Message From the Superintendent, Dec. 15, 2020

Disponible en: Español

Dear Aldine Community,

As I sat down to write my last letter of 2020 to families and staff, to me, it was clear that this will be a year we will never forget. One day we’ll look back with a mix of sadness, awe, and pride. Sadly, we will remember those we have lost and the things that will no longer be “normal.” We will not forget the stress of juggling our children’s childcare, education, and work responsibilities. I am sure we will think back to all of the things we did quickly, swiftly, and selflessly to put our community first. And we will wonder how we did it ALL. Our hearts will swell when we think about how everyone — students, families, staff, teachers, and community members — rose to the occasion every single day.

Who would have thought earlier this year that March 6 would be the last day we would be in our buildings without masks? It will be a day that I will never forget. But it is not the only thing I will remember. As we look back on a year like no other, here are a few moments that fill me with pride. I could list so many more, but it would take all week. We have a lot to be proud of in Aldine.

AISD State of the District
On Jan. 15, more than 250 guests gathered at the CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village to hear the State of the District, which celebrated Aldine’s move from a C-rated school district to a B within one year along with an increased number of A and B campuses.

Harris County Promise Launches in 3 AISD Schools
In January, Harris County Promise launched in Aldine, Eisenhower, and Nimitz high schools giving more than 4,000 high school seniors the opportunity to earn a tuition-free, postsecondary education. The new program provides students with last-dollar scholarships to cover the cost of tuition and fees at participating community colleges.

Davis High School Aeronautics and Aviation Course Takes Flight
Aldine ISD began offering an Introduction to Aviation & Aerospace course to students in Grades 9-12. The Aeronautics and Aviation elective is currently held at Davis High School for students interested in aviation.

Harlem Wizards Play Aldine All-Stars
The Aldine Education Foundation hosted the Sports Spectacular for Scholars, featuring the Harlem Wizards vs. Aldine All-Stars on Jan. 22. The Wizards, known for their amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy, challenged Aldine ISD teachers, coaches, and community leaders to provide a fun-filled evening of basketball hi-jinx — all in the name of scholarships.

#AldineCares: District Teachers Reach Out to Students
As schools across the state pivoted to remote learning in March, Aldine ISD continued establishing a relationship with students and families to determine their needs during these unprecedented times. Teachers began reaching out to every student in the school district to let them know #AldineCares.

District Names Ray Mondragon Executive Director of Early Childhood Learning
The Early Childhood Learning Office will lead all change efforts to increase access to quality programs for the district’s youngest students. This includes collaborating with partners and community organizations to create more opportunities for students.

2 AISD Campuses Make U.S. News & World Report 2020 List of Best High Schools
Victory Early College HS and Carver HS ranked in the top 5% and 25%, respectively, of the more than 24,000 schools ranked. The U.S. News List of 2020 Best High Schools ranked public high schools across the nation based on how well they serve all of their students regardless of economic or ethnic background. U.S. News evaluated schools on various factors, including graduation rates and college readiness (measured by AP® and IB® exam performance).

7 High School Juniors Earn National Recognition From the College Board
Several students earned academic recognition as part of the College Board National Recognition Programs. Several organizations serving as advisers for the programs identify high-achieving, underrepresented students who scored among the top percent of PSAT test-takers in their region. The district had one National Achievement Scholar, six National Hispanic Merit Scholars, with one of them also earning a National Indigenous Merit Scholar.

District Art Teacher Yvonne López-Taylor Named Region 4 Elementary Teacher of the Year
Region 4 Education Service Center named Yvonne López-Taylor Elementary Teacher of the Year. The seven-year veteran from Carter Academy was selected from among more than 76,000 teachers in the area.

Aldine ISD Resets and Launches Hall Success Academy
The district launched a new instructional model for Hall Center for Education, now called Hall Success Academy. The new school of choice emphasizes student-centered blended learning. The intensive program helps students in grades 8-12 graduate from high school within a time frame in line with their peers. In addition to closing the academic achievement gap, Hall Success Academy focuses on strategies that help students build self-confidence, responsibility, and much more.

Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department Launches
In March of 2020, we established our FACE Department to strengthen partnerships with families, the district, and the community. Dr. Martha Escalante was named executive director of the department, which offers campus support, online resources, and two-way communication opportunities for parents to interact more with campus and district leaders.

District Names New Chief of Police
In April, we announced Paul Córdova as the district’s new Police Chief. Chief Córdova assumed the role with 37 years of law enforcement under his belt, including working as HISD’s Assistant Chief of Police.

New Literacy Initiative Launches
Over the summer of 2019, the Teaching and Learning Department, in partnership with The New Teacher Project (TNTP), launched the Aldine ISD Literacy Task Force. Based on the team’s recommendations, the district has adopted Amplify’s integrated early literacy suite, built on reading science, to support all students’ learning. Ms. Demedia Edwards has been named the Director of Literacy for the district.

Leadership Definition
This year we doubled down on our efforts to lead with equity while seeking out and highlighting employees and others that do the same. We created our first-ever “leadership definition” to share what leading looks like for students and staff in AISD. We also created an aspiring leadership pipeline to support employees on their path to becoming district and campus leaders.

AISD Launches Billboard Campaign
We are Aldine Proud, and we showed it this year with our first-ever billboard campaign designed to inspire and encourage the community by the great work happening across the district. The district printed “Better Together” and #WeAreAldine onto eight billboards posted on I-59, I-45, FM 1960, and Highway 249.

Aldine ISD Celebrates the Class of 2020
Aldine ISD celebrated the Class of 2020 with in-person and virtual celebrations. The district celebrated our graduating seniors in unique ways that we have not before. We shared Senior Spotlights, partnered with the City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to host a senior celebration at Thorne Stadium, and recognized our seniors as official graduates during our virtual Conferral Ceremony. Additionally, our campuses celebrated the seniors with drive-through yard signs, diploma pickups, and senior send-offs.

District Holds Virtual Graduation Ceremonies
The end of the year concluded with nine virtual graduation ceremonies. Seniors and their families and friends were able to watch a live broadcast of their high school graduation ceremony from the safety of their homes.

AISD to Focus on Social and Emotional Learning During 2020-21 School Year
During the 2020-21 school year, Aldine ISD began to place a premium on student outcomes. The district created the Social and Emotional Learning and Culture Department to achieve the goal. Campuses will be provided with the best practices in social-emotional learning (SEL) and school culture by implementing various systems and support structures for all district staff.

District Makes College Board’s AP® Honor Roll
The distinction shows that Aldine ISD is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for Advanced Placement courses. This is the first time the district has made the Honor Roll.

AISD Announces New Schools
In 2020, we proudly announced plans to launch a Young Women’s Leadership Academy and a Newcomer School. We are excited to see these special programs launch in the 2021-2022 school year to serve our students’ diverse needs better and help them reach their infinite potential.

Aldine in the News
This year, like no other, all eyes were on Aldine ISD as the region and nation watched to see how we were responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Here are just a few of the stories our district participated in:

Communicating COVID-19 Support and Resources
Those responsible for sharing information with our staff and families worked tirelessly this year to ensure everyone received accurate information in a timely manner. Here are just a few examples of our communications team at work:

Announced testing centers for community members
Keep the community informed about meal distribution — More than three million meals served since March!
Shared information with families about the P-EBT benefit
Kept staff informed and encouraged throughout spring and summer

I do hope you feel that there is so much to feel good about here in Aldine ISD. I know I do.

Thank you to each member of our team for their work this year. During the break, I hope everyone — families and staff — take time to recharge, to read, to rest, to spend time safely together, and to reflect on how amazing you are. Everyone deserves a break after the year we’ve had.

As a reminder, the final day for students is Thursday, December 17. The last day before the break for Aldine ISD Staff is Friday, December 18. Staff will return on January 4, and students return on January 6.

With Aldine Pride and Joy,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent