Category Archives: School days

HISD buys stuff for its police

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Okay, but I hope the plan to deal with an active shooter has more than this in it. Houston ISD trustees Thursday evening approved a measure to buy 200 rifles, ammunition and 200 ballistic shields for the district’s police department, … Continue reading →

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It’s not a teacher shortage yet

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

But you can see one on the horizon. School districts across the Houston region are trying to fill thousands of teacher vacancies before most will be welcoming students back to classrooms in the coming weeks. A review of about 18 area school districts’ job … Continue reading →

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How would HISD’s police respond to an active shooter incident?

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a question we would all rather not have to think about, but this is the world we live in. And at this time, the answer that Superintendent Millard House gave to that question was not reassuring. Houston ISD’s police … Continue reading →

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HISD approves its budget

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First one for the new Superintendent. Houston ISD trustees on Thursday unanimously approved a $2.2 billion budget that will give teacher raises some have called long overdue and fund the upcoming school year when the district is expected to begin … Continue reading →

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The STAAR is back

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week. For the first time since the pandemic began, Texas public schools will be rated based on how students score on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — more commonly known as the annual STAAR … Continue reading →

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Southlake keeps on Southlaking

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

On brand. Seven months after teachers at the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, went public with their concerns about an administrator’s advice to balance books on the Holocaust with titles that show “opposing” perspectives, district employees this week … Continue reading →

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Superintendent House backs off a key piece of his budget plan

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like he heard the concerns. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II on Wednesday said he would scrap a plan that would have centralized the funding of specific positions and programs, instead asking his administrators to come up with a … Continue reading →

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Maybe not so fast on the HISD budget stuff

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m OK with this. The Houston Independent School District may reconsider proposed budget changes that would have centralized the funding of certain positions and programs, a top district official told principals Monday. “Our cabinet team is revisiting the budget and … Continue reading →

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More on the HISD budget plan

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Trustees make first contact with the Superintendent’s plans. More than a month after Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II unveiled a strategic plan aimed at making the district more equitable, trustees still have unanswered questions about how to pay for it and concerns about whether … Continue reading →

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HISD’s budget plan

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the op-ed pages, a few words from Superintendent Millard House. During a listening session at Chavez High School last September, a mother told me in tears that her child had to travel an hour each way to reach a … Continue reading →

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Students against banning books

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. For high school senior Gabrielle Izu, Texas’ public school book bans feel personal. The books Texas is targeting — mainly novels that focus on discussions of race, sexual orientation and gender identity … Continue reading →

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More school districts dropping mask mandates

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Unsurprising. Some of Texas’ biggest school districts are lifting mask mandates for students just weeks before spring break. Houston Independent School District, the state’s largest district, and Dallas ISD announced Monday that they would not require students to wear masks. … Continue reading →

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HISD lifts its mask mandate

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A bit earlier than expected. The Houston Independent School District will lift its mask mandate Tuesday, no longer requiring the use of face coverings at all facilities and buildings, district officials said Monday. The change in policy at Houston ISD … Continue reading →

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HISD’s strategic plan

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It sounds good. Let’s see what feedback it gets. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II on Thursday unveiled his long-awaited five-year strategic plan, offering an equity framework that would aim to equip all campuses with library, nursing and counseling staff, … Continue reading →

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HISD may lift the mask mandate after spring break

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. Houston ISD students will get an extra day spring holiday and will complete the last day of the first semester before the winter break next school year under a calendar approved by the board of trustees Thursday. The … Continue reading →

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Back to school

Posted on January 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sort of. Roughly one-quarter of Houston ISD students were absent Monday, the first day back following the district’s winter break, according to the district. District officials released figures Tuesday that showed 45,515 students were absent on Monday and 26,259 on … Continue reading →

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Back to school, kids

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’ll probably be fine. And honestly, there’s no appetite for anything else. Most of Texas’ roughly 1,200 school districts will welcome students and staff back within the next week, even as other states debate whether to mandate vaccines for teachers … Continue reading →

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HISD will not lift its mask mandate

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like an easy call at this point. The Houston Independent School District will maintain its mask mandate and offer free COVID testing at campuses for students and staff in 2022, Superintendent Millard House II announced last week. House previously … Continue reading →

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Indictments and guilty pleas in FBI investigation of former HISD officials

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Woof. A former top Houston ISD official and vendor were indicted Thursday in connection with an alleged bribery scheme over the last decade that federal prosecutors estimate cost the district millions of dollars and resulted in plea agreements with at … Continue reading →

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HISD will keep its mask mandate

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is in response to that recent Fifth Circuit ruling about mask mandates in schools and whether Greg Abbott’s ban on them violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Houston Independent School District will keep its mask mandate in place, … Continue reading →

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HISD will consider lifting its mask mandate

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

After the holidays, depending on how things go. Houston ISD will consider changing its mask mandate policy after the winter break in the wake of expanded vaccine eligibility for youngsters and improving pandemic conditions in the city, Superintendent Millard House II said Monday. … Continue reading →

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Here comes the library police

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hide your children, and your copies of forbidden books. A Republican state lawmaker has launched an investigation into Texas school districts over the type of books they have, particularly if they pertain to race or sexuality or “make students feel … Continue reading →

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Superintendent House’s listening tour

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I like what he’s been doing. During his first week as Houston ISD’s superintendent in July, Millard House II said he welcomed feedback from everyone, especially those who long have been left out of important discussions. He has been receiving … Continue reading →

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The poisoned fruit of the anti-Critical Race Theory tree

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pass stupid, racist laws, get stupid, racist outcomes. A top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake advised teachers last week that if they have a book about the Holocaust in their classroom, they should also offer students … Continue reading →

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COVID continues to run amuck at the schools

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is our reality. Students in Texas public schools are facing another year upturned by COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads, mask mandates are inconsistent and children under 12 cannot yet be vaccinated against the virus. Less than … Continue reading →

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Looking for the missing students

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More important than usual this year. The state’s largest school district recorded a first-day enrollment of 172,091 students, a significant decrease compared with previous years. It is not uncommon for enrollment to lag, even to its lowest point of the … Continue reading →

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We really need a mask mandate at every school district

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Or we can just accept a lot more hospitalized kids. Easy choice if you ask me. The number of Texas children hospitalized with COVID-19 hit an all-time high over the weekend, with 345 on Saturday and 307 on Sunday, the … Continue reading →

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A rough start to the school year

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For some districts more than others. Angleton and Livingston ISDs announced this week they temporarily were shutting down their schools, the first Houston-area districts to halt all in-person learning amid rising numbers of COVID-19 cases among students and staff, but … Continue reading →

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HISD starts its year

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, kids. You too, parents. For the second straight year, Houston ISD is set to welcome back nearly 200,000 students in the midst of a pandemic. The similarities between last year and Monday’s reopening end there, however. HISD entered … Continue reading →

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Back to college, COVID-style

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not the return anyone was hoping for. Texas A&M University’s new president M. Katherine Banks said this spring that she anticipated a “fall [semester] of joy” when the university reopens after 15 months of lockdowns and remote learning. She wasn’t … Continue reading →

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Using the dress code to skirt the ban on mask mandates

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brilliant! The Paris school district found a loophole in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order preventing mask mandates across the state. Paris ISD’s board of trustees voted to alter the district’s dress code to include masks, according to its website. The school district, which is located … Continue reading →

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HISD warns of “consequences” for not complying with their mask mandate

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Consequences are, well, a natural consequence of non-compliance. Houston ISD students and employees who refuse to wear masks when the school year begins could face discipline and be forced to temporarily learn online under new guidelines released by the district. … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend joins the lawsuit parade

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Come on in, the water’s fine. As the Delta variant drives a pandemic surge, Fort Bend County officials on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning local government from implementing public health mandates. “I’ll do all … Continue reading →

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Dallas ISD to require masks

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Starting Tuesday, Dallas ISD will require students and teachers to wear masks at its campuses, defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that bars districts from issuing mask mandates. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced the change during a Monday morning … Continue reading →

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