Category Archives: District VI – Kendall Baker

Board unanimously appoints Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca to serve unexpired Trustee District VI term

Flynn Vilaseca to take oath of office on Thursday

hollymaria_2Houston ISD Trustees on Monday unanimously agreed to appoint Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca (Ocampo) to serve the unexpired trustee term representing District VI on the district’s west side.

Flynn Vilaseca, who is fluent in English and Spanish, worked as a bilingual teacher at HISD’s Windsor Village Elementary School as a Teach for America corps member from 2004 to 2006. Since then, Ms. Vilaseca has continued working in the education field with Battelle for Kids, K12 Inc., and thinkLaw.

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HISD accepting resumes/letters of interest from qualified candidates for Trustee District VI

The HISD Board of Education received a letter of resignation from Trustee Greg Meyers, Trustee District VI, on December 8, 2016. Trustee Meyers’s resignation will become effective, and a vacancy created, on December 16, 2016, by operation of law.

The Board plans to fill the vacancy by appointment on or before its January 12, 2017 regular meeting. Qualified candidates residing within District VI should submit resumes/letters of interest to the Board Services Office, Attention: Veronica Mabasa, by January 3, 2017 at 5 p.m.

For more information concerning the qualifications to serve as a trustee and/or the geographic boundaries for Trustee District VI, please see the links below.

Trustee district boundaries map.

Board member eligibility/qualifications

HISD District VI Trustee Greg Meyers stepping down from board

Trustee Greg Meyers, who has represented HISD District VI since 2004, announced Thursday that he will resign from the school board at the end of this year.

Meyers served as board president in 2010 and is the current executive director of Citizen Schools-Texas. Today, he serves as a board member for the University of St. Thomas School of Education and as a delegate for the Texas Association of School Boards. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the University of Houston’s K-12 Professional Leadership program.

“Every single day, every opportunity I try to commit myself to focus on kids first,” Meyers said. “While I may not be here physically, I will always be here to serve HISD.” Continue reading →

Sharpstown-area bond construction on track for fall 2017 completion

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Construction on both Sharpstown High School (SHS) and Sharpstown International School (SIS), located on the city’s southwest side, is progressing well and expected to be complete in the third quarter of next year.

The schools are part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program approved by Houston voters in 2012, which will rebuild or renovate 40 schools, including 29 high schools. Once complete, HISD will have one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.

SHS is receiving a new $55 million building designed to accommodate 1,500 students. Currently, steel columns and beams are being erected on the site and a portion of the roof has been installed. In December, the building is expected to be fully dried-in. Continue reading →

HISD names new deputy superintendent

Samuel Sarabia

Samuel Sarabia

Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza has selected Chief School Officer Samuel Sarabia as the district’s new deputy superintendent.

Dr. Sarabia, a 29-year veteran educator, has spent his entire public education career working at HISD. He currently serves as chief school officer in the HISD Office of School Support for the district’s south area. He previously served as a chief school officer over elementary schools.

“Dr. Sarabia has been a well-respected and dedicated leader at HISD for more than two decades,” Carranza said. “He carries a robust background in public education and school administration with a remarkable track record in leading student-focused learning and increasing achievement for students of all backgrounds. I am excited to work with him closely as we focus on making HISD a world-class school district.” Continue reading →

35 schools to be under construction by year’s end, BOC learns at quarterly meeting

The Houston Independent School District expects to have almost three dozen schools under active construction by the end of 2016, HISD Construction Officer Derrick Sanders told the Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) on Tuesday during their quarterly meeting.boc-oct-2016

Pending board approval of additional contracts, the district will have 35 projects actively underway, leaving just two — Austin and Bellaire high schools — to begin construction in 2017. Up from about two dozen projects in the last quarter, that is more active construction than at any time in HISD’s history, and also believed to be record-setting in Texas and the U.S.

“The quantity of contracts that we’ve moved through the process is incredible,” Sanders said. “We’ve gotten a lot done, but have a lot more to do. We welcome the challenge.” Continue reading →

52 schools take on Family Friendly Schools Challenge

The Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) is welcoming 52 HISD campuses into its Family Friendly Schools Program for the 2016-2017 school year – twice the number of campuses from the previous school year.

Through a series of research-based activities and strategies to expand and build relationships with families, link family events to student learning, build parent capacity and support efforts for parent empowerment, schools have an opportunity to earn a star toward one of three Family Friendly School Certification levels: Continue reading →

Bond program construction moves at record pace through fall 

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On the heels of an extremely busy summer that included the opening of six new schools, HISD’s bond construction is expected to continue moving forward at a record pace through the fall semester.

Construction is currently underway at more than 20 campuses across the district — more active construction than at any other time in district history. Contracts for most of the remaining schools in the program are expected to be awarded in the fourth quarter of 2016.

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Superintendent, Board of Trustees hosting series of town hall meetings in HISD communities 

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HISD Board of Education trustees are hosting a series of community town hall meetings with newly appointed Superintendent Richard Carranza as a way to introduce the new leader to the community, solicit input from stakeholders about the district’s future, and learn about key issues across HISD.

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Summit connects schools with wrap-around services in Houston community 

Principals network with more than 120 city, county, and nonprofit service providers to help serve their students and families

HISD principals were able to connect with more than 120 different city, county, and nonprofit service providers available to their students and families as part of the district’s first ever Wrap-Around Services Summit.

The summit, held at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Sept. 7, was designed as a networking opportunity for campuses to identify resources available to their school communities in the areas of behavior and medical related services, parent education, vocational/workforce training, and other social services.

“Some schools may not even know what exists out there,” said District V Trustee Mike Lunceford. “There is an assortment of organizations who have the ability to help our children, and we need to reach out and make sure that all of our schools benefit from these services.”  Continue reading →