HISD schools and offices closed Monday in observance of Juneteenth

Originating in Galveston and recognized nationwide as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 liberation of the last community of enslaved Black people in Texas.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is widely considered the longest-running African-American holiday and America’s second Independence Day. It is often celebrated with community festivals and the sharing of familial traditions.

Some descendants of enslaved people even participate in pilgrimage to Galveston, where Union Major General Gordon Granger at last informed their ancestors of their emancipation two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

In observance of Juneteenth, HISD schools and offices will be closed on Monday, June 19. The district will reopen on Tuesday, June 20.

HISD ramps up recruitment for New Education System schools

Houston Independent School District is hiring exceptional educators at the 28 schools selected for the New Education System.

The new plan comes with higher salaries, more support for teachers, and an innovative staffing model that puts the focus on classroom instruction and improved student outcomes.

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Superintendent F. Mike Miles’ message to the HISD community

On June 1, 2023, F. Mike Miles was officially named Superintendent of Houston Independent School District.

“To the families of Houston celebrating the end of another school year – especially those families of the Class of 2023 – congratulations, you must be so proud of all that your children have accomplished,” he said in a message to the HISD community. “To the families of students who will return to HISD in the fall, your children are the reason I am here, and it is my responsibility to make sure they have the skills and experiences they need to be successful.”

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HISD students get a jump on college planning with unique summer program at Rice

This summer, HISD sophomores and freshmen are giving college readiness a summer camp spin with Connectrix at Rice University, a program designed to establish comprehensive support for underrepresented early high school students that will prepare them to choose, apply to, and attend college after graduation.

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HISD culinary teacher named among top celebrities in ‘Cool 100’ list

Kellie Alcorn-Karavias is a culinary arts teacher at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center with a passion for teaching good nutrition to her largely food-insecure students. A lifelong passion for food and love for children motivated her to get creative with her curriculum and give her students real-world experiences with growing and cooking food that they could take with them into adulthood. Alcorn-Karavias’ unique lessons landed her on CityBook Houston’s Cool 100 list, an honor the magazine bestows upon only the “coolest” and most creative movers and shakers in Houston, and she and her students couldn’t quite believe it.

Alcorn-Karavias says her students were excited to see her named alongside such notable Houstonians as Megan Thee Stallion, Simone Biles, and Christine Ha.

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Superintendent F. Mike Miles announces first cabinet appointments

Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, F. Mike Miles, announced the initial members of the HISD leadership team. The team brings together veteran HISD leaders with the expertise and vision of some of Texas’ most exceptional education talent. These appointments are effective immediately, and just the first in a series of leadership appointments that will be made in the coming weeks.

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Inaugural Multicultural Day celebrates the beauty in diversity

HISD’s Multilingual Programs Department hosted its inaugural Multicultural Day celebration on Saturday, May 20, at Wisdom High School. The event was the brainchild of Law Elementary fifth-grader Kadence Smith, winner of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Speech Competition.

In partnership with the Family and Community Engagement (FACE), Special Education, College and Career Readiness, and Gifted and Talented departments, organizers worked to create an event that highlighted the incredible diversity of the district with cultural performances, a student art exhibit, guest speakers, and hands-on activities.

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HISD students showcase their software skills during SAP Week

The HISD Departments of College and Career Readiness employ many tactics to prepare students for life after high school graduation, including one-on-one advising, PSAT/SAT prep, college application assistance, and more. CCR is always on the lookout for opportunities for graduation-bound students that will give them a leg-up in the professional world.

One of these opportunities is the SAP Internship Program, launched in 2017 and developed to give participating students on-the-job experience working with SAP programs in different arenas, cycling interns through weeks in various HISD departments that utilize the program in different ways.

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