Author Archives: HISD Communications

HISD budget plan includes raises for teachers, principals and staff; no tax rate increase

Salary increases that will help the Houston Independent School District hire and retain effective principals, teachers and district staff remain a top priority for administrators as they continue to develop a budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Under the proposed budget, teachers would get a minimum salary increase of 2 percent, with beginning teacher salaries jumping up to $50,500 — almost $4,000 more than they earned just two years ago. Certified bilingual teachers would earn an additional $4,000 annual stipend, a significant increase over the current $1,250 stipend.

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New bookmobile taking HISD’s literacy message on the road

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3 LLC.

Children living on the far north and south sides of Houston have a new reading resource this summer—and it will be coming to them.

HISD’s brand-new bookmobile will be visiting city parks in the North Forest and Sunnyside communities on alternating Fridays to provide children with a chance to pick out their own reading materials without having to visit a library.

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Service Excellence Employees of the Month for June honored

Five HISD employees were recognized as June’s Employee of the month for Service Excellence at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Tuesday morning during a special breakfast with Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla. Continue reading →

Nutrition Services partners with high-school transition coaches to build students’ job skills

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Through HISD’s Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) program, high-school students can go into local businesses for a couple hours a day, a few of times a week, to develop their workplace skills through on-the-job training.

For the first time this year, HISD’s Nutrition Services department is one of the partnering organizations, and it is working with two or three students from each of five high schools: Lee, Madison, Scarborough, Sharpstown, and Waltrip. Participating students learn about the food service industry by working in school cafeterias, performing tasks such as washing dishes or serving fruit.

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Grady MS student named myON’s fourth ‘Reader Leader’

Apurba Roy Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Apurba Roy Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Apurba Roy, who just finished the seventh grade at Grady Middle School, has been named the fourth “Reader Leader” by myON for logging the most time spent reading on that website during a particular month.

Roy read for an astonishing 219 hours and 34 minutes in myON in May. As a part of her prize, Roy received a laptop (with computer case) from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in southeast Texas. She was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on her campus June 4.

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Teacher job fair scheduled for June 18

Must be a pool-approved candidate to attend

Although the 2015–2016 school year doesn’t start for more than two months, HISD campuses are busy putting the finishing touches on their faculty selections for next year.

There are still openings at all levels, and candidate pool-approved teachers are invited to attend a district job fair on Thursday, June 18, 2015. Continue reading →

Council of Great City Schools honors CIO Lenny Schad

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HISD Chief Information Officer Lenny Schad was recognized by the Council of Great City Schools on June 3 with the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt award. The award was created to honor excellent CIO’s.

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Garden Oaks Montessori community hears about renovation and expansion plans

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More than 70 members of the Garden Oaks neighborhood came out to learn about initial design concepts for Garden Oaks Montessori. The meeting on Tuesday was the first of at least three community meetings that will be held at various phases of the project.

As part of HISD’s current bond program, the school will receive new additions and general renovations to accommodate up to 900 students in pre-K through 8th grade.

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Houston Dynamo supports high school soccer program

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The Sharpstown High School soccer teams received some help in preparing for the upcoming season from none other than the Houston Dynamo.

Dynamo Charities named the soccer program at Sharpstown High School a beneficiary for Every Save Counts, a Major League Soccer (MLS) national initiative to serve youth sports.

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Seniors share research and passion in TEDx talks

CECHS student gives stand-out presentation on social anxiety disorder

Sometimes a 15-minute talk can make a long-term difference.

Gabriella Wannall, Challenge Early College High School

Gabriella Wannall, Challenge Early College High School

On May 18, several seniors at Challenge Early College High School participated in a TEDx event organized by Gifted and Talented Independent Study teacher Joshua Silberman. In the tradition of TEDx talks, more than 100 students spent the past year preparing short but compelling talks about chosen topics. Fifteen earned the chance to speak at the event. Continue reading →