Students’ achievements show how we’re ‘becoming great all over’
Naturally, I am very proud to work for a school district that has been named a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education twice in as many years.
But while it is wonderful to be recognized for the progress we’re making as a district, many of our students and teachers are also being honored individually for their accomplishments.
Here is just a small sampling of the many accolades earned by members of Team HISD over the past few weeks:
- Seven graduating seniors from Bellaire, DeBakey, and Westside high schools were named Academic Achievement Scholarship winners by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation
- Farias Early Childhood Center was recognized by a nationally recognized expert on early childhood education for its successful behavior modification program
- High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice student Kristin Gerhart won second place in a national JROTC Essay contest.
- A team of students from Westside High School won the Best Eco-design Award for the second consecutive year at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas.
- Eight HISD students won either gold or silver medals this year in the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
You can read more about these and other well-deserved honors by following us on Twitter and looking for the #GreatAllOver hashtag. Go, Team HISD!
Students race toward efficiency in Energy Capital of the World
With thousands oil and gas-related companies calling it home, it’s small wonder that the City of Houston is sometimes known as the Energy Capital of the World.
At HISD, we are well aware of the value these industries bring to our economy, and that’s one of the reasons we created petroleum academies at three of our high schools.
We want our students to be prepared for the many challenging job opportunities available in these fields, and I am excited to see that students from one of those campuses—Westside High School—will be demonstrating what they’ve learned so far when they take part in Shell’s Eco-marathon Americas downtown this weekend.
This annual event challenges young people to build the most energy-efficient vehicles they can think of, then compete to see which one can go the furthest on the least amount of fuel.
The goal this year is to beat last year’s record of 2,188 miles on a single gallon of gas.
I hope some of you will have a chance to drop by Discovery Green this weekend to root for our teams. There will be plenty to see and do for the whole family. Go Wolves!
HISD Repeats as Broad Prize Finalist
Today, we received more great news that Houston schools truly are becoming great all over. For the second straight year, the Houston Independent School District is among just four national finalists for the most prestigious award in K-12 public education: The Broad Prize for Urban Education. Seventy-five school districts from across America were considered for the award by a panel of researchers who pored over reams of student achievement data covering the past four years. They looked at SAT scores, performance on college-level Advanced Placement exams, graduation and dropout rates, and much more. The award’s goal is to not just identify the highest-achieving districts, but to highlight the ones that are getting the job done consistently, year after year.
Support: HISD’s distinguishing feature
Last Saturday, teachers from all across the country came to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center to learn more about HISD and what makes it different from other large urban school districts.
More than 200 educators attended the event (read more about that here), and I am proud to say that the factor many of them cited as the district’s key attraction was “support.”
At HISD, we are committed to ‘Becoming Great All Over’, and that means providing the highest caliber of support and professional development to our teachers.
One of the most exciting support partnerships in the district right now is the one we have with Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion. A pilot program incorporating many of the strategies from his book is now in its second year at seven of our campuses, including Edison Middle School, which Lemov recently visited.
There, teacher Mical Roy told him about how he had read Lemov’s book in graduate school, but never felt he was given the support and guidance needed to implement the strategies described until he joined HISD. (Read more on that story here.)
My hope is that more highly effective teachers will recognize our commitment to excellence and the incredible growth opportunities available to them in this district—and make the same decision that many of their colleagues have—to join Team HISD.
Putting the spotlight on early college high schools
Is there anything better than receiving something of great value for free?
Everybody likes a good bargain, and that is precisely what students get at our early college high schools. These campuses give motivated young people a chance to earn college credits while still in high school—and in some cases, an associates’ degree right alongside a diploma.
Getting your first two years of college for free represents a significant savings for students and their families—sometimes thousands of dollars—and that’s why I encourage parents to look very hard at our early college high school offerings when considering their children’s options.
HISD pioneered the concept of the early college high school in Texas when it launched Challenge Early College High School in August of 2003, and we’ve had nine years to perfect and expand that program.
Now, the district has additional campuses spread out across the city: East Early College High School, Empowerment College Preparatory Academy/South Early College High School, the Houston Academy for International Studies, and North Houston Early College High School. Each one serves a small group of driven young people in a challenging, yet supportive, learning environment, delivering high-quality instruction so that they can get a head start on an advanced degree or a career. Two of those schools (Empowerment/SECHS and NECHS) will also be getting brand-new campuses under the 2012 Bond.
March 25–30 is Early College High School Week, so please take a few minutes to learn more about our early college campuses (you can do so at our upcoming School Choice Fair on April 27). I assure you, you won’t find a better deal anywhere. This is just one more way that HISD is “Becoming Great All Over.”
Connecting students with the most-effective teachers
I know that for many students and teachers, Spring Break offers a well-deserved rest from teaching and learning; they can reconnect with their families, travel to new places, or visit local attractions.
But some of our most at-risk students will be receiving additional instruction this year, thanks to a new program called ‘Camp Connect’ (see related story here). Developed by School Support Officer Kim Fonteno, this four-day experience will give about 450 struggling students 16 more hours of focused instruction in math and reading.
To make this happen, some of our most effective teachers had to give up their original plans for the five-day break, but I am pleased to say that almost three dozen stepped up to the plate for the chance to help some of the kids who need it the most.
Their dedication is what makes me so proud to be a part of this organization. I am also grateful to employees in the Food Services, Transportation, and Construction and Facilities Services departments. They will be at work over the break as well, providing support for this initiative with meals, bus rides, and custodial services.
This is just one example of how HISD is “Becoming Great All Over.”
Opening up students’ eyes to a world of opportunity
At HISD, our single most-important task is preparing young people for college and careers. In both cases, a big part of that job revolves around increasing student awareness. Some kids don’t realize that with all of the resources available, secondary education isn’t just a dream, while others simply haven’t been exposed to all of the career possibilities out there.
That’s why HISD held its annual Career and Technical Education showcase (now known as the ‘When I Grow Up’ Expo) last Saturday, and I am pleased to report that hundreds of students and their families came to learn more about the many exciting opportunities that await them.
HISD has been offering specialized instruction in a number of areas for years, such as automotive technology, culinary arts, and agriculture, but the launch of six academies last fall is helping even more students get a head start on their careers.
Students who complete one of those four-year programs can graduate with a high-school diploma and an associate’s degree, plus valuable industry credentials that can lead to rewarding careers in high-growth technical fields such as engineering, pharmacology, and computer networking.
The college credits earned by these students can also be transferred to any public Texas university, saving them money and time if they choose to forego an immediate career to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university.
I am excited to see so many young people taking advantage of these opportunities, and I look forward to hearing more about how our students have benefitted from them.
Going the extra mile for our students and stakeholders
Dr. Grier with Marsha Clark after receiving her hat.
HISD is full of employees who go out of their way to make sure other people’s lives go just a little bit more smoothly—and I had the honor of recognizing three of them with “Team HISD” hats at today’s quarterly central office staff meetings.
Dr. Grier with James Williams and Shawndra Johnson after receiving their hats.
The other two hat recipients were Shawndra Johnson and James Williams. When they noticed that many of the young people they worked with were hungry, these two caseworkers took it upon themselves to line up food donations for at-risk students who had places to stay, but nothing to eat. You can read more about their efforts here, in the Shout-Outs section of the last Friday eNews. I talk a lot about how HISD’s dropout rate is lower now than ever, and that’s not just a coincidence. It’s because of the hard work of our employees, like Shawndra and James.
Please join me in thanking all of these employees for their commitment to Team HISD and to Houston’s children.
Hats off to our friends at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Next Friday is Go Texan! Day, when we celebrate the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s return by dressing up in our finest western attire.
The Rodeo is already known for its world-class entertainment, agricultural attractions, and western heritage exhibits—but did you know it is also a huge supporter of public education?
Since 1957, it has awarded more than $17 million in college scholarships to HISD students for their education, including $1,648,000 to 103 members of the Class of 2012 alone. The Show has also been a generous supporter of our Apollo 20 school turnaround program and reading initiatives, contributing $2 million to the former and $500,000 to the latter. And each year, hundreds of students earn recognition through its annual art competition.
The Rodeo will be here this year from Feb. 25 through March 17. Please join me in tipping your hat to our friends there for their enduring support of Houston’s children.
HISD Would Welcome North Forest ISD Students
On Thursday, Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams notified me of his recommendation to close the North Forest Independent School District and annex it to HISD. While North Forest ISD is entitled to appeal the decision, I want the families of North Forest ISD to know that we would welcome them to HISD and would do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition.
