Honoring Great School Leaders in HISD
I was proud to recognize some of HISD’s top school leaders during the Board of Education meeting last night. The Trustees and I honored the principals of HISD schools listed on the Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll, and the leaders of schools receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award. Great principals and teachers boost student achievement, and that is exactly what is happening in these award-winning schools. The number of HISD schools earning a place on the TBEC Honor Roll has been steadily increasing over the past several years. This year, we have a record 24 schools on the list!
The principals of these schools are some of the best in the country. Please join me in congratulating them. We are proud of them, and we are proud of their schools, teachers, staff, parents, and students.
Last night, we kicked off the first in a series of Community Conversations. I got a chance to hear from many of you—our teachers, principals, parents, staff, and students. We had a great discussion at Chavez High School, and I want to thank those of you who made time to join us.
It was exciting to hear from you about all the great things going on in our schools from higher level teaching to new tutoring programs to help students succeed in rigorous courses. I also appreciate you sharing your thoughts on variety of topics including the state budget crisis, prekindergarten, summer school, special education programs, and the need to effectively engage HISD parents and the Hispanic community. This type of dialogue will help us to improve and ensure that we are meeting our core mission of providing a high-quality education for every child.
You can read more about last night’s discussion and check out a list of upcoming Community Conversations by clicking here. Our next meeting is October 11 at Sharpstown High School. We will provide free buses to Sharpstown from Elrod, McNamara, and Sutton elementary schools and Fondren Middle School. The buses will depart at 5:45 p.m. and return to those campuses when the program ends.
Apollo 20 Students Making Academic Progress
Houston has a long history of being a leader in school reform and innovation, and the country is once again watching the work that the Houston Independent School District is doing to boost student achievement. Yesterday, Harvard University Economist Dr. Roland Fryer, our partner in the Apollo 20 school turnaround program, presented a report that shows students in these historically low performing Houston secondary schools made extraordinary progress in math in the first year of the program. The gains are unlike anything either of us had ever seen. In fact, Dr. Fryer said, they are “strikingly similar” to those seen in some of the nation’s most well known charter schools, including Harlem Children’s Zone and KIPP.
HISD launched Apollo in the fall of 2010 based on the belief that, through true innovation and bold action, we can forever change the direction of these schools for each and every student. We implemented key tenets of successful charter schools including great teachers and principals, more time in the classroom, intensive daily tutoring, and a no-excuses culture. After the first year of the three-year program, Dr Fryer found:
- The math skills acquired by the average Apollo 20 student represent an estimated 3½ months of additional schooling.
- Sixth-grade students, who received daily math tutoring, gained the equivalent of six additional months of schooling. Gains achieved by ninth-grade students ranged between nearly five months of additional learning to more than nine months of additional learning.
- Reading performance improved slightly, producing results equal to or just less than a month of additional instruction.
Apollo is providing hope for the children of Houston’s historically underperforming schools, and it is giving HISD and the rest of the nation a model to raise academic achievement. Through HISD’s magnet program, the Effective Teacher Initiative, our new districtwide literacy initiative, expanded Advanced Placement course offerings, and the Apollo 20 program, HISD is working to serve all students from the highest performing to the lowest performing.
I want to recognize the hard work of the Apollo principals, teachers, staff, and students. I also want to thank James Calaway, chairman of the HISD Foundation, as well as the Houston business community for supporting Apollo. More than $14 million in private money has been contributed to the school turnaround program in just over a year. We were proud to have Larry Kellner, Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership and former Continental Airlines CEO, with us yesterday. Larry said, “The students’ performance after just one year in the program shows that the Apollo 20 benefactors are getting their money’s worth.”
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our reform-minded Board of Education. This is a Board that cares deeply about all children. It has demonstrated true leadership, and I am confident that others around the country will follow in the brave footsteps of the HISD Board of Education.
Preparing Houston’s Children for the Global Economy
Today, we were honored to have Dr. Stephen Klineberg, Co-Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, join us for our monthly meeting with HISD principals.
Dr. Klineberg has done extensive research about Houston’s economy and the changing demographics of this city. He shared some of his findings with us this morning, and they underscore the need to provide a high-quality education for every child. A person’s earning power is closely linked to his or her education, and, Dr. Klineberg says, never before has education been as critical as it is now in the global economy. During the meeting, I expressed my confidence in HISD’s outstanding school leaders. We are on the right track, and our principals and teachers are preparing students to compete in a world of higher standards. One of those outstanding principals is Art Castillo from Memorial Elementary School. I was proud to recognize him and present him with a Team HISD baseball cap.
Art is doing a phenomenal job. In this video, you will see the way he connects with his students, including those with special needs. Across the district, we are working hard to improve the quality of services for special needs children. We recently purchased computer workstations, which are also featured in the video. The computers are helping to ensure that students with severe disabilities have access to software that can help them with their math and reading skills.
Great Discussion with Our Student Leaders
I’ve always found that students will tell you the truth; they’ll let you know what is really going on in their schools. This week, I met with more than 50 students from many of our high schools. They had great questions about everything from the new STAAR exams and Advanced Placement courses, to the condition of our high school buildings and the food in the cafeterias. The discussion was carried live on HISD TV (Comcast 18) and www.houstonisd.org. If you missed it, you can watch the rebroadcast online, or make plans to tune in to HISD TV at the following times.
- Sundays: 1 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- Wednesdays: 9:30 p.m.
- Thursdays and Fridays: 9 p.m.
- Saturdays: 2 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
The student forum was a kick off to my upcoming Community Conversations. I would love for you to join me at one of those discussions and give me your feedback about the work that we are doing in HISD. The first gathering is October 6 at Chávez High School. Click here for times, dates, and more information.
Help for Schools and Communities Affected by Wildfires
I know many of you have been concerned about all those affected by the devastating wildfires in Bastrop and other communities in Texas. HISD collected monetary donations for the employees of Bastrop ISD, and I want to thank everyone from Team HISD who contributed to that effort. This week, Bastrop ISD Superintendent Steve Murray sent a letter to Texans and educators who have supported his district during this challenging time. I read Steve’s letter on the Texas Association of School Administrators’ EduSlate blog, and wanted to make sure that you got a chance to read it, as well.
Many of our students and school communities also came up with other ways help those who lost everything in the fires. Hogg Middle School Principal Mina Schnitta and her students collected school supplies, clothing, food, and water to help students in Magnolia.
Mr. Schnautz said, “The graciousness and outpouring of support demonstrated by the Hogg Middle School community has greatly benefitted our students during this difficult time.” I am proud of the staff and students at Hogg Middle School, and all the other HISD schools that have stepped up to help. The people of Magnolia, Bastrop, and other areas, remain in our thoughts as they work to rebuild their communities.
This was a great week for HISD’s high-achieving students. We announced Thursday that 54 seniors from six HISD high schools are semi-finalists for prestigious National Merit Scholarships. These are students who posted some of the top scores nationally on the Preliminary SAT exam during their junior year. They are now eligible to compete for more than 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth a grand total of $34 million. Special kudos are in order for the seniors at Bellaire High School, which boasts 38 semifinalists. Other schools on the list include: Lamar, Westside, DeBakey High School for Health Professions, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Carnegie Vanguard High School.
Last year, HISD graduates earned a record $129 million in scholarship offers, compared to $76 million just two years ago.
We also learned recently that three HISD campuses have earned the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School designation from the U.S. Department of Education. Lyons Elementary School, Challenge Early High School, and Eastwood Academy High School all made the 2011 list. To make this elite list, schools must achieve at the highest academic levels in the state, or make significant gains in closing the achievement gap. Only 304 U.S. schools made the cut and they will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in November.
All of this success is a testament to the great work being done throughout HISD by our smart and dedicated principals and teachers.
Meeting with the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce
The dedication of Houston’s business community to quality public education was on display earlier this week as my staff and I met with members of the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Eric Lyons committed again to support the district financially by providing college scholarships for deserving students. Lyons sees HISD as an important part of the pipeline that will provide African-American entrepreneurs for the future of Houston. We were pleased to report that the on-time graduation rate for African-American students in HISD climbed from 68 percent the previous year to 74 percent last year. More of our African-American students are taking the SAT and Advanced Placement courses than ever before. But we also talked frankly about improving under-performing schools. We believe the creation of a college-bound culture in our schools is the best way to keep feeding that pipeline.
Is your business or community organization considering a partnership with HISD? Please contact Strategic Partnerships at 713-556-7200.
Rave Reviews from Thunder Soul Film Screening at Kashmere High School
We know that great teachers can make a tremendous impact on the lives of their students. We see evidence of that every day in Houston’s schools, and if you need any more proof that’s the case, make plans to see the documentary Thunder Soul. The film tells the story of HISD’s legendary music instructor, Conrad “Prof” Johnson. Prof was the leader of the Kashmere High School Stage Band. He was a mentor, role model, and an inspiration to his students. Yesterday, I joined hundreds of parents, community members, staff, and students at the film premiere at Kashmere High School. It was a great event, with a concert performed by several generations of the Kashmere High School Stage Band. They were fantastic! Let me tell you, I am still tapping my feet!
Thunder Soul was directed by Mark Landsman, a former teacher himself. In this short clip, he describes how he first learned about Prof.
Thunder Soul will be in theaters across the country later this month. It showcases the history and school pride at Kashmere. I want to share with you excerpts from a letter that Tamera Bolden, Principal at East Early College High School sent to Kashmere Principal Paul Hardin after the event. She began her career at Kashmere, and wasn’t sure what to expect when she returned to view the film premiere. She was blown away by the transformation:
I am so glad that I attended the film premiere…there were happy kids everywhere participating in all kinds of activities. There is such a good feel to the school. The year that I left, it didn’t feel like that at all. Returning last night was like a homecoming to me, and brought back so many good memories of the people that I met at Kashmere, the amazing kids, and the great teachers that I worked with there. The highlight for me was being greeted at the door by Andre Walker (Kashmere C/O ’91), your AP. Seeing one of our Trinity Gardens kids handling such an important job so professionally, and seeing him on stage so poised and articulate just made me proud.
Thank you for hosting this incredible event and graciously opening up your school to everyone. You are obviously doing a wonderful job, and I wish you and your students all kinds of success. I hope that everyone sees this documentary, because Prof was the kind of teacher all of us want for our own kids. He was such a humble man, and was so good for children who didn’t always have someone believing in them. And the film was good for us too, because as principals we are so busy all the time that we don’t take time to reflect on how we are helping students, sometimes changing the path that they will walk after being in our school. And also how important it is for us to make sure we provide teachers who inspire and motivate our students.
I hate to tell you, but you will probably have to do a documentary about your state champion basketball coach, Frankie Brazos now! He was another unsung hero of the teaching profession.
Sincerely,
Tamera J. Bolden, Principal
East Early College High School
Houston Chronicle Says Other Schools Can Learn From HISD’s Innovative Apollo 20 Program
Today, HISD was featured on the editorial page of the Houston Chronicle. The newspaper’s editorial board praised our school turnaround efforts and said that other schools can learn from HISD’s innovative Apollo 20 program. In a separate Op-Ed piece, Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools—the nation’s primary coalition of large urban school districts—said that “HISD is at the forefront of important educational reforms nationwide.”
Click here to read both pieces printed in the Houston Chronicle.
