At midpoint of the legislative session, teacher pay raise and school finance bills advance

Texas lawmakers have entered the halfway point of the 86th Legislative Session, and the pace of activity at the State Capitol has significantly increased since January.

On March 4, the Texas Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 3, which provides an across-the-board $5,000 pay raise to every full-time classroom teachers and all school librarians. As filed, the bill would have provided raises to full-time classroom teachers only. However, the bill’s author, Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), amended the legislation on the Senate floor to include school librarians because of their requirement to teach in the classroom for two years. SB 3 will now go to the House for consideration. House Public Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty (R-Humble) indicated SB 3 would likely receive a hearing in his committee.

Increasing teacher compensation and reforming school finance are two of the governor’s emergency items, declared in his Feb. 15 State of the State address. SB 3 is also a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and all 31 members of the Texas Senate.

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Nutrition Services celebrates National School Breakfast Week

This week, HISD Nutrition Services encouraged students to start their day with school breakfast as they took part in celebrating National School Breakfast Week. 

Observed from March 4-8, the national campaign brings attention to school breakfast programs and emphasizes the importance of providing students with a healthy breakfast every day. 

As part of the weeklong celebration, every HISD elementary student eating school breakfast this week was given a trading card featuring this year’s “Start Your Engines” theme. Students were able to collect and trade the three different cards, each of which highlighted a popular breakfast item and included a fun fact.  

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Resource Allocation Advisory Committee accepting applications for community members

The Houston Indepenedent School District’s Resource Allocation Advisory Committee (RAAC) is inviting members of the community to serve on the panel.  

RAAC, which was created by Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan last year, functions as an advisory committee to create recommendations on HISD’s funding model and expenditures at the campus level.

The committee consists of HISD principals, parents, community leaders and staff. The administration is open to recommendations from the public and views of the community as a critical partner in the decision-making process of reimagining HISD.  

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HISD Foundation dinner spotlights national conversation on importance of public education 

Event raises nearly $300,000 to fund strategic initiatives for HISD students

About 1,500 public education advocates, HISD educators, supporters and students attended the HISD Foundation’s first-ever Public Education Matters Benefit Dinner, which raised
nearly $300,000 to fund strategic initiatives for HISD students.

The highlight of the evening was a fireside chat between Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, CEO of Teach for America Elisa Villanueva Beard and Harlem Children’s Zone Founder Geoffrey Canada. The discussion was moderated by ABC’s What Would You Do? host John Quiones who recalled his childhood as a migrant worker and a defining moment when his father asked if he wanted to do that kind of work the rest of his life or get a college education.

“Public education levels the playing field,” Lathan said. “I want people in the community to reach out to elected officials and encourage them to increase funding for our school district so that our students can continue to grow and thrive academically and compete with their peers worldwide.”

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Inaugural HISD Visual Art Teachers’ Exhibition opens this week

Throughout the month of March, Houston Independent School District Visual Art teachers will showcase their artistic talents in the inaugural HISD Visual Art Teachers’ Exhibition.  

Visual art teachers from all over the district applied to participate in the exhibition. Twenty-two artists were selected to exhibit new works for the show. They were selected by a jury of peers based upon artistic quality and instructional testimonial submissions.  

HISD artists will be exhibiting new, never-seen-before works for this art show.  The faculty showcase is an opportunity for people to view new directions in work by some of the district’s most talented artists and educators.  

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HISD to be closed March 11–15 for Spring Break

All HISD campuses and offices will be closed for Spring Break from Monday, March 11, through Friday, March 15, 2019. 

Schools and offices will reopen for normal business on Monday, March 18, 2019. 

Employees should consult the duty schedules posted here. 

The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities all during the holiday break. Emergencies may be reported by calling 713-892-7777.

Wilson Montessori revels in new building

Shiny blue balloons spelling out “Wilson” floated on stage as students sang, providing a joyous start to the Wilson Montessori building dedication. 

The Montessori school hosted the festivities to celebrate its $24.7 million makeover. The project included renovations to the school’s original historic 1924 building and a new three-story addition.  

“The spaces in the new wing and the renovated spaces in the historical wing allow our students to experience learning specially designed to meet their developmental needs,” Wilson Principal Shameika Sykes-Salvador said. 

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Final Parent University session scheduled for March 28  

HISD will host its fifth and final Parent University workshop from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 at four locations throughout the district: Furr, Northside, Madison and Westside high schools. 

The theme for the session will be “Getting Your Child Ready for College and Careers.” The workshop will begin with a dinner and resource fair and will include information on district programs, parent engagement, community resources, and how parents can become active partners in the successful education of their children.

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HISD celebrating Educational Diagnosticians’ Week

HISD celebrates Educational Diagnosticians’ Week during the week of March 4-8 to celebrate and honor educational diagnosticians and their contribution to positive student outcomes. 

With nearly 150 educational diagnosticians employed at the district and the largest populations in the state of Texas, these professionals are trained to formally assess students in the areas of cognition and achievement. More specifically, educational diagnosticians identify challenges a student may be facing on his or her learning path.     

At HISD, one may find a diagnostician attending any type of special education meeting between the school, student and family, functioning as the expert in how a student learns and processes information.  

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Record number of campuses seek certification as Family Friendly Schools

New Platinum certification level being launched as part of program

HISD Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) continues to make strides with its Family Friendly Schools program, experiencing a new record-high number of 170 campuses seeking to be certified for the 2018-2019 school year.   

Now in its fourth year, the Family Friendly School Program is bringing a new challenge: earning Platinum Certification. Launched during the 2015-2016 school year, the program focuses on guiding campuses who embark in a concerted effort to carry-out research-based activities and strategies to build relationships with families, link family events to student learning, develop parent capacity, and honor families’ diversity.  

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