Thomas Cotter named new principal of Wesley Elementary School

Thomas Cotter has been selected as the new principal of Wesley Elementary School. Cotter began as a teacher at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center and has since served as an instructional specialist, dean of students, and assistant principal at Woodson PK-5 Leadership Academy, where he assisted with the school moving from Improvement Required (IR) to meeting state accountability standards. Cotter earned a bachelor’s in business administration in marketing from Texas Southern University and a Master’s in Administration and Policy Studies from the University of Houston. He is currently working to earn a Doctorate’s in professional leadership and policy studies at the University of Houston.

Margarita Tovar named new principal of Dogan Elementary School

Margarita Tovar has been selected as the new principal of Dogan Elementary School. Tovar began as a teacher aide at Farias Early Childhood Center and has also served as a teacher, teacher specialist and most recently assistant principal at Dogan. She was instrumental in leading Dogan out of Improvement Required (IR) status to meet state standard in May 2018. Tovar has a bachelor’s degree from University of Houston-Downtown and a master’s degree from Houston Baptist University. Tovar is also currently pursuing her doctoral degree at the University of Houston. 

Jorge Rodriguez named new principal of Lewis Elementary School

Jorge Rodriguez has been selected as the new principal of Lewis Elementary School. He has served as a teacher, interventionist, specialist, and most recently assistant principal at Longfellow Elementary School, where he supported the successful implementation of restorative discipline practices and “The Leader in Me” framework. His recognitions include being named a finalist for the Harris County Education Foundation Teacher of the Year and Bilingual Teacher of the Year while serving at Burbank Elementary School. Rodriguez holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas. 

Legislature passes major school finance bill, reducing recapture by $3.6 billion statewide

The Texas Legislature approved House Bill 3 on Saturday, May 25, receiving unanimous support for the school finance bill in both the House and Senate before legislators concluded the 2019 Texas Legislative Session on Monday, May 27.

The bill is expected to reduce HISD’s 2019-20 and 2020-21 recapture payments significantly. Many of the district’s recommendations were included in the final version of HB 3, including funds for full-day pre-K, high needs students, and transportation. 

School finance reform, teacher compensation and property tax relief were top priorities for Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, and lawmakers across the state. HISD’s Government Relations team worked hard to accomplish the district’s legislative priorities, with school finance reform and lowering recapture payments as the number one issues. 

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Transportation Services to host job fairs throughout summer

Transportation Services is continuing its recruiting efforts as the school year comes to an end, with the department hosting four job fairs this summer to hire new bus drivers.  

The district has been working this past year to address a bus driver shortage by adding more drivers to its roster. The job fairs will continue through June and July. 

“We want people who are reliable and hardworking,” Transportation Services General Manager John Wilcots IV said. “My goal is to have one bus driver for every route as we head into next year.”  

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Walnut Bend ES team earns first place at Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

For the first time in school history, a team of students from Walnut Bend Elementary School was crowned champions at the Odyssey of the Mind 2019 World Finals for its outstanding performance and problem-solving skills.  

The team, along with six other HISD schools, traveled to East Lansing, Mich., for the 40th annual World Finals held May 22-25. 

Teamwork and creativity helped the Walnut Bend team earn first-place honors in the “Structure Toss” category, in which students were required to “design, build, and test a structure, made only of balsa wood with the option of using glue to connect the parts, and to test it by placing weights onto it.” The Walnut Bend’s structure held an impressive 780 pounds. 

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Scott C. Disch named new principal of West University Elementary School

Scott C. Disch has been selected as the new principal of West University Elementary School. Disch has served as a teacher and athletic coach at Grady Middle School. In his most recent role as Dean of Students at Westside High School, he supported the Westside Engineering and Geoscience Academy (WEGA), a prestigious magnet program that offers a unique chance for students to gain perspective and insight into the engineering field through a rigorous, hands-on, project-based math and technology curriculum. His recognitions include 2012 Grady Teacher of the Year and 2019 West Area Assistant Principal of the Year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Rice University and a Master’s in teaching. He currently attends the University of Houston to pursue a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy.  

Chavis Mitchell named new principal of Parker Elementary School

Chavis Mitchell has been selected as the new principal of Parker Elementary School. Mitchell has served as a teacher, teacher development specialists and assistant principal at Anderson Elementary School. As a highly effective teacher, he was selected to serve on HISD’s Teacher Advisory Council for Career Pathways and Compensation and under HISD’s Transformational School Initiative, he provided coaching, mentoring, and teacher development support for more than 40 campuses. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern University A&M, and a master’s in public administration from Texas Southern University. 

Dave Wheat named new principal of Lanier Middle School

Dave Wheat has been selected as the new principal of Lanier Middle School. Wheat has more than 30 years of experience, including 20 of those years at HISD. He has served students as a teacher, dean of students, principal, and assistant superintendent. While a principal at St. George Place, he focused on building a strong academic program and led the campus to earn three TEA distinctions in the 2017-2018 school year. St. George Place also earned an “A” rating by Children and Risk for 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 school years.  He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from The University of Houston. 

Ministers and school, community leaders partner for safe start to summer

Local religious, school, and community leaders joined together Friday to kick off the 29th year of Project Safe Start to ensure students are safe as they transition to summer vacation.

Together, the group will ensure additional patrol officers are placed in the immediate vicinity of schools and throughout neighborhoods surrounding school campuses to help monitor and decrease any illegal activity during the last few days of the school year.

“We acknowledge that it takes all of us to make this possible,” Houston Ministers Against Crime Pastor F. N. Williams II said. “It takes all of us working together to bring this to pass.”

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