Teri Hampton named new principal of Shadydale Elementary School

Teri Hampton has been named the new principal for Shadydale Elementary School. Hampton began her educational career as a Special Education teacher at Ball High School in Galveston ISD and has taught at the elementary level in Cy Fair ISD and in HISD at Stevenson Middle School.  She has served as Assistant Principal at Sam Houston and is currently the Dean of Instruction at Worthing High School.  Hampton received her undergraduate degree from Prairie View A&M University and her master’s in educational leadership from Texas Southern University.

Luis Saenz named new principal of Patterson Elementary School

Luis Saenz has been named the new principal of Patterson Elementary School. An product of the Austin High School Magnet Program for Teaching Professions, Saenz started his career in HISD 19 years ago as a teacher assistant and bilingual teacher at Crespo and Twain Elementary Schools. Upon completing HISD’s Principal Academy for Collaborative Engagement cohort, Saenz joined Patterson Elementary as assistant principal and IB Primary Years Program coordinator. Through his leadership, Patterson Elementary became the first elementary campus in the East Area to become authorized by the IB Program to offer the Primary Years Program as part of the IB continuum in the Chavez Feeder Pattern.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in bilingual education and master’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas.  

Danielle Williams named new principal of Nat. Q. Henderson Elementary School

Danielle Williams has been selected as the new principal of Nathaniel Q. Henderson Elementary. Williams has over 10 years of experience in education. She has served as a teacher and department chair at Jones High School, instructional specialist at Wisdom High School, and assistant principal at Sam Houston MSTC and Fleming Middle. Williams has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, as well as a master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. 

Avisay Cerda named new principal of Davila Elementary School

Avisay Cerda has been selected as the new principal of Davila Elementary School. Cerda began her career in HISD 23 years ago at Rucker Elementary School as a teacher assistant. She then went on to obtain her certification as a bilingual teacher. From 2003-2019, she worked at Park Place Elementary School serving in many roles.   Her dedicated work turned Park Place into an A rated campus with six academic distinctions. Last year, she was invited to join Davila as a campus administrator and helped implement a campus wide system for Response to Intervention and provide instructional support. Cerda earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies at UH-Clear Lake and holds a master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

Shundra L. Harris-Mosley named new principal of Cook Elementary School

Shundra L. Harris-Mosley has been named the new principal of Felix Cook Elementary School. She currently serves as the Dean of Instruction at Kashmere Senior High School. Mosley began her professional career as a teacher at Houston Gardens Elementary, now known as Ernest McGowen Elementary, and taught fourth and fifth grade at Burrus Elementary.   She also served on the administrative teams at Milne and Kashmere Gardens Elementary Schools before she joined the Kashmere team. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University and a master’s at University of St. Thomas in Educational Leadership. 

Heather Luebbers named new principal of Burbank Elementary School

Heather Luebbers has been selected as the new principal of Burbank Elementary School. Luebbers currently serves as Assistant Principal for Burbank. During her tenure at Burbank, she has led the implementation of R.T.I., Balanced Literacy Instructional Framework, and served as the Magnet Coordinator of the Fine Arts Program. She began her educational career as a middle school science teacher, has taught 4th and 5th grades, and also served as an instructional specialist and teacher specialist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Sioux Falls, master’s in Business Administration from the University of Houston and completed the Educational Leadership Program at the University of St. Thomas.

Alana E. Holloway named new principal of Bastian Elementary School

Alana E. Holloway has been selected as the new principal of Bastian Elementary School. Holloway began her career in education 12 years ago in HISD.  During her career, she has served students as a Secondary English Language Arts teacher, reading teacher, ESL reading teacher, Teacher Specialist, Assistant Principal and Principal.  Currently, she is the Principal at Nathaniel Q. Henderson Elementary School where she has served for two years and earned the “New Principal of the Year Award.” Holloway earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Houston and a Master of Educational Administrative Leadership at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.

Application deadline extended for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

HISD families now have until July 31 to complete the application necessary to receive the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit for families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals due to school closures.

The application is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT.

The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time benefit of up to $285 will be issued on an EBT card, which can be used as a debit card to assist families in buying food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.

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Report: Miles Ahead Scholars program shows overwhelming promise for student achievement

Less than a year ago, 60 ninth- and 10th-grade boys walked across Worthing High School’s cafeteria stage, signifying their acceptance into the inaugural class of HISD’s Miles Ahead Scholars (MAS) program.

Now, just 10 months after that moving induction ceremony, a new evaluation conducted by the district’s Research and Accountability Department showcases the positive academic and socioemotional impacts the program has had on its first cohort. The full report can be found here.

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Most Curbside Summer Meals sites temporarily close for two weeks beginning Friday, July 3

The Houston Independent School District is temporarily closing most Curbside Summer Meals sites beginning Friday, July 3, due to guidance from public health officials and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout the city.

Five strategically located sites offering both Curbside Summer Meals and the Houston Food Bank’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program — which provides families with 30-pound boxes of produce — will remain open.

Those sites are Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, Revere Middle School, and Kashmere, Chavez, and Milby high schools.

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