Aldine ISD Holds Monthly Board Meeting Virtually

Disponible en: Español

Aldine ISD Trustees held their July 20 Board meeting via videoconference in accordance with the modified open meetings act by order of Gov. Greg Abbott suspending certain meeting requirements due to the designation of Level 1, Code Red COVID-19 threat by Harris County officials. All seven Board members participated in the meeting via videoconference.

The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees will met virtually on Tuesday, July 21.

Trustees re-name AEC in honor of Ken Knippel
During the July 21 Board meeting, Aldine ISD Trustees unanimously voted to re-name the Aldine Education Center (AEC) after Ken Knippel. The school will now be known as the Kenneth R. Knippel Education Center. Dr. Viola M. Garcia, chairperson of the Schools Names Committee, made the recommendation to re-name AEC after the long-time Aldine ISD employee. Joining Dr. Garcia on the Schools Name Committee were Board Vice-President Rose Avalos and Board Member Steve Mead.

Mr. Knippel devoted 39 years to Aldine ISD and was a respected educator and leader across the district. Mr. Knippel served as a teacher, coach and as an assistant principal at Aldine Middle School and MacArthur High School. He served as principal of Dunn Elementary School, Parker Intermediate School (which he opened), Nimitz Ninth Grade School (which he also opened) and Nimitz High School. He completed his Aldine career as the Assistant Superintendent of Administration, a position he held for 13 years.

Mr. Knippel was instrumental in seeing AEC become a reality and it was one of the many major accomplishments he achieved during his 39-year career.

Mr. Knippel is survived by his wife Susan and daughters Katherine (Katie), son-in-law Andres Gomez and granddaughter Alexadra, daughter Emily and son-in-law Stephen Lopez and daughter Amanda.

Mrs. Knippel thanked the Board for re-naming AEC in her husband’s honor, something he would have been extremely proud of, she said.

“The AEC was a very special place to Ken,” Mrs. Knippel saidd. “He always wanted students and the teachers, administrators, and staff who serve them to have the best environment and resources available to help students be successful. Ken would be overjoyed to be considered for such a great honor. We are very grateful and deeply touched that the board recommended Ken for this prestigious recognition. Please accept our sincere appreciation. Thank You!

Although they worked together for a short time, Dr. Goffney said she knew Mr. Knippel was a special person.

“I cherished the time I spent with your husband,” Dr. Goffney said to Mrs. Knippel. “His legacy extends beyond the leadership here. He impacted thousands of lives”

Board President Paul Shanklin said Mr. Knippel’s absence has left a void in Aldine.

“Ken, you are truly, truly missed,” Mr. Shanklin said. “Ken was a straight shooter.”

Dr. Garcia, the longest tenured Trustee, said Mr. Knippel impacted so many students’ and Aldine employees’ lives over his 39 years in the district.

“There are so many employees who Ken mentored. Ken had a huge impact on the district,” she said.

Ms. Avalos, who worked with Ken at MacArthur High School when both served as assistant principals, became a bit emotional when she spoke of her long-time friend.

“I think you all know how much Ken meant to me,” she said, fighting back tears. “We grew up together and he made me laugh. We sure could use him now. He has left an amazing legacy.”

Mr. Mead agreed with Ms. Avalos concerning the legacy Mr. Knippel left behind in Aldine.

“Ken was a great man and a great leader,” Mr. Mead said. “We sure do miss him.”

Aldine YMCA recognized
During the July 21 Board meeting, Chief Communications Officer Sheleah Reed recognized board members of the Greenspoint YMCA. The Greenspoint Y held a fundraiser in support of Aldine ISD’s summer camp program. The Y raised $5,430 and an in-kind donation of school supplies from the YMCA 21^st Century Team to support the camp. The Aldine Y is also supporting the districts Back to School Expo, which will be held on Aug. 5. Representatives from the Aldine Y who were recognized were campaign board chairman Eric Walsky, board chair Asdrubal Gutierrez and Kionta Carter, the Y’s vice president of community impact and operations. All three joined the Board meeting via videoconference.

Child Nutrition staff recognized
Dani Sheffield, executive director of Child Nutrition Services, recognized her team for their outstanding work providing curbside meals to members of the Aldine community from March 16-July 23. Sheffield reported that as of July 20, her department served 1,580,000 meals to Aldine students. Sheffield lauded her staff for their dedicated service of providing meals for 20 straight weeks. “I hope this brief summary of our journey truly describes a Child Nutrition team that is extremely clear of their role, willing to serve in any circumstances, and exhibits a culture of food and service for Aldine ISD,” Sheffield said.

Teaching, Leading and Learning recognition
During the July 21 Board meeting, the Teaching, Leading and Learning recognition returned. Chief Academic Officer Dr. Todd Davis recognized members of the district’s Professional Learning Team who were responsible for the development of the first annual SEED Conference (Student Educational Equity and Diversity) Conference. The team consisted of Terra Thompson, Angel Webb, Tracy Bailey, Lydia Calderon, and Jeannette Alvarez. The conference was designed to support teachers and students served by special education and the district’s English language learner population. The event attracted 4,619 Aldine teachers who participated in 142 sessions, which totaled 164.5 hours of training.

Student scholarship report presented
During the July 21 Board meeting, Denise Keaton, scholarship coordinator of student financial aid, presented information on scholarships Aldine ISD seniors received during the 2019-20 school year. She reported that 516 Aldine ISD seniors received 1,217 scholarships this past school year totaling $39,904,938. Keaton was introduced by Chief of Schools Katy Roede.

Staff assignments announced
During the July 20 Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney announced a number of staff assignments and appointments.

Danell Kite was named Executive Director of Student Services and PEIMS Coordinator after serving as Director of Information Systems with Humble ISD.
Dr. Keena Bradley was named Executive Director of Employee Services and Experience after serving as Aldine ISD’s Director of Professional Standards.
Dr. Lorenzo Moore was named Executive Director of Social and Emotional Learning and Student Support Services after serving as Aldine ISD’s Director of Social and Emotional Learning and Student Culture.
Dana Arreola was named Executive Director of Leadership Development after serving as School Support Officer with Houston ISD.
Eric Levels was named Director of Digital Learning after serving as Aldine ISD’s Digital Learning Specialist.
Kaileigh Newman was named Director of Visual Arts after serving as an Assistant Principal at Eisenhower High School.
Demedia Edwards was named Director of Literacy after serving as Principal of Marcella Elementary School.
Joe’Lee Jackson was named Assistant Director of Accounting and Business Services after serving as an Accountant for the district’s Finance Department.
Fernando Flores was named Assistant Director of Accounting and Business Services after serving as an Accountant with the Finance Department.
Michael Haggerty was named Assistant Director for Transportation after serving as Athletic Coordinator at Hambrick Middle School.
Xavira Moore Davis was named Assistant Director for Transportation after serving as a teacher at Garcia Middle School.
Shaina Glass was named Program Director of Technology Applications after serving as a Digital Learning Specialist.
Laura Arredondo was named Reading Academy Cohort Leader after serving as a Literacy Coach for the district.
Savannah Ray was named Emotional Learning and Student Culture Specialist after serving as an Educational Diagnostician with Fort Bend ISD.
Rita Oliver was named Social and Emotional Learning and Student Culture Specialist after serving as In School Suspension Teacher/Campus RTI Behavior Coordinator with Klein ISD.
Kahla Byrd-Colter was named Emotional Learning and Student Culture Specialist after serving as Social Emotional Learning Coordinator with Houston ISD.
Suzanna Garcia was named Coordinator of Digital Implementation after serving as the district’s Digital Learning Specialist.
Bradford Harris was named Coordinator of Digital Innovation after serving as the district’s Digital Learning Specialist.
Joshua Hicks was named Coordinator of Multimedia and Events after serving as the district’s Digital Learning Specialist
Serjio Medina was named Principal of Carroll Elementary School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Gray Elementary School.
Sheka Mott Dow was named Principal of Keeble Primary School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Mission West Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD.
Gregory Castille was named a Curriculum Assistant Principal at Houston Academy after serving as an Assistant Principal at Hambrick Middle School.
Anthony Willard was named an Assistant Principal at Aldine High School after serving as Assistant Principal of Operations for Idea Public School.
Luis Acosta was named an Assistant Principal at Aldine High School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Davis Elementary School with Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.
Sandra Hughes was named Assistant Principal at Avalos P-TECH School after serving as Campus Instructional Technologist at Middle College at HCC Gulfton with Houston ISD.
Tysheka McKinnie was named Assistant Principal at Goodman Elementary School after serving as the Skills Specialist at Goodman Elementary School.
Xochila Ramirez was named Assistant Principal at Caraway Elementary School after serving as the Skills Specialist at Cypresswood Elementary School.
Ana Toledo was named Assistant Principal at Eckert Elementary School after serving as the Literacy Coach at Magrill/Vardeman primary schools.
Rebecca Jahr was named Assistant Principal at Gray Elementary School after serving as the Math Skills Specialist at Parker Elementary School.
Dr. Esperanza Valsin was named Assistant Principal of Eckert Elementary School after serving as an Instructional Specialist at Kaiser Elementary School with Klein ISD.
Sheryl Seymore was named Assistant Principal at Marcella Elementary School after serving as the Reading/Language Arts Skills Specialist at that same school.
Katrina Dowdell was named Intervention Specialist at Davis High School after serving as Communities in Schools Student Manager at the same school.
Kiona Rolfes was named a Counselor at Plummer Middle School after serving as the English I Team Lead/Teacher with Humble ISD.
Sabrina McLemore was named a Counselor at Aldine High School after serving as the Lead Counselor at Aldine Ninth Grade School.
Denisha Brown was named an Intervention Specialist at Aldine Education Center after serving as the Behavior Specialist at Greenwood Forest Elementary School in Klein ISD.
Andalyn Sands was named Special Education Counselor at Teague Middle School after serving as the Clinical Case Manager/Home Study Specialist at Depelchin Children’s Center.
Bianca Honore’ was named a Counselor at Houston Academy after serving as a Computer Science Teacher at Hambrick Middle School.

“I want to congratulate all of our new leaders on their new assignments,” Dr. Goffney said. “Thank you for choosing to lead in Aldine ISD. I want to welcome those who are coming to Aldine from other school districts and I want to thank those who are currently Aldine employees for their loyalty and dedication to our students. I know each and every one of you will bring talents that will benefit our students and staff.”

Change in assignments
The following change in assignments were announced at the July 21 Board meeting:

Veronica Tamez-Gonzalez was named Assistant Principal at Hambrick Middle School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Cypresswood Elementary School.
Rachel Morris was named Counselor at Grantham Academy after serving as a Counselor at Caraway Elementary School.
Dr. Aneil Smothers was named Regular Assistant Principal at Davis High School after serving as the Curriculum Assistant Principal at that same school.

Administrative transfers
The following administrative transfers were announced at the July 21 Board meeting:

Maritza Arcos as named Assistant Principal at Stephens Elementary School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Oleson Elementary School.
Eric Themas was named Assistant Principal at Oleson Elementary School after serving as an Assistant Principal at Eckert Elementary School.
Italia Cea was named Reading Academy Cohort Leader after serving as Program Director for Spanish Language Arts and Multilingual Services.

Trustees approve action items
During the July 21 Board meeting, Aldine ISD Trustees approved the following action items:

Approved the 2020-21 compensation manual
Approved bids for photography services, awards, incentives and spirit apparel, instructional supplies, material and equipment, professional and consulting services, ancillary insurance benefits-basic and optional life insurance benefits, ancillary insurance benefits, ancillary insurance benefits-vision benefits, ancillary insurance benefits-worksites benefits, ancillary insurance benefits-identity theft benefits, ancillary insurance benefits-legal plans benefits and contract renewals
Approved contracts of purchases over $50,000
Approved the monthly tax office refunds
Approved a Perpetual Easement Agreement for Parcel KY17-030
Approved a Perpetual Easement Agreement for Parcel KY17-031
Approved the consent agenda