A Holiday Message for Team HISD

Today I sent this holiday message to the hard-working principals, teachers, and staff in HISD. I wanted to share it with all of you.

Team HISD Members:

One of the great myths about working in public education is that school employees enjoy extended holiday breaks when they can forget about their work duties and relax. We know better.

The upcoming winter break is intended to be a much-deserved time for you to reconnect with family and friends and recharge your internal batteries. I know that, especially for educators, much of this time will be spent preparing for a strong finish to the 2011–2012 school year. You do this not to meet the expectations of your campus or department, but to meet the high standards you have set for yourselves and, more importantly, the students of HISD.

I am constantly amazed by the willingness of our valuable Team HISD members to go above and beyond for the children of Houston. At high schools throughout HISD, for example, teachers and administrators will open their doors during winter break to offer credit recovery classes to students who have fallen behind. Some of you will be knocking on doors of your at-risk students just to show them that you’re counting on them being back in the classroom come January. HISD teachers will be answering e-mails from students in need of advice as they tackle long-term projects. Coaches will be traveling with their squads to competitions here in town and across the state. Those responsible for tracking our budgets, both districtwide and on the campus level, will be reviewing the numbers to ensure that we are being good stewards of our shrinking resources. Our facilities workers will be working feverishly to complete much-needed work before the children return. The list goes on and on.

I want each of you to know how much your selfless dedication to Houston’s children is appreciated. Your work matters, and it is paying off for the students who rely on us to guide their learning. I also want to encourage you to use this winter break to get the rest you deserve and to reflect on the great work you are doing. I look forward to seeing all of you back at school in 2012 as we put the finishing touches on what is shaping up to be a fantastic year in HISD

Sincerely,