Houston Independent School District

Sterling High School: Keeping It All Together

As Sterling High School’s year comes to an end, merger talk has the community upset, critics say they can’t trust HISD, and its latest principal is pulling out all the stops to try to get kids to graduation.

North Forest ISD Makes One More Appeal To State To Stay Alive

The flagging and beleaguered North Forest Independent School District argued for one more reprieve before the Texas Education Agency on Friday morning, naming a non-profit educational management organization led by KIPP founder Mike Feinberg as the new savior for the failing district. As is typical ... More >>

Bad Idea: 14-Year-Old Houston High Schooler Brought a Loaded Gun to School With Him Today

Houston police arrested a 14-year-old student who brought a loaded handgun to Sterling High School today. The gun was confiscated and the boy was taken "into custody without incident" about 10:48 a.m., according to a Houston Independent School District press release. The boy's name was not released ... More >>

Bon Iver, Hipster Doofus

Entitled to What?

The Ochoas are hardworking, taxpaying U.S. citizens who have taught their kids English. Why, they ask, should they be penalized for that?

Paula Harris, HISD Strangely Accuse Reporter of Unethical Behavior

HISD issues diktat on jounralistic ethics.​The Houston school district and its board president, Paula Harris, have accused Texas Watchdog reporter Michael Cronin of "unethical behavior" because, among other things, he taped a conversation with her. HISD spokesman Jason Spencer, a former Houst ... More >>

Finances: No. 1 Cause of Marital Discord and HISD Trustee Testiness

HISD board starts sounding like the Bickersons​Husbands and wives play this game all the time. They're short of money and need to put themselves on a stricter budget. They agree they can get by with the worldly goods they already have until better times. Resolute and united, they pause for a s ... More >>

HISD: Terry Grier -- Budget Crisis Detailed, 25 Magnets Proposed To Be Slashed

Terry Grier proposed some controversial changes to HISD last night.​The Houston school district suggested sweeping changes to nearly every detail of its infrastructure last night in light of the budget crisis it faces, from cutting down the number of crossing guards that lead children to schoo ... More >>

The Whipping Boy

How did class size limits become the symbol of an unnecessary luxury in our schools?

Children of God

At Grissom Elementary 300 of 800 kids are homeless.

Grier Hires An Aggie As His New Communications Chief

​Verifying rumors that have been floating around the district for days, the Houston Independent School District just announced that Superintendent Terry Grier is bringing in a Maryland administrator as his new chief communications officer. Aggie Alvez replaces William "Lee" Vela who was hired ... More >>

Man Vies to Be Sickest Child Molester of All

Also wanted to direct Pampers ads.

Grier Says HISD Not Rigorous Enough for All Students, Promises Changes

Photo by Margaret Downing​"Uncross your arms," Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier semi playfully pleaded today with some members of his huge audience at his first ever State of the Schools address for teachers, administrators, business leaders and politicians. He ... More >>

How HISD Might be Facing a $57 Million Shortfall Next School Year

​The Houston Independent School District might be facing a shortfall in public education funding of as much as $57 million in the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2010. That less than happy news was delivered at this morning's school board agenda meeting, in a power point demonstration by ... More >>

HISD's Terry Grier: Agent Provocateur

Photo by Margaret Downing​Prediction: In a year, Superintendent Terry Grier will either be a celebrated hero, or the scapegoat for pretty much of everything that goes wrong in the Houston Independent School District.As Hair Balls said before, there doesn't seem to be a go-slow switch in Grier's ar ... More >>

Computer Driven

The new HISD credit recovery program matches students with a software program and a coach to get them fast-tracked to graduation.

Banning Books in HISD... Plus: Metro cop involved in fatal shooting kills himself

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

TEA Releases Ratings, Houston ISD Has Some Hits, Some Misses

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: the Key Middle School Saga Continues...

On Shaky Grounds

HISD got more than it bargained for when it decided to develop the Fourth Ward

Eating It Up

Are HISD and Aramark cooking the books to feast on federal breakfast subsidies?

Speak No Evil

Not part of HISD's spin machine? No interviews for you

Bend Over and Take One for the Team

Surprise, surprise. The Little League has trounced T.H. Rogers.

A Paige from the Past?

A lawsuit accuses HISD's former chief and a trustee of influence-peddling

Power Plays

Behind the scenes, HISD trustee Shadwick and influential good ol' boys work to do good. And they probably have -- though maybe not for everyone.

Million-Dollar Babies

Some CEP students have been locked in for years

The Big Deal

Vending machines are leaving Texas school cafeterias. But the mother lode of "minimal nutritional value" has hardly gone away.

The Great Divide

Principal Lawrence Allen is a role model to some, an inept bumbler to others. Jones High School is split: Magnet-program parents versus the local community. It's up to Superintendent Kaye Stripling to make it right. Lucky her.

Stepchild?

Is Westbury High the victim of neglect? Or do jealous parents just mistakenly think HISD takes better care of other schools?

Letting Go

HISD settles with parents over CEP punishments

Learning How to Survive (at) CEP

HISD and a paid trustee get entangled in the spreading empire of a private firm touting safe alternative schools for troubled kids. So why are some students and parents so scared?

Secrets of a Vanguard Parent

How can anyone tell whether a four-year-old is gifted?

Letters

Rice Inc., Rodeo Rubbish, Thy Rod and Thy Staff

Days of Paige

Did Bush pick a master educator - or an overpaid front man?

Going Public

Everybody knows that HISD is supposed to be second-rate. So why are private school kids defecting back to the district that nobody wanted?

Breaking the Mold

What the heck is making those kids and teachers sick at T.H. Rogers?

The Dispossessed

When HISD starts deciding whose homes to take, schoolkids are the only messengers. The Moríns learned that lesson too late.

Virtual Vouchers?

HISD's contract plan could be a test case in school choice

Working Every Angle

The city of Houston is exploiting loopholes in state law to lavish big bucks on private developers

After-School Aftershocks

Advocates unite to tell HISD and Houston not to overlook vital program

Cutting Class

Park trees make a last stand against HISD expansion

Letters

The Fix Is In

Are educators cheating on TAAS? Is anyone going to stop them?

Why Johnny Might Someday Be Able to Read

When Eldo Bergman confronted his son's reading problems, he took the scientific approach. Now he is trying to convince schools to do the same.

What Went Wrong at the Rice School?

The Rice School/La Escuela Rice was a much-touted experiment by HISDand Rice University. So far, the results haven't been encouraging.

What's Wrong With Wheatley?

It has history, it has heritage. But does Wheatley High School have a real future?

Gayle Force

A vigorous advocate for teachers and the bane of HISD administrators, confrontational union boss Gayle Fallon wields a growing power over the direction of Houston's public schools

Class War

The "neighborhood school" concept is a simple one. But not in River Oaks.

The Curriculum Question

Businessman John Privett thought he had a solution to the problems of some of Houston's troubled schools. The parents wanted to try it. The teachers wanted to try it. But HISD administrators said no.

Taking Care of the Boys

High school QB Kyle Heine broke his neck on the field. How well was he treated?