Ericka Mellon

CEP Readies for a Contract Extension, More Kids from HISD

When Terry Grier came in as the new superintendent of Houston ISD in September 2009, many critics of the alternative schools operated by Community Education Partners were encouraged when he started questioning why the district was farming out some of its kids. At board workshops, Grier made it clea ... More >>

HISD Board Might Extend Terry Grier's Contract Tonight

Terry Grier's contract being discussed​Are you ready for some more Terry Grier? Five Houston school board members are, and they are looking to extend the superintendent's contract for another year, to 2014. The move may come as early as tonight, although some are questioning whether doing so ... More >>

HCC Board Finally Takes Some Action On Its Members' Ethics

Wrists are being slapped​Seven freaking years ago our Josh Harkinson wrote about the board members of the Houston Community College System and their very relaxed attitude toward ethics and conflicts of interest and so on. HCCS pretty much closed up the ranks and did nothing much. Now it look ... More >>

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HISD partners with the Chronicle on magnet report

Oh Brother Grier, Where Art Thou?

Photo by Margaret DowningTerry Grier: Wheatley parents complain about his absence​Thursday's Houston ISD school board meeting was packed and a significant portion of the crowd included those who wanted to talk about the recent removal of Wheatley High School assistant principal Sandra James Wa ... More >>

HISD Makes a Deal With the Chron (KTRU's Ghost Walks the Halls)

Special access for a former colleague​At 4 p.m. today, the Houston ISD board will meet to review an independent audit of its magnet schools done by Magnet Schools of America. As Richard Connelly detailed in our report last week, there's a lot to be concerned about what with the report (still t ... More >>

HISD Trustees Go For Guinness World Record in the Long-Winded Meetings Category

HISD: Lots of talk, no action​If Houston ISD trustees really want to fulfill their promise of transparency, they need to start getting to the point a lot quicker in their meetings -- so that when they have something important to debate, more people are still there to hear it.Last night's meeting w ... More >>

HISD's E-Rate Report is Out, Some Mysteries Remain

Tickets, trips, gifts to HISD board members​It's debatable what's more amazing when reading over the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm's report on ethical violations in the so-called E-rate program by Houston ISD employees and their too-tempting IT vendors -- the stuff they can verify or the alleg ... More >>

Fast-Tracking Ch-ch-ch-anges at HISD

Photo by Margaret Downing​David Bowie could have been singing in the background as HISD Superintendent Terry Grier demonstrated this morning why he's gained a reputation as a top administrator who doesn't wait around long before trying to institute changes.He reiterated at a Tuesday morning media ... More >>

HISD Board Still Struggling With Stunning New Concept Of "Television"

Two years ago, we wrote about how HISD was having trouble with the seemingly simple task of televising their meetings on the cable channel they run.The district had long said their outdated headquarters building couldn't handle the logistics, which sounded shaky enough; after moving into a new build ... More >>

Roberts Elementary Teacher, Nabbed In Drug Sweep, May Get Fast-Track Reinstatement

Big props to the Chronicle's Ericka Mellon for, again, live-blogging a lengthy and often-tedious HISd board meeting. Since the district can't seem to wrap its arms around 20th-Century technology to broadcast these things, it's really an invaluable service.And from it we learned that board presid ... More >>

At HISD, The Human Resources Department Is Now The "Department Of Human Talent" Department

The HISD board is having perhaps the most boring workshop ever this morning -- talking about Human Resources.Thank God Houston Chronicle education writer Ericka Mellon is there to blog it.She reports a momentous change in HISD policy: The Human Resources Department will henceforth be known as the De ... More >>

Carnegie Parents Can Breathe A Sigh Of Relief -- For Now

Houston Press editor Margaret Downing wrote this week about the  continuing turmoil in HISD over plans to consolidate schools, including the high-profile proposal to merge brainiac magnet Carnegie Vanguard with low-income Worthing High.Carnegie parents have been up in arms ever since superinten ... More >>

HISD No Longer Looking To Kill All Busing To Magnets