Author Archives: HISD Communications

Tropical Storm Bill doesn’t dampen teachers’ enthusiasm for job fair

Despite the rain showers brought by Tropical Storm Bill that day to the Houston area, nearly 500 teacher candidates attended HISD’s June 18 recruitment fair at NRG Center, a record-breaking number for the district.

Cierra Nickerson, a selection specialist with Talent Acquisition, said her team closely monitored the weather reports, but decided that the event could go on safely. The decision paid off, as 491 candidates attended, and 88 teachers were hired during the fair. Another 40 follow-up interviews were also scheduled.

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Camp M.I. Way proves educational for both campers and counselors

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

Over the past several weeks, middle and high school students from HISD campuses across the district have been volunteering at Camp M.I. Way, a special program designed to give students with multiple impairments a chance to practice and expand their social skills in an atmosphere of fun.

As part of the camp, run by Homerun Hitters International, student counselors guide campers in various activities that are designed to engage the five senses. Emerson Greer, a rising junior at Challenge Early College High School, has served as a camp counselor for two years and describes the experience below:

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Students embark on the road to independent living

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This June, HISD is teaching young people to be part of a community beyond the classroom.

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Sharpstown International School community hears about plans to update campus

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A community meeting was held at Sharpstown International School (SIS) this week to brief stakeholders on district plans to renovate the unique school.

SIS was developed in 2007 as a partnership of HISD and the Asia Society International Schools Network, and was known as the International High School at Sharpstown. In the 2011-2012 school year, International High School and Sharpstown Middle School were consolidated to become the first 6-12 grade magnet program in the district. With an international studies focus, it was named Sharpstown International School.

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Passion fuels second-year teacher’s success

Switching careers can be a daunting decision, and Natalie Nelson knows first-hand how difficult that transition can be.

Natalie Nelson

Natalie Nelson worked as a political researcher and an advocate for juvenile justice reform before joining HISD as a teacher a Chávez High School in 2013.

The Advanced Placement government and economics teacher at Chávez High School chronicled her experiences as a first-year teacher in 2013–2014 in an HISD blog called 177 Days, and recently, she reflected on finishing her second year in HISD. Continue reading →

Project teams work to preserve school history in designs for new schools

As HISD project teams are making plans to build or renovate 40 schools under the district’s current bond program, they also are giving careful consideration to items of historical or architectural significance that can be preserved and incorporated into the new designs.

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Students’ graduation stories publicized in Times Square

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Three lucky HISD students got to see their names in lights on June 10, when hundreds of students from across the country were featured on a Times Square billboard in New York City.

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Great debaters continue their tradition of success

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Lanier Middle School students know that oratorical skill can be a powerful tool. The debate team from that campus attended the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Tournament for High School and Middle School Speech and Debate recently—and walked away with one of the top honors.

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HISD Board of Education approves 2015-2016 budget; raises for teachers, principals, staff

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday adopted a 2015-2016 budget with significant salary increases designed to help the district hire and retain the most effective teachers and principals.

As part of the approved budget, teachers will get a minimum salary increase of 2 percent, with beginning teacher salaries jumping up to $51,500 — almost $5,000 more than they earned just two years ago. Certified bilingual teachers would earn an additional $4,000 annual stipend, more than triple the current stipend.

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