Long process over, we’re ready for a budget vote
Thursday evening will see the culmination of perhaps our most important annual ritual, as the Board of Education votes on approving next year’s HISD budget. This follows months of careful analysis and planning from our financial office and weeks of review and discussions with the Board of Education.
Since we began our budget process, we’ve been very fortunate that the projections of our property tax base have improved, as the boom in home and commercial property values continues.
We’re proud of what we’ve been able to do through that good fortune and the skills of our very capable Chief Financial Officer Ken Huewitt and his team.
Under our final proposal, every teacher will receive a raise of at least $1,100. And depending on length of service, some teachers will receive as much as $3,300.
Starting teachers will ease closer to that magic $50,000 a year salary level – with $49,100 for first-year teachers. That makes us competitive with neighboring districts, which have recently upped their starting pay. More importantly, this is just the beginning of a longer-term plan to make our overall teacher pay scale more sensible.
We will also be presenting this evening an additional $29 per pupil pushed out to all of our schools this upcoming school year. This is in addition to $26 per-pupil allocation already approved by the Board in May. Combined, all HISD schools will receive an additional $55 per pupil next year – another solid step toward returning our schools to the PUA levels before the state cuts in 2011.
There has never been and will never be a budget in any public institution where everyone is happy with the results. Through the grace of a robust economy, the talents of our staff, and the insights of our Board and stakeholders, we think we’ve come as close to a fair and responsible budget as humanly possible.
Summer vacation? In HISD, these are busy prep months for next year
Whenever I encounter someone who thinks — because the school year runs from August through May — that we have the summer “off,” I have to chuckle. Summer is one of the busiest times for educators in general, and especially so for us this year in HISD. I thought I’d give you a little insight into what our summer “off” looks like around here.
On campuses, we have thousands of youngsters in summer school at all levels. They and their teachers — and the folks who serve meals and keep the A/C running and the bathrooms clean — are all hard at work. In addition, this summer we have special programs for all ages, from an Extended Primary Year program to give preschool through second-grade youngsters a head start on basic skills, to a TAKS recovery program that offers former students who never received a high school diploma a second chance to be tutored and pass that defunct but mandated test.
#EMERGEtour is summer journey to remember for HISD students
Summer travels are frequently enriching, but how many are life-changing? Visits to natural wonders, perhaps, or trips to religious shrines can have soul-searing significance.
This week, 93 HISD juniors and seniors are on the #EMERGEtour, a journey that promises to change their lives. These bright and engaged students who are part of our EMERGE program come from low-income homes where frequently no one has ever dreamed of going to college. Yet they’re guests this week at nine of the nation’s most prestigious Ivy League and Tier One campuses — Harvard, Yale, MIT, Tufts, to name a few.
Few of these young people have ventured far from Houston, have ever been on a plane. They have now, but more importantly, they’re allowing their imaginations to soar. By the time they’ve ended their tour, seen what dorm life is like, and heard from current students who came from homes like theirs, they will understand that if they continue to apply themselves, these elite schools are within their reach. Sixty-four members of HISD’s class of 2014 are living proof, on their way this fall, most with full financial aid that can total around a quarter-million dollars for four years.
Within one day, after hearing from “first gen” college students, our EMERGE youngsters had new insights.
“My parents, as typical as immigrant parents can get, just nod their heads whenever I bring up a single detail about college,” wrote Humza Baig. “They have nothing to offer me but their love and support. I learned today that is enough.”
“It was nice to relate to someone who had to push instead of pitying themselves,” said Brittany Blain. “Stories of first gen students can be gritty and tough, but I hope one day to give advice to those in my shoes, too.”
Another HISD EMERGE tour is planned in July. Through next spring, we’ll be following the seniors as they blog about navigating the college application process. And this time next year, we expect they’ll be planning for a new journey — very possibly to one of the campuses they’re visiting this week.
Student achievements give us reason to be proud
Humility is an admirable trait, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid bragging. The end of the school year, when student achievements are front-and-center, is one of those times.
First, there’s the news that the class of 2014 has smashed the record for scholarship and financial aid offers — more than $233 million, and counting. The goal set by our College Readiness folks had been $200 million, and that seemed pretty bold, when you considered last year’s stellar total was $185 million.
That’s a testimony to the hard work of our students and our own hard work to increase rigor, offer more AP classes and SAT tests on campus with free online test prep, and to make applying for financial aid and scholarships easier by having a FAFSA Day at each high school.
These efforts are paying off, literally and figuratively, for our students.
There are so many young people who could be singled out as the school year winds down, but let’s give a shout-out to Natalie Nichols, a fourth-grader at Helms Elementary School in the Heights, who was brought to our attention by her math teacher, Tonya Vetter. Ms. Vetter is understandably proud of this young adopted child from Guatemala.
She tells us Natalie has had a great year in her reading and math scores, culminating in a perfect score of 2008 on her STAAR math course. She didn’t miss a single question. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing even greater things from Natalie.
The culmination of our school year is always the joy of seeing our seniors in bright caps, gowns, and smiles as they cross stages across our city to receive their diplomas and move onto the next phase of their lives. There will be 42 of those inspirational ceremonies in coming days.
To those graduates, dream big and never give up. To the rest of our students, enjoy a safe summer — read lots of books — and we’ll see you again in August.
New budget offers short- and long-term gains for our teachers
We value our teachers in HISD, understanding that they are the foundation of our district. That’s precisely why we have been working hard this budget season to find the money in a tight budget environment to better reward our teachers for their hard work and contributions to the district.
Currently, we are working on a proposal that would add $20 million to next year’s budget – all of which would go directly to teacher salaries. And while that sounds like a lot of money, for a district our size, it’s really only a drop in the bucket of where we need to be. That fact needs to be crystal clear to everyone.
We’re making it ‘Cool To Be Smart’ with celebration, prizes
Knowledge is its own reward – but sometimes it’s nice to provide extra incentive to motivate our students to pursue the most rigorous academic pathway.
That’s the thought behind Cool To Be Smart, a program I brought with me to HISD, which rewards high school students taking a strong schedule of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or dual credit courses with a special celebration and prizes each May. This year’s edition will be presented Sunday, May 18.
The big payoff is a brand-new car, given to a graduating senior who is chosen by drawing. But this year, our College Readiness Department had the idea that it would be nice to include sophomores and juniors who are taking that rigorous coursework, too. They don’t get a chance at the car, but they can qualify for iPads, Google Chromebooks, and gift cards. The College Readiness team members – who are both cool and smart – also figured it wouldn’t hurt to have the underclassmen realize that they could win the car soon, if they keep up the challenging work.
Peer pressure can be strong on teens, and the idea that being a good student isn’t cool – sometimes having to forego an outing with friends to hit the homework – was around even before I was in high school. In a sense, we’re really rewarding character and discipline in this program, as well as our students’ academic strengths.
How one HISD principal created a ‘welcoming’ school
You can view diversity as a liability, or you can view it as an asset. At HISD, we choose the positive approach. In a shrinking world, an important part of our children’s educational experience is their exposure to youngsters and families with varying socioeconomic backgrounds, from far-reaching parts of the world, and to those who may have lifestyles and beliefs different from their own.
Nothing replaces getting to know someone from a neighborhood across town, from a war-torn country, with a different language or religion, whose family doesn’t look like their own, to give a child the ability to move freely – and graciously – in a complex, diverse city and world.
Another important part of children’s understanding and acceptance is the examples adults set. Bullying and intolerance doesn’t just happen with youngsters, as Garden Oaks Montessori Principal Lindsey Pollock can tell you.
Last year, some of her parents approached her, concerned about other families at the school “that looked different than everybody else.” Dr. Pollock listened politely, and then did something about it.
She brought in a program from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, called Welcoming Schools, that approaches bullying and intolerance in a sweeping way that takes into account lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families. The aim is to create a climate that makes the school a safe place for every type of family – and to have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of unkind behavior.
So successful is the program at Garden Oaks that the school is one of only 10 campuses nationwide to be honored with the Seal of Excellence from the national organization. Through the program, Dr. Pollock has made Garden Oaks a place that embraces everyone, instead of merely tolerating them – “making sure that everybody has a place at the table.”
A hero – not just on the gridiron – but in the classroom
Something wonderful happened this week at Neff Elementary School that we hope will have a ripple effect throughout HISD. Houston Texans star J.J. Watt took the time to read a book to the Neff students. That was meaningful on so many levels.
The youngsters there had relentlessly pursued Watt on social media with photos of themselves reading, an invitation, and the hashtag #Neffreads4JJ. A few weeks later, they received a response: “I see you @Neff_ES, keep reading, and I’ll see you when I’m back in town.”
True to his word, Watt visited this Tuesday and read from MegaWatt, his own story written for youngsters, about how his tenacity has led to success. They learned a lesson of their own about how their tenacity reaping rewards.
This gentle giant provided a day these students will never forget, when a hero kept a promise and spent his valuable time sharing an important life skill with them – reading.
For HISD, this couldn’t come at a better time. As we embark on our Literacy By 3 program – to make sure every student is reading with fluency by third-grade – an important component will be a corps of volunteers to go into schools.
We will be looking for individuals willing to share time and their own love of reading starting this fall, whether by holding an occasional “storytime,” or making a commitment to mentor and tutor an individual child for the entire school year.
As I wrote in an opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle earlier this week, reading is not only a classroom activity, and to solve Houston’s literacy crisis, the solution must include homes and extend throughout the community.
We’re counting on parents, grandparents, community, government, and business leaders to get involved – to share their time and to teach by example, and we’ll be providing details in coming weeks about how you can join our efforts.
J.J. Watt is a great role model for us all.
Are you a satisfied customer? HISD wants to know
You’re a student, a teacher, a parent, an administrator – but in reality, you’re a customer of HISD. And just as your utility company or bank or restaurant asks for your opinions of their service, we’re interested in knowing how we’re doing in serving you.
That’s why, for the second year, HISD is conducting the Your Voice survey. We have a third-party conducting this enormous customer service assessment, and your answers are confidential. We want you to be honest in your opinions about how rigorous and consistent we are, and if you feel our schools are safe places – what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong.
The RDA Group, a global market research firm, is devising the survey, distributing it, receiving it, and tabulating the results.
Last year, we had 125,000 participants, and those responses were used to help individual campuses guide their plans for improvement, and by the Board of Trustees in their annual district “scorecard.”
This year, we’re hoping for even greater participation, and we’re working with schools to boost response percentages – even encouraging them to offer fun incentives, such as special perks and recognition at each campus – for increasing response levels.
So starting next week, please take a few minutes to answer some simple questions on Your Voice. Parents, teachers, and administrators will participate from May 1-30, and we’ll collect student surveys May 12-30.
As we tell our students, grades are important because they allow youngsters to reinforce what they’ve mastered and work harder on areas where they need improvement. That’s how we’re viewing Your Voice.
An engaged community makes for better schools, and we’re eager to hear from you.
This was HISD’s week to shine in soccer, science, good taste, and test prep
This is one of those times I can’t just settle on one topic, so I’ll be the bearer of much good news from our campuses.
Let’s all send positive thoughts to our Lee High School soccer team, which earned itself a solid place in HISD history this week by becoming not only Lee’s first soccer squad to go to state but the first in the district. The team is playing in the semifinals Friday – and we hope in the finals on Saturday in Georgetown, near Austin.
Their athletic ability is impressive, but what really stands out about this team is its diversity, reflective of Lee’s multicultural student body and the international popularity of soccer. Team members not only come from the U.S., but Vietnam, the Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Cuba.
To most of us, Tuesday was “tax day,” but it had a much happier designation for one of our schools. Houston Mayor Annise Parker declared April 15 Kashmere Junior and Senior Day in Houston. The proclamation cited the performance by Teach for America second-year science instructor Adeeb Barqawi’s classes on the district-level assessment in physics. His 84 students outperformed those at all other HISD schools in showing their mastery of that challenging science.
The good news for the rest of HISD high school students is that Kashmere’s STEM magnet, one of those in HISD funded by a $12 million federal grant, still has openings for next year. You can learn more by contacting Ogechi Uwaga at Kashmere, ouwaga@houstonisd.org.
Cooking competitions are a staple of television these days, and I was lucky enough to judge one last weekend involving culinary students from four of our high schools at a national event called Cooking Up Change at Rice University. Teams were challenged with coming up with school lunch items that met both federal nutritional guidelines and school cost constraints – and the demanding tastes of the judges.
The Westside HS team won out with a delectable Lonestar Chicken Chili Sub, served with grilled vegetables, and a parfait dessert. The item will be featured on HISD menus next year, and earned them a trip to Washington, D.C., where they’ll compete against teams from around the nation. It was a tough field with teams from Davis, Barbara Jordan, and Harper Alternative high schools showcasing everything from jerk chicken to chicken cacciatore to sweet potato hash and honey buffalo chicken flatbread.
While many face the STAAR exams with trepidation, we love what they did over at Marshall Middle School last weekend, combining fun, socializing, and – yes, hard work – to be ready for the important assessments.
The school had an overnight lock-in from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning with food, a talent show, a movie, a motivational talk from former NFL player Jay Barnett, and tutorials. Great idea.
Shout-outs are also in order for:
- Lanier MS’s orchestras, which both earned UIL sweepstakes honors last weekend; and
- Odyssey of the Mind teams from T.H. Rogers, Pin Oak, Oak Forest, Walnut Bend, Carnegie Vanguard and River Oaks who placed first in state competition Saturday and will be going to the World Finals Tournament in Iowa at the end of May.
Excellence from so many students from so many schools in fields from sports to science to food gives credence to our claim of being #greatallover.
