ActionLine Your Board Meeting Update

Transcription

1 ActionLine Your Board Meeting Update February 15, 2017 Dr. Kimberley Booker, Conception Esparza Appointed to AISD Board of Trustees During the Feb. 14 Board meeting, Dr. Kimberley Booker and Conception Esparza were appointed to the Aldine ISD Board of Trustees. The Board s nominating committee, chaired by Trustee Paul Shanklin, recommended that Dr. Booker be appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Trustee Merlin Griggs Position 6 seat, while Mrs. Esparza was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Trustee Rick Ogden s Position 4 seat. Mr. Griggs passed away in December and Mr. Ogden retired from the Board in November. Joining Mr. Shanklin on the nominating committee were Dr. Viola M. Garcia and Steve Mead. Ms. Esparza has been a resident and active community member in Aldine for 37 years. She has volunteered and served in various organizations including MacArthur High School, the Castlewood Civic Club, the East Aldine Management District, Bonding Against Adversity, and the DARE Program. She has also served as a VISA (Volunteers In the Schools of Aldine) volunteer and was a co-founder of the Aldine Family HOPE Center (formally Aldine Y.O.U.T.H). Mrs. Esparza has also volunteered with U.S. Congressman Gene Green and State Senator Sylvia Garcia. Ms. Esparza is retired from the Houston Community College Northeast where she served as program manager for dual credit. In her role with HCC, she mentored young people and participated in HCC initiatives such as the Compensation and Academic Freedom/Professional Growth Committees in preparation for the Southern Association of College of Schools Accreditation site visit. She also participated in the HCC video, Reasonable Accommodations: Supporting HCC Employees and Students with Disabilities. Ms. Esparza is affiliated with the American Association of University Women, the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education and Hispanic Women in Leadership. Dr. Booker brings a wealth of experience as an educator in Aldine and Houston ISD. She has served as a classroom teacher, lead teacher, skills specialist, and literacy coach, reading

2 specialist, curriculum and instruction specialist, intervention specialist, assistant principal and Dean of Instruction. She has also served as a college professor. Dr. Booker is also involved in her community and has volunteered for many worthwhile causes. She has volunteered for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Black Heritage Committee, the State of Hope, and the Houston Food Bank. Dr. Booker is dedicated to young people and students, which is evident through her work with the Young Ladies of Elegance, Youth With Character, and Youth In Action. She has sponsored drives to collect school supplies and clothing for young people, tutors young people, especially with a focus on children who face challenges. She also volunteers at churches, shelters and local businesses to provide necessities for the community. Ms. Esparza and Dr. Booker will have to run for their respective seats in November of 2017 when the Position 4 and Position 6 seats expire. Assistant Superintendent and General Counsel Kaye DeWalt administered the oath of office to the two new Trustees. Staff assignments announced Two staff assignments were announced during the Feb. 14 Board of Trustees meeting. Roni Mihaly was named staff attorney after serving as an attorney with Greer, Herz & Adams, LLP. Brooke Martin was named program director of Career and Technical Education after serving as a Career and Technical Education teacher at Drew Academy. Calendar approved for school year Aldine ISD Trustees approved the calendar for the school year during the Feb. 14 Board meeting. The first day of instruction will be Monday, Aug. 28. The last day of instruction will be June 7. The calendar is based on an instructional year of 75,600 minutes, as required by HB Other key dates are: Sept. 4 (Monday) Labor Day Holiday Nov (Monday-Friday) Thanksgiving Holiday Dec. 21-Jan. 3 (Thursday-Wednesday) Mid-Winter Break for teachers Dec. 21-Jan. 5 Mid-Winter Break for students March (Monday-Friday) Spring Break June 7 (Thursday) Last day of instruction June 8 (Friday) Staff development day A second calendar was also submitted for the Board s consideration and consent. This calendar is identical with the exception of the first and

3 last day of instruction. If the district decides to become a District of Innovation and chooses to have an early start date as one of the flexibilities, this calendar would be followed: First Day of School August 21 Last Day of School May 31 Students, employees recognized A number of students and Aldine ISD employees were recognized during the Feb. 14 Board of Trustees meeting. Richard Delgado, director of athletics, recognized a number of student-athletes and their coaches who have received local and state honors. Davis High School volleyball players Justtine Lewis and Amara Martinez were named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Academic Team. Their coach is Starla Jones. MacArthur High School volleyball players Asianna Jordan, Ashlyn Richard, and Chelsea Gray were named to the Texas Association of Volleyball Coaches All-State Academic Team. Their coach is Lynda Eastland. Eisenhower High School football player George Nyakwol was named a Houston Touchdown Club recipient. His coach is Kerry Bamburg. Davis High School football player Bruce Bivens was named to the All-State team by the Texas High School Coaches Association, AB Honor Roll and All-Greater Houston. His coach is James Showers. Dani Sheffield, executive director of child nutrition services, named the cafeteria staff at Rayford Intermediate School as her department s Team of the Month. The staff is headed by manager Sylvia Lindsay. The staff consists of specialists Maria Arvizu, Patsey Hanson, Irene Rodriguez, Eva Scott, Kimberly Smith, and Pamela Williams. The CNS Supervisor is Chandra Shorts and the school s principal is Dr. Brandon Carroll.

4 Emitte Roque, executive director of buildings and properties, named Hinojosa EC/Pre-K Center as his department s Building of the Month. On hand to accept the award were head custodian Martha Orozco Principal Karen Wilkerson. Mike Houston, assistant director of transportation, named Jonzetta Evans as the department s Employee of the Month. Evans is a bus driver at the Eastside Transportation Department. Dr. Nathan Boughton, executive director Human Resources, named Veronica Contreras as his department s Employee of the Quarter. Contreras serves as the secretary for the executive director of benefits. Grants announced Stacey Smith, program director of resource development, announced a number of grants during the Feb. 14 Board of Trustees meeting. Principals from Goodman Elementary School, Gray Elementary School, Orange Grove Elementary School and Wilson Academy and teachers teamed up to secure a $3, grant from Donors Choose to implement projects for robotics, classroom reading centers, STEAM stations, Kindle tablets, and alternative seating options at their respective schools. The Houston CPA Society sponsored $3,500 in projects at Grantham Academy, Eisenhower Ninth Grade School and MacArthur High School. Grantham Academy received $1,200 to purchase blazers for students in Byron Cobbin s Business Professionals competition. Eisenhower Ninth Grade teacher Elizabeth Gilbert received $800 to create a Makerspace program in the school s library media center.

5 MacArthur High School teacher Miriam Thomas received $1,500 to purchase books for the school s Revv-Up the Reading program. Dr. Nathan Boughton, executive director of Human Resources, and Dr. Elizabeth Trevino, assistant professor of bilingual/esl education at Houston Baptist University, teamed up to secure a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop Aldine paraprofessionals or staff to become certified in bilingual education. The $350,000 is part of a $2.6 million grant HBU received from the Department of Education to implement Project ADELANTE!: Assistance and Development in Language Acquisition for Novice Teachers of English learners, a five-year project. Program presented Tami Schuler, principal of Greenspoint Elementary School, presented the program during the Feb. 14 Board meeting. She provided an overview of the district s newest elementary school, which opened in August of 2016.