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Want a job at HISD's new NFISD annex? HISD has a new departing, "Hiring," and its sending out emails From: Hiring Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2013 5:25 PM Subject: Open Transfer Period 2013-2014: North Forest Community Campuses ONLY Attention HISD employees An open transfer period is being made available to current HISD teachers, administrators, and other exempt employees who are interested in seeking a 2013–2014 school year position with one of the campuses located in the North Forest community. Exempt employees include, but are not limited to: Assistant Principal, Dean, Counselor, Nurse, Librarian, Certified Teacher, Instructional Specialist, Graduation Coach, etc. The open transfer period will take place from June 17, 2013 to August 1, 2013. The outlined process and timeline as well as a list of current and anticipated 2013-2014 vacancies are available on the www.houstonisd. org/HR page or by clicking here. Exempt employees approved to transfer will be eligible to receive a one-time sign-on bonus of $5,000 to be paid in two equal installments in December 2013 and June 2014. Also, on Monday, June 17, 2013, a job fair will be held for current HISD employees interested in a position at one of the campuses in the North Forest community. The fair will be held at Gregory-Lincoln Middle School located at 1101 Taft, Houston 77019 from 2:00-4:00pm (Non-exempt positions) and 4:00-6:30pm (Exempt). Click here to register for this event. Harris County tax increase to fund pre-K programs may be in the works Waltrip community tells HISD: Keep your Apollo mess out of here Grier seeks extra funding for Apollo program Early Apollo results: Math scores improve, not much else "Letters from Lee" highlights Apollo failures Alexander Russo in "This Week in Education" exposes folly of Grier's Apollo Program Trustee Julie Stipeche questions the validity of having only Roland Fryer investigating the impact of Apollo Texas Public Information Act Request: HISD employees who have been charged with misdemeanors, felonies Which current HISD employees, including administrators and central office staffers have had charges placed against them for crimes, i.e., misdemeanors, felonies? In which HISD Department are they currently assigned to work? This request should not involve HISD compiling any new lists. Criminal background checks are routinely done on HISD employees. A data base with this information should already exist. Please contact houstonisdwatch with any questions or concerns. GRIER WANTS $20 MILLION TO EXPAND HIS APOLLO DEBACLE *Grier's budget calls for a tax increase of 2 cents *Grier would only agree to employee raises if board approves a 4 cent tax increase Teacher pay raises not the most pressing issue for Grier, HISD trustees *Tutors, struggling schools getting more attention From Ericka Mellon's report: "If the board agrees to hike the tax rate more - by 4 cents - Grier proposed giving raises to teachers and other staff." How can HISD trustees discuss these budget issues without the most important report card on Grier's leadership? 2013 STAAR SCORES? HISD Police Chief Jimmy Dotson now reports directly to Grier as a result of bill signed by Rick Perry: from DallasNews.com (Dotson Jimmy L Police Department Chief of Police Administrator 12 Months (Ex) $118,767.69) With Lindo's forced resignation, Pin Oak's Monaghan not nearly as secure Unhappy Pin Oakers sound off in comment section Energy high school to open in HISD  HISD WANTS A TAX INCREASE...SO GRIER CAN HIRE MORE PERSONAL COACHES, bloat his central office administrative staff even more? Don't expect trustees to ask Grier any hard questions... but isn't it fair to expect a teacher's pay increase is out in the open, on the table? MCA Telecommunications, a local company, is doing computer cabling & technology upgrades on many of HISD's campuses in preparation for the purchase of 4,110 laptops the district is purchasing as part of the initiative to ensure every HISD student has computer access. MCA is working on campuses approved to be rebuilt in the 2012 bond. We are told the infrastructure upgrades in technology will not be disturbed, but somehow that seems hard to believe. Grier has been a prolifigate spender and he does not take the time to look at research to endure his recommendations to the board are sound. Through a Texas Public Information Office request, houstonisdwatch obtained pages of payments to MCA for work completed/to be completed at campuses all over the district. HISD's payments to MCA 2010 2011 2012 2013 Planned expenditures Will these upgrades transfer over to new buildings when the 2012 bond construction is completed? Will they survive the disruption of the construction process? Corporate greed is ruining public education With Gayle Fallon's support, Grier and HISD want to raise your taxes $1.1767 per $100 of assessed value Note: Grier says nothing about raising teacher salaries Philadelphia, New York, Chicago: Three urban school districts plagued by deep divisions, bad solutions Philadelphia is closing schools, saving money to build a big new prison To save money for a new stadium, Chicago mayor closing 54 schools NYC Major Bloomberg gets tougher teacher evaluation system  This sign won't be needed nearly as muchAFTER THREE DECADES TEXAS LEGISLATURE ROLLS BACK HIGH-STAKES SCHOOL TESTING  No Child Left Behind ended-up being a big giveaway to Pearson Education and its most punitive consequences for failing to meet A.Y.P. have been chugged, but the Senate introduces a new version of the law anyway Updates at Glassdoor.com on Terry Grier (25% of HISD employees approve) and working in HISD (recommended by 29% of employees who posted) JHJ Consulting finishes half of its $400,000 consulting contract with HISD In July 2012 the HISD trustees approved a $400,000 consulting contract with JHJ Consulting headed by Vikas Mittal, a professor at Rice University. See HISD board may increase Grier's bonus. Grier was slated to receive $115,000 in bonus money in December 2012 Mittal was hired to coach Terry Grier, to make him a more effective superintendent. His hiring should have raised red flags for taxpayers as the district was already paying Grier a base salary of $300,000 plus $68,000+ in bonuses awarded as part of Grier's February 2012 contract extension and an additional $40,000 spearheaded by Harvin Moore, HISD trustee, who wanted to reward Grier for orchestrating the passing of the November bond. Harvin Moore wants and, for all intent and purposes has, administrative authority in HISD. He wants to be able to intervene on behalf of his own child. He orchestrated the firing of a very popular principal at the Mandarin Chinese School. In spearheading Grier's bonuses, Moore has self-serving aims. Here is the contract signed by HISD and Mittal. On April 25, 2013, houstonisdwatch submitted another TIPA request concerning Mittal. *Mikas Vittal was hired by HISD with a $400,000 a year contract to work on "branding" for HISD. What types of recommendations has Dr. Vittal made so far concerning HISD's branding? *Information HISD used to determine it indeed had a branding problem *Any evidence, or ways, as in documents, Dr. Vittal's work with branding is effecting change within the district. *Specific projects Dr. Vittal and Ms. Michelle Pola are working on together. These should include any projects related to branding or staffing issues. This request caused confusion for Katheryne MarDock, HISD's General Counsel working in the Public Information Office. Although "branding" was the term used to describe Dr. Mittal's efforts to coach Terry Grier and work with Michelle Pola to help HISD in its reform efforts, houstonisdwatch dropped the term to help clarify the request. Here is part of the response from HISD's Public Information Office providing a status update on Dr. Mittal: "In addition, HISD is providing the following information in response to your fourth, fifth, and sixth requests: Mr. Mittal has completed all work under his contract with HISD, which you were provided a copy of on October 18, 2012. Mr. Mittal was paid a total of $250,000 for the work performed. In addition, any potential future projects will be performed pro bono by Mr. Mittal." There is never a shortage of funds for Dr. Grier and Michelle Pola's special projects. HISD board meeting video June 13, 2013 Perry vetoes H.B. 2824 & H.B.2836 How predatory refomers (insert TEAM Grier or its board supporters) are destroying education and profiting at our children's expense An 11-year-old takes Michelle Rhee's Students First to task Texas Public Information Act requests Nathan Graf - General Manager, Transportation *E.E.O. complaints made by any and all individuals Nathan Graf supervises *Inspector General's involvement with Nathan Graf *State of Texas inquiries concerning HISD's compliance with correct reimbursement rates. *Any ways in which HISD, under Mr. Graf's leadership, failed to follow state computation guidelines on reimbursements *Any other complaints made about Mr. Graf's management of HISD's Transportation Department Special Education in HISD *Copies of complaints made in writing to special ed. department chairs, principals, and the HISD special ed. department about the delivery of special ed. services to students *Referrals made to TEA to resolve special ed. complaints *Resolution of complaints in terms of changes made to services delivery and any complaints found to be without merit. *Complaints of physical abuse inflicted upon special ed. students and teachers in HISD and the subsequent investigations. houstonisdwatch has no interest in student identifiers. Student and family names should be redacted in compliance with FERPA and state law, as well as any other information protected by privacy laws. Rice University Information pertaining to HISD's Human Resources Department: Recent non-teaching personnel hired by HISD who are affiliated with Rice University (especially M.B.A.-hires) *Contracted services they are to provide HISD/duties to be performed *Salary schedule for these individuals SECRET MEETINGS WITHOUT SCHOOL CHIEFS TO RIDICULE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO REFUSE TO MAKE SELF-SERVING DEALS WITH GRIER The culture in HISD is abusive and corrupt. Larry Marshall, who is again featured in the Houston Chronicle, is just an example of someone caught in the act of bribery and extortion of pay-to-play." The abuse and corruption in HISD has acclerated under Terry Grier, who must laugh at the rest of this district as it rolls over for him. Grier put his network of quid pro quo sycophants in place. Board members who have sold their souls to Grier hardly need to be named because we all know why they are. Paula Harris, Larry Marshall, Greg Meyers, Manuel Rodriguez, and Harvin Moore all knew what they were getting in Grier. The Greater Houston Partnership knew, too, and pay-to-play was just what they were looking for. After all, Grier had been fired or asked to leave three schools districts in his largely unsuccessful career. He wanted absolute power in San Diego, his most recent stint before coming to Houston, but the board was smart enough to deny him. Four board members who have worked hard to maintain their independence are frequently the butt of jokes told in private quarters, without chiefs or SSOs. Grier, Pola, and Mark Smith, who are three of the most mean-spirted individuals in HISD, ridicule those four board members for not seeing Grier's vision and having the temerity to question what Grier is doing.  Mike Lunceford's honesty will never allow him to make quid pro quodeals with corrupt Grier During the time Paula Harris was being investigated by the now all-but-defunct Texas Watchdog, she and Grier cornered Julie Stipeche just for the purpose of accusing her of being involved with contractors. Their strategy was right out of Karl Rove's playbook: Accuse your enemy of doing exactly what you are doing, and catch them by surprise. It's no surprise that Julie's warm disposition and heartfelt concern for the students, parents, and teachers of HISD would rile up Grier, Pola, and Smith, three forces of darkness destryong HISD without impediment.  HISD Trustee Julie Stipeche is freqently the source of ridicule by Grier, Pola,and Mark Smith  Anna Eastman is also the subject of Grier-Pola-Mark Smith ridicule,calling her an "Airhead" Anna Eastman has her issues, and houstonisdwatch has been very disappointed in her unwillingness to respond to emails and questions. She has, however, put herself out there, by refusing to support the extension of Grier's contract. For that, she deserves our thanks and support. Her leadership of the board is essentially inconsequential as she does not have the support to stop the Grier agenda. Many of us will be supporting her reelection to the board. Of course, her boldness and courage in voting against Grier's contract extensions has made her a big target of abuse. Often referred to as an airhead, she is a running joke whenever Grier, Pola, and Smith get together. The newest board member to feel the wrath of ridicule is Rhonda Skillern-Jones. Their focus on her is surprising since she did vote to extend Grier's contract in December. With bullies, logic rarely plays a part. And Mark Smith...he is an educrat of the 1st degree, having served time as a campus administrator then managed to survive all the administrative upheavals HISD could throw his way. What does Mark Smith stand for except himself? What is his vision of HISD? Does he bend down to tie Grier's shoes when the shoelaces become undone? houstonisdwatch appreciates all of its readers (and the trolls sent here by Grier do not get posted). If you haven't noticed, HISD is burning. Morals, values, ethics, have been destroyed by the current administration. Larry Marshall is nothing more than a rat, and you never find more than one rat. Theyt run in packs. And just like Gene Hackman's character said in Mississippi Burning, to get rid of the rats, you've got to get down in the sewer. We have a tremendous battle ahead to take back HISD. The fight is going to be waged on more than one level, less than polite conversations. The enemy is down and dirty. It's time to fight to win, isn't it?  Rearranging deck chairs again; TEAM Grier announces more Haberman-hack principals WE HOPE THESE NEW LEADERS WILL DO WHAT'S BEST FOR KIDS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS BUT GRIER APPOINTS PRINCIPALS WHO WILL DO WHAT'S BEST FOR GRIER From: "Grier, Terry B" <TGRIER@houstonisd.org> Date: June 13, 2013, 1:41:02 PM EDT To: Chiefs <Chiefs@houstonisd.org>, SIO's <tgSIO@houstonisd.org> Subject: Bio -New School Leaders Elementary School Office Dr. Francisco Penning has been selected as a School Support Officer at the Elementary School Office 1. He joined Team HISD in the 2011-2012 school year as a Principal at Scarborough Elementary, an Apollo 20 School Program, converting that campus into one of the highest performing Apollo schools. Prior to his arrival at HISD, Mr. Penning was a Principal at Houston Gateway Academy Charter Schools (HGA) for eight years; where he turned two "academically acceptable" campuses into "exemplary” and thanks to his leadership, HGA received the Distinguished School Progress Award from the Texas Education Agency in 2011. In 2012 HGA’s Coral Campus was voted the fourth best middle school in Houston according to Children At Risk. He began his career in education as a Bilingual/ESL teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks School District. Mr. Penning began his career in the US Army, and then completed a B.A. in Social Work from Bethel University. He received his Master's degree in Education and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University. Travis Elementary School Thomas Day has been selected as the principal of Travis Elementary School. A native Houstonian and former HISD ACP intern, Mr. Day spent six years teaching 1st and 3rd grades at Lockhart Elementary, where he was selected campus Teacher of the Year in 2004-2005. Following an internship in the District’s Bridge Academy leadership cohort, Mr. Day was tabbed as an Assistant Principal at Frank Black Middle School, where turnaround efforts have netted an enrollment increase of 50 percent over the last two years. Mr. Day earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in marketing from Texas A&M University. He holds a Master of Education degree in Administration from Sam Houston State University. Benavidez Elementary School Stefanie Hall has been selected as the principal of Benavidez Elementary. She has been serving as curriculum Assistant Principal at Eisenhower Ninth Grade in Aldine ISD since 2010. Mrs. Hall began her career in Aldine ISD as a math teacher at Eckert Intermediate in 2004. During her time in Aldine ISD, she has also served as a skills specialist and testing coordinator. Mrs. Hall earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University. DeZavala Elementary School Juan Dueñas as the new principal of DeZavala Elementary School. Mr. Dueñas comes to HISD from Beasley Elementary in Lamar CISD where he served as Assistant Principal. Prior assignments include School Improvement Specialist and six years of experience as a Bilingual Teacher in Spring Branch ISD. Mr. Dueñas completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry at University of Houston and his Master’s degree at Grand Canyon University. Link to previous pages Contact: Editor@houstonisdwatch.com  Use comment tag to express your opinion. houstonisdwatchwants to hear from you, especially from HISD insiders. |
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Grier's STAAR obstruction's flaw: There are only so
