Tag Archives: magnet schools

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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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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Magnet school change proposals put off again

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Houston ISD’s administration has dropped plans to revamp the district’s prized magnet program before the next school year, a response to multiple concerns raised in recent weeks by school board members, district leaders confirmed [last] week. The … Continue reading →

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Where HISD stands today

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In a holding pattern, waiting for direction. In the winter of 2019, two committees composed of Houston ISD employees, parents and advocates issued recommendations for how the district should tackle two of its thorniest issues: campus funding practices and access … Continue reading →

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Carranza’s parting shot

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been sitting with this for a couple of days, and ultimately decided it was not worth much more than a shrug. Former Houston ISD superintendent Richard Carranza did not mince words in an interview published this week about his … Continue reading →

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HISD will not change its funding mechanism

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not this year, at least. Houston ISD officials have abandoned plans to overhaul the way the district funds its schools, opting to keep HISD’s long-standing financing system as they work to fill a $115 million budget deficit. Schools will continue … Continue reading →

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HISD’s budget deficit is a little smaller

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. Houston ISD administrators do not expect to cut magnet programs or re-open the magnet application process ahead of the 2018-19 school year, an announcement likely to ease fears among parents who send their children to … Continue reading →

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HISD faces major changes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is a very big story, but a key component to it is not discussed here. Houston ISD officials said Saturday the district will need to cut about $200 million from its 2018-19 budget to bring spending in line with … Continue reading →

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Idiots protest at school

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jeez. The kindergarten and pre-K students experienced an early civics lesson Monday morning when they entered Houston Independent School District’s new Arabic Immersion Magnet School for the first day of class. At least a dozen protestors, some wearing red, white … Continue reading →

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HISD passes its budget

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They restored a lot of funding, but it’s the changes to magnet school funding that everyone is talking about. Bouncing back from recent cash-strapped years, the Houston school board Thursday approved a bigger budget that gives raises to all employees, … Continue reading →

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HISD prepares its budget

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Teacher pay raises and magnet school funding changes are the main points of interest. Thanks to rising property values, all Houston ISD employees would receive raises and schools would get more money for supplies, field trips or tutors next year … Continue reading →

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HISD magnet funding vote delayed till next week

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You still have time to talk to your trustee about this. Superintendent Terry Grier’s administration has proposed standardizing how the programs are funded – a plan that would result in some schools losing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars … Continue reading →

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What is the deal with Vanguard funding?

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It started with an urgent action email sent to Travis Elementary School parents: As you may have heard, the Houston ISD Board’s proposed budget for the 2014-15 school year would eliminate HISD Vanguard Magnet funding. These drastic cuts would threaten … Continue reading →

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New accountability standards, more schools on the failing list

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not a good headline. The number of officially faltering public schools in Texas almost doubled last year, in part because of higher accountability standards imposed by state education policy. The Texas Education Agency released Thursday a list of 892 schools … Continue reading →

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Magnet reprieve

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has reversed course and decided to give 20 struggling magnet programs another year before eliminating all their extra funding. The sudden switch from the plan he unveiled last month comes after some parents … Continue reading →

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Demagnetized

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some unhappy changes are about to occur at Houston schools. HISD officials unveiled a plan Thursday to cut funding and end bus rides next year for transfer students at 20 struggling magnet schools, tackling a politically tough topic that has … 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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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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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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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 →

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Back to magnet schools

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Magent Awareness Week in HISD, and the Board of Trustees will be reviewing a new magnet school policy along the way. A proposed new policy, released by HISD last week, calls for the creation of a new funding model … Continue reading →

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More on magnet schools

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some further information about the proposed changes to HISD’s magnet school program made by Superintendent Terry Grier at Thursday’s public meeting. Funding would drop at 69 schools and increase at 53 under Grier’s preliminary plan. In all, the district would … Continue reading →

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HISD’s budget and magnet meeting

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A whole lot happened on Thursday evening with HISD. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier proposed a major shake-up Thursday night to the district’s popular magnet program, calling for 25 schools to lose the special status and for funding increases or … Continue reading →

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HISD meeting to discuss budget

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars for this Thursday, March 3, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th Street, at 6PM for an HISD board meeting that will include a discussion of the 2011-2012 budget as well as a … Continue reading →

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HISD’s opening thoughts on dealing with budget cuts

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not going to be pretty, no matter how you slice it. Fewer police officers would patrol school hallways, property taxes would rise, several campuses would close and about 300 central office jobs would be cut next year under HISD … Continue reading →

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Still more on magnet schools

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So what do we know about HISD’s magnet schools and that consultant’s report that recommended some hefty changes to them? Well, other than the consultants themselves, no one likes the report very much. The message was clear at Lamar High … Continue reading →

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More on the magnet schools report

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I guess it’s just as well that I never made it all the way through that audit on HISD’s magnet schools, because it seems that neither Superintendent Terry Grier nor the Board of Trustees are all that wedded to it. … Continue reading →

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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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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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