Pictured Left - Lucretia Ahrens, CenterPoint Energy, Education Day Chair for Class XXVIII, LH BOD, Class XXIII
Leadership Houston Class XXVIII’s Education Day was held at Houston Community College Southwest Campus – West Loop Center/Challenge Early College High School on Thursday, April 1, 2010. The mission of the day was to understand the changes and challenges faced by today’s educators and learners. Presenters included an impressive array of education enthusiasts.
We were graciously welcomed by Dr. Fena Garza, HCC Southwest President. She looked forward to spending the majority of the day observing.
Texas State Senator Florence Shapiro spoke to the class about the importance of education, stressing the need to make education our #1 priority. Senator Shapiro introduced the new version of the 3 Rs. No longer are they Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic. She says the 3 Rs are now Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. With this focus on education in Texas, Senator Shapiro shared many of the changes she sees ahead. Standardized testing was also a hot topic as Shapiro went on to say, “The TAKS test is an impediment.” She is also Co-Chair of the Education Policy Taskforce for the National Council of State Governments, as well as on the Southern Regional Education Board, and the Education Commission on the States, coalitions of elected officials and education leaders that address issues such as long-range planning, policy proposals and the advancement of education among the states. Leadership Houston appreciates Senator Shapiro’s participation on Education Day.
Educating 21st Century Learners in Tough Economic Times – Governance and Leadership Challenges was the next segment. This panel was facilitated by Dr. Michele Sabino, Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Partnerships, UH Downtown and member of Class XIV. Panelists included Dr. Duncan Klussmann, Spring Branch ISD Superintendent; Dr. Adrain Johnson, North Forest ISD Superintendent; Sarah Winkler, Alief ISD Board of Trustees and Lida Woodul, Cypress-Fairbanks Board of Trustees. Hearing from both superintendents and board members gave a wonderful overview of the governance and management decisions that take place in an effort to provide the best education possible.
A surprise 5th Grade TAKS test was given to the class. The test included a few questions from each subject area and took 30 minutes to administer. There were 3 class members who scored 100%.
Table Talk Lunch was held with 7 Challenge Early College High School students. Each student sat at a different table and engaged in Q & A with class members. Following lunch was a tour of the school which is attached to the HCC West Loop Campus. Everyone was impressed at how driven these students were. The event was facilitated by Justin Fuentes, Challenge High School Principal.
Business and Higher Education Viewpoints: A Conversation with Key Leaders included Dr. Bob Wimpelberg, Professor of Education and Dean of the College of Education, University of Houston; Larry Kellner, President, Emerald Creek Group, LLC, and Dr. John Rudley, President, Texas Southern University. In addition to hearing the expectations for work and school readiness, Dr. Wimpelberg also shared his vision of a new strategy called Cradle to College and Career. He identified several needs in our community including youth that are academically underprepared and mentally and physically unhealthy. The significance of this segment was to stress the importance to, “Convene the village,” said Wimpelberg. “All stakeholders must be at the table.”
Charter Schools: A Public Choice was the next segment featuring Dr. Soner Tarim, Superintendent Harmony Science Academy; Roynell Young, President, Pro-Vision; and Mike Feinberg, Co-Founder KIPP Academy. “This discussion of the impact of charter schools on the education system was very interesting,” said Marilyn Brown, President & CEO, Leadership Houston. “The common theme was that these charter schools do not exist to compete but rather hope that the entire education system will rise so that all schools improve.”
It’s not the Little Red Schoolhouse Anymore – Changes & Challenges for Today’s Teachers including Matt Wells, Science Department Chair, Cypress Lakes High School; Pegah Javidpour, Teach for America Corps Member, KIPP Academy Middle School; and Raquel Sosa Gonzalez, English Teacher, Las Americas Charter School. This session gave the class an opportunity to hear directly from class room teachers and discuss challenges and opportunities they face each day.
Special thanks to the Education Day Committee for all their hard work and dedication preparing an agenda that gave Class XXVIII a comprehensive look at some of the issues today’s leaders face as they try to deliver the best education possible to all students in Houston, Texas!
Class Day Chair, Lucretia Ahrens, CenterPoint Energy, LH Board Member, Class XXIII and Committee Members, Laurie Bricker, Jeffries and Company, Class XI; Michelle Carnahan, St. Thomas University, Class XXVII; Linda Civallero, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Class XXVII; Angela Cox, CenterPoint Energy, Class XXVII; Dr. Carla Danbury, Head Start/Early Head Start, Class I; Jack Hodson, CenterPoint Energy, Class XXV; Tyene Houston, Insight Consulting, Class XXV; Mary Grace Landrum, Landrum and Associates, Class XXV; and Linda Toyota, Consultant, Class XVII.