Lynn Walsh

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Houston ISD could seek millions for failing schools
Thu Apr 15 19:28:39 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Eight Houston ISD high schools with low graduation rates could see drastic staffing changes, new management or closure under a grant HISD trustees are considering applying for.

The grant would fund Title I schools in HISD that are among the lowest-achieving 5 percent of Title I schools in Texas or have graduation rates below 60 percent, according to a presentation given at the Thursday morning board workshop meeting.

Six high schools and two contract charter schools in HISD fit into these categories: Jones, Kashmere, Lee, Sharpstown, HP Center, Contemporary Learning Center, CEP SW and New Aspirations. These latter two are charters, and New Aspirations is a credit-recovery program for high schoolers run by CEP.

HISD could receive between $50,000 to $2 million per year for each school under the Title I Priority Schools Improvement Grant program.

The funding per school would be broken down according to enrollment and the severity of the changes implemented by the district. HISD has four different models of restructuring to choose from, ranging from closing the school to removing up to half the school’s current staff.

The grant defines the models: turnaround, transformational, restart, and closure.

The restart option was a hot topic among HISD trustees. If HISD chooses to “restart” any of the campuses, that school would be converted or closed and re-opened under private management.

Trustee Manuel Rodriguez criticized the privatization option, saying such a plan was equivalent to “abdicating our responsibility.”

Trustee Harvin Moore said there were pros and cons: “When we privatize a school, we are not abdicating our responsibility.” … The solution “ultimately lies somewhere in the middle. It lies somewhere in between (an approach that) the district should just be a management organization … to we should do everything ourselves, and if we cannot do everything ourselves, then we are not doing our job.”

Trustees Anna Eastman and Diana Davila continually pointed out to Superintendent Terry Grier and their fellow board members that there are campuses in HISD that have been successfully transformed into top-achieving schools.

“We have people in our district that are already doing this in our schools, and they may not have been part of dramatic transformations, and data on graduation rates may be delayed a year, but we have people who are doing this,” Eastman said. “I want to see us start highlighting that and pointing those schools out that are doing it already here and talk about how we’re modeling on some of those practices that already exist.”

Grier agreed, saying district officials are talking with successful principals to discuss the changes they have made to their campuses.

Davila echoed Eastman’s point and added that the schools were able to do it without “having money thrown at them.” In the clip below, Davila cautioned HISD trustees and the superintendent against giving large amounts of money to schools, without follow-up, and expecting results.

School districts across Texas may begin submitting their applications for the grant Friday. HISD has outlined a timeline of how the district will proceed in the application process, to include community and campus meetings.

During the board workshop meeting Thursday, HISD administrators also listed three high schools and six middle schools that have been listed as unacceptable by TEA based on the 2008-09 school year, after failing to keep standardized test scores up and dropout rates low.

The high schools, Sterling, Westbury and Worthing, and the middle schools, Attucks, Dowling, Fondren, Ryan, E.O. Smith and WALIPP, are not eligible for this particular grant because they are not Title I priority schools.

Houston ISD says they want to offer extended class time, provide tutoring or take other steps to improve achievement at those schools, Deputy Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris said.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow school news on Twitter! Follow @texaswatchdog under #hisd.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Mayor Annise Parker follows through on promise of free public seating; ticket prices steep to hear ‘state of’ speeches
Wed Apr 14 17:37:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Ticket-paying attendees to Mayor Annise Parker’s first State of the City speech shelled out $100 to hear her in person, or more than a cost to see Bruce Springsteen in concert.

Parker’s speech setup followed a practice of top government officials offering “State of” keynote addresses at fundraisers for the Greater Houston Partnership. That’s also the setup followed by Metro’s Chairman David Wolff and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
But Parker followed through on a promise to make a limited number of free seats available at her April 8 event, as does Emmett at his State of the County talks.

Neither Metro nor Houston ISD had free public seating at their most recent “State of” events. The cost was $65 to attend the Metro event, $80 for HISD Superintendent Terry Grier’s talk.

A spokesman for Emmett said his office has historically provided free seating, even though it doesn’t all fill up.

The number of free attendees makes no difference as to whether the option to attend should be available, Emmett spokesman Joe Stinebaker said.

“It is a public meeting. If someone from the public wants to come a seat should be there for them, no matter what,” Stinebaker said.

The events with the mayor, county judge and Metro chairman benefit the Greater Houston Partnership. The proceeds go into the organization’s general fund, spokeswoman Rachel Graham said. But she declined to say how much the economic development group makes off the events.

The State of the Schools Luncheon benefits the HISD Foundation, a nonprofit that donates money to events and programs ranging from art initiatives to the ASPIRE teacher bonus program. This year the luncheon brought in $110,000.

Parker’s speech has been running on the public access channel HTV; the speech text is here. The other officials’ speeches can be viewed here, here and here.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston schools trustee to host HISD’s first live TV show
Mon Apr 12 19:19:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Houston ISD Trustee Paula Harris is about to add “TV host” to her resume.

Harris is going to host the first live show for HISD-TV, the “Student Achievement Show with Paula Harris.” The first episode is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The new show will focus on the ASPIRE bonus program and the district’s push to use value-added data when renewing HISD teacher and principal contracts.

According to a press release, the show will have a live studio audience and feature telephone call-ins.Trustee Harris will be joined by other members of HISD administration including Deputy Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris and Chief Human Resources Officer Ann Best. Gayle Fallon, Houston Federation of Teachers president, and state Rep. Alma Allen are also listed on the press release as show guests.

Using value-added data when considering teacher and principal contract renewals sparked a heated debate among the HISD school board, teachers, and the community. The February HISD school board meeting was packed with supporters of the proposal and teachers speaking out against it.The trustees passed the proposal, and HISD will begin using value-added data for contract renewals next school year.

HISD-TV is Comcast Channel 18 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 and can also be viewed online.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Millions of dollars in overtime and a huge explosion: See the latest BlogChat video from Texas Watchdog
Mon Apr 12 15:05:55 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Millions of dollars in overtime and a huge explosion. The blogosphere is buzzing with how to better use and spend tax payer dollars today. Texas Watchdog’s Jenifer Peebles and Lynn Walsh scoured through the blogs and discuss what the Internet has to offer you today. Watch the newest episode of Blog Chat in our video viewer and follow the links to the featured stories below. (Due to a technical difficulty the show aired in two different videos.)

Houston Chronicle: Taxpayers get tab for OT at Sheriff’s Department

Somervell County Salon: About salaries of public employees paid for by taxes

Bay Area Houston: Cost cutting suggestions for the City of Houston

Musings: Privatizing parking meters in City of Houston’s Future?

Houston Chronicle: A seat for Sylvia?

Off the Kuff: Forensic Science Commission to finally get back to Willingham case

Somervell County Salon: Open meeting violation City of Glen Rose? Okay to have vague agendas?

Media Shift: How going online can help save struggling college papers

Mashable: Texas Stadium implosion captivates YouTube

@TexasWatchdog on Twitter

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Houston ISD trustees approve magnet school plan following intense debate
Fri Apr 9 18:03:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

The $12 million federal grant proposal for five magnet programs at Houston ISD schools is moving forward.

The Houston Independent School District trustees voted to submit the magnet school application to the federal government Thursday at their board meeting. But before the vote there was more than an hour of deliberation, a change in the proposal, lots of clarification and comments from parents angry about the plan.

The big issue: Turning Garden Oaks Elementary school into a complete Montessori magnet school. Currently the school uses a school-within-a-school model; students are either enrolled in the Montessori program or a traditional program. Parents on either side of the issue took to the mic Thursday night voicing their support or distaste with the plan.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier apologized for how the district handled the federal application process. “Communication could have been clearer,” Grier said. Grier’s complete apology can be viewed in the clip below.

Most of the night was spent clarifying the proposals. Trustee Carol Galloway asked Grier about community involvement in crafting the magnet school plans, a question that was met with silence.

A worker in the superintendent’s office explained that there were parents involved in the planning process, and told the trustees that officials had met with them many times.

Trustee Larry Marshall has called the proposal “overly ambitious” and warned fellow trustees against getting too involved with the federal government.

Thursday night, Marshall suggested an alternative: splitting the grant proposal into two separate board votes, one for Garden Oaks and another for the other four schools involved, Jones, Fondren, Whidby and Dodson. Watch the alternative Marshall suggested in the clip below.

In the end, both measured passed, but Marshall, Galloway and Rodriguez voted against including Garden Oaks.

Also reporting:
Houston Chronicle
Houston Press

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston Independent School District contracts worth $9 million approved Thursday; see the vendors that got the awards here
Fri Apr 9 12:11:29 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Interested in school issues? Search for Twitter updates with #hisd, and follow @texaswatchdog for real-time coverage of HISD board meetings. Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

HISD votes to fire Key administrators named in investigation of price gouging of students, unauthorized fundraisers, cheating and missing equipment
Fri Apr 9 00:39:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Looks like HISD may forward an investigation report into Key Middle School to the district attorney’s office. The Houston Chronicle reports that Grier has referred the report to HISD officials, who would consider whether it should be forwarded to the DA’s office.

The Houston school board voted Thursday to fire the former principal of Key Middle School and five other employees implicated in a wide-ranging investigation that found evidence of cheating on state tests, profiting off student fund raisers and nepotism. …

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said he now plans to forward the 2-inch-thick investigative report on Key to the school board’s Audit Committee and to the district’s inspector general to decide whether to turn it over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Related video: On April 1, Grier sidesteps a reporter’s question about whether the school district will forward the Key Middle School investigation report to the DA.

A story written for Texas Watchdog

HISD set to approve $9 million in vendor contracts; see the list here
Thu Apr 8 19:08:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

More than $9 million in vendor contracts could be approved by Houston ISD trustees tonight.

The proposed contracts include a $3 million moving services deal and a $1.5 million award for cleaning. The annual contracts range from moving services to pest control.

Trustee Manuel Rodriguez said he’s concerned that so many of the proposed health and medical contracts are between HISD and companies from outside Houston, or out of state.

“We have one of the best medical centers here,” Rodriguez said at a board meeting earlier this week. “Why aren’t more of the medical supplies being bought from Houston- or Texas-based businesses?”

There are 15 health and medical companies on the approval list. Of those 15 companies, three are Texas-based (Two, A-Athletic Medical Supply and The Wheelchair Shop are based in Houston).

Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett said HISD can only pick from the companies that submit proposals, and the bids for these contracts go through the same process all other bids go through.

When looking at all the the contracts, the number of local companies increases. About two-thirds of the companies that could receive contracts from HISD are either based in Houston or the state of Texas.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Houston ISD trustees to vote on whether to apply for $12 million magnet school grant from feds
Thu Apr 8 11:35:16 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

The Houston ISD school board is set to vote tonight on whether to apply for a $12 million federal grant that would create or change five magnet school programs in HISD.

If HISD is awarded the grant, about 3,300 HISD students, or their parents, would have to decide whether to continue to attend the schools with the new magnet programs or transfer to other schools. HISD serves more than 200,000 students.

As the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Press have reported, the proposal to adapt Garden Oaks into a magnet school using the Montessori method has caused an uproar among some Garden Oaks parents.

Currently, there is a Montessori program for some Garden Oaks students and a traditional education model for others, a hybrid format HISD officials term a school within a school. If HISD trustees vote “yes” Thursday, and the district subsequently receives the federal grant, officials say they would put all Garden Oaks students under the Montessori format.

The 293 students enrolled in the traditional program — less than 0.2 percent of the HISD student population — could choose to stay at the Garden Oaks Montessori school or attend other traditional schools in the district.

Below is a table that details the number of students enrolled at three of the five schools; these schools currently have the Montessori school model and the traditional school model.

HISD School
Dodson Elementary
Whidby Elementary
Garden Oaks Elementary

Total enrollment 437 614 562

Montessori students 144 130 171

Non-Montessori students 293 484 391

Students on Montessori waiting list 12 25 25

School Capacity 748 572 586

SOURCES: The Friends of Montessori Garden Oaks Web site, Houston ISD

Under the district’s plan, the students at Jones High and Fondren Middle would also have to choose between staying at their schools under a magnet format, or transferring to other schools. A magnet school is one that has a particular academic emphasis, such as health sciences, or follows a program like that of the International Baccalaureate foundation.

Parents at Garden Oaks are not the only ones unhappy about the plan. Trustee Larry Marshall has spoken out against the federal magnet application, calling the plan overly ambitious and cautioning the district against getting too involved with the federal government.

Trustee Paula Harris said at a board meeting last month that no matter what happens, “everyone is not going to be happy. I can’t even understand why we would even consider not applying for this grant. I would hate to lose this money.”

School trustees meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Houston ISD officials discuss how to fund $28 million summer school program
Tue Apr 6 18:25:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Budget officials at Houston ISD are working to find millions of dollars to fund districtwide summer school programs.

Summer school costs for the Houston Independent School District cost around $28 million a year, HISD Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett said.

A majority of the funding for the summer academic programs comes from Title I funds, federal funding aimed at boosting achievement among poor students. Title I funds are redirected to school districts from the state of Texas.

But this year, HISD is only expecting $100,000 in Title I funds from the state, Garrett said. Traditionally HISD received $10 million to $12 million.

Why the drastic difference? Garrett said she wasn’t sure during a Monday meeting with school trustees.

“Between now and Thursday we will have to find out some information” from state education officials, Garrett said.

The 2010 summer school budget is on the on the agenda for Thursday’s board meeting. The school district’s overall budget in the 2010 fiscal year is $1.5 billion, and trustees are set to vote on next year’s budget in June.

Garrett said she is contacting the Texas Education Agency office to find out why the funding has been reduced this year.

“We will have to modify the budget if we can’t find the $20 some million,” Deputy Chief Academic Officer Charles Morris said.