May Teacher of the Month
Superintendent Millard House II and HISD community partner Group 1 Automotive selected Diveanne Martinez from Edison Middle School as May’s Teacher of the Month.
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HISD third graders define success with massive donation of dictionaries
Beginning in 2016 with only five schools, the Rotary Club of Houston’s Dictionary Project has been dedicated to providing reading resources to HISD third graders. The number of recipient schools has grown every year, and this year, thanks to the generosity of individual donor Kandy Kaye Horn, every third grader in every HISD elementary school was given their own dictionary.
Continue readingIt’s a Game Changer: Parent Organization Expo gets parents involved and empowered
The 2023 Parent Organization Expo, held on Feb. 4, was met with explosive enthusiasm by HISD PTO and would-be PTO members. Nearly 600 people attended the expo at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center which was the first of its kind to be held in person. PTOs from across the district gathered to network and learn how to be more effectively involved in their child’s education.
Laura Zavaleta named new principal of Franklin Elementary School
Laura Zavaleta has been selected as the new principal of Franklin Elementary School. Zavaleta started her career fifteen years ago in HISD, as a bilingual teacher. Zavaleta continued to serve as an ESL teacher at Sugar Grove Academy Middle School and later served as a teacher specialist at McNamara Elementary School. She was promoted to assist campuses, at the district level, as a Data Driven Instructional Specialist. Most recently, she joined Team Franklin as a teacher specialist. Zavaleta earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston- Downtown and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University.
Wilfredo Montanez named new principal of Franklin Elementary
Wilfredo Montanez is a product of HISD schools and began his educational career as a teaching assistant and associate teacher. He served as Spanish teacher at the Ninth Grade College Preparatory Academy and he taught math at Sam Houston MSTC. Montanez served as a curriculum and content specialist, instructional specialist, and most recently dean of Students at both Sam Houston and Hamilton Middle. Montanez earned his bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in mathematics from University of Houston-Downtown and a master’s degree in supervision and counseling from Sam Houston State University.
HISD adding 21 campuses to dual language program in 2015–2016
HISD is expanding its successful dual language program to 21 more campuses in 2015–2016, launching thousands of additional pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students on the road to learning a second language. Currently, 31 HISD schools offer a Spanish dual language program.
Starting in August, kindergarten students — and pre-kindergarten students, at some schools — will be learning in both English and Spanish. One grade will be added to the program each year until it reaches school-wide.
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Attendance matters: Improvement strategies show promising results at two HISD elementary schools
More and more, educators are realizing that attendance is critical to a child’s academic success. In fact, attendance is directly tied to performance – in general, the lower a child’s attendance rate, the lower their grades. Chronic absenteeism (missing 10 percent or more days a year) leads to a greater chance of that child dropping out of school.
HISD’s Family and Community Engagement Dept. (FACE) has been using a new initiative to increase attendance at Franklin and Whittier elementary schools, with positive results. FACE provided professional development for teachers and attendance clerks, a workshop for parents on the importance of attending school, and programs to promote attendance. The attendance plan had three major components: a data-tracking system, a rewards program, and chronic-absenteeism intervention.