Askew Elementary School’s bold primary colors and collage of stars on the gymnasium walls set the stage Thursday as students, known as Askew All-Stars, led a building dedication ceremony.
The new $27.8 million west area campus opened for the start of the 2018-2019 school year and recently completed construction of a playground and parking lot to finish out the project. Continue reading
Clad in gold glitter leotards, Worthing High School’s Prancing Dolls danced to the rhythmic beat of the band as cheerleaders chanted, energizing the crowd of students, staff, and alumni gathered in their sleek two-story commons area.
The crowd gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new school, rebuilt under the 2012 Bond Program.
“This moment, this celebration today, does indeed represent a fresh beginning for Worthing High School,” HISD Board of Education Trustee Wanda Adams said. “This building has the state-of-the-art resources that our young scholars need and deserve to realize their most ambitious dreams.” Continue reading
Students at Worthing High School gathered in the new cafeteria before class on Monday, comparing class schedules for the spring semester and discussing the new building.
Worthing Principal Khalilah Campbell-Rhone said the school’s new home has been a long time coming for the Sunnyside community.
“They have been waiting for about 12 years for a new building to be erected,” Campbell-Rhone said. “So, there’s obviously a lot of excitement to see this finally happen.” Continue reading
Students at Madison High School chattered excitedly about their modern surroundings Monday as they made their way to class on the first day of the spring semester.
Madison Principal Paolo Castagnoli said fun activities were planned to welcome back the students, including a virtual tour of the school and several food trucks for lunch.
“Everything’s great,” Castagnoli said. “We love our new facility.” Continue reading
Equipped with planters, soil, and seeds, HISD’s Nutrition Services workers had all hands-on deck as they taught nearly 9,000 elementary and middle school students various ways to dig into good nutrition.
The day’s festivities were a part of Camp Lit, a two-day festival designed to promote literacy throughout the district. Gathered in the parking lot of Delmar Fieldhouse, students participated in outdoor tailgate-themed literacy games hosted by various district departments, sponsors, and partners. Continue reading
Gathered in the Milby High School library, Risk Mitigation Worldwide President and CEO Eartha Jean Johnson engaged local small business owners in an interactive training session focused on helping them protect themselves from liability issues.
Johnson spoke to the group as part of Workshop Wednesday, a monthly series for minority- and women-owned businesses that is hosted by HISD’s Business Solutions Supplier Diversity department. Continue reading
A team from the Houston Independent School District will travel to Florida this month to recruit and interview teachers for positions in critical shortage areas.
The district is looking for elementary bilingual education teachers who are fluent in both English and Spanish, as well as secondary math, science, and English/Language Arts teachers. Also needed are special education teachers with experience in autism education and deaf education at all levels.
Interviews/Job Fairs will be held in both Orlando and Miami. Candidates must pre-register and bring their teaching certificates, college transcripts, and/or a copy of their bachelor’s degree. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved a revised turnaround plan for Kashmere High School during a special meeting on Thursday.
This is the eighth consecutive year for Kashmere High School to be deemed as “improvement required” — one of the designations used by the TEA to determine whether schools are meeting state standards. As a result, the district is required to submit to the state a plan detailing how it will improve student achievement at the school.
HISD submitted an initial turnaround plan on Oct. 19, but it was rejected last week by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who asked the district to resubmit the plan with a more detailed description of the budget, staffing, and financial resources required to implement the turnaround. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a resolution to strengthen current services provided to HISD students with special needs to succeed in the general education classroom.
This resolution lays out a set of best practices for increasing the time that special education students spend in the general education classroom, while providing additional services and the support needed. The district recognizes the need to raise expectations for students with disabilities and educate them in the least restrictive environment.
“As the district focuses on equity in every classroom, we understand our special needs students deserve every resource we can offer to ensure they succeed,” Superintendent Richard Carranza said. “This resolution is a necessary next step to delivering the services they need.” Continue reading
At its first regular Board meeting since Hurricane Harvey forced a delayed start to the school year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved extended school days for 12 campuses to make up instructional time.
The Board also eliminated five early dismissal days scheduled throughout the school year for all campuses.
Download the revised 2017-2018 Academic Calendar
The Texas Education Agency approved waivers that exempt students from making up the first nine days of missed classes. However, students at 12 schools starting after Sept. 11 will have to make up lost time beyond those days.
“There is no perfect solution,” Superintendent Richard Carranza said. “And as we talked about over the course of this weather event, flexibility will be key. But we are also making sure the extra time is not just seat time.” Continue reading