Category Archives: School days

Longer school year for some?

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, for some schools whose students lag behind, as a way to catch up. [HISD] is designing a pilot program to allow a handful of struggling schools to adopt an extended-year calendar starting this fall. The reform effort — estimated … Continue reading →

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HISD gives final approval to teacher dismissal plan

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has gotten approval from the HISD Board of Trustees to implement a plan that would allow for the dismissal of teachers whose students don’t make enough progress on standardized tests. Data provided by HISD show that, … Continue reading →

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HISD to do school bus ads

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Ericka Mellon writes: *Advertising could begin showing up on HISD school buses, assuming the board gives the green light, which it will. Only newly elected trustee Anna Eastman raised a slight concern at agenda review. “Our children are … Continue reading →

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HISD may race to the top

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Despite the earlier decision by Governor Perry to not let Texas compete for “Race to the Top” stimulus funds, school districts like HISD may get the chance to apply for them on their own. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that … Continue reading →

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The economic impact of dropouts

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story from last week. The Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, D.C., analyzed data from the nation’s 45 largest metropolitan areas to see how high school dropouts influence not only their own lives but also their community’s overall … Continue reading →

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HISD moves ahead with its teacher dismissal plan

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The school board on Thursday gave initial approval to a policy that allows the district to dismiss teachers whose students consistently perform below expectations on standardized tests. The change represents a move to make personnel decisions based … Continue reading →

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Evaluating teachers

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is sure to be contentious, but I think it’s the right direction. Teachers in Houston ISD could lose their jobs for failing to improve student test scores under a controversial proposal slated for a school board vote Thursday. HISD … Continue reading →

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HISD and CEP

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I think this is a good idea. The wide disparity in principals’ use of schools run by Community Education Partners has caught the attention of HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, who questions whether schools are kicking out too many students on … Continue reading →

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Ditching spelling tests

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m okay with this. Causing confusion among parents, a growing number of schools are ditching tradition for a different method of teaching spelling that focuses less on memorization and more on understanding why and how words are constructed. Some districts, … Continue reading →

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UH-Downtown may drop open admissions

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This could have some broad implications. After less than four months on the job, the new president of the University of Houston-Downtown has launched an agenda to reshape the school’s future. First up: creating admission standards for a school that … Continue reading →

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Grier starts the fight against dropouts

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

New HISD Superintendent Terry Grier hits the ground running. As his first major initiative as Houston ISD chief, Grier is launching a credit-recovery program similar to ones he headed up in San Diego and Greensboro, N.C. Houston ISD’s new program … Continue reading →

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Stop for the school buses

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

My route to and from work takes me through a couple of school zones, and every now and then I wind up behind a school bus and have to stop when it pulls over to discharge some riders. I think … Continue reading →

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College for $99 a month

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Behold the future of higher education. StraighterLine is the brainchild of a man named Burck Smith, an Internet entrepreneur bent on altering the DNA of higher education as we have known it for the better part of 500 years. Rather … Continue reading →

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School bus billboards

Posted on September 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

A cash-strapped school district’s gotta do what a cash-strapped school district’s gotta do. Faced with a projected $9 million to $12 million budget deficit this year, Superintendent Greg Smith told the Board of Trustees last night that it’s time to … Continue reading →

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Helping teen parents in schools

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article about how HISD high schools helps the moms and moms-to-be among its students. Two points to make: Most teen moms don’t graduate high school, and national statistics show that far fewer — only 2 percent — go on … Continue reading →

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Let the Terry Grier honeymoon watch begin

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Place your bets on when the first major brouhaha of the Terry Grier Era will take place. Closing small schools. Firing teachers whose students consistently fail. Tinkering with popular magnet programs. A pile of these and other political hot potatoes … Continue reading →

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HISD set to hire Grier

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

But not without some drama first. The Houston school board is expected to officially hire Terry Grier as superintendent Thursday and offer him a multiyear contract that is likely to top $400,000 a year in salary and perks over time. … Continue reading →

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More on the HISD candidates

Posted on September 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Bellaire Examiner looks at the contested HISD Trustee races, two of which weren’t hadn’t been contested before the day of the filing deadline. HISD Board President Lawrence Marshall appeared to be one of three incumbent trustees unopposed in the … Continue reading →

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Terry and Abe

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another get-to-know-Terry Grier story, focusing on his time in San Diego. The most interesting bit to me is right here: Abelardo Saavedra, the man Grier is in line to replace in Houston, endured more than his share of criticism … Continue reading →

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Parents get their vote on HISD school construction projects

Posted on August 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle between a parents group and some HISD trustees had been waging with HISD Board President Larry Marshall over getting a vote for some school construction projects that the parents said had been promised during the 2007 bond referendum … Continue reading →

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No vote from HISD on several school upgrades

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, I noted that a parents group and some HISD trustees were complaining about there not being a vote on three school construction projects that were promised as part of the 2007 bond referendum. Even though we now have … Continue reading →

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Q&A with Terry Grier

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Learn more about our new HISD Superintendent here and here. One thing to highlight, from the first link: Q: What are your priorities for HISD? A: Houston is a good urban district. It has the potential to be the best … Continue reading →

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Meet the new HISD boss

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s more on Terry Grier, the new HISD Superintendent-to-be. Grier, 59, has been at the helm of the 135,000-student San Diego Unified School District since March 2008. He’s won support for his efforts to boost student achievement and curb dropouts, … Continue reading →

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Parents call on HISD to keep promises Saavedra made

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

With the revelation that HISD may have chosen its new superintendent, this Chron story from yesterday about how parent groups who were promised certain specific actions from outgoing Superintendent Abe Saavedra relating to the bond referendum, and the Board of … Continue reading →

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Has HISD chosen its new superintendent?

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron says Yes. The man in charge of the San Diego, Calif. public schools has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the Houston Independent School District, the Houston Chronicle has learned. Terry Grier, superintendent of the San Diego … Continue reading →

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Eight candidates for HISD Superintendent

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t know who the candidates are for HISD Superintendent, but at least we know how many of them there are. There’s a Heisenberg joke in there somewhere, I’m just not certain how to find it. The Houston school board … Continue reading →

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The secret Superintendent search continues

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

HISD continues its stealthy ways in seeking a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Abe Saavedra. The Houston school board, trying to protect the candidates’ identities, will interview the job seekers behind closed doors at its headhunting firm’s downtown office. The board … Continue reading →

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The secret Superintendent search

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bad idea. Houston ISD trustees decided this afternoon that they will release to the public only one name in the superintendent search — the person they intend to hire. The board, at the urging of its search firm, Heidrick & … Continue reading →

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Graduation rates

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

According to one study, a little more than half of HISD’s high school freshmen ultimately graduate. Despite dozens of commencement ceremonies planned for the next two weeks, only 58.5 percent of Houston-area students who should be graduating will be earning … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Help choose the next HISD Superintendent

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The HISD Board of Trustees will hold a series of eight public meetings to get feedback about what people want in their next Superintendent. Heidrick & Struggles, the executive search firm hired by the schol board, will lead the community … Continue reading →

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HISD: Not must-see TV

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this month, HISD agreed to broadcast its monthly meetings on its cable access station. While the promise of making their meetings more transparent to the public was appealing, it would seem there’s still a few bugs in the system. … Continue reading →

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HISD to broadcast some meetings

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good first step. Saying they want to be more transparent, Houston Independent School District trustees agreed Thursday to broadcast their once-monthly general meetings on the district’s cable access station, which runs 24 hours a day. Trustees, though, … Continue reading →

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Search openly

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Is there really a debate about whether or not we should conduct a search for a new HISD Superintendent in an open manner? Because I think the choice is clear. The Greater Houston Partnership, which represents the business community, is … Continue reading →

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Saavedra to step down

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In 2010. Houston ISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra plans to step down from his post by spring of 2010, he announced this morning. “I have recently informed the school board of my intention to retire within the next year. I want … Continue reading →

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