Category Archives: School days

No calculators for you!

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m OK with this. Texas schoolchildren should not use calculators until they learn to work through math problems the old-fashioned way — on paper, State Board of Education members said Thursday. The board on Thursday tentatively approved new math curriculum … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No uniform start times for HISD next fall

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This surprised me. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier on Thursday withdrew his proposal to change bus schedules and school hours next year after concerns about disruption to families and questions about the cost savings. This is the second consecutive year … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The SBOE can even make math controversial

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The State Board of Education is gearing up to revise math standards, and as is always the case someone is pushing back. The Texas Association of Business is urging the state board of education to go back to the drawing … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Well, at least they’ll be able to burn off the calories

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

News item number one. Papa John’s pizza, Blue Bell ice cream, and fluorescent-colored Slushies. For some kids, those may be the ingredients of a perfect school lunch. But for at least one Houston school district trustee, they may be the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Well, at least they’ll be able to burn off the calories

North Forest gets a reprieve

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For a year. The long-troubled North Forest school district will remain intact for at least another year as Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott granted it a rare reprieve Friday from having to close in July. Scott said he would give … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How do school districts spend their money?

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

One report claims it’s too hard to tell. Tracking the billions of dollars spent on public education each year is virtually impossible, with no real measures to determine if the education of 5 million students is efficient, suitable and adequate, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are you smarter than a Texas high school student?

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Well, why don’t you take this sample STAAR test and find out? It’s very much non-trivial. I got 11 out of 15 correct – I punted on the two physics questions and on the first World History question, though in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Fort Bend ISD goes iPad

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m guessing stories like this are going to be increasingly common. [Three Fort Bend ISD campuses], all Title I schools that serve predominantly low-income students, are the launching pad for iAchieve, a school district initiative to create a tablet-based “e-curriculum.” … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

HISD announces public meetings to address proposed school start time changes

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the HISD News Blog: HISD has scheduled 10 public meetings to gather community input on a plan to add 19 minutes to the average student’s school day by coordinating the bell schedule among the district’s 279 schools. If approved, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on HISD announces public meetings to address proposed school start time changes

Texas high school graduation rate improved over the last decade

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

According to one report, anyway. Texas’ graduation rate for high school students increased 1.9 percent since 2002 to just below the national average, according to a new report by a coalition of education groups. The report found that high school … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The iPad classroom

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be very interested to see how this goes. A Texas school district is trying to close its digital divide by distributing thousands of Apple tablet computers in a move that could make it the largest iPads program for students … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Take the HISD start time survey

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, HISD is contemplating uniform start times for its campuses for next year. They have said they want public feedback on their proposals. Here’s your chance to give it. Implementing uniform schedules across the Houston Independent School District’s … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The five female ADs of local school districts

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nice story, with a bit of a lesson in it. The Houston, Katy, Klein, New Caney and Spring Branch districts all for the first time employ women as athletic directors, reflecting a new model, if not necessarily a new path, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bonds, school bonds

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another thing that may be on your ballot this year. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier said Thursday it was time to start discussing a possible bond referendum to update the district’s aging campuses. In his annual state of the schools … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More frontiers in school bus advertising

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This had not occurred to me. The rooftop of a suburban high school is not a location that companies usually consider prime advertising real estate. But in Humble Independent School District, it may be. The district’s high school is directly … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More frontiers in school bus advertising

The other elephant in the room

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Patti Kilday Hart writes about the Supreme Court taking up the issue once again of UT’s admissions policies. The Supreme Court’s willingness to consider the case signals that it may once again weigh in on how university admissions officers do … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

We have a long history of screwing public schools in this state

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been meaning to post about this Texas Observer story about the current status of school finance, the litigation challenging it, and the story of how we got here. Here’s a little local angle to illustrate one of the many … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We have a long history of screwing public schools in this state

More on uniform start times and other options HISD is considering

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, HISD is contemplating uniform start times as a way to save a few bucks for the next fiscal year. They do have some other ideas going, as well as a possible property tax rate hike, and they … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on uniform start times and other options HISD is considering

HISD to contemplate uniform start times again

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

They’re back. Bleary-eyed teenagers in Houston ISD could sleep later, but not everyone is cheering a budget-cutting proposal that would change school hours and bus schedules next year. The school board last year rejected a plan to tinker with the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The “Moneyball” approach to public education

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Via Lisa Falkenberg on Facebook, SBOE member Thomas Ratliff uses the philosophy from Moneyball to analyze the accountability system for Texas public schools. The book says, “One absolutely cannot tell, by watching, the difference between a .300 hitter and a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Shapiro backs STAAR delay

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said Monday in a letter to [TEA Commissioner Robert] Scott that ninth-graders taking the exams this year should be given a reprieve from the 15 percent requirement during the phase-in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shapiro backs STAAR delay

HISD Board renews Grier’s contract

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It was not unanimous. The Houston school board on Thursday extended Superintendent Terry Grier’s contract through June 2014 in a split vote that signaled the controversial chief has bridges to build with the newer trustees. The five trustees who were … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD Board renews Grier’s contract

Grading Texas science classes

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We get a C. Texas public school science courses “pay lip service” to critical content and largely ignore evolution in the middle grades, according to a national education foundation study that gives the state of Texas an overall “C” for … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

On taking AP tests

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I’m not clear on what the issue is here. Since 2009, the number of AP exams taken by Houston Independent School District students has almost doubled. And last year the district reached its highest number of passing scores, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Dis-Harmony

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting story about the Harmony charter schools, which are right up there with KIPP and YES Prep among the top charters. They seem to attract a fair amount of criticism, more than their peers, for how they do their business, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Audit says HISD isn’t cost sensitive enough

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

An audit of HISD’s procurement process says the district could be paying too much for some things. The audit, conducted by the nonprofit Council of the Great City Schools, found that the district’s purchasing standards “under-value” a vendor’s proposed price … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More algebra, please

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I applaud HISD for doing this. A handful of campuses in the Houston Independent School District are experimenting with placing their best math students in algebra in seventh grade – two years before most take the class. The earlier they … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

A field guide to the school finance lawsuits

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a handy overview of the school finance lawsuits – who the plaintiffs are, who their lawyers are, and on what grounds they are suing. Among other things, it shows that I was correct in saying that there … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A field guide to the school finance lawsuits

Another reason to support local food

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bettina Elias Siegel of The Lunch Tray takes to the op-ed pages to give another reason for supporting local businesses, by changing HISD’s practices for how school lunches are provided. Food service management companies (FSMCs) like Aramark are, above all … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Another reason to support local food

And then there were three

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Three school finance lawsuits, that is. Flanked by Edgewood Superintendent Jose Cervantes, parents, students and community leaders from Texas districts, MALDEF attorney David Hinojosa highlighted three key claims in its suit at a press conference Tuesday. The lawsuit claims the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On calculating graduation rates

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Education Agency publishes graduation rates for all Texas public schools every year. Some people and organizations disagree with their methodology, saying they assume too many departing students wind up in school elsewhere or are homeschooled rather than counting … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We haven’t forgotten Manuel Rodriguez

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Neil has the details of a planned protest to call for the resignation of HISD Trustee Manuel Rodriguez at the next HISD Board meeting on December 8. Click over to see the what, when, and where. It occurs to me … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Teacher evaluations

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

HISD is gearing up to implement a new teacher evaluation system, but not without a fight first. The Houston Federation of Teachers has launched what is expected to be a protracted battle to void the new evaluation. It starts with … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Teacher evaluations

Magnet changes coming

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The HISD Board of Trustees is getting ready to offer specific proposals to reform the magnet school program. Trustees and Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier suggested magnet programs that draw few students from outside their neighborhoods were at … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Magnet changes coming