Category Archives: Uncategorized

Thank an Educator During Teacher Appreciation Week May 7–11

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 7–11 and HISD would like to extend its thanks to the more than 10,000 teachers who serve our students.  And what better way to say “thank you” than to share some inspiring stories about favorite teachers from students across the district:

Carolyn Wiley
Bonner ES, Grade 4

Submitted by Annette M. Comacho, parent

She is a very generous person. She does a lot for her students. She gives them advice when they need it. She encourages them to do their best in school as well as in life. My son was in her class last year, and that year was by far the best year for him. He read a lot of books and was an honor roll student in part because of her. She didn’t let him give up when he thought it was too hard. She encouraged him to do his best because she knew he could do it. To this day, she is still helping and encouraging him to do his best. You know how sometimes, there is just one teacher that you have? You don’t forget them because they were a big influence in your life. Well, Ms. Wiley is one of the teachers that I am sure my son and I will never forget. I am very grateful that she came into my son’s life, as well as mine. She has also given me good advice when I needed it. The world needs more teachers like her.

 

Read more stories about great teachers on the HISD website.

High Marks for HISD in U.S. News’ Best High Schools Rankings

Eight Houston ISD high schools are among Texas’ top 100 in U.S. News’ Best High Schools Rankings issued today, and six HISD schools are listed among the nation’s top 400.

The magazine produced the rankings based on an analysis of data from nearly 22,000 U.S. high schools.  The rankings’ methodology gives considerable weight to the percentage of graduates who are considered college-ready based on students’ performance on college-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. Using the magazine’s standard, 27 of HISD’s 33 rated high schools – 82 percent — meet or exceed the state average when it comes to college readiness.

The rankings are based on data from the 2009-2010 school year, when the Board of Education and Superintendent Terry Grier launched an aggressive expansion of the district’s AP program in all high schools.  Since then, the number of AP exams scored 3 or higher (the generally accepted passing score) has increased 35 percent.

“This is great news as we celebrate National Teacher Day,” Dr. Grier said. “Teachers across HISD are proving that the AP program is not just for the academically elite students. AP is for prepared students.”

The news also comes on the heels of the latest Children at Risk rankings of Texas high schools that included eight HISD campuses among the top 50.

In addition, the strong all-around performance of HISD students has placed the district among four national finalists for the coveted Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes the top urban school district in America. As a finalist, HISD is guaranteed a minimum of $150,000 in college scholarships for students graduating in 2013. The scholarship total will climb to $550,000 if HISD wins the award.

 The nine HISD schools that earned spots in the magazine’s national rankings were:

 Carnegie Vanguard (U.S. rank: 33; Texas rank: 3)

DeBakey High School for Health Professions (U.S.: 36; Texas: 4)

Eastwood Academy (U.S.: 121; Texas: 14)

Bellaire (U.S.: 349; Texas: 29)

Lamar (U.S.: 376; Texas: 32)

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (U.S.: 377; Texas: 33)

High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (U.S.: 950: Texas: 81)

Challenge Early High School (U.S.: 1,069; Texas: 90)

Empowerment College Prep (U.S.: 1,947; Texas 159)

How HISD students celebrated Cinco de Mayo (w/photos)

Students at dozens of HISD schools from across the district observed Cinco de Mayo with performances and celebrations during the week of May 5, in recognition of the day Mexico’s army defeated a much larger French force in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

See a photo gallery of the performances at several HISD schools below:

[slideshow]

Attend a School Board Meeting

All board meetings are posted for public viewing as required by the Texas Open Meetings Act. Regular meetings are held the second Thursday of every month, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th Street, in the board auditorium. Dates are subject to change.

HISD live broadcasts of monthly Board of Education meetings are also available.

The board may go into closed (executive) session at any time during a meeting to consider matters regarding personnel, real estate, security, school children, negotiated contracts, consultation, and/or legal issues, as permitted under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Click here (.pdf) to see a schedule of meetings and hearings for 2011–2012.

Support Budding Entrepreneurs on Lemonade Day May 6

Prepared 4 Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of middle-school-age children, will be holding its sixth annual Lemonade Day on Sunday, May 6, 2012—and HISD students and their families are encouraged to participate.

The communitywide event, which fosters entrepreneurship and character development among Houston’s youth, will teach children how to start, own, and operate their own business by setting up lemonade stands across the city.

Due to the success of the program in Houston, Lemonade Day has since been replicated in more than three dozen cities around the country.

Members of the public can purchase a sample of one of this year’s most unique lemonade recipes on Friday, May 4, 2012, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Paige Elementary School (7501 Curry, 77093), or visit one of the hundreds of other lemonade stands expected to be in operation that day across the city.

Paige students Gayla Powell and Dakota Merriweather, along with Gayla’s older sister Mary (Clifton MS), won second place in the 2012 Lemonade Day competition for their concoction, which earned its title by including a small piece of real cotton candy in every cup.

Kaitlin Nuñez, a second-grader at Lyons Elementary School, won the first-place prize in that same category for spicing up her recipe using cinnamon and two different types of sugar (white and brown).

YWCPA Campus Becomes No Place for Hate

HISD’s Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy became the latest HISD campus to cement its pledge to end bullying when it was designated a “No Place for Hate” school earlier this month by the Anti-Defamation League.

To earn the title, students had to complete three projects over the course of the past school year to demonstrate their commitment to ending intolerance.

At YWCPA, girls took part in a number of activities designed to help them appreciate and celebrate their differences, including one game called “planters and lumberjacks” in which students were encouraged to use their words to build each other up rather than cut each other down.

“We have a diverse student population, so it is very important that all individuals feel at home,” explained YWCPA No Place for Hate Coordinator (and art teacher) Lynne Bennett. “Our goal is to create a nurturing environment where we can learn from one another’s cultures and respect people for their unique qualities.”

To learn more about the No Place for Hate program, visit the ADL’s website. A full list of No Place for Hate campuses in HISD as of 2011 is here (.pdf).

HISD and Houston’s Chinese Consulate General Partner to Expand Educational Opportunities for Students

In an effort to provide increased learning opportunities and success for all students, the Houston Independent School District and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Houston have committed to work together in good faith to explore ways in which the two organizations can bring a variety of resources, expertise and learning opportunities to HISD students.  An official signing ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 26 at 9 a.m. at the Chinese Consulate, 3417 Montrose Blvd.

“Now, more than ever, children need to learn another language so that they can compete in the global marketplace and become more informed citizens in our diverse society.  We are committed to expanding our global partnerships and the opportunities we are affording our students in HISD,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier.  “This partnership with the Chinese Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Houston is a key step towards achieving this goal and providing a quality education to every child in the district.”

By signing this agreement, HISD and The Consulate General express commitment to working together in a peaceful and productive manner with a focus on the collective goal of improving the quality of education for all students.

“We are pleased about our agreement with HISD.  This is a very good program for our young people as they are our hope and future,” said Consul General Erwen Xu.  “We should help them be fully prepared to meet the challenges of this new era, live healthy, work productively, and make contributions to cooperative partnership between China and U.S.”

Through this educational commitment, the Chinese Consulate General and the district agree to work together to explore ways in which the two organizations can bring a variety of resources, expertise and learning opportunities to HISD students.

These opportunities include Hanban-provided educational and cultural resources, financial support through grants and donations, and stronger collaborations between HISD students and teachers with students and teachers in China through exchanges and partnerships.