Board of Trustees President Juliet Stipeche’s premiere broadcast on HISD-TV is streaming online, and she tackles the complex and looming issue of major changes to high school, starting with this year’s eighth-graders who are now planning their educational pathways.
Stipeche interviews Lupita Hinojosa and Mark White about what HISD is doing to implement the package of state education legislation known as House Bill 5.
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved two key resolutions Thursday that will affect high school students across the district. A resolution to include a high school level Mexican-American history and culture elective in the state’s graduation plan passed unanimously. Board members also approved a resolution not to double-test middle school students who are taking Algebra I.
Jones to become specialized Futures Academy; Dodson students will move to Blackshear, Lantrip, and the Rusk School
The HISD Board of Education on Thursday voted 6 to 3 to repurpose Jones High School into a specialized Futures Academy with trustees Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Anna Eastman, and Paula Harris opposed. Trustees also voted 5 to 4 to close Dodson Elementary. Anna Eastman, Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Wanda Adams and Paula Harris were in opposition. These votes come after weeks of debate and conversation including nearly 75 comments from concerned citizens during the board’s meeting and the removal of three schools from the original closure and consolidation proposal.
Rhonda Skillern-Jones
Board of Education District II Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones recently met with school board members from across the state to learn the latest on 21st century challenges to leadership and the implications of those trends for educators.
The Texas Association of School Boards hosted several training sessions in Corpus Christi. The school board members heard from Randolph Carter, the director of the Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative, who encouraged them to see today’s public school classroom as a kaleidoscope of differences.
Proposal would close Jones, Dodson; new graduation plan under HB 5 would include Algebra II requirement
The Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees will review proposals to close Jones High School and Dodson Elementary School, and vote on new policies associated with House Bill 5 during a board meeting planned for Thursday, March 13.
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Mascots at affected schools will be respectfully retired, replaced during the 2014-2015 school year
On Thursday, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted 7-0 with one abstention and one member absent to approve the second reading of a policy update to prohibit the use of any race or ethnic group as a mascot or nickname.
This policy update affects four schools — Lamar High School Redskins, Westbury High School Rebels, Hamilton Middle School Indians and Welch Middle School Warriors.
During the 2014-2015 school year, each school will be required to select a new mascot and respectfully retire its existing mascot. HISD administration will work closely with the affected schools to help them retire their mascots with respect and dignity, taking into consideration the history and tradition surrounding them.
Board of Education swears in HISD’s new District IX trustee
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education is expected to vote Thursday during its regular monthly meeting on the second reading of a policy update that would prohibit offensive or culturally insensitive school mascots.
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The HISD Board of Education has approved the 2014-2015 academic calendar. Here are the key dates parents and students need to know.
Every January, Texas celebrates National School Board Recognition Month to honor the men and women who serve on the nation’s thousands of Boards of Education. These dedicated public servants become school board trustees because they are committed to improving public education and their communities. They devote many hours of their time to making sure the nation’s children receive a high-quality education that will make them lifelong learners and prepare them for successful, rewarding lives and careers. 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.
CMAR firm for North Forest area athletic facility also approved
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday agreed to authorize the district to negotiate contracts with five firms to provide construction manager at risk (CMAR) services on selected 2012 bond projects.