New Appraisal and Development System for Teachers
I remember when I was a principal I would shiver every time I got a memo with this subject line: TRAINING. I always had things to do that I thought were much more important than sitting in a room for another seminar about this or that. This week, we asked our School Improvement Officers to take time out of their busy schedules to attend training sessions focused on our new appraisal and development system for teachers. They wrapped up this afternoon and I have been hearing good things. The SIOs are excited about the new system, and they believe, as I do, that it will help boost student achievement. Teachers will be rated on multiple measures in three major categories: student performance, instructional practice, and professional expectations. Our teachers have been asking for a new appraisal process and this system was created with input from thousands of educators. You can hear from some of them in this short video produced by HISD TV.
Later this month, principals and other appraisers will get the training memo. SIOs will train them on the key elements of the new system. I am confident they will see the workshops as an opportunity to learn about new ways to support our teachers and students.
Texas Legislature Opens Special Session
Late last week, it seemed as though members of the Texas House and Senate had reached an agreement to cut $4 billion from public education. What we did not know at the time of my last blog entry was that State Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth would use the filibuster to keep that school finance bill from coming to a vote in the Senate. She publically read letters from constituents pleading with her to preserve funding for Texas schools, and she listed the names of dozens of districts that would lose millions of dollars under the plan. As Senator Davis spoke, the clock ran out and the legislative session came to a close.
As you know, HISD has been bracing for deep funding cuts. The district is required by law to adopt a budget by June 30. We are continuing our budget planning process as legislators return to the State Capitol for the start of their special session. I want to once again extend my thanks to the lawmakers who are fighting to properly fund Texas schools. We are committed to working with you to develop a fair and equitable funding system for public education.
Texas Legislature Cuts Funding for Public Schools
The Texas Legislature has reached an agreement to cut $4 billion in funding to public education. Even though that is less than the $10 billion reduction that was initially proposed, it will still have a significant impact on our schools, students, and staff. The cuts are being imposed as the state is moving toward a more rigorous accountability system for school districts. That means, we will have fewer resources and less funding to help us meet the new standards.
I want to thank the legislators who fought to properly fund Texas schools and I want the people of Houston to know that we are not giving up on your children. We are fortunate to have outstanding principals and teachers in HISD, and we will not allow the state budget crisis to stand in the way of our efforts to provide a high quality education for every child.
Students Make Significant Gains on TAKS Math and Science Exams
I was proud to share news in my weekly e-News message about the significant gains that HISD students made on the TAKS math and science exams. We made the announcement yesterday and you can watch the entire news conference to the right.
As part of the press conference, we highlighted two students who made remarkable progress. Axel Funez is a ninth-grader at Sharpstown High School. He posted a 21-percent gain and scored Commended for the first time on the ninth-grade math TAKS. (The more difficult Commended level shows whether students are learning at a pace that will prepare them for college and meaningful careers.) The second student, Jannessia McFarland, is in sixth-grade at Dowling Middle School. She not only passed the TAKS math exam for the very first time, she also showed four times her expected growth on the exam.
I am so extremely proud of these students. Like all sixth- and ninth-graders in Apollo 20 schools, Axel and Jannessia have been receiving intensive tutoring every day from math fellows. There’s no doubt those tutoring sessions are paying off. This will be the first year that Jannessia doesn’t have to attend summer school. When her mom thinks about the progress her daughter has made, Ms. McFarland says her eyes start welling up. She wants the best for her daughter, just as Axel’s dad wants the best for his son. You should have seen the smile on Mr. Funez’s face yesterday afternoon. He is so proud. We took this picture (left) with the students, their parents, and their tutors. (Bridgit White, who is pictured on the far left, works with Axel at Sharpstown, and Heather Tyler, who works with Jannessia at Dowling, is on the far right.)
We are not willing to declare victory at the Apollo schools, but we are making progress toward ensuring that all children in Houston get a quality education.
Congratulations to HISD’s Teachers of the Year! Michael Clark, an AP government and economics teacher at Bellaire High School was named HISD Secondary Teacher of the Year, and Heather Gaines, a literacy coach at Lovett Elementary, was selected as the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Like all our great teachers, these two have a fundamental belief that every child can learn.
Mrs. Gaines has created book clubs, literature circles, and workstations to help students improve their reading skills. She believes every child can achieve at least a year’s worth of reading growth in one year. Mr. Clark has also incorporated student-centered activities into the rigorous, higher-level courses that he teaches. In one activity, students challenged their peers by developing a presentation using characters from the TV show “Glee” to ask questions about fiscal policy. Both of these teachers are focused on engaging their students and creating innovative ways to help them learn. We were proud to recognize Mr. Clark and Mrs. Gaines, along with 21 other finalists for Teacher of the Year at a reception last night.
Some people will tell you that the best teachers are in charter schools, or out in the suburbs, but we know that’s not the case. The best teachers in Texas, the best teachers in the country work right here in HISD. Whenever I go into the classroom, I am always impressed by the work that our teachers do. They have a difficult job. Many of our teachers have had to take on additional responsibilities as a result of the state budget crisis. They are difference-makers, and they are changing lives. We appreciate all they do and we are very grateful to have them teaching in HISD.
Every time, I go to an event where HISD students are featured, it just makes me swell up with pride and that certainly was the case last night. I attended the Scholars Banquet honoring our Valedictorians and Salutatorians. These are some of the brightest students, not just in Texas, but the entire country. As they were called to the stage to receive their medallions, we learned where they will be going to college. There are a lot of Longhorns in the group, and a few Aggies too, as our Board President Paula Harris, a proud Texas A&M graduate pointed out!
We’ve been working hard to prepare all our students for college and meaningful careers. Last night, I was honored to report that, to date, the Class of 2011 has received $107 million in college scholarship offers! That’s a record for HISD! Just two years ago, HISD students received $77 million in scholarship offers and we have worked hard to boost that number. I can’t think of another company in Houston that has brought $30 million worth of economic development into our community! That’s money that our families won’t have to pay out of their pockets to educate their children.
Congratulations to our seniors, their parents, teachers, and principals for all their hard work. We are so proud of you!
