11.30.05
Posted in News at 11:10 pm by Paloma Cruz
Say takes La Porte ISD superintendent job
Board offers full-time position to interim chief
– reported by the Houston Chronicle(1)
Michael W. Say has been such a popular interim leader at La Porte Independent School District that the board has named him as the lone finalist for superintendent.
Say, 65, was selected as the top candidate at the Nov. 8 school board meeting. By state law, he cannot be hired until 21 days after that date. The board must take a separate vote to name him as superintendent, which has been tentatively set for Dec. 13.
Say, who has been La Porte ISD’s interim superintendent since April, has agreed to serve as superintendent until June 2007, said Board President Gene Horn.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
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Posted in News at 12:23 am by Paloma Cruz
Seven HISD Schools Win Appeals, Earn Higher Academic Ratings
Seven HISD schools got some good news just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays: they have won their appeals to the State of Texas and have earned higher academic ratings, including five schools that are getting off the state’s “Unacceptable” list.
As a result of appeals to the Texas Education Agency, five HISD schools have moved from the rating of “Academically Unacceptable” to “Academically Acceptable”: R. P. Harris Elementary, E. O. Smith Education Center, Johnston and Welch Middle Schools , and Lee High School . Three of the schools, Lee, Johnston, and Welch, won the higher ratings after the TEA agreed that a few students originally counted by the state as dropouts were not dropouts at all.
One school, Lanier Middle School, moved from “Acceptable” to “Recognized,” and T. H. Rogers Middle School earned a spot on the coveted list of “Exemplary” schools, the state’s highest-rated schools.
The moves mean that now 88 percent of HISD schools made the grade under the Texas accountability system in 2005, earning ratings of Acceptable or better. The successful appeals reduced the number of Unacceptable schools in HISD from 36 to 31.
[snip]
Special thanks to blogHOUSTON for pointing me to this news.
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Posted in News at 12:23 am by Paloma Cruz
Some media coverage on HISD’s new incentive pay program for teachers:
- Teacher bonus plan met with criticism — reported by ABC KTRK Channel 13. “There is another incentive in the works to get teachers to do a better job teaching. HISD is introducing a program that will give teachers big bonuses for the success of their students. But some question the program, especially when the district itself has admitted that some teachers cheat.”
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Posted in News at 12:22 am by Paloma Cruz
How do Texas cities rate in literacy? Austin rates very well, San Antonio & Houston don’t:
- San Antonio rates poorly in national survey of literate U.S. cities — reported by the San Antonio Business Journal. “A national survey released Tuesday by Central Connecticut State University shows that San Antonio is one of the least literate cities in America. The study examines 69 cities… [snip] San Antonio ranked 64th on the overall list, beating only Bakersfield, Calif.; Anaheim, Calif.; Corpus Christi; El Paso and Stockton, Calif., in terms of literacy. [snip]“
- Study: Austin is Texas’ most literate city — reported by the Austin Business Journal. “A national study ranked Austin 16th overall — and first in Texas — in a ranking of ‘America’s Most Literate Cities.’ The study released by Central Connecticut State University develops a statistical profile of 69 cities with populations of 250,000 or more. This is the third year of the study, and introduces a new factor — internet literacy — to measure the expansion of literacy to online media. [snip]“
- Study: Houston places low in literate cities ranking — reported by the Houston Business Journal. ” A national study has placed Houston 53rd out of a total of 69 cities in a ranking of ‘America’s Most Literate Cities.’ [snip] Other Texas cities on the list include Austin (16), Dallas-Fort Worth (44), Arlington (57), San Antonio (64) and Corpus Christi (67). [snip]“
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11.27.05
Posted in News at 1:05 am by Paloma Cruz
Superintendent arrested after camera found in restroom
– reported by CBS KHOU Channel 11(1)
Bruceville-Eddy’s school superintendent was arrested for allegedly placing a hidden video camera resembling an air freshener dispenser in a women’s bathroom at the school administration office.
Danny Edward Doyen, 46, told investigators that he bought the camera with a school district credit card and placed it in a restroom to obtain nude photos of female employees, according to the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office.
Doyen has been superintendent in Bruceville-Eddy, a town of about 1,500 residents about 20 miles south of Waco, since 2002. He was booked Wednesday into the McLennan County Jail on a charge of improper photography or visual recording, punishable by up to two years in a state jail.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a registration, free.
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11.26.05
Posted in News at 12:11 am by Paloma Cruz
GPISD probe stalls
DA requires additional info for warrants
– reported by the Houston Chronicle(1)
Officials with the Galena Park Independent School District Education Foundation say the Harris County District Attorney’s office is close to issuing an arrest warrant in connection with the alleged theft of foundation funds last spring.
If an arrest is made, it will conclude a six-month investigation by the school district, the Harris County District Attorney and the Precinct 3 Constable’s office into funds reported missing from the foundation.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
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Posted in News at 12:10 am by Paloma Cruz
Washington U. among highest for executive programs
– reported by the St. Louis Business Journal
Executive education programs at Washington University’s Olin School of Business ranked among the highest worldwide in a recent survey by the Economist Intelligence unit of the Economist Group.
Washington University tied for second in a survey of senior executives who had participated in the Olin School’s non-degree, open-enrollment program, and tied for first place among executives who had participated in customized programs.
[snip]
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Posted in News at 12:09 am by Paloma Cruz
I’ll be the first to say that I often complain that universities and non-profits don’t run their organizations like businesses. Having said that, numerous times, it’s probably hypocritical of me to complain about a university spending money on a logo redesign. Found via POP PR, “When Schools Do Logos…”
Scottsdale Community College - most famous for its mascot, Artie the Artichoke - just paid Cramer-Krasselt close to $12K for a new logo. It is not a bad logo - also nothing that creative that a student could not have come up with the same thing - but whenever I read about a college doing a quick logo redesign, I wonder why the college does not go to the students.
I don’t wonder why they didn’t go to the students, for this kind of work you really need someone with experience. I do, however, have problems with a school paying $12K for this kind of service.
I shouldn’t. It’s a legitimate expense and probably a good price for a corporate branding piece. But there you go. I’m no better than every other person out there, saying that schools should only spend money on what they consider absolutely necessary.
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11.20.05
Posted in General at 9:52 pm by Paloma Cruz
I’ve been living offline for a while. Here are a few recommendations on links and reading:
- Podcast Generation. ” Today’s college students are part of the most technologically savvy generation ever.”
- $100 Laptop a Reality.
- Degrees on the rise at Kentucky public colleges, universities. “Kentucky’s public postsecondary institutions awarded 37,371 college degrees, certificates and diplomas during the 2004-05 academic year, an increase of 9 percent from the previous year.”
- Podcasting 101.
- Museums & Libraries.
- More Ed Bloggers. “Lately, there’s been a small but growing group of classroom educators who have been simply inspiring in the things they’re blogging about, and I think there are a couple others to add to the list. In no particular order, Clarence Fisher, Darren Kuropatwa, Bud Hunt, Konrad Glogowski and Dean Shareski have been teaching me a lot by the way they’ve been chronicling their experiences. They’re dealing with such important issues, coming up with great remixes, and bringing their students’ voices into the story. Great stuff.”
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Posted in News at 8:06 pm by Paloma Cruz
Gov. Perry institutes teacher merit pay
Bypassing the Legislature, he enacts a program educators unions long have scorned
– reported by the Houston Chronicle1
Continuing to use his executive authority to implement education programs rejected by the Legislature, Gov. Rick Perry Wednesday ordered the state’s first incentive pay program for teachers.
The program will use $10 million in discretionary federal funds to reward teachers who succeed in economically disadvantaged schools. The money will be distributed in $100,000 grants to 100 campuses that show marked improvement in student performance.
[snip]
Texas ranked 30th in the nation for its average teacher salary in 2003-04, according to the American Federation of Teachers. The average teacher salary in Texas for that year was $40,476, up 1.3 percent from the previous year. The national average was $46,597.
Local school officials will have discretion to distribute the incentive grants to teachers they determine are having the greatest impact. Perry’s executive order requires that 75 percent of the grant must go directly to teachers.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
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