Tag Archives: Effective Teachers Initiative

Two alternative certification grads discuss what makes HISD’s program superior

Physics teacher Adeeb Barqawi works with his students at Kashmere High School.

Physics teacher Adeeb Barqawi works with his students at Kashmere High School.

The one thing most participants in HISD’s Alternative Certification Program have in common is that they did not originally plan to pursue a career in education. However, the desire to be a positive influence on children and the greater Houston community eventually brought them to the classroom, and to HISD.

Recently, we sat down with Cory Bates, a bilingual Pre-K teacher at Stevens Elementary School, and Adeeb Barqawi, a physics teacher at Kashmere High School, to reflect on their experiences in the district’s Alternative Certification Program, also known as the Effective Teacher Fellowship (ETF), and why they feel HISD’s program is superior to others. The deadline to apply to the next Effective Teacher Fellowship cohort is Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015.  Continue reading →

Effective Teacher Fellowship looking for new recruits

Deadline to apply is Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015

Have you or someone you know ever thought about becoming a teacher? If you want to positively impact and influence a child’s life, then HISD’s Effective Teacher Fellowship (ETF) could be the program for you.

ETF is the district’s alternative certification program, which provides non-education majors with a different pathway to state certification and becoming a teacher. Recruitment is in full force, and ETF plans to accept at least 300 teachers for the 2015–2016 school year.  Continue reading →

Professional Educators Compensation and Support Committee meets for the first time

Group to explore where HISD is as a district, where it’s going, and what needs to be done to get there

In 2010, HISD launched the Effective Teachers Initiative to provide targeted support for teachers to better meet the needs of their students and ultimately to improve student achievement.

This year, the district is continuing to prioritize instructional practices to ensure effective teaching and excellent school leadership by convening an advisory group that will strengthen the way teachers are supported and to reward practices that promote student achievement.

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Highly Effective Teachers Staying in HISD

Houston ISD superintendent Dr. Terry Grier comments on effective teacher retention during a news conference on October 30. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Houston ISD superintendent Dr. Terry Grier comments on effective teacher retention during a news conference on October 30. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Teachers whose students show the most academic achievement gains are more likely to continue teaching in Houston ISD classrooms, according to the latest staff retention data.
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Teachers Can Use Exemplar Lessons to Become More Effective In Classroom

Houston ISD teachers have the opportunity to enhance their skills with lesson plans designed with the help of educators in the district.

Teachers can utilize exemplar lessons as models of effective instructional planning based on district planning guides. In addition, as the exemplar lessons were designed for immediate classroom implementation, teachers can use the lessons “as is” or modify the content to meet the needs of their students.

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Grier: “Quality should not be determined by ZIP code”

Superintendent Terry Grier addressed attendees at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education at the George R. Brown Convention Center recently to tell them about HISD’s goal to ensure every child in the city is taught by a highly effective teacher. In partnership with The New Teacher Project, Dr. Grier said the Effective Teachers Initiative is producing promising results.

An article on the AASA website provides a recap:

“Quality should not be determined by zip code. Every child should have the same exposure to excellence,” he said. “Every child is entitled to have a quality teacher in every classroom.”

Grier reported that in 2009 the district leadership discovered nearly all teacher evaluations were the same, with only 3.4 percent rated “below proficient.” “But we had students performing below level — the data was not consistent,” said Grier. Continue reading →