ActionLine Your Board Meeting Update January 15, 2014 Community, district honor Board In honor of School Board Recognition Month, a number of organizations honored the Aldine ISD Board of Trustees for its leadership and commitment to the community during the Jan. 14 Trustees meeting. U.S. Rep. Gene Green sent a letter on his behalf thanking Board members for their service. The letter was presented by staff member Jorge Maldonado. State Senator Sylvia Garcia and State Rep. Armando Walle, presented Board members with a proclamation commending AISD Trustees for their hard work and dedication. Sally Bradford, executive director of the Greater Greenspoint Redevelopment Authority, read a letter thanking Board members for their partnership with the GGRA. Chenchy Mireles, a representative of Pct. 2 County Commissioner Jack Morman, presented each Board member with a certificate of appreciation, while Lisa Gutierrez of the Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce also presented each Board member with a certificate of appreciation. Jason Spencer, assistant superintendent of community and governmental relations, read a letter from a student at Kujawa Elementary School thanking Board members for their service. Aldine ISD s Board of Trustees consists of President Steve Mead, Vice-President Dr. Viola M. Garcia, Secretary Dr. Alton Smith, Assistant Secretary Rose Avalos, and Members Rick Ogden, Patricia Ann Bourgeois and Merlin Griggs.
Staff assignment approved During the Jan. 14 board meeting, Trustees approved four staff assignment. Ladon Hunt Ward was named principal of Conley Elementary School after serving as an assistant principal at that same school. Ward received her bachelor s degree in fine arts in 1988 from Sam Houston State University and her master s degree in counseling in 2002 from Prairie View A&M University. She began her teaching career in 1991 at Bethune Academy. In 1992, she transferred to Eckert Intermediate to serve as a reading skills specialist. In 2002, she moved to Calvert Elementary School where she served as a counselor. She moved into her present position as an assistant principal at Conley Elementary School this year. Ward has spent all 22 of her years in education with Aldine ISD. Fernando Flores was named an accountant at the Central Office after serving as an engagement manager at Experis. Flores received a business degree in 1978 from San Antonio College. In 1980, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from St. Mary s University. He meets district requirements for this position. He began his career in 1983 as an accountant with British Petroleum (BP). During his time with BP, he worked in the capacity of a team lead, JIB accountant and drilling accountant in Houston, Dallas and Anchorage, Alaska. In 1996, he assumed the position of team lead with Accenture in addition to his current job with BP. Flores remained in both roles until he transitioned to his current position at Experis as an engagement manager. Flores has 30 years of experience in the field of accounting. Richard Price was named assistant principal at Plummer Middle School after serving as a history teacher at Nimitz High School. Price received his bachelor s degree in history from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2005. He received his master s degree in education administration in 2013 from Prairie View A&M University. Price is certified as a principal. He began his career in 2006 with Navarre County Junior College in Florida as a general equivalency diploma instructor. Later that year, he moved to Waco High School to teach U.S. History. In 2008, he moved to his current position as a history teacher at Nimitz High School. Price has seven years of experience in the field of education and he has spent five of those years with Aldine ISD. Latonya Stredic was named assistant principal at Johnson Elementary School after serving as an assessment specialist at Harris Academy. Stredic received her bachelor s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Prairie View A&M University in 1992 and her master s degree in mid-management from that same university in 1998. She is certified as a principal. She began her teaching career in 1992 with North Forest ISD. In 1997, she moved to Aldine ISD to teach fourth-grade at Francis Elementary School. She transferred to Stehlik Intermediate School in 2001 to teach fifth-grade reading. In 2002, she moved to Kujawa Elementary School to teach fourth-grade language arts. In 2004, she transferred to Smith Academy where she served as an instructional specialist before moving to Klein ISD in 2006. She returned to Aldine ISD in 2008 to serve in her present position as an assessment specialist at Harris Academy. Stredic has 19 years of experience in the field of education and she has spent 13 of those years with Aldine ISD.
Lawmakers honor former principal Nancy Blackwell During the Jan. 14 Trustees meeting, State Senator Sylvia Garcia and State Rep. Armando Walle honored former MacArthur High School principal Nancy Blackwell for her seven years of dedicated service to MacArthur High School and the MacArthur community. Senator Garcia and Representative Walle presented Blackwell a joint resolution honoring her years of service and dedication to the students and parents of MacArthur High School. Employees honored During the Jan. 14 Trustees meeting, a number of employees and students were honored for the contributions they make to Aldine ISD on a daily basis. Kenneth Tann, a member of the Aldine/Spring/Klein Go Texan Committee, announced that a number of Aldine ISD art students won top honors in the committee s Santa Stampede Art Contest. Eisenhower High School art student Taylor Davidson finished first in the high school division, while Karinton Morre of COMPASS finished second and Yesenia Gonzalez of Eisenhower High School placed third. Irving Cruz of Stovall Middle School finished first in the middle school/intermediate school division, while Marivio Rodriguez of Shotwell Middle School placed second and Orguidea Gomez of Escamilla Intermediate School finished in third place. All of the winners received medals and T-shirts for their efforts. Davidson s artwork was featured on the front of the T-shirts, while Cruz s artwork was featured on the back of the T-shirts. Dani Sheffield, executive director of child nutrition services, named the cafeteria staff at Bussey Elementary School as her department s Team of the Month. The staff consists of manager Vera Forbes, and specialists Kimberly Anthony, Tammy Ayres, Clarisa Baul, Noemi Hernandez, Elizabeth Johnson, Dora Reyes, Willa Stephens, and Tishara Tyler. The CN supervisor is Frank Steen and the school s principal is Maria Garcia.
Emitte Roque, executive director of buildings and properties, named Lewis Middle School as his department s Building of the Month. On hand to accept the award were head custodian Maria Briones and principal Cassandra Bell. Sydney Reed, marketing director of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, honored a number of members of the Aldine ISD Police Department for assisting with the organization s annual Christmas event. Those honored were: Interim Police Chief Kevin Northey, Sgt. Rodney Thordsen, Cpl. Sue Frank, and officers Jose Cruz, Larry Kissam, Keith Martin, Gustavo Adame, Abraham Cortes and Linda Smith. Roque named Goodman Elementary School as his department s Yard of the Month. On hand to accept the award were head custodian Rosa Serrano, yardman Raul Lopez and the school s principal Camelia Chester. Robin DeRouen, executive director of transportation, named Gladys Punch as her department s Employee of the Month. Punch works out of the east side transportation department as a special needs driver.
Grants announced Stacey Smith, program director of resource development, announced a number of grants during the Jan. 14 board meeting. Gray Elementary teacher LaCresha Brown secured a $289 grant from Donors Choose to fund science projects at the school. Hill Intermediate teachers Neisa Villegas, Aurelia Soto and Melissa Robey secured a $700 grant from Target to fund take a group of bilingual students to the Museum of Natural Science to engage in hands-on activities aligned with language arts, science and math standards. MacArthur High School teacher Eva Lanczos also secured a $700 grant from Target to also take her students to museums in Houston. Stovall Academy teacher Chamelia Robinson also secured a $700 grant from Target to take her students to Theater Under the Stars to see the musical production of Flat Stanley Jr. Teague Middle School teacher Essie East secured a $2,500 grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture to fund a garden project at the school. MacArthur High school head football coach Andy Garza secured a $3,000 grant from the East Aldine Management District to promote student-athletes at MacArthur. Francis Elementary School received a $5,500 donation from the Houston Processing Center to purchase gift cards and other items to use as teacher incentive and student incentive awards. On hand representing the school were principal Dana Stelly, and teachers Orether Riggins and Coy Adams. On hand representing the Houston Processing Center were Michael Davis and Warden Robert Lacy. The Aldine Education Foundation (AEF) awarded nine teacher grants on Dec. 13. The teachers who received the grants were introduced at the Jan. 14 Trustees meeting. Teachers who received AEF grants were: Stovall Academy teacher Chamelia Robinson ($1,000 grant) Carver High School teacher Kamilah Warren ($1,000 grant) Houston Academy teacher Pameolin Nelson ($1,355) Nimitz Ninth Grade teachers Candace Langenbuch, Kristal Ortegon and Ramona Hudnall ($3,600 grant) Kujawa EC/Pre-K Center teacher Neley Haynes ($5,000 grant) Hinojosa EC/Pre-K Center teachers Maria Gonzalez, Jeanetta Denman and Diana Morales ($5,000 grant) Eisenhower High School teachers Dr. Michaelann Kelley, Bobby Mansour, Sandra Capps and Joey Martin ($5,000 grant) Wilson Intermediate School teachers Treye Beinke, Angela Burnham, Alvin Ardley, Pamisha Reece, Glenn Ryan, German Carmona, Juana Hernandez, Thurdette Brooks, Susie Brown, Elizabeth Hart, Tamika Terry and Taneka Cook ($9,800 grant) AEF awarded $31, 755 in grants to the AISD teachers. The grants announced at the Jan. 14 Trustees meeting totaled $45,144.