A warm, safe welcome back to school at HISD

Welcome to the start of the 2020-2021 school year! I’m excited to announce that this month we will begin our Listen & Learn town halls, during which I will visit select schools, solicit feedback, and hear the concerns of you, the HISD community. I look forward to these sessions.

We are proud to have implemented our “Ready, Set, Go” campaign, which is necessary for a safe return to in-person learning for students, staff, and teachers. We also have our Virtual Learning Academy and Temporary Online Learning programs in place.

We have instructional and operational protocols, as well as the ability to adapt and plan as needed. Masks are required in HISD classrooms, buildings, and buses, regardless of vaccination status. This decision stems from one simple fact: if we can save just one life, it is worth doing.

I’ve enjoyed touring even more campuses. I have met many great educators and students, as well as the HISD Police Department’s dog, Jamaica. During the first week of school, I learned what campuses like Stevenson and Attucks middle schools are doing to address learning loss. For example, at Stevenson, Principal Christyn McCloskey told us about “Dragon Time,” which is 65 minutes of intervention and enrichment to start the day. Meeting the future healthcare heroes at DeBakey High School was enlightening, as student David Dzul showed me their amazing laboratories.

I also toured Memorial Elementary School to learn about their safety plan, and Principal Jose Cordova was eager to show all the great things they are doing to make learning safe on his campus. I sat down with students at Benbrook Elementary School for breakfast and talked to third grader Jazleen Cousin. We discussed how to have fun and be safe at school. I also met with a parent, Brenda Sandoval, who is proof that it takes a village to help our students close the learning gap.

I saw the exceptional learning opportunities at Wharton Dual Language Academy, and I witnessed Westside High School come together to honor the memory of David Castro. Seeing how the students at Westside contributed to Random Acts of Kindness week and the amazing performance of the drum line was an uplifting event, and it was an honor to take part in it with the Castro family. Overall, it was an engaging and encouraging week.

As you may have guessed, we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we can get there—together. We will work toward creating opportunities for our students to grow and thrive and help put them on the path to success. I was given this opportunity at a young age, and it changed my life. Every one of our students deserves the same opportunity.