Historic bond decision has potential to change Houston’s future
This week, HISD’s Board of Education took a bold step toward modernizing outdated schools across our city. Trustees voted to place a bond proposition on the November general election ballot. It’s an historic decision that has the potential to change Houston’s future for generations to come. HISD’s 2012 bond would rebuild or renovate 38 schools, including the district’s high schools in greatest need of repair and modernization. It also would fund millions of dollars worth of improvements that would benefit every child in the district.
This bond proposal is an important extension of the work that we are doing to provide safe schools and a rigorous education for every child. We’ve made great strides in placing effective teachers and principals in all our schools. They are making a tremendous impact on student learning, but if that’s all students needed to be successful, we could hold classes under an oak tree. That simply won’t work, not today, not when our students must compete against their peers from the suburbs and students from around the world. We need buildings designed to promote 21st century learning. High schools built 50, 60, and 70 years ago simply do not meet the needs of today’s children.
Over the next three months, we will be coming to your neighborhood to share more information about the $1.89 billion bond proposal. I hope you will consider joining us at a community meeting. You can also learn more about the measure on this website. Thank you for your interest in the proposal, and please remember to vote on November 6.
On Monday, I had the pleasure of welcoming more than 1,400 new educators to Team HISD. These new teachers got an introduction to the district – including its teacher appraisal and development system.
We have high expectations for this group of educators. Teachers at HISD have an important responsibility to help their students make at least one year of academic growth, and I know that they can do it. At HISD, we provide all of the resources teachers need to get the best results out of their students. Our children deserve no less.
We are a diverse district with diverse needs – and our teachers are the difference makers who can help their students achieve no matter what ZIP code they come from. We are committed to making sure that every student is taught by a highly effective teacher every day, because with that, there is no limit to what our students can accomplish.
I look forward to seeing what these new teachers will accomplish in the coming school year!
Bringing classrooms into the 21st century
After six weeks of feedback from trustees, community leaders, parents, and educators, a revised 2012 bond proposal was discussed today at the Board of Education’s workshop.
In all, the new proposal includes funding to rebuild or renovate 38 schools, upgrade technology in all classrooms, and make other districtwide improvements. It would bring classrooms into the 21st century. For example: A new, state-of-the art DeBakey High School would be constructed in the Texas Medical Center. Meanwhile, historic exteriors at several campuses would be preserved. And this is all within the original budget of $1.89 billion. For more details on the proposal, click here.
HISD is committed to building schools on time and efficiently. We’re also determined to provide a rigorous education to all students. If the board votes on Aug. 9 to send this proposal to voters in November, the district will be ready to launch construction in 2014.
Members of Team HISD worked diligently to fine-tune this proposal, and I would like to commend them for their dedication and hard work. It is our duty as educators, parents, and as a community to ensure that our children can rely on safe, modernized schools that provide a rigorous learning environment.
Teachers Preparing for New Academic Year at Curriculum Institutes
Principals and other campus leaders got their first good look at our new curriculum during the Summer Leadership Institute in June, and now, thousands of our teachers are doing the same.
Educators say they like the solid foundation it gives them on which to build lessons as well as the flexibility it provides to accommodate all types of learners.
But the curriculum’s greatest impact is probably best summed up by Diquana Shields, a first-grade teacher from the Horn Academy who participated in a Curriculum and Assessment Institute at Lovett ES this week. She observed that “even if a child changes schools, we’re all teaching the same thing.”
And in a district where our ultimate goal is to provide every child with a consistently rigorous, quality education, that is wonderful to hear.
Pursuing a Deep Well of Opportunity
We know how important it is to prepare our kids for college and meaningful careers, and it’s something that every member of Team HISD is committed to, working hand in hand with parents and families. It’s especially gratifying to see the local business community get behind that effort.
Thirteen oil and gas companies across the city gave HISD students the unique opportunity to participate in the International Petroleum Association of America’s Summer Externship Program.
The externship program gives students from the district’s Petroleum Academies the chance to work side by side with oil and gas industry professionals. I don’t think there is a more valuable experience for students who want to pursue a career in the field.
I have personally seen this program provide a light-bulb moment for students who are trying to decide on their college and career paths. This year, Jazmine Delatrinidad of Milby High School said her experience sealed her desire to work in the oil and gas industry – adding that she didn’t know that such a wide array of career options was possible.
Opening the door to possibility is perhaps the greatest service we can provide our students as a school district. I hope we can continue this rich partnership and cultivate others just like it!
HISD currently has hundreds of openings for motivated teachers who are invested in making an impact on student achievement. Please help us spread the word that there’s never been a better time to teach in HISD. Successful applicants will be joining a phenomenal team of teachers and school leaders who are committed to driving innovation, transforming education, and closing the achievement gap.
Elizabeth Martinez, a veteran bilingual teacher at Lantrip Elementary and 2011 National Bilingual Teacher of the Year, said she is proud to be a member of Team HISD – a district that provides a wide variety of professional development workshops, online support, and mentors for new teachers.
Candidates who submit an application by July 31 will be eligible to start teaching in the fall. If you know someone who shares our vision, please let our recruitment team know by completing a brief online form.
Improved Graduation and Dropout Rates for the Fourth Year Running
It’s a day of historic progress at HISD. The TEA has released news that more HISD students are graduating on time and fewer of them are dropping out, marking the fourth year in a row that the district has achieved this remarkable milestone.
HISD’s latest dropout rate of 11.8 percent and four-year graduation rate of 78.5 percent are the best they have been under the accountability system Texas put into place in 2007. In just four years (from 2007 to 2011), HISD has posted a 30 percent increase in the number of diplomas it has awarded. I have to give credit to the district’s teachers, principals, and staff for this continued march toward excellence. Innovative programs are helping us get there. Just a few of the highlights:
- Grad Labs in high schools across the district are helping struggling students graduate on time through online credit recovery under the guidance of campus-based graduation coaches.
- Dropout Recovery, Intervention and Prevention (DRIP) committees on high school campuses bring staff together for regular strategy meetings to discuss plans for keeping students in school and for bringing back those who have left. Committee members include principals, guidance counselors, Grad Lab coaches, and social workers. Click here to see a video featuring the work of Lee High School’s DRIP committee.
- A partnership with Houston Community College to launch Houston Innovative Learning Zone career and technical education programs inside six campuses. Graduates of these programs will receive associate’s degrees and professional certifications that will help them succeed in college or to immediately enter the workforce. Click here to read more about the HILZ initiative.
- Computer-generated Dropout Prevention Early Warning reports that use student data to alert schools when students are exhibiting risk factors that could lead to them becoming dropouts. This early identification tool helps school leaders intervene before students drop out.
- Assigning a dozen student caseworkers across HISD to specific at-risk students to help them overcome obstacles that could lead to them dropping out of high school. The caseworkers coordinate efforts and programs to keep at-risk students connected to a positive school experience and to re-connect students who have dropped out to opportunities to receive a high school diploma.
Students who cannot read on grade level almost assuredly have an uphill climb toward graduation. A key part of the district’s strategy for helping even more students graduate in the years to come is its literacy initiative. This fall, HISD is launching a revamped English language arts curriculum designed in partnership with teachers and training provided by the Neuhaus Education Center. In the upcoming school year, sixth- and ninth-graders who are reading below grade level will receive an extra daily class period of reading instruction using specially designed curriculum from Neuhaus.
I’m very proud to be part of an organization that strives to make sure every student leaves HISD with a diploma in hand. It’s still a work in progress, and we can continue to improve our numbers.
We have to convince kids living in Houston, Texas, that life without a diploma isn’t much of a life at all. We are fortunate to live in a community that cares and supports our kids, which is so important. Dropout prevention isn’t just one person’s problem – it belongs to all of us.
Consideration of a New Bond Referendum
The HISD Board of Education has begun an important discussion – one that has far-reaching implications for every one of the 279 schools in the district. This is especially true for many of our aging high schools.
Under a proposed $1.89 billion bond program, HISD would rebuild, renovate or renew 42 schools across Houston, including 28 high schools. Within that proposal, nearly $224 million would be dedicated to security and technology upgrades for all schools in the district.
The average age of HISD secondary schools now stands at 50 years, compared to 39 years for the district’s elementary schools. According to independent school facilities experts, many of these high schools are no longer able to accommodate the best instructional approaches for helping students meet rising academic expectations.
School construction and renovation work approved by HISD voters in 2007 is nearing completion on budget. So far, HISD has opened 16 new or replacement schools under that bond program, six more new schools are under construction, and two more are in the planning stage. More than 100 HISD campuses have undergone renovations so far. Click here for more detailed information about the work completed under the 2007 bond program.
Houston’s prosperity is rooted in the great high schools built generations ago by our city’s visionary leaders who knew the value of a solid long-term investment. Now is the time for today’s generation to step up and follow their lead.
Houston’s high schools should be places of pride for the neighborhoods and, more importantly, the students that they serve.
We’ve come a long way at HISD, but meeting the demands for updated, consistently safe schools continues to be a priority. It’s in our children’s best interest and an investment that will pay off for decades to come.
Dedicated Former Students Give Back to Their Elementary Campus
As summer school classes wrap up today, I think it’s important to recognize a very special effort that was under way in the classrooms at Ed White Elementary School this summer.
Ashley Ly and her twin brother, Andrew, were among two dozen former students from the campus who returned to volunteer during the school’s Summer School Volunteer Program.
The former students say they feel an immense sense of personal satisfaction, and that can only be surpassed by the good work these dedicated individuals provided this summer – offering their services as tutors, teacher’s aides, and role models.
Volunteer Noel Velasquez put it best when he said he hoped his efforts would inspire the young students at White Elementary to grow up to be good role models for other kids.
I know there are great volunteer efforts worth noting all across the district, whether those efforts are student-driven or coordinated by parents or community members.
Through these efforts, we not only grow as individuals, but we also enrich those around us and the community as a whole.
Ashley, Andrew, and Noel are an inspiration to Team HISD, the community, and their peers.
AHSA honors HISD student stars and future educators
Some of HISD’s brightest stars were out last Wednesday night when I had the privilege of attending the Association of Hispanic School Administrators (AHSA) Noche de las Estrellas Scholarship and Awards Banquet. This was the 21st year AHSA members gathered to distribute scholarships to HISD star students who are aspiring teachers and school administrators, as well as recognize community organizations whose work benefits the greater HISD community.
An impressive $17,000 was given away to 8 deserving students who have kept their grades up, participated in a variety of school activities, and contributed to their communities through volunteer work.
One of these students, Roberto Nuñez from Eastwood Academy Charter High School, is a long practicing martial arts enthusiast and wants to teach future physical education students the value of fitness in maintaining health and emotional stability.
Another scholarship recipient, Marizita Valdespino, is class president and a member of the National, Spanish, English, and Science Honor Societies and soccer and track teams at Milby High School. She plans to return to teach in HISD neighborhood schools when she graduates from college. We have quite a few HISD alums teaching and leading in our district and it’s always great to hear that our students feel such a strong connection to HISD that they want to return to teach.
Some students have their career already mapped out beyond teaching, like Gwendolyn Martinez of Austin High School. She will be the first in her family to attend college and plans someday to be a superintendent.
The event also honored community organizations Navidad en el Barrio and Houston Community College with Amigo Awards. Navidad en el Barrio has a long history of providing scholarships to HISD students, as well as donating food and gifts to Houston area homeless shelters and assisting families in financial need. Houston Community College is partnering with HISD in providing tech-prep and dual credit courses through the new HILZ (Houston Innovative Learning Zone) program on 6 high school campuses across the district.
Long time HISD employee Martha Salazar-Zamora was also honored with an HISD Estrella Award for her years of service. Martha will soon be leaving Houston for a promotion to Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and Administration in Round Rock ISD. We wish her well in this new position!
To view a gallery of photos from the event, go to the Houston ISD News Blog athttp://wp.me/p22HL1-yg.
