All across the country, bullying has taken center stage after several tragic suicides including one here in Houston. The issue has the Houston Independent School District on alert, and the district is determined to spread awareness about the issue. That’s why there will be an anti-bullying festival today at Jackson Middle School in southeast Houston. […]
Authorities are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the person who sent powder-filled letters to 17 HISD schools last week. Officials said the substance in the envelopes was not dangerous, but the FBI was investigating. Envelopes were sent to Askew Elementary, Austin High School, Lewis Elementary/Bellfort Academy, Alcott Elementary, Almeda Elementary, Anderson Elementary, […]
HOUSTON – HISD is trying to entice kids to come to class at some of the district’s under-performing schools by offering them a chance to win prizes. The district is holding drawings for sports tickets, gift cards and MP3 players in a bid to get kids to participate in HISD’s new Apollo 20 project. Each […]
More than 160 teachers from some of Houston ISD’s lowest-performing middle and high schools weren’t offered jobs at those campuses next year, the district announced late Friday. The decision affects nine campuses targeted in Superintendent Terry Grier’s “Apollo 20” reform plan to boost student achievement. Of the 600 teachers at those schools last year, 358 […]
VIA KPRC LOCAL 2: The board met Thursday to discuss financial issues it will face next year. The district has a $7 million shortfall, down from what was a $30 million shortfall. “We want our teachers to have the resources they need, the principals to have the resources they need to create the kind of […]
Joel Osteen’s popular Lakewood Church is planning to partner with Houston ISD to open a charter school for autistic children. The school, expected to serve students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, is slated to open for the 2011-2012 academic year, according to Nancy Manley, an HISD executive principal. The Houston school board must approve the […]
In an effort to cutback on hours worked by cafeteria staff, HISD brought in union leader Orell Fitzsimmons who was shocked when he saw that they we feeding students pop tarts and animal crackers for breakfast. Houston Press blogger Margaret Downing covered this story: Photo courtesy Orell Fitzsimmons The upcoming cost-savings cutback in hours for […]
Houston ISD fourth-graders took the TAKS writing test under tighter security Wednesday as officials investigate allegations of cheating by educators at Jefferson Elementary School. Two employees at the north Houston campus were reassigned Wednesday after teachers revealed last week that they had been given the writing topic ahead of time. It’s one of dozens of […]
At a contentious meeting pitting parents against teachers, the Houston school board gave final approval on Thursday to a policy allowing the firing of instructors whose students fall short on standardized tests. Dozens of parents spoke in favor of the decision, while more than 750 teachers packed the school district’s headquarters to protest the […]
Grier wants to make it easier to get rid of ineffective educators..
Houston ISD's elementary and middle school students outperformed many of their peers in other urban systems on a national math exam this year, though the district made no significant gains over 2007.
The Houston Health Department will be offering free H1N1 vaccinations at seven locations this week.
