Category Archives: Achievement/Recognition

HISD football coach nominated for NFL High School Coach of the Year Award

Furr High School football coach Matthew Valmore was recently nominated for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award by the NFL Foundation for his leadership, dedication to the community, and commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.

“I am humbled, honored, and very appreciative to be considered for such a prestigious award,” Valmore said. “It almost feels like a dream.”

Valmore is among 32 high school football coaches from across the country nominated by a NFL team for the national award, which is named for the winningest coach in NFL history. He was nominated by the Houston Texans after the team selected him as a High School Coach of the Week in November. Continue reading →

January is School Board Recognition Month

2016-board-of-trustees

January is School Board Recognition Month, and the Houston Independent School District is joining other districts across the state to honor local leaders for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for public schools.

These dedicated public servants become school board trustees to serve as advocates for schoolchildren because they are committed to improving public education and their communities. They devote many hours to making sure the children receive a high-quality education that will make them lifelong learners and prepare them for success. They make sure America’s school districts provide students with schools that are safe and have the resources and instructional programs they need to educate children to their fullest potential.

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Office of Business Assistance named Houston’s Community Partner of the Year

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The Houston Independent School District Office of Business Assistance has been named the City of Houston’s Community Partner of the Year for its role in overseeing the Interagency Mentor-Protégé Program.

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HISD earns state’s highest fiscal accountability rating

The Houston Independent School District earned an “A” rating for “Superior Achievement” for the fourth consecutive year under the state’s school financial accountability rating system for demonstrating high-quality of financial management of taxpayer resources.

The state’s school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for instructional purposes.

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High school students earn job skills from City of Houston internship program

Twelve Worthing High School students will be recognized Tuesday by the Houston City Council for their participation in an internship and job training program with various city departments to build career readiness skills while learning about community services provided to residents.

The students are participating in a two-year paid internship with at least four city departments – Health and Human Services, Houston Police, Information Technology, and the Houston Public Library – to learn about areas such as cybersecurity, urban planning, finance, administrative support, and employee relations.

“Our students are gaining valuable workforce training and experience from local city government professionals who are serving as mentors by preparing them for future success,” said HISD District IX Trustee Wanda Adams. “We’re excited to see our students be recognized for their commitment to this program and look forward to watching them continue to grow into young business professionals.” Continue reading →

White House spotlights HISD classroom computer science efforts

The Houston Independent School District’s efforts to increase the number of teachers trained in computer science and to immerse all students in computer programming from elementary to high school have earned the White House’s attention.

The White House computer science fact sheet outlines President Barack Obama’s plan to give all students across the country the chance to learn computer science in school. The fact sheet titled A Year of Action Supporting Computer Science Education for All (#CSForAll) shows the progress various states have made in computer science by adopting higher standards to better prepare students for success in careers and college since the initiative first launched in January.

The factsheet highlights HISD for its plans to double the number of computer science certified teachers over the next two academic years; expand advanced computer science courses by offering Advanced Placement computer science programming and computer science courses at 38 HISD high schools by the end of the 2017 school year; and adopt computer science standards that will provide for teaching computational thinking skills to 215,000 HISD students in grades pre-K to 12. Continue reading →

HSPVA junior named city’s second Youth Poet Laureate

Fareena Arefeen

Fareena Arefeen

Fareena Arefeen, a junior at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, has been named Houston’s second Youth Poet Laureate, succeeding Andrew White, who graduated from HSPVA in June and is now attending New York University. The position was created by Writers in the Schools in partnership with the Houston Public Library, City of Houston, and Office of the Mayor.

Arefeen was one of 40 Houston-area students to apply. Candidates submitted five poems to a committee of what WITS Executive Director Robin Reagler called “page poets and stage poets.” The committee narrowed it down to five students, and the finalists were interviewed by a smaller group of published poets. The one-year term includes a book deal, a scholarship, and being mentored by Houston’s Poet Laureate, Robin Davidson.

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HISD unveils 2016 holiday greeting cards designed by students

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The Houston Independent School District announced the winners of the district’s 2016 holiday greeting card competition that features creative student artwork highlighting family holiday traditions, seasonal decorations, and classic holiday songs.

The winners – fourth-grader Angela Ramos of Ed White Elementary School, seventh-grader Annette Hernandez of Pilgrim Academy, and 11th-grader Javier Garcia of Scarborough High School – were among 40 finalists from elementary, middle, and high schools. All finalists received a boxed set of their holiday cards. Their holiday cards also will be available for purchase and on display at the HISD administration building. Continue reading →

Texas awards 16 HISD schools with high-performing and/or high-progress status

The Texas Education Agency has granted high-performance and/or high-progress status to 16 HISD Title I campuses for the 2015-2016 school year. Title I schools are those in which at least 40 percent of students come from low-income families.

Thirteen HISD schools were included on the agency’s list of Title I High-Performing Schools and 13 schools were named as Title I High-Progress schools. Ten HISD schools made both lists. Continue reading →

HISD police sergeant retires after 41 years of service with district

HISD Police Sgt. Adolph Saenz could barely hold back his emotions after walking into a surprise retirement celebration on Monday afternoon.

HISD PD Sgt. Adolph Saenz and HISD PD Chief of Police Robert Mock

HISD PD Sgt. Adolph Saenz and HISD PD Chief of Police Robert Mock

“I’ve worked with so many of you all for these years and it’s like family,” Saenz said to a room filled with 50 well-wishers. “I’ve spent more time on the job than I have with my own family, and I appreciate each and every one of you. I’ve got beautiful memories and I appreciate you all being in my life and you’ve made a difference in me.”

After 41 years with the department, Saenz is saying farewell to the nation’s only accredited school district police department, but not without a lot of soul-searching.

“I wrote my letter all the way in July, and I always would change the date,” Saenz said. “The day I decided to do it, I was walking down the hallway knowing that was the hardest thing in the world for me to do.”

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