http://teaching.palomacruz.com Info, links and musings from a (non-teacher) education supporter... because education is an entitlement. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:26:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Texas earns higher scoresHouston-area school districts that joined the state in earning top academic rating this year include: Cypress-Fairbanks, Deer Park, Galena Park, and Katy. The Houston Chronicle reports that HISD "nearly doubled its number of high-rated campuses and maintained its overall 'acceptable' rating." This was due, in some part, ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/08/05/education-news-links-7/ Cheerleader hazingThe Houston Chronicle1 reports that Katy Independent School District is investigating claims that varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders tat Morton Ranch High School are being subjected to hazing. Spokesman Steve Stanford said administrators learned of allegations that the school's varsity squad "kidnapped" junior varsity members from their homes, blindfolded ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/08/01/education-news-links-6/ HISD to unveil new charter school-- KHOU CBS Channel 111Early next month a simple complex on the La Porte Freeway will host HISD’s newest charter school. It will be called the Houston Advantage East End High School. The facility will be publically funded, privately run and will serve up ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/07/31/east-end-to-receive-new-charter-school/ Moment of truth for 8th-gradersThousands won't get into high school this year unless they pass the TAKS test-- Houston Chronicle2Thousands of eighth-graders across Texas will sit this week for the biggest test of their young lives.For the first time in the state, eighth-graders must pass standardized exams in math and ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/07/31/taks-is-pass-or-not-for-8th-graders/ Welcome new Dickinson Independent School District principals:Kellie M. Shotwell is the new principal at Dickinson High SchoolTraci Goodwin is the new principal at McAdams Junior High SchoolPatricia Lankford is the new principal at Hughes Road Elementary SchoolStephanie Williams will become the principal of San Leon Elementary mid-yearSource: The Houston Chronicle http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/07/11/new-dickinson-isd-principals/ The principals for successThe new heads of a troubled HISD campus are eager to turn it around-- Houston Chronicle2[snip]Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced that Sam Houston must close after six straight years of unacceptable student test scores, and HISD had until August to transform the Northside school.The reform plan ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/07/08/feature-on-the-new-heads-of-sam-houston-high-school/ Fewer than 10 percent of high school seniors are fit, tests show-- Houston Chronicle2Results of a new state physical fitness test confirmed fears that Texas children, especially teenagers, are seriously out of shape.The fitness assessment of 2.6 million students, touted as the largest exam of its type, shows that only ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/07/03/texas-high-school-seniors-are-not-fit-test-shows/ It's official, the face and voice of the Houston Independent School District, has resigned effective the end of August 31st. Often criticized for his dealings with the media, mostly by the media itself, he's leaving to join former HISD staffer Adriana Villarreal in her PR agency.I'm curious to see who ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/06/30/hisds-terry-abbott-resigns/ Houston ISD to get pay raisesThe Houston Chronicle reports that there's some good news for teachers of Houston Independent School District. "After some infighting this week, the Houston school board on Thursday unanimously approved a $1.6 billion budget that includes pay raises of at least 3 percent, plus millions more ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/06/28/education-news-links-5/ Reports show that the new SAT hasn't don't anything to improve predictions of how well a student will do in college. A few stories on this topic:New SAT isn't much better at predicting college GPA, by the Houston Chronicle1Study: The new SAT is not much better, by ABC-KTRK Channel 13Footnotes:1 ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/06/20/sats/ South Houston, Kruse elementary schools receive grant-- reported by the Pasadena CitizenKruse and South Houston elementary schools will be expanding their school library collections with the help of a $6,000 grant from The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.[snip]Congratulation, Kruse & South Houston. http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/06/13/kruse-gets-grant-for-library/ KIPP to graduate first senior class-- reported by the Houston Business Journal KIPP Houston High School will graduate its first senior class on May 31. The high school, the first created in the Knowledge Is Power Program network, opened in 2004 as a public charter school. It was started with ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/06/03/kipp-graduated-first-senior-class/ Award will fund teacher training, pique student interest in history-- Houston Chronicle2Pasadena students could soon receive a better education in history after the school district was awarded the Teaching American History Grant.The Pasadena school district is the newest recipient of the grant aimed at simultaneously improving students' history knowledge and ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/05/25/in-pasadena-history-gets-funded/ Students' phones seized over girls' nude photos'It's child pornography,' superintendent says-- Houston Chronicle2Police in the Santa Fe school district have confiscated dozens ofphones as they search for nude images of two junior high school girlsthat were forwarded to numerous students, the district superintendentsaid Tuesday."Those students forwarded the images and the ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/05/25/nude-photos-on-cell-phone/ HISD names its Teachers of the Year-- KHOU CBS Channel 111[snip] The Houston Independent School District crowned one elementary and one secondary school teacher as their Teachers of the Year: Melaine Leavens of Wainwright Elementary and David Brown of Challenge Early College.[snip]Footnotes1 = may require free registration. http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/05/15/hisds-teachers-of-the-year/ Teach for America to add 230 teachers in Houston-- Houston Business Journal[snip] More than 230 new teachers will be in place, up 15 percent from last year. The new teachers will form an active Houston corps of more than 400 first- and second-year teachers who will reach 32,000 students during the ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/05/15/new-teacher-for-houston-from-teach-for-america/ First 'Kid Lit Fest' set March 8Humble ISD event focuses on making reading fun-- Houston Chronicle2The Humble school district will host the first Kid Lit Fest March 8, featuring nine children's literature authors, activities, book signings and giveaways.The event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Atascocita High ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/03/04/humble-hosts-kid-lit-fest/ Pearland advances to national academic decathlonStudents win at state academic decathlon, move on to nationals-- Houston Chronicle2After outperforming students from nearly 80 other Texas schools, Pearland High School earned the right Sunday to represent Texas at next month's national academic decathlon meet.[snip]The Academic Decathlon contest is considered a premier scholastic ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/03/03/pearland-advances-to-national-decathlon/ TSU's president calls for entrance standardAll applicants now accepted but a large majority fail to graduate-- Houston Chronicle2Texas Southern University's new president wants to end the school's long-standing practice of accepting all applicants, no matter their academic background, saying the policy contributes to its alarmingly low graduation rate.President John Rudley ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/02/27/changes-at-tsu/ Stanford waives tuition if income under $100,000-- ReutersAmid calls by some U.S. lawmakers for wealthy universities to lower tuition costs, officials at Stanford University said on Wednesday they would no longer charge tuition to students from families earning less than $100,000 a year.For students whose families earn less than $60,000 ... http://teaching.palomacruz.com/2008/02/27/ivy-league-tuition-is-free-for-some/