Tag Archives: HISD Board of Trustees

HISD will not change its calendar

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not for this year, anyway. Houston ISD’s calendar for 2020-21 will remain largely unchanged, district officials said Thursday, bringing an end to nearly two weeks of debate over whether to extend the school year as a way to increase flexibility … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD will not change its calendar

HISD passes its budget

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And had their own debate about police funding. Houston ISD trustees Thursday approved a $2 billion spending plan for the 2020-21 school year that includes small raises and bonuses for nearly all employees, a compromise between board members and the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD passes its budget

Tell HISD what you think about their proposed school year calendar

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s different. Students in Houston ISD would return to campus in mid-August, spend up to 10 additional days in the classroom and end their school year in mid-June under a 2020-21 calendar option published by the district Monday. HISD officials … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t forget about school police

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe we can take another crack at breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. Several social justice organizations called Monday for Houston ISD to eliminate its police department and contract with local law enforcement agencies, whose officers would respond only to emergency situations … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Our students need laptops

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The pandemic has made this clear. Houston ISD officials hope to provide every student with a district-issued laptop in 2020-21 and beyond, an ambitious target that would deliver much-needed technology to children but require voters to approve a bond package … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Our students need laptops

We still don’t know what the upcoming school year will look like

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of possibilities, no clear answer yet. Houston ISD officials are planning for the possibility that some — if not all — students will continue to take virtual classes at home to start the upcoming school year, Interim Superintendent Grenita … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We still don’t know what the upcoming school year will look like

HISD may seek earlier school year start in the future

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No earlier than the 2021-2022 school year, if they can qualify for it. Students in Houston ISD could start their school year several days earlier beginning in 2021-22, joining peers in other districts who return to class in mid-August, under … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

No school accountability ratings this year

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Texas public school districts and campuses will not receive accountability ratings in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, state education officials said late Thursday. The announcement is a mere formality after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last month … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No school accountability ratings this year

The other TEA takeover

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of things to come, perhaps. The Texas Education Agency announced a new appointed board and a new superintendent Friday for a tiny East Texas school district with two schools that had failed to perform well for years. Although … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD takes a step towards a bond referendum

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a step. If there’s to be a bond referendum on the ballot, this year or later, they’ll have to vote again to authorize that. Houston ISD trustees kept hopes alive for a November bond election during Thursday night’s board … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD takes a step towards a bond referendum

No metal detectors at HISD schools

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. Houston ISD trustees shelved a request from administrators Thursday to authorize up to $3 million for metal detectors, arguing district officials need to provide more concrete recommendations and plans for school security before the board votes … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Chron overview of the HD142 primary

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Also known as the How Mad Are People At Harold Dutton? primary. Longtime state Rep. Harold Dutton is facing the most serious re-election test of his 35-year political career in an acrimonious primary against two Democratic opponents. The race, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chron overview of the HD142 primary

HISD considers metal detectors

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s (maybe) come to this. Houston ISD officials are exploring the idea of installing metal detectors at the district’s middle and high schools in response to last week’s fatal on-campus shooting of a student, a step few districts in the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD considers metal detectors

Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new Board, not the same as the old Board. Hours after Houston ISD’s four recently elected trustees took office, enshrining the district’s first all-female school board, the new-look governing team on Thursday made its first big decision. Trustees … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

Meet your Board of Managers wannabes

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people want that gig. [Frank] North is one of nearly 250 people who applied for positions on the prospective replacement board, which Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath plans to install in the coming months. Morath announced in November … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TEA appeals takeover-delay injunction

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t settled just yet. Texas Education Agency officials said they filed an appeal Thursday to overturn an injunction by a Travis County judge blocking it from replacing Houston ISD’s trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. The appeal was … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD gets another injunction

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In state court this time. A state judge Wednesday evening immediately blocked Texas from taking over the Houston Independent School District until she issues a final ruling on the case, complicating the state’s plan to oust the district’s school board … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Morath’s big talk

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

But can he back it up? In his first public comments about plans to strip power from Houston ISD’s elected trustees, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Tuesday that the district’s leaders have engaged in “chronic neglect” of children in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Morath’s big talk

HISD attempt to stop TEA takeover denied

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly only a temporary setback, however. A federal judge on Wednesday denied Houston ISD’s request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed its lawsuit aimed at stopping the Texas Education Agency from replacing the district’s elected board, delivering a temporary victory … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD and HCC results

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the HISD runoffs: Early election results showed Houston ISD school board candidates Kathy Blueford-Daniels and Patricia Allen with comfortable leads in their runoff races Saturday, as they aim to fill the final two seats on the district’s closely watched … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chron overview of the HISD runoffs

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We had overviews of all the Council runoffs, but there are other races to consider. Voters in parts of Houston ISD return to the polls next Saturday to complete an overhaul of the district’s much-maligned school board, which will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chron overview of the HISD runoffs

HISD lawsuit to stop TEA takeover has its day in court

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. As Houston Independent School District fights for its independence, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel gave little indication Thursday of whether he would tap the brakes on the state’s plans to strip power from the elected … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD lawsuit to stop TEA takeover has its day in court

Why not appoint newly elected Trustees to the Board of Managers?

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a perfectly reasonable question, posed recently in the Chron op-ed pages by two of those new Trustees-to-be, Judith Cruz and Dani Hernandez. As former Houston Independent School District educators, a product of HISD, and a parent in HISD, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Runoff endorsement watch: Revisiting races

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Most of the candidates that the Chron endorsed for November either won their races or made it to the runoff. A few fell short, which leaves a bit of unfinished business for them. They have since addressed that, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early voting for the 2019 runoffs begins tomorrow

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the December 14 Joint Runoff Election begins Wednesday, November 27, halts for Thanksgiving break, and resumes December 2-10. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, December 8, when … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So how are those TEA public meetings going?

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About as you’d expect. Residents of Houston ISD peppered state officials with questions Wednesday night about the potential replacement of the district’s elected school board, voicing frustration about the lack of immediate plans for students and staff during the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The LBB report on HISD

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s less here than you might think. Houston ISD’s inefficient, poorly organized and unwieldy bureaucracy is shortchanging the district’s 209,000 students and city taxpayers, requiring structural changes across virtually all corners of the district, the Texas Legislative Budget Board said … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

How the TEA takeover is going to work

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron answers your questions. The complex process has raised several questions among community members. Here are answers some of the most common queries: What is the process for identifying and selecting candidates? TEA officials on Wednesday released their plan … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on How the TEA takeover is going to work

Initial thoughts on Election 2019

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

All bullet points, all the time… – Here’s my opening statement on the election returns debacle. We have more information about this now, but we still need more before we can go anywhere else with it. – All incumbents want … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TEA announces its takeover intent

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. In a move that is unprecedented in scope, Texas state officials announced Wednesday they plan on taking over the state’s largest school district, yanking power from Houston Independent School District’s elected school board members to “prevent imminent … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Final results are in

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are. Refer to my previous post for the initial recap, I’m going to be very minimalist. Let’s do this PowerPoint-style, it’s already been a long day: Mayor – Turner fell short of 50%, landing up a bit below … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

2019 election results: Houston and Metro

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunately, we have to start with this: Results of Tuesday’s election could take until 2 a.m. Wednesday after the Texas Secretary of State issued a new regulation that upended plans by the Harris County Clerk’s Office to speed vote counting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

TEA recommends HISD takeover

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not finalized yet, but you can see the way it’s going to go. The Texas Education Agency is recommending that the state take over Houston Independent School District — the state’s largest public school system — due to its elected … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

30 Day finance reports: HISD

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes that where there are elections there are contributions, even for our diminished HISD Trustees. The threat of state officials stripping power from Houston ISD trustees has not scared off donors interested in the district’s school board elections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments