Author Archives: HISD Communications

Senators send letter to education commissioner on delaying “15 percent rule” for STAAR end-of-course exams

Today, Senators Florence Shapiro, Royce West, Kel Seliger, and Dan Patrick sent the following letter to Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott regarding the end-of-course (EOC) examinations/STAAR:

Shapiro Letter of Intent

The letter gives the commissioner authority to delay the requirement that an end-of-course assessment count as 15% of a student’s final grade.  Although no official response to the letter has been issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), we expect the agency to move in this direction.

HISD will keep students, parents and teachers updated as school officials receive more information from TEA. If you have questions about STAAR, please attend HISD’s informational session this Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier to announce College Readiness Data

Superintendent Terry Grier on Tuesday will visit Westside High School to announce the latest data showing HISD’s progress toward preparing all students to succeed in college and for rewarding careers. The number of HISD students achieving success on college-level Advanced Placement exams has never been higher, and the number of students demonstrating their college readiness on the SAT exam is on a sharp upward trend.

Who:          HISD Superintendent Terry Grier and Westside HS Principal Michael McDonough
What:         Dr. Grier recognizes the progress HISD students are making toward college and career readiness.
When:        Tuesday, February 14, 2012; 10:30 a.m.
Where:      Westside High School, 14201 Briar Forest Drive

 

HISD named a 2012 Healthiest Employer by Houston Business Journal

The Houston Independent School District has earned the distinction of being a 2012 Houston’s Healthiest Employer by the Houston Business Journal. HISD will be honored at a symposium sponsored by Humana and the Houston Wellness Association on Thursday, March 1.

HISD is one of 25 organizations recognized for “outstanding achievement in creating a top notch wellness program.” The rankings will be announced at the symposium.

HISD’s Living Legends Honored for Black History Month

Trustee Lawrence Marshall (left) and administrators Faye Bryant (center) and Felix Cook were honored as HISD's Living Legends.

Trustee Lawrence Marshall (left) and administrators Faye Bryant (center) and Felix Cook were honored as HISD's Living Legends.

The HISD Board of Education recognized three “living legends” from the Houston Independent School District – Lawrence Marshall, Faye Bryant and Felix Cook – at its regular monthly meeting in observance of Black History Month.

Attend a STAAR Parent Info Session

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/36489794]All HISD parents are invited to attend a STAAR informational session on Thursday, February 16, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. The session will also be broadcast live on HISD-TV (Comcast channel 18 and AT&T U-verse channel 99) and on the district website.

Click here for more information on STAAR.

Board unanimously approves creation of HILZ campuses at six HISD high schools

The HISD Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to draw students back into six neighborhood high schools with strong Career and Technical Education programs.

The Board endorsed the plan after hearing from several parents who voiced support for the strategic investment that will strengthen community high schools.

Students at Furr, Kashmere, Long, Scarborough, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington high schools will be able to enroll in the newly created Houston Innovative Learning Zone (HILZ) programs beginning this summer. By the time these students graduate high school, they will have earned a college associate’s degree and valuable career certifications to help them immediately land lucrative jobs in some of the region’s most in-demand professions.

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Citing positive data, Board of Education votes to extend Superintendent Terry Grier’s contract to 2014

The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday night to extend Superintendent Terry Grier’s contract through June 2014, signaling their commitment to continuing the bold initiatives that began with his arrival in 2009.

Trustees Paula Harris, Greg Meyers, Manuel Rodriguez Jr., Larry Marshall, and Harvin Moore voted for the extension. President Michael Lunceford and trustees Juliet Stipeche and Rhonda Skillern-Jones abstained. Trustee Anna Eastman voted against the measure.

Trustees who voted in favor of the extension said Dr. Grier has delivered on his promise of swift action to raise academic performance among all children and set HISD on a path to become the best school district in America.

“In 2009 we went out on a superintendent search. The board said we need someone bold and with a vision,” said Trustee Greg Meyers. “If you look at the data tonight, we’re on track. That’s something I feel confident about. … I’m proud to say this superintendent has followed the charge and put together a staff that is dedicated to doing what’s right not for the adults, but for the kids in this district.”

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MLK oratory winners, three ‘living legends’ recognized in observance of Black History Month

Matthias McBride delivers his winning speech at Thursday's Board of Education meeting.

The HISD Board of Education opened its regular meeting with a performance from Pleasantville Elementary School student Matthias McBride, the winner of the 2012 Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. Matthias delivered his winning speech to those in attendance.

 Click here to watch his winning speech.

Also recognized were Donovan Williams from Cornelius Elementary (second place), and Samaya Watson from MacGregor Elementary (third place).

The HISD Board of Education also recognized three “living legends” in observance of Black History Month: Faye Bryant, Felix Cook, and Lawrence Marshall.

  • Faye Bryant is a native Houstonian and a graduate of Wheatley High School. She taught or served as a counselor at both Booker T. Washington and Bellaire high schools, and she was very involved in the district’s first Magnet programs as part of the district’s desegregation efforts. After serving in a number of administrative positions, including acting superintendent, she retired from HISD in 2002 with 42 years of service.
  • Felix Y. Cook was a teacher and administrator at HISD for 36 years, starting in the 1940s. He served as a teacher and coach at E. O. Smith Junior High and Phillis Wheatley High School and as the principal of Sharpstown High School. Cook also served for 12 years as a deputy superintendent. HISD named a school for him in 2006 on the site of the old James Sanderson Elementary School.
  • Lawrence Marshall joined the district as a teacher in 1955 and subsequently served as a principal, area superintendent, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent, and deputy superintendent before retiring in 1991. He was first elected to the Board of Education in 1997, and has served as assistant secretary, first vice president, and president. He was re-elected in 2009 and continues to represent District IX.

HISD names principal for Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School

HISD has selected Bryan Bordelon as the principal of the new Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School. 

Applications are currently being accepted for Pre-K, Kindergarten, first, and second grades for the 2012–2013 school year. Visit the HISD Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School website (click image above) for more information about the school or to download a copy of the application.

Bordelon speaks Mandarin Chinese with advanced proficiency and has a Master of Arts degree in China Studies from the University of Michigan. He is also pursuing a Master of Educational Administration as part of the University of Texas Collaborative Urban Leadership Project, a joint endeavor between HISD and the University of Texas. Bordelon has worked as a classroom teacher and currently serves as an HISD Teacher Development Specialist providing job coaching and support for English Language Arts teachers.

“After conducting an international search, we found the right person to lead this exciting new school right here in HISD,” Superintendent Terry Grier said. “Bryan Bordelon is a perfect fit for this position. He recognizes the importance of preparing students to be global citizens and shares our commitment to offering a rigorous academic program at every grade level.”

Bordelon was raised abroad and spent 18 years living in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. In addition to speaking English and Mandarin Chinese, he also has some proficiency in Spanish and French.

“I look forward to engaging the students in Chinese,” Bordelon said. “The kids are going to pick it up quickly. It is going to be second nature to them. They will have a much easier time learning the language than students in middle school, high school, or in their college years.”

Click here for school website.

Click here for video about the program.

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Board of Education votes today on career-training program for six HISD high schools

The HISD Board of Education is scheduled to vote today on a plan to draw students back into six neighborhood high schools with strong Career and Technical Education programs.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street.

Under this proposal, the School of Pharmacy Technology at Long would prepare students for the growing pharmaceutical industry by providing them with the clinical and business skills needed to work successfully alongside pharmacists and physicians.

If the program is approved, students at Furr, Kashmere, Long, Scarborough, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington high schools would be able to enroll in the newly created Houston Innovative Learning Zone (HILZ) programs beginning this summer. By the time these students graduate high school, they will have earned a college associate’s degree and valuable career certifications to help them immediately land lucrative jobs in some of the region’s most in-demand professions.

“These HILZ programs take traditional vocational education to a higher level,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “HILZ graduates will leave our high schools with certifications that Houston employers seek when filling high-paying job vacancies. HILZ graduates will also have 45 to 60 hours of college credit from our Houston Community College partner. These credits will transfer to articulated programs at Texas universities, positioning HILZ graduates for success in a four-year college if they choose to forego an immediate career.”

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