Leadership Academy

Associate superintendent Roy Garcia takes part in an ice breaker activity with Reginal Mitchell, associate principal at Cypress Falls HS, and Sarah Hubble, assistant principal at Salyards MS, during a recent Leadership Academy training session.

CFISD recently held a Leadership Academy session at the Instructional Support Center. Now in its second year, Leadership Academy is a professional development program for existing campus administrators who are interested in pursuing a principalship in the district.

"The program is designed to refine and extend the knowledge and skills necessary to lead successful schools," said Roy Garcia, associate superintendent of school administration and leadership development.

Leadership Academy sessions are held throughout the year.

TSPRA Conference

Members of the CFISD communication team are recognized at the TSPRA conference on Feb. 25, 2015, including (L-R, back) Mitzi Loera, Gary Durrenberger, Leslie Francis, Rosario Meehan, Stephanie Migl, Stephen Biller and (L-R, front) John Taylor, Kim Foster, Nicole Ray and Joel Weckerly.  

CFISD staff from the communication, community engagement and community programs departments attended the annual Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) conference in San Antonio Feb. 24-26. Conference attendees were able to participate in learning sessions covering a variety of topics directly impacting their field of work. Districts from across the state submit publications, photographs and video productions from the previous year to be judged by panels of experienced Texas public school employees. On the last night of the conference, an award ceremony is held recognizing submissions that were selected for awards.

Representatives from CFISD received a total of 28 awards during this year's ceremony. Gary Durrenberger, CFISD photographer, received his fourth Best in Class award for sports action photograph Missed It By That Much. For its work on the 2014 $1.2 billion Bond referendum, the entire communication team received a Crystal Award. The communication department was responsible for providing information to the community through print, internet and video during the months leading up to the Bond Election in May 2014.

Edit 3/24/15: The original post incorrectly had the number of awards at 24. This has been updated to the correct number.  

Quantum Learning at Hairgrove ES

CFISD uses the Quantum Learning (QL) program as an aid in student and staff development. Hairgrove ES recently demonstrated the district’s exceptional use of the program to a team from G. H. Dawe School in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, including Principal Sue Carmichael and four members of her administrative team. Carmichael and her team requested the visit to observe and discuss the use of Quantum Learning strategies in the classroom and as a schoolwide initiative. Specifically, the purpose of the visit was to determine how the neuroscience of QL can also be used to improve character education for all students.

Following a brief overview and tour provided by the Hairgrove administrative team, the visitors spent the remainder of their time visiting with staff and students and observing QL in action. “I am most impressed by the matrix of expectations and how it is infused and aligned with other campus initiatives to focus on building character and empowering students to make good choices,” Carmichael said. 

With an emphasis on understanding how the brain works and how students learn best, QL works hand-in-hand with other initiatives a campus may already be implementing. For example, Hairgrove activities are organized around the Game On system. The school is divided into two teams that participate in friendly competitions in various areas to promote teamwork and a sense of community. Within Game On, Hairgrove implemented three complimentary initiatives: No Excuses University; Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS); and Quantum Learning.

The certified QL facilitator for Hairgrove is assistant principal Terry Bell. She provides staff development on QL strategies, as well as QL lessons to students. Bell worked with Hairgrove’s PBIS leadership team to use QL’s eight Learning Keys in creating systems the entire campus follows.

“Our staff embraces anything that helps our students succeed,” said Darynda Klein, Hairgrove ES principal. “The QL strategies not only support ways to make lessons more engaging, but also support student learning without a lot of extra time preparing additional materials.”

CFISD was recently recognized as a premier district by the Quantum Learning corporate office.

Teaching Mathematics

Sam Houston State University held a conference on teaching mathematics to sixth- through twelfth-grade on Feb. 6-7. Nine math teachers from Cy Creek HS attended the conference with the campus math coach. Ashlee Todd, Christi Hajda and Teresa Hughes, three of the Cy Creek participants, presented a session titled Fun with Foldables.

Cy Creek teacher David Hunt said, “I learned more from this conference then I have in years.”

All of the participants expressed an interest in attending next, year as well.

Cy Creek HS teachers Ashlee Todd and Christi Hajda lead the session Fun With Foldables at Sam Houston State University’s recent conference for math teachers.

Quantum Learning

Mark Reardon, Quantum Learning representative, observes a CFISD classroom during his recent visit to the district. He is joined by Christina Hoover, academic achievement specialist at Cypress Woods HS, and Elizabeth Bradley, director of Instruction at Kahla MS. 

In preparation for the launch of an enhanced Quantum Learning (QL) program, and to help create and implement the most effective training possible, members of the corporate QL Team recently visited CFISD, which they consider a premier QL district. The QL Chief Learning Officer, Mark Reardon, and his team, visited ALC-East, Harigrove ES, Kahla MS, Spillane MS and Cypress Woods HS to observe QL in action and visit with campus administrators and QL facilitators. Following the campus visits, the QL team conducted a two-day pilot training with district facilitators, where they worked collaboratively to enhance the Essentials course before fully implementing the initiative.

QL is a longtime partner of CFISD aiding in districtwide staff development. QL is grounded in the latest developments of neuroscience, providing participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively engage the brain’s natural learning systems. In an effort to continue meeting district's needs, QL recently introduced a new teacher program, Excellence in Teaching. This program will replace the current Day 1-5 training with three brand new courses: Essentials, Classroom Culture and Management and Design and Delivery for Learning. Teachers can anticipate that the new Essentials course will begin to roll out summer 2015. As part of this transition, current QL facilitators will be training on the updated content.

"What an amazingly inspiring three days! Encouraging, insightful, honoring," Reardon said.  "Your team of facilitators were impressively courageous. They explored the new, wrestled with reconciling the new with what they already knew, and now have a deeper understanding of the power of QL. The connections, distinctions and revelations they expressed as we debriefed the modules were what we were hoping to hear and even more! And perhaps the most important work was that of allowing the internal shifts to happen; shifts in what they believe is possible and how they can impact it." 

Mark Reardon speaks to a group of CFISD educators.

CFISD Quantum Learning facilitators take part in a recent Essentials course training.

Leadership Development Continuum

Dr. Mark Henry, superintendent of schools, speaks to members of the Leadership Development Continuum (LDC) Advisory Committee on Nov. 5.

Members of the Leadership Development Continuum (LDC) Advisory Committee met last fall to continue the initiative of improving leadership development throughout the district. Dr. Mark Henry, superintendent of schools, kicked off the Nov. 5 meeting with words of support, followed by small-group discussions facilitated by Roy Garcia, associate superintendent of school administration and leadership development, and Dr. Glenda Horner, director of staff development.

Comprised of principals, associate principals, directors of instruction, assistant principals and heads of departments, the committee seeks to increase student achievement by developing quality leaders who invest in others.

“As a member of the LDC, we talk all the time about learning, leading and investing in others, and my time with LDC has given me the opportunity to ‘walk the talk,’” said Cypress Lakes assistant principal Hoang Pham. “Sharing among fellow leaders has allowed me to learn and grow as a professional, but I also know that the work we are collectively doing will lead to the development of outstanding future leaders here in CFISD.”

From left, director of MS curriculum and instruction Lana Mock, Dean MS principal Chris Hecker and McFee ES assistant principal Sharon Whitfield share ideas during the LDC Advisory Committee meeting.

Roy Garcia, associate superintendent of school administration and leadership development, visits with Willbern ES principal Dr. Carrie Marz and Postma ES principal Kim Freed during the LDC Advisory Committee meeting.

Barbara Levandoski, director of elementary curriculum and instruction, and Cheryl Fisher, Keith ES principal, discuss ideas during the LDC Advisory Committee meeting. 

Cypress Lakes HS assistant principal Hoang Pham and Langham Creek HS director of instruction Tamara Meldahl meet during the LDC Advisory Committee meeting. 

Access the new Leadership Development page on the CFISD website by visiting the Staff tab, then choosing Leadership Development under the Staff Development heading. The page features Leadership Development’s mission, vision and beliefs, as well as supplemental documents that provide further information about this CFISD initiative.

CFISD Leadership Initiative

Hopper MS academic achievement specialist Charlene Davis-Norris and Watkins MS assistant principal Felicia Hayes work together in the CIP: Roadmap to Success course.

Twenty-one participants took part in the Campus Improvement Plan: Roadmap to Success course on Oct. 21 as part of the CFISD Leadership Initiative, the first in the inaugural set of courses to target groups who either aspire to or currently serve in an administrative leadership role.

The course helped leaders gain a deeper understanding of: 

• why campus improvement plans (CIPs) are created and who is involved in the process;
• how the parts of the CIP are interrelated to form a living document that positively impacts student achievement; and
• ways to reflect on the campus planning process and how to become involved at their home campus.
  

General Leadership Training

Emery ES assistant principal Catharine Null and behavior interventionist Ruben Perez read a handout at the first GLT session of the year.

Several CFISD employees recently took part in the first session of General Leadership Training (GLT), a series of sessions provided to campus principals and district leaders in the curriculum and instruction department. The sessions run through the school year. 

Participants choose between two learning paths, during the first session, that will decide the direction of their training sessions for the rest of the year. These paths are developed with a focus on current needs in the district by the GLT Advisory Committee, which consists of CFISD principals and curriculum staff. This year, participants chose between the following:

• Developing and Implementing Strategies and Conditions for Enhanced Teaching and Learning; or
• Leading Learning in 21st Century Schools. 

Dr. Lawrence Kohn of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP) gives a presentation at the first GLT session of the year.

CFISD principals and curriculum and instruction department leaders listen to a presentation from Dr. Leo Linbeck, Rice University REEP.

Documentation Workshop

Amanda Davis and Andrea Kuhn of the CFISD human resources department look at example documentation.

Seventy-five participants took part in a recent workshop for employees in supervisory positions who evaluate staff. Although the majority of the participants were from CFISD, staff members from Alief ISD, Aldine ISD and Barbers Hill ISD also participated. 

Dr. John Cain of TASPA was a guest speaker at the workshop.

Approximately 75 participants attended the workshop.

District CPR Courses

CPR courses are available for CFISD employees on the following dates:

• Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m.
• Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m.
• Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m.

Classes will take place in the ISC Board Room. Pre-registration is required, no registration at the door.

To register, send your non-refundable $25 registration fee to:

Health Services, ISC West

10494 Jones Rd. 

Houston, TX 77065

Checks should be made payable to CFISD. Cash can be delivered in person to ISC West, Suite 307. Include your employee ID number, date you wish to attend and home campus with the payment.

Questions should be sent to Beverly Bulas.

New Staff Orientation

Tony Cook of Birkes ES gives a thumbs up as Mariah Baker of Hancock ES waves during a break in the event. Both are new teachers for deaf education. 

Approximately 750 new employees, including 610 teachers, participated in the district’s annual New Staff Orientation on Aug. 13-14 at Cy Lakes HS and Cy Ridge HS. Participants took part in breakout sessions to help prepare them for their first day of school. The new staff members also had the opportunity to meet the school Board, Superintendent Dr. Henry and other district-level administrators.

Chairita Franklin, assistant superintendent for human resources, welcomes new staff members to CFISD.

Kelsey Richardson, former program specialist for Community Programs, smiles as she joins other participants in pledging to "be the best educator" they can be. Kelsey will be teaching at Truitt MS. 

New Administration Day

New campus administrators gather as a large group for the opening session.

New campus principals and administrators with less than one year experience in an administrative role in CFISD took part in orientation sessions on July 17 at the Instructional Support Center. Attendees were split into groups based on campus level (elementary, middle and high school). Groups rotated through three separate sessions covering educational support services; curriculum and instruction; and school improvement and accountability. Humberto Abitua, who is beginning his first year as assistant principal at Thornton MS, said, "The presenters took informative content and introduced it in a fun and meaningful way." The new principal at Frazier ES, Gloria Vásquez said, "I feel ready and energized to begin my new journey in CFISD."

Dr. Linda Macias, associate superintendent of curriculum and assessment & accountability, welcomes new administrators.