Tag Archives: HISD

The audit on HISD’s magnet programs

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The long-awaited audit has arrived. Students in Houston ISD’s prestigious magnet schools could find themselves shopping for new campuses if district leaders act on a critical audit that suggests eliminating nearly half the programs. The long-awaited audit, released on Friday, … Continue reading →

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A very early look at the 2011 elections

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas on the Potomac lists 11 national races of interest for 2011. Well, of interest to some – outside of the Dallas Mayoral race, none of these mean much to me, and that’s only if incumbent Tom Leppart leaves to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

“Children of God”

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You really need to read this Houston Press story about homeless students and how one HISD elementary school tries to deal with them. Of the 800 kids at Grissom Elementary, 300 of them — or 37 percent — are classified … Continue reading →

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Preparing to implement Prop 1

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Proposition 1, originally known as Renew Houston but now apparently dubbed “Rebuilding Houston”, was passed by voters last month, which means that the Mayor and City Council must come up with a way to raise the $125 million per year … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Will HISD close low-enrollment schools?

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As if there weren’t enough politically charged agenda items out there for next year. Like dozens of campuses in the Houston Independent School District, Jones is losing students and brimming with empty seats. HISD trustees must make politically tough choices … Continue reading →

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Stipeche wins HISD Trustee runoff

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From School Zone: Juliet Stipeche has won the Houston ISD District VIII school board runoff election by 48 votes, according to the unofficial results. Stipeche, an attorney, beat Judith Cruz, a stay-at-home mom and former HISD teacher, with 51 percent … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day in HISD VIII

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the day of the runoff election for HISD Trustee in District VIII between Judith Cruz and Juliet Stipeche. According to School Zone, only about 1000 votes were cast during early voting, so if you live in this district, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Runoff reiteration

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its endorsement of Judith Cruz in the HISD Trustee runoff. To a large degree, the solution to the United States’ education problems is being worked out here in Houston. We’re the birthplace of some of the nation’s … Continue reading →

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Early voting information for the HISD VIII runoff

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

One more election to go this year, the runoff for the open HISD Trustee seat in District VIII. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, early voting begins tomorrow and runs through next Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know from the … Continue reading →

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What now for Renew Houston?

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the disposal of the red light cameras and the associated costs of their removal, Mayor Parker and City Council now need to work out the details for Prop 1, which created the dedicated fund for streets and … Continue reading →

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Overview of the HISD Trustee race

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron overview of the HISD Trustee special election in District 8. There are five candidates actually running, though there is a sixth on the ballot: Roberto Centeno, 61, lives in Museum District Judith Cruz, 35, lives in Eastwood … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The HISD Trustee race

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Judith Cruz in the HISD Trustee special election. Cruz firmly supports the Waiting for Superman brand of school reform: She believes that urban schools can do a much better job of educating our kids than they do … Continue reading →

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Reviewing magnet schools

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be lively. HISD Superintendent Terry Grier is starting to tread in the most politically delicate territory he’s tackled since coming to Houston: the beloved magnet program. Starting this week, the district is holding town hall meetings to … Continue reading →

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HISD versus Prop 1

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This would be a tough obstacle to overcome. HISD Board President Greg Meyers on Wednesday raised the specter of teacher layoffs if the school system is forced to pay an estimated $2.5 million to $3.5 million a year in drainage … Continue reading →

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Interview with Peter Schwethelm

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I have one more HISD Trustee interview to bring you, with Peter Schwethelm. Schwethelm is a former teacher at Milby High School who now owns a small business and operates a non-profit that locates surplus computers for donation. He has … Continue reading →

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Interview with Juliet Stipeche

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

My next interview for the open HISD seat is with Juliet Stipeche. Stipeche is an attorney who hails from the East End and is a graduate of the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and of Rice University. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Judith Cruz

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Next week I will begin publishing interviews with statewide candidates. There’s one other race and a couple other items of interest to take care of before then. The race in question is for the open HISD Trustee seat in District … Continue reading →

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Donating unused school food

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If you spend any time in a public school cafeteria, you will see a lot of food getting thrown out. Much of it is stuff that has to be thrown out, of course, such as all cooked food. But that … Continue reading →

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Six candidates file for the open HISD Trustee seat

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the lineup for the HISD District 8 seat that was vacated by Diana Davila: Robert Centeno, a former teacher in the Houston Independent School District. [Judith] Cruz, a stay-at-home mom who previously was the special education department chairwoman at … Continue reading →

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Still more on the new school lunches

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Bettina Elias Siegel, the lady behind The Lunch Tray, gets her op-ed on HISD’s healthier lunch choices published in the Chron. One critical piece of the puzzle is student food education. But HISD now has only about 15 dietetic interns … Continue reading →

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School social media policies

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The DMN has an interesting look at how Dallas-area school districts handle social networking by its employees. [S]chool districts and teachers trying to reach and engage students and parents find that using the latest and most popular technology is faster, … Continue reading →

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Marmion Dambrino

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A little history was made in HISD last week. For more than 20 years, Marmion Dambrino has spent countless hours impacting students and student-athletes in Houston ISD. On Friday, she reached the district’s top position in athletics. Houston ISD named … Continue reading →

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More on the new school lunches

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron published a Sunday story about the changes to school lunches that we can expect this year. Among the items debuting on Houston-area school lunch menus this academic year: yams, Brussels sprouts, acorn squash, edamame and bok choy. Sushi, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What your kids have to look forward to in the cafeteria this year

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the first day of school for HISD and other districts around the state. Among other things, this means a whole bunch of kids will be eating school food at least some of the time again. For HISD at … Continue reading →

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Election called to fill HISD open seat

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston ISD trustees unanimously opted today to let voters choose the next school board representative of the city’s east side. A special election will be held Nov. 2 to serve the remainder of former Trustee Diana Davila’s term, which … Continue reading →

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Meet the HISD hopefuls

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The people who are hoping to be appointed to the open HISD Trustee seat made their appearance at Furr High School and made their pitch. Trustees are slated to discuss their options Thursday and must make a decision by next … Continue reading →

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Trustees still dithering about replacing Davila

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Still no action from the HISD Board of Trustees regarding Diana Davila’s open seat. Trustee Larry Marshall called for holding an election in November but his motion failed 3-5, mostly along racial lines. The board plans to screen possible appointees … Continue reading →

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What will the HISD board do with its open seat?

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

HISD Trustee Diana Davila announced her intention to resign on July 16. That became official on the 30th. The HISD Board of Trustees has the option of appointing someone to replace her, or to call a special election. So far, … Continue reading →

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Adolfo Santos

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, HISD Trustee Diana Davila resigned her position. It’s not clear yet whether the Board will appoint a replacement or there will be a special election, but Marc Campos is floating the name of a possible successor. UH-Downtown Political … Continue reading →

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HISD Trustee Diana Davila resigns

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. HISD trustee Diana Dávila said Wednesday she will resign from the school board Thursday, more than a year before her term ends. Dávila, who was first elected to the school board in 2003, said she is stepping … Continue reading →

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Meria Carstarphen

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, the Chron had a profile of HISD Superintendent Terry Grier that looked at what he had accomplished and what people thought of him after 10 months on the job. This week, the Statesman has a profile of Austin’s … Continue reading →

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HISD needs math tutors

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re a numbers person, HISD needs you. From the inbox: The Houston Independent School District is seeking dynamic college graduates to provide in-school math tutoring to middle and high school students as part of the district’s groundbreaking Apollo 20 … Continue reading →

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Opinions mixed on Terry Grier

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

So not a surprise. I’ve expressed similar feelings a time or two myself. To [HISD Superintendent Terry] Grier’s supporters, his thick skin, independence and kids-come-first mantra are proving a successful recipe for shaking up the status quo in Texas’ largest … Continue reading →

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HISD strategic direction meetings

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From an HISD press release: HISD will be holding two interactive, live TV shows to gather comments and feedback from the community. The first will be on Monday, June 28, from 7:00–8:00 p.m., on the HISD channel, and will be … Continue reading →

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