Are you a successful, motivated teacher? Contact Teacher Recruitment and Selection at teacherrecruitment@houstonisd.org
On March 23, 2013 the Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be hosting the 2ndannual “Experience HISD” event, targeted specifically to recruit experienced teachers with a proven track record of success. Principals will have the opportunity to award early contracts to candidates that demonstrate a strong fit for their campus.
Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier personally called some of HISD’s most effective educators on Friday to thank them for their hard work this school year.
The teachers were all identified as highly effective educators under HISD’s new teacher appraisal and development system. HISD recently launched the Effective Teacher Initiative to transform the way the district recruits, trains, evaluates, and recognizes teachers. Through the program, educators are now receiving valuable feedback that will help them improve their instruction in the classroom.
Dr. Grier says the new system is helping identify the strongest teachers and puts HISD closer to achieving its goal of having an effective teacher in each classroom. “These teachers are the backbone of HISD,” said Dr. Grier. “They believe in their students, hold them to high expectations, and are relentless in their drive to make sure each student is learning. Teaching is extremely tough work and we appreciate the dedication that these teachers show on a regular basis.”
Last May, the Board of Education approved the new appraisal and development system, which appraises teachers on several measures in three performance areas: instructional practice, professional expectations, and student performance.
Dr. Grier has asked the Board of Education to consider approving pay raises ranging from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent for all staff and teachers next school year.
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