HISD community rises to the occasion during an unprecedented school year
2020 May 18
| As we reach the end of the 2019-2020 school year, I am reflecting on the unprecedented challenges we have faced and continue to overcome together. It has been a year we will never forget. The pandemic has affected each of us academically, professionally, and emotionally. But while this school year may not be ending the way any of us would have envisioned, I am proud of the way our students, parents, teachers and staff have pulled together and innovated in times of adversity. Although there is still uncertainty ahead, I know we will navigate it together. As we wrap up this year and get ready for summer school, I wanted to provide a review of some of our most important updates, initiatives, and plans for the months ahead. HISD @ H.O.M.E. All of Team HISD, especially our principals and teachers, have worked incredibly hard for our students during the transition to distance learning.Our staff pulled together on a moment’s notice to create a platform that would serve our students, so they could finish out the school year from home. We have successfully contacted 95% of all students about technology needs. We’re still working to reach the remaining students, as there is a deep technological divide in our city. We estimate about 35% of households in the district do not have Internet access. To close the divide, we issued internet hot spots, laptops, Chromebooks – and we have deployed over 15,000 devices since March 13. The district also issued over 88,000 paper-curriculum packets to families. To offer additional support for distance learning, the district launched the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline for questions concerning distance learning. Over 2,300 calls have come into the hotline. We have operators answering questions in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic. The hotline number is 713-556-INFO (4636). We are also reaching our students through TV through HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV, which has been a valuable educational resource for families without Internet access. I want to thank our local media partners who have been airing our daily HISD @ H.O.M.E. TV lessons. Virtual Summer School Summer school will take place virtually from June 8 to July 2 for about 40,000 students. Students will attend virtual classes Monday through Thursday — two hours for students in grades PreK-2, three hours for students in grades 3-5, and four hours for students in grades 6-11. Paper-based summer instructional packets will be mailed out or made available to summer school students with identified technology and/or internet challenges. Students will be asked to submit completion of work to campus during the last week of summer school. Food distribution Since the district’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 5.2 million pounds of food have been distributed to over 125,000 households across the city through our weekly campus food sites and Saturday mass food distribution events at NRG, held in partnership with the Houston Food Bank. As the school year comes to a close, HISD will transition from its community food distribution efforts to a curbside summer meals program for students. Beginning June 1, families will be able to pick up boxed student meals twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays at one of 68 designated schools across the district. Boxes may be picked up by students, parents, or other adult family members. Each box will contain a day’s worth of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. Pick-up sites will provide parents with multiple boxes — three on Mondays and four on Thursdays — for each child. Boxes will be provided for all children in the vehicle at pickup. Children are not required to be present, but parents must have proof of enrollment in any school district (report card, student id, etc.) or birth certificate. For more information on the summer meals program and to see a map of food distribution sites, please visit houstonisd.org/summermeals. Virtual Graduation We have been working diligently to identify ways to celebrate our Class of 2020 graduates while ensuring the health and safety of our students, staff, and families. Considering the current challenges surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis, we have made the difficult decision to hold virtual high school graduation ceremonies, as we believe this is the safest option. Virtual graduations will allow students to celebrate their milestones with family and friends by allowing guests to view them remotely. The virtual celebrations may also be shared on Facebook and other social media platforms. Ceremonies will go live online on Sunday, June 14. Citywide Graduation Celebration HISD also is partnering with the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Special Events to hold a citywide outdoor celebration for graduating seniors on Friday, June 5. Graduates will be invited to don their caps and gowns and return to their schools, where they will assemble on their school lawn or football field while adhering to social-distancing guidelines calling for physical distance and face coverings. Only seniors and staff are allowed to attend, but the event will be broadcast on air and online by HISD-TV and the city’s HTV channel. It may also be shown by local television stations. Participation is optional. District of Innovation Last week, the Board of Education approved a resolution to begin the process of becoming a District of Innovation. There will be a considerable amount of stakeholder involvement and input throughout this entire process, and we look forward to engaging with the community. The District of Innovation option under state law would allow us to exercise greater local control over decisions impacting educational outcomes for our students. We are only recommending exemptions related to the following: School year start date: The law preventing the District from beginning instruction before the fourth Monday in August High-demand CTE professionals: Laws that limit the ability of the District to hire professionals in certain trades and vocations to teach Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses Laws related to the minimum attendance for class credit or final grade (90% attendance rule) The goal is to have these flexibilities enacted by the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. The intent behind exploring the District of Innovation model is ensure that every child has equitable opportunities and access to quality and personalized education. I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy the summer months ahead to spend time with family and to keep learning at the forefront. Whatever challenges we face moving forward as we begin a new school year, I am confident that our community of students, parents, teachers and staff can once again rise to the occasion. |
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