Achieve 180 kicks off with back-to-school events 

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Back-to-school events aimed at strengthening partnerships with parents and community   

Schools included in HISD’s Achieve 180 initiative are kicking off the 2017-2018 school year for their parents, students, and communities surrounding their campuses with everything from dance parties and parades to free school supplies, immunizations, and dental care.

Thirty-two schools are included in Achieve 180, a new district initiative launching during the 2017-2018 school year to support, strengthen, and empower underserved and underperforming HISD schools. A key component of the research-based initiative is family and community empowerment.   Continue reading →

Enrique Cruz named new principal of Cunningham Elementary

Enrique Cruz (Houston Independent School District)Enrique Cruz has been appointed principal of Cunningham Elementary School. Cruz has been an educator for 22 years, serving HISD as a first-grade bilingual teacher, literacy coach, and assistant principal. He also served as a reading technical assistant specialist with the University of Texas. Cruz began his career at Brookline Elementary School and served as assistant principal at Southmayd Elementary, Marshal Middle, and most recently R.P. Harris Elementary. He is a graduate of the district’s High School for Law Enforcement. Cruz has a bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University and a master’s degree from University of St. Thomas.

Rita Sotelo named new principal of Clemente Martinez Elementary

Rita Sotelo (Houston Independent School District)Rita Sotelo has been named the principal of C. Martinez Elementary School. Sotelo began her career with HISD as an English Language Arts and reading teacher at Ninth Grade College Preparatory Academy (now closed) and later Eastwood Academy. She was an instructional leader at Westbury High School before becoming principal of Bluebonnet Elementary School in Lockhart ISD and East Montana Middle School in Clint ISD. Most recently, Sotelo served as an assistant principal at Chavez High School. She attended Rogers Elementary, Hogg Middle, and Reagan (now Heights) High schools. She has a bachelor of arts in mass communication and Spanish from Texas State University and a master of education in administration from Concordia University Texas.

Hurricane Harvey Parent Summit Sat. Sept. 16

HISD has heard from its families needing help recovering from Hurricane Harvey and various district department are teaming up with local, state, and federal agencies to provide families with assistance at a Hurricane Harvey Parent Summit on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Delmar Fieldhouse, 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, 77092.

HISD Board of Education President Wanda Adams, the Special Education Board Ad Hoc Committee, and various HISD departments, including the Office of Academics and the Office of School Support are joining forces to organize the FREE event which will include the following items on a first-come, first-served basis:

  • Free lunch and breakfast
  • Immunizations
  • School supplies
  • Hygiene items
  • Sessions on special education & inclusion

The summit starts at 9 a.m. and lasts till 3 p.m. Please register at www.Houstonisd.org/psregister or call 713-556-7042.

HISD also wants to remind its families and students that if they are living in a shelter or with a friend or relative, they can qualify for homeless assistance and college scholarships. HISD staff will be on hand at the Parent Summit to assist them.

 

More HISD schools meet tougher state standards for 2016-2017

The number of Houston ISD schools meeting state standards is now the highest it has ever been under Texas’ tougher new accountability system that was introduced in 2012.

According to ratings released today by the Texas Education Agency, 90 percent of HISD schools rated (251 out of 278) earned a “met standard” rating for the 2016-2017 school year.  At the same time, 11 fewer schools received an “improvement required” rating.  HISD earned a “met standard” district rating.

This is the fifth year in which Texas has rated schools using the current accountability system, which considers four factors for the student body as a whole, and for racial and ethnic minority groups. Those factors include:

Continue reading →

HISD trustees appoint José Leal to fill District III seat until special election in November

The Houston ISD Board of Education voted to appoint José Leal to fill the seat left vacant after the death of longtime District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr last month. Board members chose Leal unanimously during a special meeting Monday afternoon.

Leal has more than 20 years of classroom experience. His career with HISD started in 1981, when he worked in operations and maintenance. He has worked as a bilingual teacher at Pugh Elementary School, a counselor and dean of students at Hamilton Middle School, and an assistant principal at Wheatley High School. He has also been a dean of students at Meyerland Middle School, assistant principal at North Forest High School, and a counselor at YES Prep Northbrook. He is currently a special education teacher at Houston Can Academies.

“Jose Leal was the only candidate who met the caretaker qualifications the board was looking for in this temporary appointment,” Board President Wanda Adams said. “The board would like to thank the other candidates who wanted to volunteer their time.”

Leal will be sworn in on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, and will serve at the Board of Education’s next monthly meeting on Sept. 14, 2017. He will serve until a special election is called by the board at its monthly meeting on Aug. 10. That special election will be held Nov. 7.

Get an up close and personal look at district construction progress

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High School for Law and Justice

Want an up close and personal look at the construction underway at 2012 Bond schools throughout the district? It’s now just a couple of clicks away. Follow the progress from the comfort of your own home thanks to cameras that have been installed at several bond schools.

The cameras, which are mounted on a pole or roof of a taller adjacent building, capture an image once every 15 minutes — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Go online and view individual images or check out a time-lapse video and watch as the building comes together. The views also can be zoomed into and panned for more detail. Continue reading →

Superintendent outlines priorities at ‘Welcome Back’ event 

Achieve 180, wraparound services, and restorative justice practices are priorities for 2017-2018 school year 

Superintendent Richard Carranza outlined HISD’s top priorities for the 2017-2018 school year to school and district leaders at the annual “Welcome Back” back event on August 11.

Nearly 1,200 principals, deans, assistant principals, and district leaders packed Delmar Fieldhouse to hear Carranza’s message, which celebrated the successes of the previous year and outlined goals, initiatives, and challenges for the coming year.


Continue reading →

HISD Summer graduation ceremony set for Aug. 19 at TSU 

Hundreds of students from as many as 42 HISD high schools will collect their diplomas as part of the district’s annual summer graduation ceremony.

There will be only one ceremony, and it takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at Texas Southern University in the Health and Physical Education Building, which is located on Wheeler Ave. at Ennis St. in Houston, 77004.

HISD Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan will emcee the celebration.

The graduating students have successfully completed summer school and/or passed their State of Texas assessments.

Gerardo Medina named new principal of Almeda Elementary

Gerardo Medina poses for a photograph, November 7, 2016. (Dave Einsel)Gerardo Medina has been selected as principal of Almeda Elementary School. He is a graduate of HISD’s Lamar High School and has been an educator with the district for 12 years, serving in various instructional and leadership roles. Medina served as a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Sutton Elementary before moving to Petersen Elementary, where he was a teacher specialist. Most recently, he was an assistant principal at Stevens Elementary. Medina has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Houston Baptist University and a master’s degree in applied linguistics from University of Massachusetts-Boston. He has a principal endorsement from Lamar University and has been a participant in various leadership training opportunities within the district, including the Principal Candidate Development Opportunity.