Every Day, Every Student: Henderson Elementary Exemplifies HISD Rigor

It always gives me great joy to show off the progress we have made at HISD, but it was especially gratifying to showcase one school in particular on Wednesday as the Broad Prize Evaluation Committee visited J.P. Henderson Elementary School. The visit— to the first of six to schools around the district this week—is part of the evaluation process for the 2012 Broad Prize.

The Broad team got an up-close look at the outstanding education Principal Herlinda Garcia and her teachers are providing their students every day at Henderson. This neighborhood school shines a light on the importance of strong leaders and effective teachers.

What committee members saw during the tour was no different than any other day at Henderson. Although Herlinda donned dress shoes instead of her usual footwear (comfortable sneakers), she still o ziped around the school at her usual quick clip, leading the crowd through its data room, technology room, and several classes in progress.

While we could have taken the committee to dozens of schools in HISD, Henderson Elementary truly exemplifies what our goals are as a district. This is an example of a school that has a high concentration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds but has been rated as exemplary for five years in a row. It’s a part of the no-excuses culture we have at HISD—to give every child the chance they deserve to receive a quality education.

The committee is looking at the gains we have made at HISD since the 2007-2008 school year and is talking to hundreds of teachers and administrators. They want to hear about our practices that have narrowed the achievement gap among minority students, increased participation rates for those students on SAT, ACT, and AP exams, and led to gains on math and science state assessments among Hispanic middle and high school students.

It all centers on Team HISD and all of us working together. Innovation is a constant process, and I’m proud of how far we’ve come and confident that we’ll continue to put the student at the center of everything we do.