Tag Archives: HISD

From the “Tax breaks for me but not for thee” department

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There are two types of people in Texas: Those for whom the tax code is written to favor, and everybody else. The Dallas Country Club, not a place usually thought of as needing a huge tax break, used a quirk … Continue reading →

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HISD revises magnet school policy

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This has been in the works for a long time. The [HISD Board of Trustees] voted unanimously on a revised policy governing its beloved magnet school program, saying the schools would be held more accountable for academic performance and their … Continue reading →

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North Forest still fighting as the deadlines approach

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Never give up, never surrender. North Forest ISD has spent more than $595,000 appealing the state’s order to shut down, newly obtained records show, and the school district is continuing the court fight as its July closure date nears. Despite … Continue reading →

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HISD to begin laptops for all program

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Starting small, and presumably growing from there. Houston ISD officials announced Thursday that they are prepared to give students at up to 18 high schools their own laptops next school year, becoming among the first big-city districts to launch a … Continue reading →

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On HCAD and rigging the system

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This Houston Press cover story on the Harris County Appraisal District is provocative, to say the least. A months-long investigation by the Houston Press finds that Brookfield isn’t the only mega-dollar company that’s sitting pretty with a momentous tax break. … Continue reading →

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Grier asks for Apollo money

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is his signature program. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier on Thursday lobbied the school board for at least $17 million to expand his Apollo school reform effort, noting new research showing its benefits. Grier is facing resistance from some … Continue reading →

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TEA drops the hammer on North Forest again

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much as expected. North Forest ISD announced Monday that the Texas Education Agency had upheld the decision to close the school district and annex it to Houston ISD this summer. The ruling, however, does not end the school district’s … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Planned Parenthood gets an early start

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox on Friday: Today the Board of Directors of the Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast ACTION FUND Inc, (PPGCAF) voted to endorse the following candidates for the November City Election. Each of the endorsed candidates has demonstrated a strong … Continue reading →

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House Appropriations releases its budget outline

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Better news for schools in this version. The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Thursday to boost funding for public schools by $2.5 billion in the next two-year budget period. Schools would get an additional $500 million in the current fiscal … Continue reading →

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HISD and KIPP debate North Forest’s future

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HISD SUperintendent Terry Grier and KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg meet with the Chronicle to discuss their vision for North Forest ISD. Under either scenario, students could face longer school hours to help them catch up academically, and some employees may … Continue reading →

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North Forest still fighting closure

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how successful they’ll be, nor do I know if I should wish them luck. Texas Education Agency officials on Friday made their final case for closing North Forest ISD, while district leaders countered that the school system … Continue reading →

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Not so fast on the North Forest charter plan

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone is convinced that the plan to allow a consortium of charter schools to take over North Forest ISD is a good idea. In interviews Monday, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Sens. Rodney Ellis and John Whitmire, all Democrats, … Continue reading →

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Charters apply to take over North Forest ISD

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. In a potentially groundbreaking move, three of Houston’s top-performing charter schools are making a pitch to run the long-troubled North Forest school district. The charter groups — KIPP, YES Prep and Harmony — are asking Texas Education … Continue reading →

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Senate committee restores some money to public education

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Emphasis on the “some”. Texas public schools would get back a chunk of the $5.4 billion in state funding they lost two years ago under a budget proposal adopted by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. But they probably should … Continue reading →

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Why do we think more charters would help?

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart discusses the political battle over charter schools, but in doing so reminds me that there’s a fundamental question that seems to be going largely unasked. Now, a sweeping bill filed by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, could lead … Continue reading →

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Guest post: A response to Sen. Patrick on school choice

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Note: The following is a guest post, by Aboubacar Ndiaye. It was sent to me unsolicited. I liked it and agreed to print it, so here it is. In an editorial published last Wednesday in the Houston Chronicle, State Senator … Continue reading →

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HISD cold on Patrick’s charter proposal

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HISD has a bone to pick with Sen. Dan Patrick’s school choice bill. The Houston Independent School District was charter friendly long before other school districts were, mainly due to the influence of then-Superintendent Rod Paige. The nationally known Knowledge … Continue reading →

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Aiming to attract magnets

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HISD has applied for a $12 million federal grant to create as many as eight new magnet schools. HISD’s application, which is due to the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, would create science, technology, engineering and math programs … Continue reading →

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North Forest ISD fighting closure

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This was to be expected. About 60 attended a meeting Saturday in response to TEA Commissioner of Education Michael Williams’ recommendation on Thursday to dissolve NFISD due to poor academic performance and low high school completion rates, among other issues. … Continue reading →

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School districts are still a long way from getting relief

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

School districts may have gotten a favorable ruling in the latest school finance lawsuit, and if it survives appeal it could have far-reaching effects on the current system, but that doesn’t mean that things will get better for them now. … Continue reading →

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TEA orders North Forest ISD shut down

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This could be the end for North Forest ISD. Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams recommended that the district of 6,900 students be annexed into the mammoth Houston ISD effective July 1. His statement came just two days after the district … Continue reading →

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Laptops for all

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier would like to bridge the digital divide in HISD. Superintendent Terry Grier said his goal is to equip all 130,000 students in grades three through 12 with a laptop and hopes to start with at least … Continue reading →

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What we need is better choice

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

With all the talk about “school choice” floating around, it’s important to remember that in Houston at least we already have a lot of options from which to choose. Houston’s urban school leaders vowed Wednesday to continue efforts to expand … Continue reading →

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More from the Larry Marshall files

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This guy is a piece of work. HISD trustee Larry Marshall, fresh off a two-day school board retreat, flew from Houston to Tampa, Fla., on a clear winter day to watch the 2009 Super Bowl in Raymond James Stadium. Cheap … Continue reading →

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A first look at the 2013 elections

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is 2013, right? So while we have the SD06 special election and the new legislative session to worry about, it’s not too early to start talking about the 2013 elections. Let’s start with a peek at the campaign finance … Continue reading →

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CompSci in the curriculum

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

HISD Trustee Paula Harris coauthors an op-ed in the Chron advocating computer science to be part of the standard school curriculum. While STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education is a hot topic in education circles these days, only math … Continue reading →

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Early extension for Grier

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This was a surprise. The Houston school board gave Superintendent Terry Grier a big but not unanimous vote of confidence Thursday, extending his contract through 2016 and awarding him $115,000 in bonuses for the last year. The board voted 6-2 … Continue reading →

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On school shootings

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. In the national collective grief rising from Friday’s mass shooting in Connecticut, one apparent trust seems to have completely shattered: that an elementary school was sacred and safe ground. Left in the … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: HISD and HCC

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I was reasonably confident that the HISD bond referendum would be successful, mostly because there wasn’t any real opposition from officials or constituencies that would normally be expected to support it. It had a much smoother path than the 2007 … Continue reading →

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Not a surprise that the bonds passed

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

All of the bond issues on the ballot this year had favorable conditions working for them, so their ultimate passage should not be a surprise. The dire warnings of crippling debt, the long presidential campaign conversation about the limits of … Continue reading →

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Why the HISD Board of Trustees needed stricter ethics rules

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, Trustee Larry Marshall. HISD trustee Larry Marshall voted repeatedly to award taxpayer-funded contracts to companies that hired his longtime business associate – who gave him a cut of her earnings, according to court records, deposition testimony and … Continue reading →

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2012 election results

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As I type this there are still a number of unsettled races in Texas, so things may change between now and tomorrow morning after we’ve all had an insufficient night’s sleep. But here’s how they stand at this time, and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Various miscellaneous

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Just a brief roundup of various endorsements that have come to my attention lately. No particular theme to them, just what I’ve seen in the past few days. – The Environmental Defense Fund has endorsed the HISD bond referendum. The … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For the bonds

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its support for the bond issues on the ballot. While all eyes are on the presidential race, we would like to remind voters that some of the most important issues for Houstonians aren’t on the first page … Continue reading →

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