Board of Education elects new officers for 2015

Board of Education meetings usually begin with commendations and recognitions. However, the first meeting of every year starts with the election of new officers.

On Jan. 15, 2015, the trustees chose Rhonda Skillern-Jones to serve as president, Manuel Rodriguez Jr. as first vice president, Wanda Adams as second vice president, Paula Harris as secretary, and Juliet Stipeche as assistant secretary.

Serving as an HISD school-board member requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and the nine trustees on HISD’s board selflessly devote many hours to studying issues, deliberating proposed actions and policy changes, and representing HISD in the community, all without pay. These men and women are essential to the success of this school district and deserve the district’s and the community’s deepest thanks.

2015 HISD Board of Education

  • Rhonda Skillern-Jones, President
  • Manuel Rodriguez, First Vice President
  • Wanda Adams, Second Vice President
  • Paula Harris, Secretary
  • Juliet Stipeche, Assistant Secretary
  • Anna Eastman
  • Michael Lunceford
  • Greg Meyers
  • Harvin Moore

For more information, including biographical information for each trustee, visit the Board of Education website.

Futures Academy pharmacy students receive white coats, scrubs

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Nearly 200 HISD students in the Futures Academy of Pharmacy Technology at Jane Long Academy received white coats and scrubs during the program’s third-annual White Coat Ceremony Wednesday. Continue reading →

HISD Transportation, Facilities Services recognized as top performers

The Council of the Great City Schools has recognized HISD’s Transportation and Facilities Services departments as top performers in student transportation and facilities maintenance and operations.

The Council’s Performing and Benchmarking Project’s “Managing for Results in America’s Great City Schools” report defines and presents an extensive array of statistical indicators developed by CGCS and its member urban school districts to measure performance on a broad range of operational functions, including business services, finances, human resources, and technology. Continue reading →

Mesa Directiva de HISD vota para dar más peso académico a cursos de nivel universitario

La Mesa Directiva del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston aprobó este jueves la primera lectura de una medida que beneficiaría a los estudiantes que toman cursos para obtener créditos universitarios, pues le daría un impulso a su promedio general de calificaciones.

El cambio en esta directriz está diseñado para ponerle peso académico adicional a los cursos de doble crédito que ofrece HISD, gracias a las asociaciones que ha hecho con universidades. Como su nombre lo indica, el doble crédito les da a los estudiantes la oportunidad de obtener créditos tanto de la preparatoria como de la universidad, al mismo tiempo.

Los representantes de la Mesa Directiva votaron ocho votos a uno, en la primera lectura de la propuesta que se presentó durante su reunión de enero, y deben aprobar una segunda lectura antes de que el cambio sea oficial. Si la segunda lectura también se aprueba, la nueva directriz entraría en vigor para el año escolar 2015-2016.

“En HISD, ofrecemos una variedad de cursos rigurosos y avanzados que garantizan que nuestros estudiantes estén preparados para ingresar a la universidad y para competir en el mercado global del siglo XXI”, dijo el superintendente de HISD, el Dr. Terry Grier. “A ningún estudiante se le debe penalizar académicamente por haber elegido tomar un curso de crédito universitario”.

Los cursos generales se clasifican en una escala estándar de 4.0 y los cursos de más peso se clasifican en una escala de 5.0. Esto les permite a los estudiantes la posibilidad de obtener créditos adicionales debido al aumento del rigor.

De antemano, los estudiantes ya tomaban cursos de más peso, como las clases de honor, las de nivel universitario de colocación avanzada, de pre-colocación avanzada, las del Bachillerato Internacional y los cursos del Programa de los Años Intermedios IB.

Los cursos de más peso como los de doble crédito están diseñados para equipararse con los cursos rigurosos y avanzados que toman los estudiantes.

La reunión mensual de la Mesa Directiva se celebró el jueves, 15 de enero de 2015, en el auditorio del Centro de Apoyo Escolar Hattie Mae White, 4400 W. 18th Street. Haga clic aquí para ver la agenda completa.

HISD Board of Education considers giving more academic weight to college-level courses

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider a change in policy that could give students taking college credit courses a boost to their grade point average.

The proposal is designed to provide additional academic weight to dual credit courses, which HISD offers through partnerships with colleges and universities. As the name implies, dual credit provides students with the opportunity to earn high school and college credit at the same time. Continue reading →

AVID program supports low-income students’ quest for college

The desks in seventh-grade teacher Zachary Cummings’ AVID classroom at Hamilton Middle School are arranged so that students can work in groups. Collaboration is one of the five hallmarks of AVID, along with reading, writing, inquiry, and organization.

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Cummings’ students recently quizzed each other on Cornell notes they took on a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Apple Inc. Cornell notes are just one example of college-level study techniques students learn in AVID, a global nonprofit organization directed at students who are capable of completing a college-preparatory path if they receive the proper support. The focus is on low-income students whose families don’t traditionally attend college.

Continue reading →

ReelEducation shows students that disabilities do not define their lives

ReelAbilities, the Houston Disabilities Film Festival, will be coming to the Bayou City Feb. 9–12, 2015, and all secondary teachers are invited to take advantage of it by scheduling free movie screenings on their campuses or at local movie theaters. Teachers can begin signing up for a screening on Jan. 15. Continue reading →

After-school programs get boost from new city grant

CASE Connections

HISD’s Chávez High School and Henry Middle School became two of the first local organizations to benefit from a new initiative recently, when they received grants for $15,000 and $5,000 from the City Connections program.

City Connections, a partnership between the City of Houston and the Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Expanded Learning (CASE) for Kids, is designed to help fight juvenile crime and promote child safety by providing much-needed funding for after-school programs. Continue reading →