Category Archives: Elementary Schools

Laura Alaniz named new principal of Harvard Elementary School

Laura Alaniz poses for a photograph, January 13, 2016. (Dave Einsel/Houston ISD)Laura Alaniz has been named the new principal of Harvard Elementary School. She previously served as the principal at Gabriela Mistral Center for Early Childhood for five years.  Under her leadership, the school established a working collaboration with Rice University to create the Rice Oral and Written Language Lab, which operates as a teaching lab for educators in the greater Houston community.

Alaniz has an extensive career in education. She has served as an elementary teacher, a bilingual evaluation specialist, a parent involvement manager, and an assistant principal at a comprehensive high school.

Laura received a bachelor’s degree in education from Our Lady of the Lake University and a master’s degree from the University of the Incarnate Word.

Carlos Ramirez named new school support officer

Carlos Ramirez poses for a photograph, September 2, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)Dr. Carlos Ramirez has been named a new elementary school support officer. He has served in a variety of roles, including teacher, assistant principal, principal, and deputy superintendent over the course of his 24 years in education.

Dr. Ramirez began his career in California as a fourth–sixth-grade teacher in Rio Linda and Sacramento City Unified School Districts. He served as an assistant principal for three years in San Francisco Unified School District. During his 16-year tenure as principal, one of his campuses received the high honor of being named a California Distinguished School.

Having demonstrated strong instructional leadership skills, Dr. Ramirez was recruited to lead two Texas schools through the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) International Baccalaureate authorization process.  Most recently, Dr. Ramirez served as deputy superintendent for Stafford Municipal School District.

Dr. Ramirez earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Davis, a master’s degree from Chapman College, and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of North Texas.

Erin A. Chávez named new principal of Looscan Elementary School

Erin Chavez poses for a photograph, January 13, 2016. (Dave Einsel/Houston ISD)Erin A. Chávez has been selected as the new principal of Looscan Elementary School. She has been a part of Team HISD for seven years, and has served as a bilingual teacher, dual-language teacher, magnet coordinator, and most recently an assistant principal at Bonham Elementary School.

Chávez has also served in several other leadership capacities, including Limited English Proficient coordinator, Title I coordinator, summer school coordinator, testing coordinator, Gifted and Talented coordinator, and Intervention Assistance Team chairperson.

Chávez completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Houston Central Campus with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  She received her master’s degree in education administration with a concentration in urban schools from the University of Texas. Chávez and her husband are proud products of HISD, and their two daughters attend HISD schools as well.

Seats still available in some magnet programs for 2015–2016 year

Parents who still haven’t decided where to send their children this fall are in luck, as several magnet programs still have space available for the coming school year.

Magnet schools offer students unique opportunities to develop specific career-oriented skills in particular fields, such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), maritime, or fine arts. Campuses with either open spots or short waiting lists include Scarborough High School, Austin High School, Marshall Middle School, M.C. Williams Middle School, Gregory-Lincoln K-8, and Carrillo Elementary School, all of which were featured in a series of magnet spotlights last fall. Continue reading →

Students meet their virtual Read Houston Read mentors in person

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All year long, caring volunteers from across Houston have been helping HISD students read by simply going online. But on May 29, students at Paige Elementary School got to meet their mentors in the flesh.

TutorMate is a web tool that allows mentors to tutor students via the internet. It was incorporated into HISD’s Read Houston Read program as a part of its Literacy By 3 initiative, which aims to have every child reading well by the end of Grade 3.

Continue reading →

Up Close checks in with Read Houston Read for a year-end update

HISD’s Read Houston Read program just completed its first full year of operations, in which first-graders are paired up with adult mentors to build students’ literacy skills.

In the June 2015 edition of “HISD Up Close,” Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones checks in with HISD Curriculum Specialist Carly Colton and Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Director Neil Bush for an update on the program’s status.

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Teachers: Attend a job fair for North Forest area schools on June 5

$5,000 sign-on/transfer bonus being offered

Teachers interested in making a difference in a child’s life can attend a job fair on Friday, June 5, for HISD schools in the North Forest area.

There are openings at all levels, and a $5,000 sign-on or transfer bonus is being offered to help recruit highly effective teachers to North Forest schools. You must be a pool-approved candidate to attend or a current HISD teacher to attend. Use the link below to apply now.

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First Robo-Tech Expo features student projects

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Seguin Elementary hosted the school’s first Robo-Tech Expo, which showcased skills and projects students learned in robotics and technology classes during the school year. Students in grades K-5 presented two-dozen projects, including robots, technology, and programming projects, to students, staff, and about 40 parents on May 19, 2015.

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School districts, police agencies join Ministers Against Crime to ensure safe conclusion of school year

With the school year quickly coming to an end, the Houston Independent School District Police Department is once again teaming up with local law enforcement agencies and religious leaders with its annual Project Safe Start event.

The citywide effort aims to help prevent crime and increase safety, ensuring students’ summer vacations begin on a positive note.

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Twain ES named national winner of DreamBox Math Challenge

TwainES_DreamBoxAttending a dual-language school has really paid off for one group of third-graders at Twain Elementary School.

Francisco Martinez’s Spanish immersion class at Twain has been named a national winner in the DreamBox Learning Math Challenge, a competition that requires students in grades K–8 to solve various math problems in Spanish. Continue reading →