HISD police chief and leadership team take oath of office

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Houston Independent School District Police Chief Paul Cordova and five members of his leadership team were publicly sworn in during a special ceremony held Wednesday at Crime Stoppers of Houston.

HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan administered the oath of office to Cordova and noted that, by taking the oath, the officers are publicly pledging their commitment to keeping students and staff safe.

“We live in a time where we can’t take things for granted,” Lathan said. “The officers that we are recognizing today are heroes. They are passionate not just about their jobs, but also about the safety of our students and staff.” Continue reading →

Business Operations employees start school year with in-service trainings

As students get ready for the upcoming school year, Business Operations employees are doing the same, dedicating time for professional development that will better prepare them for the year ahead.

Held across the district throughout August, the in-service sessions provide employees with critical training related to their respective roles as well as the latest state and federal guidelines. They also serve as a welcome back for employees who were off duty during the summer. Continue reading →

Transportation launching new tools to increase route efficiency

As the start of the 2018-2019 school year nears, Transportation Services is introducing a new tool to help parents determine their child’s school bus stop location and route number.

Parents and students can go to the Infofinder I website, enter their address, and then see a map of the bus stop assigned to their student, as well as their route number. Magnet students who use the system will be able to see their designated magnet hub location listed on the map.

Magnet school hub program to allow direct commutes to campuses

Also available through the system is the bus arrival and departure time for each stop. Continue reading →

Karen Harris named new principal of Cunningham Elementary School

Karen Harris has been selected as the new principal of Cunningham Elementary School. Harris has served HISD for the past 11 years. She began her career as a teacher with Beaumont ISD at Regina-Howell Elementary School for 6 years. She continued her career at Bonham Elementary School in HISD as a first-, third-, and fifth-grade ESL teacher for 6 years. At Bell Elementary School, she served as a teacher specialist, where she spearheaded and established a K-5 campus-wide system for guided reading, prior to the development of Literacy by 3. Harris served in various roles over the past 18 years, including teacher specialist, Baylor Master Teacher, University of Houston/HISD mentor teacher, and curriculum writer for both HISD and Beaumont ISD. At Milne Elementary School, she served as the interim principal and assistant principal. Harris most recently served at the assistant principal at Cunningham. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and her Master of Education Degree in Administration from Lamar University.

Interim superintendent welcomes district leadership back for 2018-2019 school year 

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More than 1,000 principals, deans, assistant principals and district leaders packed Delmar Fieldhouse on Aug. 11 for the district’s annual Welcome Back event.

Each year, campus and district leadership gather at the beginning of the school year to celebrate the successes of the previous year and outline the goals, initiatives and challenges for the 2018-2019 school year.

Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan outlined her strategic vision for the 2018-2019 school year, which spreads the message of putting all children first, regardless of their background, and ensuring they receive a high-quality education.   Continue reading →

Santrice Jones named new principal of Neff Early Childhood Center

Santrice Jones has been selected as the new principal for Neff Early Childhood Center. Jones has served HISD for the past eight years, beginning her career as a classroom teacher at Wesley Elementary School and also at Fonwood Early Childhood Center. More recently, she has served as  teacher specialist and assistant principal at Neff Early Childhood Center. Jones earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from the University of Georgia and her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University.

Karina Lopez named new principal of Edison Middle School

Karina Lopez has been selected as the new principal of Edison Middle School. Lopez has been with HISD since 2010. She began her career at Revere Middle School as a seventh-grade math teacher, then became math department chairperson and a campus instructional coach. While at Revere, she received the Teacher of the Year award and the 2012 Elizabeth Brand Teacher Excellence Award. She has also served as magnet coordinator and assistant principal at Hartman Middle School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Houston and her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Michael Niggli named new principal of Waltrip High School

Michael Niggli poses for a photograph, April 4, 2016. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)Michael Niggli has been selected as the new principal of Waltrip High School. He most recently served as associate principal for Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center. With 21 years in HISD, Niggli’s  experience includes English teacher, debate coach, and basketball coach at HISD’s Austin High School and Heights High School. Niggli earned his Bachelor of Arts from San Francisco State University and his Master of Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University.

Michelle Shoulders named new principal of Pin Oak Middle School

Michelle Shoulders has been selected as the new principal of Pin Oak Middle School. Shoulders has served HISD for 14 years and has 28 years of experience in education in Houston, Fort Worth, and the Denver area. Her teaching experience spans elementary, middle, and high school in math and theatre. Most recently, Michelle served at Bellaire High School as both school improvement facilitator and assistant principal. She has actively supported the professional learning communities (PLC) on campus while supervising the English and ESL departments. For the past three years, Michelle has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston in the Teacher Preparation Program. Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in Education from Abilene Christian University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Opal Harrison named new principal of Deady Middle School

Opal Harrison poses for a photograph, November 7, 2016. (Dave Einsel)Opal Harrison has been selected as the new principal of Deady Middle School. Harrison began her teaching career in HISD in 2005 as a science teacher at Jones High School. Harrison has served as an administrator at Milby High School for the past six years, most recently as the dean of instruction. While at Milby, Harrison was named the HISD Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics from Xavier University of Louisiana and Master of Science in Microelectronics-Photonics from the University of Arkansas. Harrison is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations at Vanderbilt University.