AISD Trustees Hold Monthly Board Meeting

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The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, April 20.

The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees held their April board meeting on Tuesday, April 20, in the Board Room of the Donaldson Administration Building.

All seven Trustees, Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, and her Executive Leadership Team (ELT), attended the meeting live.

Staff Assignment Announced

Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney announced one staff assignment at the April 20 board meeting.

Dr. Lauren Petrea was named Opportunity Culture Director after serving as Principal at Graham Middle School in the Mountain Whisman School District in California.

Gerald Irons Recognized by Board

Gerald Irons, a long-time volunteer at the Knippel Education Center (KEC), was recognized by the Board for his years of service to the school. Mr. Irons recently passed away. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Eastern Shores and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. After a 10-year career in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns, he moved to Texas, where he represented the United States at its worldwide “Ten Outstanding Young Persons Conference.” Mr. Irons served on the Conroe ISD Board of Education, where he served as President. He was a Conroe ISD Trustee for more than two decades. When he retired from the Board, his fellow Trustees named Gerald D. Irons, Sr. Junior High School, in his honor. The school, located in The Woodlands, opened in August of 2012. Mr. Irons devoted himself to the students at KEC and was always ready to support them when needed. Mr. Irons is survived by his wife Myrna, his three sons, and his extended family.

Dr. Viola M. García Recognized for Being Named President of the NSBA

Aldine ISD Trustee Dr. Viola M. García was recognized at the April 20 Board meeting for becoming the first Latina to be named President of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Dr. Garcia is the longest-tenured AISD Trustee. She was appointed to the Position 7 seat in 1992 and elected to the seat in 1993. She has held all four board offices and has chaired numerous committees. Dr. García is a retired faculty member of the University of Houston-Downtown, where she also chaired numerous committees. She is active in many organizations. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi-Omega, the Texas Association of School Boards, where she has served as president, the Mexican American School Board Members Association, where she has also served as president, is a lifetime member of the PTA, and is a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Dr. Garcií received a well-deserved standing ovation from her fellow Trustees and the audience after the announcement of her election as NSBA President was made at the April 20 Board meeting.

Amazon CARES Recognized for its Work With AISD

During the April 20 Board meeting, Dr. Martha Escalante, Executive Director of the Family and Community Engagement Department, recognized Amazon CARES for their partnership with the district. During the Winter Storm Uri, Amazon expressed their desire to become business partners with Aldine ISD. Linda Olson Flores, Director of the Aldine Education Foundation, contacted Adebempie Adelaja, who leads the Amazon CARES team introduced her to Dr. Escalante. Knowing that reading is one of the district’s top priorities, Adebempie and Dr. Escalante designed the Amazon Reading Buddies Program, which consists of having Amazon CARES team members serve as reading partners for primary students. Amazon CARES volunteers hosted their first virtual reading program at Garcia-Leza Primary School. Joining Adebempie at the April 20 Board meeting were fellow Amazon CARES team members Kyle Wilson, Eduardo Medina, and Evan Luscher.

Dr. Escalante also recognized Escamilla Elementary School, which partnered with Disney and First Books to have 1,300 books donated to Escamilla. Good Morning America Weekend picked up the story, which ran a piece on the books delivered to Escamilla students.

Teaching, Learning, and Leading Department Recognizes 2 AISD Choir Students

Dr. Todd Davis, Chief Academic Officer, presented the Teaching, Learning and Leading Department program. He introduced two Aldine ISD high school students named Texas All-State Musicians by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA). The students are Shonease Murphy of MacArthur High School and Victoria Cerda of Eisenhower High School. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can achieve. Only 1,800 students are selected through a process that begins with more than 50,000 students from throughout the state vying for the honor to perform in one of 18 ensembles (bands, orchestras, and choirs) at the TMEA Convention. Shonese and Victoria are among the top 2% of all high school musicians in Texas. Joining Dr. Davis in recognizing the two students was Refugio Rodriguez, AISD’s Director of Performing Arts. Micah Schirado is the Choir Director at MacArthur High School, and Sandra Walker is the Choir Director at Eisenhower High School.

Employees Recognized

During the April 20 Board meeting, several Aldine ISD employees were recognized for their contributions to the district daily.

Dr. Javier Villarreal, Chief Human Resources Officer, named Jean Anglade as his department’s Employee of the Quarter. Jean works in the Benefits Department.

The Buildings and Properties Department named Worsham Elementary School the Building of the Month. Sanjuana Puente is the Head Custodian, and Sandra Doria serves as the school’s principal.

German Enamorado, Executive Director of Transportation, named Jesus Carrera as his department’s Employee of the Month. Jesus is a supervisor driver at the West Side Transportation Department.

Grants Announced

Stacey Smith, Director of Special Programs, announced several grants at the April 20 Board meeting.

Eisenhower High School Principal Mandele Davis, Caraway Elementary Principal Dr. Andrenetta Marshall, and Reece Primary Principal Sharla Rogers were awarded a $1,000 grant each from Healthy Outdoor Communities. Eisenhower will use the funds to host a community event in a local park that will include family-friendly activities, an SPCA pet adoption event, and distribute resources to community members. Caraway will use the funds to beautify their courtyards to encourage teachers and staff to utilize them as outdoor classrooms and meeting spaces. Reece will use the funds to create an outdoor reading and learning space to appeal to 3-6-year-old students.

Teague Middle School Principal Kimberly Dussette, Aldine Middle School Principal Christi Van Wassenhove, Jones Middle School Principal Marcus Pruitt, Hambrick Middle School Principal Jose Almendarez, Shotwell Middle School Principal Denise Winchester, and Mead Middle School Principal Jessica Scott were each awarded a $5,000 Project Lead The Way grant. Project Lead The Way provides middle schools hands-on experiences that engage students in real-world challenges and problem solving through collaboration. The program in Aldine focuses on engineering and architecture.

Jones Middle School Principal Marcus Pruitt and teacher Roy Brooks secured a $400 grant from the Texas Commission of the Arts.

Teague Middle School Principal Kimberly Dussette and counselor Dyann Wilson secured a $2,500 grant from the Texas High Education Coordinator Board. The money will be used to support the school’s College and Career Readiness program.

Dr. Martha Escalante, Executive Director of the Family Community Engagement Department, Iván Tamayo, Family, and Community Engagement Specialist, and Kaileigh Newman, Visual Arts Department Director, secured a $9,700 grant from the Education Foundation of Harris County for their “Book in Each Hand” Program. The Visual Arts Department also received a $9,995.19 grant from the Harris County Department of Education and Education Foundation of Harris County to fund the department’s “Arts and Literacy to Encourage Thoughtful Learning” Program.

The grants announced at the April 20 Board meeting totaled $55,595.19.

Board Approves Action Items

During the April 20 Board meeting, Aldine ISD Trustees approved the following Action Items:

• Approved an MOU Agreement between Sam Houston State University and Aldine ISD regarding Clinical Teaching and an addendum of an MOU agreement between Sam Houston State University and Aldine ISD regarding the SHSUCOE Yearlong Residency Program for Clinical Teaching
• Approved to waive the Student Growth Measure Component of the Teacher Evaluation for the 2020-21 school year
• Approved bids for awards, fundraiser vendors, instructional supplies, photography services, professional and consulting services, restaurant, food and catering vendors, football supplies, special supplies and equipment, volleyball supplies, floor finish, full-service food supply, and USDA foods storage and services, districtwide ceramic, districtwide electrical and fan coil cleaning services
• Approved contracts and purchases of more than $50,000
• Approved the General Fund Budget Amendment for Period 10 of the 2020-21 school year
• Approved monthly Tax Office refunds
• Approved a school calendar for Additional Day School Year (ADSY) for Ermel Elementary School and Vines Primary School

The May Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 18.