Generous donation allows HISD students to see civil rights film ‘Selma’

Houston Attorney Michael Harris paid for more than 700 students from Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men to see the movie “Selma” on Jan. 28, so that they could learn more about the civil rights movement.

“Lots of people have invested in me over the years,” said Harris, “and I hope this movie encouraged these young people to be productive, proactive citizens in society, much like the men and women they saw portrayed on screen. These students come from the same type of circumstance that I do, and I would like them to understand that their environment does not have to determine the outcome of their lives.”

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HISD to host inaugural districtwide dance montage festival on Jan. 31

Event to serve dual-purpose: performance experience for students and constructive criticism for all

HISD’s Dance Educators Organization (DEO) will be hosting its very first dance montage festival on Saturday, Jan. 31, and the public is invited to watch.

Students pose for photographs at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, August 12, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)The event will take place at 5 p.m. in the Holmes Performance Hall at Lamar High School (3325 Westheimer, 77098), and students from more than 25 different dance programs will be performing.

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Community partners ‘fire’ up students to attend school

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CITGO Petroleum Corp. and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) gave away 30 Kindle Fire tablets to students at six Houston-area schools in the second year of “Kindling Young Minds,” a project designed to boost attendance. Two HISD schools – Inspired for Excellence Academy and Harper Alternative School – are part of the program. The HISD schools were selected to participate in the project because of their at-risk population and low attendance rate. Continue reading →

HISD debuts website for Service Excellence initiative

service_excellenceHISD is celebrating its commitment to exceptional customer service with the launch of its new Service Excellence website, aimed to promote a service-focused environment across the district.

The website will serve as a landing page for the district’s initiative in creating a culture of service excellence by having all HISD employees work together to uphold the department’s service philosophy: Continue reading →

Sampling of America’s artistic past now on permanent display at HISD elementary school

Students and staff at Cunningham ES pose in front of an Art Everywhere billboard featuring Three Flags, by artists Jasper Johns.

Students and staff at Cunningham ES pose in front of an Art Everywhere billboard featuring Three Flags, by artists Jasper Johns.

A bit of America’s cultural history is now on permanent exhibit at Cunningham Elementary School. Donated by the Art Everywhere US program, the five giant (6’ by 12’) replicas of American masterpieces are part of a nationwide presentation celebrating the country’s artistic heritage. Students, faculty, staff, and community members were on hand for the ceremonial unveiling of the art reproductions on Jan. 23, 2015. Continue reading →

Educators from China’s Haidian District schools continue their tour of HISD

Twenty-five Haidian District educators from Beijing continued their visit to Houston and HISD as Lanier Middle School administrators introduced the delegation to the “Friendship State” of Texas on Jan. 26. Principal Felicia Adams opened the campus tour and program with an entertaining game in which the guests learned fun facts about Texas. Student artwork featuring pandas and Chinese messages and a chamber orchestra greeted the visitors.

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HISD using international assessment to ensure students are globally competitive

District and campus leaders gather to review OECD results and share best practices

District and campus leaders from more than a dozen HISD high schools gathered with school administrators from across the state this week to discuss the importance of making sure Texas students are globally competitive.  Much of the gathering focused on the analysis of an international assessment given to a select group of students from more than 500 schools throughout the world, including several HISD high schools.

The international exam, known as the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Test for Schools, was administered last year to a random sampling of 15-year-olds at 15 HISD high schools to assess student performance in math, science, and reading, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving. Unlike state standardized tests that measure mastery of curriculum, the OECD measures how effectively students apply what they know to solve problems.

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Bond Oversight Committee gets update on bond construction

BOC1The Bond Oversight Committee held its first meeting of 2015 on Tuesday, hearing an update on the bond program and the impact that soaring construction costs are having on HISD’s plan to build or renovate 40 schools.

Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, the district has seen an average 44 percent increase in building costs, from about $146 per square foot in 2012 to about $210 per square foot today.

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School gets facelift, library makeover thanks to military veterans

‘Mission Continues’ joins forces with Bush Literacy Foundation to freshen up Kelso ES

Dozens of U.S. military veterans from the Houston area reported for duty at Kelso Elementary School on the morning of Jan. 24. Their mission? To makeover the library, spruce up exterior surfaces, and create a campus garden.

The former Army and Marine servicemen and women came to the school as a part of the Mission Continues organization, which works in partnership with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation to create more-pleasant and welcoming learning environments for children.

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