Despite decreasing state funds, district continues to emphasize competitive salaries for teachers and principals as well as increased bilingual stipends
Under the state’s current funding structure, the Houston Independent School District could lose $46.4 million in state funds for the 2015-2016 school year because of rising property values throughout the city.
In the next few months, some of HISD’s brightest young scholars will be visiting the nation’s top colleges and universities as part of the EMERGE program’s summer college tours. The EMERGE program was designed to help low-income, first-generation minority students get into top-notch colleges. Last year, EMERGE helped launch 99 scholars from 24 high schools to colleges and universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. Five were accepted to Yale University, while three chose to attend Tufts. This summer, students will get to participate in discussions, tour the campuses, and check out dorm rooms and cafeterias as part of the following EMERGE tours:
Graduating EMERGE scholars have been awarded more than $20 million in scholarships and financial aid this past year, with the majority of students receiving individual financial packages totaling upwards of $40,000 per year.
The Houston Area Association of Bilingual Education (HAABE) announced its selections for the 2015 Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers of the Year on May 9 at its annual banquet, and the Houston Independent School District swept one entire category by winning ESL Teacher of the Year distinctions at both the elementary and secondary levels.
Osias Mendoza
Osias Mendoza, who teaches at Love Elementary School, was honored as the HAABE Elementary ESL Teacher of the Year. He knows the struggle of learning in a second language and navigating a new culture first-hand, because he came to Houston from the Philippines as a young man.
Tanya Thompson
Tanya Thompson, who teaches at The Rice School, was honored at the HAABE Secondary ESL Teacher of the Year. She has taught for 31 years, most of which have been in the area of ESL, and she is known for her commitment to creating a classroom in which all students are valued and challenged.
“These awards demonstrate the high quality of HISD’s teachers and the success of its bilingual/ESL programming,” said Assistant Superintendent of Multilingual Programs Gracie Guerrero. “I am very proud of both of them.”
Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier was honored Thursday as a “Champion of Children” during the 16th annual Beat the Odds Awards Luncheon hosted by the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas. Grier was honored Thursday for his outstanding leadership and service to children and families in the community.
[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000MHWa.AljNbw” g_name=”20150521-CDF-BeatTheOdds” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]
The award is the result of a partnership between the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and AASA, the School Superintendents’ Association. Together, they promote the importance of good health in ensuring that children learn, develop, and succeed in school, and work to enroll families in Medicaid and the the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Continue reading
HISD’s Talent Acquisition team, in partnership with Clear Channel, has three billboards targeted toward helping recruit teachers to the district.
Anyone who’s ever been stuck in Houston traffic has probably caught themselves reading the billboards that line our city’s freeways.
HISD’s Talent Acquisition department is now taking advantage of this captive audience with three new billboards posted around town which will help with teacher recruitment. The billboards direct people to a new website www.TeachHISD.org, which features personal video testimonials for a variety of teacher candidate types.
“Our HISD recruitment team works diligently to source top teaching talent for our classrooms throughout the hiring season,” said Patra Brannon, general manager of Talent Acquisition. “These billboards and new website will only broaden the audience for our recruitment efforts and allow future candidates to connect with those employees who have chosen to work in our great district.”
L-R are School Nurses of the Year for 2015: Cynthia Tanner (Walnut Bend ES), Evelyn Skinner (Osborne ES), and Majorie Robinson-Vaval (Worthing HS).
HISD’s Health and Medical Services department recognized almost two dozen campus and district healthcare workers on May 15, during a districtwide tribute to “Excellence in Nursing.”
Among those honored were the district’s Nurses of the Year for 2015: Worthing High School’s Majorie Robinson-Vaval at the secondary level — and, in a first for the district, both Evelyn Skinner from Osborne and Cynthia Tanner from Walnut Bend, who tied for the top prize at the elementary level.
Christy Rajadurai, a chemistry teacher at Carnegie Vanguard High School, has won the 2015 Thomas Aczel Award for Excellence in High School Teaching from the American Chemical Society – Greater Houston Section (ACS-GHS).
Rajadurai will be presented with a $500 check and a plaque at the ACS-GHS Spring Awards Banquet on June 3. As the winner for the Greater Houston Section, Rajadurai is now a candidate for the ACS Southwest Regional Award.
Rajadurai has taught Advanced Placement and pre-Advanced Placement chemistry for five years at Carnegie.
Out of respect for all of the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the U.S. armed forces, all HISD schools and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2015, in observance of Memorial Day.
All HISD offices will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.
NOTE: The next teacher recruitment fair is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2015. In order to attend, you must be a pool-approved candidate. To view and apply for teaching positions at HISD, click here.
The lobby of HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center was buzzing on the evening of May 13, filled with occasional cheers and even bell ringing; the sounds reminiscent of a pep rally.
HISD’s teacher recruitment fairs give educators a chance to meet directly with principals who are hiring for the upcoming school year to discuss joining Team HISD.
In reality, the district was hosting a teacher recruitment fair, designed to bring together highly effective educators and principals looking to fill vacancies. Each time a candidate accepted a teaching position at HISD, the Talent Acquisition team would ring a bell and cheer.
Because HISD stresses hiring early in order to attract the best possible quality candidates, events such as these provide a unique opportunity where campus leaders and teacher candidates can find the best fit for the upcoming school year. Continue reading
[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000ayHh3znywyw” g_name=”20150520-Scholarship” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]
Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier made a surprise visit to Bellaire High School on Wednesday to present a dedicated and hardworking graduating senior with a $10,000 college scholarship.
The award was given to Alisa Hamilton, who was selected by Dr. Grier because of her drive to succeed academically and be involved on campus despite significant personal challenges. Hamilton, who is homeless, does not live with her parents and has worked two part-time jobs to make ends meet. She has done all of this while maintaining good grades and participating in Bellaire’s DECA business club. Continue reading