District IX Trustee Wanda Adams named 2017 president
The HISD Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to name District IX Trustee Wanda Adams president for 2017.
A Kashmere High School graduate, Adams was first elected to the school board in 2013. She previously served six years on the Houston City Council.
Eastwood Academy and Lyons Elementary nominated among exemplary, high-performing schools
Two Houston Independent School District schools have been nominated for the U.S. Department of Education’s prestigious national 2017 Blue Ribbon Schools designation.
The National Blue Ribbon award is given annually to high-performing schools to showcase the hard work of students and educators. Eastwood Academy and Lyons Elementary are among 26 public schools in Texas to be nominated by the Texas Education Agency.
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Two new members of the Houston Independent School District Board of Education were sworn in on Thursday ahead of the board’s regularly scheduled January meeting – District VI Trustee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca (Ocampo) and District VII Trustee Anne Sung.
Both are filling unexpired trustee terms that run through the end of 2017. Sung was elected to the board in December and Flynn Vilaseca was unanimously appointed by the board this week to serve the unexpired trustee term for District VI. Sung will fill the unexpired term of outgoing District VII Trustee Harvin Moore, and Flynn Vilaseca will serve the remaining term of the District VI seat formerly held by Greg Meyers.
The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and all HISD schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2016, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Normal school and business operations will resume on Tuesday, January 17.
Board also will elect new officers at monthly board meeting
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education will welcome its two newest members on Thursday, swearing in newly appointed District VI Trustee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca (Ocampo) and newly elected District VII Trustee Anne Sung.
Both are filling unexpired trustee terms that run through the end of 2017 and will be formally sworn in prior to the first meeting of the year during a special ceremony.
Furr High School football coach Matthew Valmore was recently nominated for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award by the NFL Foundation for his leadership, dedication to the community, and commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.
“I am humbled, honored, and very appreciative to be considered for such a prestigious award,” Valmore said. “It almost feels like a dream.”
Valmore is among 32 high school football coaches from across the country nominated by a NFL team for the national award, which is named for the winningest coach in NFL history. He was nominated by the Houston Texans after the team selected him as a High School Coach of the Week in November. Continue reading
UPDATE: The session is now scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11. Check in begins at 8:30 a.m. and the session will begin at 9 a.m.
The Houston Independent School District will host an information session for the general public and current HISD employees interested in becoming a teacher with the district.
You must register to attend, and attendees will receive location information once they have signed up. Continue reading
Students raise hundreds of dollars to help others
Ortiz Middle School students raised more than $600 for LIMBS International, an organization that provides prosthetic legs to those in developing countries.
This is the second year in a row Ortiz students have raised money for the organization. The funds were raised through donations, school dance ticket sales and sock sales. The money raised will be used to provide a Bolivian woman with a prosthetic leg. She lost her leg after stepping on glass, which lead to a severe infection. Continue reading
Twelve Houston ISD elementary students on Friday will spread the work and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by performing self-written speeches inspired by the civil rights leader as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition.
The MLK Oratory competition, sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and held at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Christ (500 Clay St. 77002), invites fourth- and fifth-grade students to write and present a short original speech that envisions King’s message in today’s world. This year’s theme is “If Dr. King were alive today, what would he say about Muhammad Ali’s contribution to society?”
As the 85th Texas Legislature convenes today in Austin, the state’s school finance system is the top priority on HISD’s legislative agenda, and the district will ask state lawmakers to make changes that would keep local tax dollars in Houston schools.
Under the state’s current school finance system, HISD is considered “property wealthy” and is subject to sending $162 million in local property taxes to the state – a process known as “recapture.” But on Election Day, Houstonians voted down the ballot measure that would have authorized the $162 million payment and future payments totaling more than $1 billion. This means that, starting in July, the Texas Education Agency can detach $18 billion worth of nonresidential, commercial property from HISD’s tax rolls and reassign those businesses to other school districts for taxing purposes. The TEA will continue to detach property every July for the foreseeable future.