HISD wins 28 national honors for print and digital communications

The Houston Independent School District has been selected as the winner of 28 National School Public Relations Association’s (NSPRA) awards, including six Golden Achievement Awards for 2019.

The awards were won by the HISD Communications and HISD Business Operations Strategic Engagement & Outreach teams. The HISD’s districtwide Communications team took home 18 awards, while Business Operations Strategic Engagement & Outreach earned 10.

HISD’s Communications team, under the direction of Chief Communications Officer Rebecca Suarez, has worked diligently to keep employees, families, and the public informed of all district news at every level.  

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HISD students participate in Rice University’s first-ever scholars’ program

It was a walking science experiment for HISD students, who observed rats and fruit flies used for research on Tuesday at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute in the Medical Center.

The visit was a part of the first annual Tapia-Turner Healthcare Scholars Program hosted by Rice University from June 23-29 in partnership with the HISD’s College and Career Readiness, the City of Houston’s Education Office and Houston Community College-Coleman.

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Op-Ed: HISD Administration Proposes a Balanced Budget and Across-the-Board Salary Increases

By HISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan

Over the last few months, HISD administration has worked diligently to prepare a sound budget for the 2019-2020 school year that would provide our students with the tools they need to succeed, while keeping our district on track financially.

I am the leader of the largest school district in Texas and it is my mission that every employee in the district be treated fairly and equitably. Our students deserve the resources to be successful and so do our employees. One of my strategic priorities is attracting and retaining top talent and this proposal is a step in the right direction.

That is why I am urging the Board of Education to pass the recommended budget and approve the compensation package for all HISD staff.

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More than 30 HISD schools earn spot on 2018-2019 Texas Honor Roll

Thirty-three Houston Independent School District campuses have been named to the 2018-2019 Educational Results Partnership (ERP) Texas Honor Roll for their high achievement and student success rates. 

“We applaud our hard-working teachers, staff, and students,” said HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “We are especially proud of our schools that despite the high-poverty levels, they still have high-achieving results.”

Schools can earn a spot on the ERP Honor Roll in three categories: Star – high-achieving, high-poverty campuses; Scholar – high-achieving, low-poverty campuses; or STEM – top 10 percent of high-poverty, high-achieving campuses in math and science.

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Jose Santos named new principal at Middle College High School at HCC-Fraga

Jose Santos has been selected as the new principal of Middle College High School at Houston Community College-Fraga. For 18 years, he has served at HISD in various capacities, including as an assistant principal Sterling Aviation Early College High School. Prior to that, he served as dean of students at the Advanced Virtual Academy. He has also taught at East Early College High School and in 2008 received the Teacher of the Year Award. Santos holds a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Houston-Downtown and a Master’s in Educational Administration from Prairie View A&M University.

Mario Sandoval named new principal of Northline Elementary School

Mario M. Sandoval has been selected as the new principal of Northline Elementary School. With 10 years of experience, Sandoval has served as an assistant principal, teacher specialist, and elementary math teacher. In 2013, he was named Bilingual Teacher of the Year for the East Area and most recently served as principal of Elite STEM Primary Academy. Sandoval holds a bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Houston-Downtown and a master’s in Educational Administration at University of St. Thomas.

Jasmine Giron named new principal of McReynolds Middle School

Jasmine Giron has been selected as the new principal of McReynolds Middle School. Giron has worked as an educator at HISD since 2009, where she started as an associate teacher at Kelso Elementary School serving first-grade bilingual students. From 2010 to 2014, she served as an IPC teacher, biology teacher, AP environmental science teacher, and lead biology teacher at Madison High School. In addition, she worked as a magnet coordinator at East Early College High School and Booker T. Washington High School. Most recently, she served as the dean of instruction at Milby High School. Giron earned her bachelor’s in Psychology: Pre-med from Texas Southern University and a master’s in Educational Leadership at Lamar University.

Sean McClish named new principal of The School at St. George Place

Sean McClish has been selected as the new principal of The School at St. George Place. McClish served as a teacher, department chair, and assistant principal at Byhalia High School in the Marshall County School District. In 2013, he began working at HISD, where he has served as an assistant principal and interim principal at Black Middle School. While at Black, McClish collaborated with teachers, parents, and administrators to transform the campus into one of the premier middle schools in HISD. He earned a bachelor’s in Biochemistry from University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Education Administration from Abilene Christian University.

Ana Aguilar named new principal of Robinson Elementary School

Ana Aguilar has been selected as the new principal of Robinson Elementary School. Aguilar began her educational career as a teacher at HISD, where she has served as a teacher development specialist and assistant principal at Lewis Elementary School. During her tenure at Lewis, she focused on providing instructional support in reading and writing that led to academic gains and supported the implementation of restorative discipline practices campus-wide. Aguilar holds a bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from University of St. Thomas, a master’s from Lamar University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from University of Houston.

Carrie Flores named new principal of Durham Elementary School

Carrie Flores has been selected as the new principal at Durham Elementary School. An alumni of HISD, Flores has served as a teacher, gifted and talented coordinator, as well as an assistant principal at Pilgrim Academy, where she was involved in the transformation of Pilgrim into a PK-8 campus. During her tenure, Pilgrim earned distinctions from the TEA and a recognition from Children at Risk. Flores earned her bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of Houston and a master’s in Educational Administration from California State University-Bakersfield.