Twenty of HISD’s 115 magnet programs are not attracting enough students
Twenty HISD magnet school programs that are not drawing enough students from outside their neighborhoods will be closed after the 2013-2014 school year under a plan announced Thursday.
These 20 magnet school programs enroll a combined 758 students from outside their attendance zones.
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Who: The November/December 2012 edition of HISD Up Close hosted by HISD Board President Michael Lunceford gives viewers an inside look at the Houston Innovative Learning Zone academies at Jane Long and Scarborough High School, two of six HISD schools that have these new career and technical education programs on their campus. The show also features a tour of the district’s Las Americas Newcomers School, which has students from 32 countries who speak 29 different languages. Continue reading
About 200,000 HISD students are expected to return to school for their first day of classes on Monday, August 27.
HISD Superintendent Terry Grier and members of the HISD Board of Education will visit with students, teachers and principals at two campuses to personally welcome them to back to school on Monday, August 27 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
“We are ready and excited to begin a new school year,” Dr. Grier said. “We have so much new to offer at HISD, from our new campuses and career and technical education programs, to our expanded dual language centers and our first ever Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School. We want every parent to know that no matter which school their children attend, they will receive a great education.”
On Monday, Dr. Grier will begin the day by visiting Scarborough High School, one of HISD’s schools to offer the new Houston Innovative Learning Zone (HILZ) academies. These new HILZ academies provide students with the opportunity to earn a college associate’s degree and valuable career certifications while in high school. This way, they are equally prepared to thrive at a university, or land lucrative jobs in some of the region’s most in-demand professions immediately after graduating. The HILZ academies are also offered at the following schools: Furr, Kashmere, Long, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington.
Dr. Grier will also visit HISD’s new Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center which offers a two-way dual language program to its kindergarten class in an effort to develop full bilingualism and bi-literacy for all students. The two-way dual language program is both a bilingual program for Spanish-speaking students and a foreign language immersion program for English-speaking students. Students from both groups are taught together in the two-way classrooms. HISD currently offers the two-way dual language program at seven elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and one K-8 academy. Former Superintendent Billy Reagan will be joining Dr. Grier during this school visit.
Below is a schedule for the first day visits by Dr. Grier and HISD trustees:
Stop 1:
8 a.m. – Scarborough High School (4141 Costa Rica, 77092)
Stop 2:
9:30 a.m. – Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center (4842 Anderson Road, 77053)
The HISD Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to draw students back into six neighborhood high schools with strong Career and Technical Education programs.
The Board endorsed the plan after hearing from several parents who voiced support for the strategic investment that will strengthen community high schools.
Students at Furr, Kashmere, Long, Scarborough, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington high schools will be able to enroll in the newly created Houston Innovative Learning Zone (HILZ) programs beginning this summer. By the time these students graduate high school, they will have earned a college associate’s degree and valuable career certifications to help them immediately land lucrative jobs in some of the region’s most in-demand professions.
The HISD Board of Education is scheduled to vote today on a plan to draw students back into six neighborhood high schools with strong Career and Technical Education programs.
The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street.
Under this proposal, the School of Pharmacy Technology at Long would prepare students for the growing pharmaceutical industry by providing them with the clinical and business skills needed to work successfully alongside pharmacists and physicians.
If the program is approved, students at Furr, Kashmere, Long, Scarborough, Sterling, and Booker T. Washington high schools would be able to enroll in the newly created Houston Innovative Learning Zone (HILZ) programs beginning this summer. By the time these students graduate high school, they will have earned a college associate’s degree and valuable career certifications to help them immediately land lucrative jobs in some of the region’s most in-demand professions.
“These HILZ programs take traditional vocational education to a higher level,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “HILZ graduates will leave our high schools with certifications that Houston employers seek when filling high-paying job vacancies. HILZ graduates will also have 45 to 60 hours of college credit from our Houston Community College partner. These credits will transfer to articulated programs at Texas universities, positioning HILZ graduates for success in a four-year college if they choose to forego an immediate career.”