Continue reading →

HISD officials discuss impact of sending millions back to the state under “recapture” process

Property values in Houston are rising every year, but many of the tax dollars generated by that growth don’t stay with Houston schools. HISD must send $162 million – equal to half-a-million dollars per school – to the state of Texas this school year under a process called “recapture.”

In the latest episode of Up Close with Manuel Rodriguez, the HISD board president discusses this school funding model and its effects on HISD with Ashlea Graves, HISD director of government relations, and Glenn Reed, HISD general manager of budgeting and financial planning.

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New HISD campus leaders gather for intensive training, networking 

IMG_3920Campus principals face unique challenges, as they balance running a school while making sure the needs of their teachers and students are being met.

That’s why HISD has all new principals attending the annual New Leaders Institute (NLI), a 10-day intensive training event that gives them many of the tools and resources they’ll need to hit the ground running when the 2016-2017 school year begins. The NLI started July 6 and wraps up on Thursday, July 21.  Continue reading →