On May 1, 2013, the Houston Independent School District will begin the largest customer satisfaction survey in the district’s history. The Your Voice survey will allow more than 160,000 students, parents, staff and community members to give honest feedback about the district in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. 
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Board of Education Approves Two New Magnet Schools
New campuses will expand options for students seeking specialty schools with academically challenging courses
The HISD Board of Education on Thursday approved creating two new magnet schools that will offer a highly rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The newly created Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will now begin enrolling students for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. The Energy Institute High School will begin with ninth-grade students and add a grade level each year to eventually serve students in grades 9-12. The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will open with a sixth-grade class and eventually serve students in grades 6-8. Earlier this year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education authorized the district to apply for $12 million in federal magnet school funds for these two new magnets and six others (click here for more information).
Westside Students Win Big at Shell Eco-marathon Americas
Allison Falender, Technology Manager Shell Global Solutions, and Niel Golightly, Vice President of Communications, Upstream Americas present Westside student Timothy Huang with the Eco-design Award at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas 2013 on Sunday, April 7, in downtown Houston.
The WEGA Gents take eco-design seriously. So seriously that the student team from the Westside Engineering and Geosciences Academy (WEGA) at Westside High School won the Best Eco-design Award for the second year in a row at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas this past weekend.
Booker T. Washington High School Celebrates School Namesake and Oldest Living Graduate
Ruby Lea Pope is recognized during a April 5 celebration at Booker T. Washington High School honoring the birthday of its namesake. Pope, one of HISD's oldest living alumna, will turn 104 years old on April 9.
Students and staff at Booker T. Washington High School gathered for a special school assembly on April 5 to celebrate the life and legacy of the school’s namesake, along with a living legend—Ms. Ruby Lea Pope. Pope is 103 years old and is the school’s oldest living graduate. In her lifetime, Pope has traveled to Europe and the Middle East, earned two college degrees, founded an area chapter of a sorority, worked with the city to get safety measures installed near schools and still found a way to teach in Houston ISD for 24 years.
Continue reading
Students and Staff Gearing up for STAAR
Schools holding tutorials and competitions to prepare for exam
Westside High School students prepare for STAAR testing. Click photo to see Austin High School's STAAR efforts.
HISD students and teachers across the district are getting the word out about the upcoming STAAR exam, and some are using their creative and artistic side. Over at Austin High School students and staff formed teams to compete in a hallway decorating contest to see who could create and design the best STAAR display. Some of the themes included Godzilla, Mario Brothers and even Hollywood.
HISD Named One of Houston’s Healthiest Employers by Houston Business Journal
Brad Bailey and Susan Jenkins from the HISD Benefits Department accept the award on behalf of the district.
The Houston Independent School District was named one of the top 25 healthiest employers in Houston on March 26 at a luncheon hosted by the Houston Business Journal. HISD ranked fourth in the large employer category. The district also had the biggest improvement with a score of 77.498 — up 19.9 points from last year. Forty-four companies scored 50 points or higher to make HBJ’s 2013 Healthiest Employers list, compared to 26 companies last year.
HISD Job Fair Attracts Over 200 Experienced Teachers to Envision ‘Becoming Great All Over’
More than 200 experienced teachers from across the nation lined up Saturday to learn about HISD job opportunities at an informational session and job fair Saturday at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
Spring Edition of Within our Walls with Terry Grier
Superintendent show highlights district’s focus on “Becoming Great All Over”
The latest edition of HISD’s half-hour television program Within our Walls with Superintendent Terry Grier takes a look at some of the amazing things happening within the walls of HISD’s 276 schools.
The Spring 2013 TV program features some of the district’s efforts toward “Becoming Great all Over” including the progress of HISD’s career academies at six schools, efforts to place an effective principal at every campus and provide a consistent and rigorous education in a safe environment to all students, including those with special needs.
32 HISD Schools Now Serving Free Dinner to Students
With more students spending most of their day at school, HISD’s Food Services has partnered with the 21st Century Community Learning Center program to serve dinner at various campuses to ensure students have access to healthy meals each day.
New Parent Book Club Strengthens Parent-Child Relationship and Promotes Literacy
HISD's Parent Engagement department says the reaction to the Parent Book Club has been so popular, they're looking at expanding the program to other schools.
In an effort to promote the importance of parental involvement and literacy simultaneously, the HISD Parent Engagement Department has launched a new Parent Book Club.
Nearly 30 parents attended the club’s first meeting on March 1 at Roosevelt Elementary eager to discuss the first chapters of the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and participate in the group exercises. Continue reading