How to Find the Right School or Daycare

How to Find the Right School or Daycare

By Christina Moreland

The first day of school for most students in the Houston area, including those in Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD and Cy-Fair ISD, is Monday, August 22. For children and parents alike, this day often conjures feelings of anxiety, stress and excitement. As a parent, you worry if your child will socialize and perform well, if he or she will feel comfortable in the new setting and make friends easily. And for children, well, that’s obvious! The first day can be terrifying! Even if you enroll into a private institution beginning at the daycare level, finding the right school for your child can be one of the most stressful tasks in early parenting. If you are required to go back to work, many daycares have a year-long wait list, not to mention the high cost and fees associated with new admissions. How do you navigate the timing properly so you can return to work knowing your child made it in and you chose the right option? And more importantly, how do you finally settle on your school of choice feeling confident about your decision?

 

To help, here is a list of questions you can use at the daycare and elementary levels to interview administration and staff before making your final decision.

 

Questions for Infant and Toddler Levels

What training or certification is required for your teachers?

 

How does your school measure its students’ progress? (Keep in mind this is also important at the infant and toddler levels, when gross motor skills and early socialization need to be nurtured.)

 

May I see what your typical day calendar looks like for my child’s age group?

 

May we walk to that classroom and meet the teacher(s)?

(When you walk around, notice if the children appear engaged and happy.)

 

Why is it this school’s opinion that having a curriculum at the infant level is important? What is the infant/toddler curriculum?

(Typically for this age group it involves working with infants on their gross motor skills, playing music and engaging them, reading, and stroller rides through the school hallways.)

 

Will I receive regular progress reports and direct feedback from my child’s teacher? How frequently? Daily? Weekly? Monthly?

(Compare this to other schools you’re interviewing.)

 

What is your teacher-to-child ratio and how does this compare to the state requirements?

 

Are all teachers infant- and child-CPR trained?

 

How are teachers and upper level administrative staff trained to handle a crisis? For example, how do they notify parents when a child is injured at school? How does the school assess whether or not emergency personnel need to be called and then parent notified? How often do you run mock fire drills?

 

As a parent, do I have the ability to show up at school at any time and monitor how my child is doing?

 

What kind of security does the school offer to protect the children? (Ask about drop-off and pick-up procedures, how other family members may or may not participate, etc.)

 

What is your student retention rate from year to year? What about teacher retention?

 

Questions for Pre-K – Elementary Levels

What is the difference between Vanguard and Magnet? If we are not zoned to your school, what ways might we transfer into it?

 

What do most people do here in this area for schools? Private? Public? Combination?

 

Do you provide education for parents to get their children into a good program, such as advanced placement classes? What is the first step?

 

Typically, is this a paid program, or are you grandfathered in based on test scores?

 

How are children measured once it is determined they want to be placed into a magnet or Vanguard program?

 

How does this school measure its students’ performance outside of the state requirements and how are parents periodically notified about their children’s performance levels?

 

Will I know how my child is performing compared to other students his age? How will you update me and how frequently?

 

What are some things that I can be doing at home to complement your current curriculum for my child’s age group?

 

Do you have this month’s curriculum calendar for my child’s class that I can take with me?

 

On a personal level, after having received several parent recommendations for my son’s school and answering all of our questions satisfactorily, our final decision for his school came when we saw the children who attended there. We walked into several classrooms and the children were engaged and active, from the infant level to the Pre-K students. And when we looked at the bulletin board of school classroom photos, almost every single child in every single photo was smiling and happy. This gave us a tremendous amount of comfort. And while no place can be perfect or administer care quite like you can as a parent, there are definite signs to put you in a positive mindset for your child’s school.

 

Ongoing communication with teachers and administrators is important, so keep in mind the school cannot do its job if you do not voice concerns and work to resolve them as soon as they come up (and they will). Finally, after you have done all the research and cross-referencing in the world, your mom instincts will ultimately be the decision maker, and most likely, they will be right!

 

 

Christina Moreland Bio:

Christina Moreland, an H Texas Magazine contributor, is the mom of a growing infant and a bright, spunky 4-year-old. She is passionate about all sorts of parenting and childcare issues. Her goal with this column is to equip families with good, sound information so they can be well informed and create healthy homes. Her writing has been featured in numerous Houston publications. Contact Christina at ctmoreland@sbcglobal.net.

 

Technology Gives New Meaning to How Moms Communicate

By Christina Moreland

Technology and moms are quickly becoming best friends. In the Information Age, where 100,000,000 new Twitter accounts were opened in 2010 and there was a 14 percent increase in the number of internet users last year, and Facebook riveted the world with unique user accounts estimated at more than 500 million, the way moms interact with technology today – and even the reasons why they choose certain gadgets – really sets a profound landscape for how they communicate with and on behalf of their children.

With the introduction of new tech gadgets, such as SmartPhones, the ipod and ipad, and now ipad2, moms, an extremely powerful consumer group, are opting to purchase many of these gadgets and use them as tools to interact, entertain and communicate with their children – often in lieu of purchasing toys, entertainment and educational tools specifically designed for children.

For example, Emma Prettejohn purchased the original Apple ipad last June in an effort to entertain her then 22-month-old over 40 hours of travel from Houston to Canberra, Australia. Now her son is two and a half years old, and apps on her gadget include, ABC Phonics, Preschool Counting, Flashcards, story books, Sprout and Kideos, which is an app that offers online videos that have been vetted to ensure age-appropriate content. Think of it as a kid-friendly alternative to YouTube. Prettejohn says her initial motive in the ipad purchase was purely centered on her son’s entertainment and education. The adult content she enjoys, such as the Weather Channel and Huffington Post, came later.

“We find that people aren’t very tolerant of children during international flights, so we try to keep him focused and quiet wherever possible,” she says. Unlike some children his age, Prettejohn’s son is not in a Mother’s Day Out or preschool program, so he goes everywhere with her, including doctor appointments, eyebrow waxing, and the grocery store. “Having him calm down and focused while using the ipad is really helpful.”

Another local mom, Eva Pappas, whose son is 3, uses educational toddler apps, such as Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, The Wheels on the Bus, and Feed Me!

Although she uses the apps primarily for entertainment purposes for her son, Pappas still purchased the Leapster reading pen for him at Christmas.

Anna Jones uses her iphone and ipad as entertainment devices for all three of her children, ages 2 to 12. She uses the technology while waiting in a doctor’s office, at restaurants and at home on occasion.

“I don’t regularly carry the ipad with me, but I always have my phone which carries the same technology,” she says. “The kids routinely ask to play on my phone.”

Jones agrees with so many apps available and at no cost or for very little cost, the ipad, tablets and SmartPhones are having an impact on how parents spend their technology resource dollars on their children.

“[Parents] used to try and keep our children busy with DVD players, games, Leapsters, paper and colors, but now there seems to be an app for everything with access to movies and television all on one machine.”

It appears Jones and Prettejohn are right on trend with a late 2009 Google Analytics study which revealed some of Google’s own statistics regarding moms online: The study said out of 34 million moms online, their top three purchase categories were apparel and accessories (36%), books, music and video (31%), and toys and games (24%). Additionally, moms today are using social media more than ever, and BabyCenter, LLC, the leading online global resource for expectant and new moms, revealed moms’ use of social media is up 462 percent within the last three years.

Natalie Johnston, whose daughter is 21 months old, agrees social media is connecting moms, with accessing resources to answer their child-related questions.

“I think parents see all that technology has to offer and are willing to spend a bit more on it if it will benefit their kids,” Johnston says. Her initial motivation in purchasing the iphone 4 was to get a handy mobile camera with good image quality so she could use to take snapshots of her two little girls.

“I upgraded from the 3G because I wanted a faster phone and better camera quality,” says Johnston. “I had not initially thought of my phone as something for my older daughter to use, but she loves to watch videos on it, and sometimes when she is super fussy or we go somewhere and I need her to sit still, I’ll let her use my phone. She loves scrolling through all of the pictures I have on it.”

Despite the many benefits and conveniences updated technology allows, a cautionary tone emits from the very moms who embrace it:
“Technology is great, but our kids still need to be kids,” says Jones. “Kids need to turn off their computers and go outside and run and play. I didn’t grow up in a texting world and I worry that our children are not learning enough about how to really develop relationships since they prefer to text instead of having a real conversation most of the time.”

Johnston agrees. “I don’t mind TV and technology to an extent, but you can’t beat playing in a park or running around with your own imagination. Those cannot be replaced.”

According to DidYouKnow.org, a nonprofit organization that provides public data statistics, (http://didyouknow.org/fastfacts/technology/), here are some technology stats that will have your head spinning:

• There are an estimated 1 billion computers in use.
• There are an estimated 2 billion TV sets in use.
• There are more than 4 billion cell phones in use; about 3 million cell phones are sold every day.
• Google handles about 1 billion search queries per day.
• About 20 percent of videos on YouTube are music related.
• 24 hours of video viewing is uploaded every single minute to YouTube.
• People view an estimated 15 billion videos online every month.
• Flickr hosts about 5 billion photographs; Facebook hosts more than 15 billion.

Christina Moreland Bio:
Christina Moreland, an H Texas Magazine contributor, is the mom of a growing newborn and a bright, spunky 4-year-old. She is passionate about all sorts of parenting and childcare issues. Her goal with this column is to equip families with good, sound information so they can be well informed and create healthy homes. Her writing has been featured in numerous Houston publications. Contact Christina at ctmoreland@sbcglobal.net.

HISD Magnet Audit

HISD Magnet Audit: Magnet Schools of America Recommends Stripping 47% of HISD Magnet Program Titles

By Christina Moreland

Magnet Schools of America (MSA), the independent consultant Houston Independent School District hired to conduct its district-wide Magnet program analysis, released its final report to HISD administrators on January 7. In that report, MSA recommended the district take away 55 of the 113 Magnet designations – 47 percent of the total. If HISD moves forward on the recommendations, for the eliminated programs it means closed Magnets would lose their coveted Magnet designations, Magnet funding and free transportation for out-of-neighborhood students.

After conducting a comprehensive Magnet audit that included visitations to the 113 Magnet schools, meeting with key educators, Magnet coordinators, parents, students, and conducting several public forums about the Magnet review process, MSA reported several themes as “concerns” that included “inconsistencies of duties of Magnet coordinators,” “inequity of Magnet funding,” “inconsistent professional development of staff,” “degree of parent engagement across the district,” among others.

Now the recommendations provided by MSA go to the HISD Board for a final vote, with initial rollout of the changes expected in March.

Among the recommended Magnet closings, it includes 24 elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 19 high schools. In some cases the recommendations are to simply change the Magnet focus at a school. In others, recommendations are to significantly revise the Magnet program within a school. Still in the cases of popular programs at Bellaire High School, Lamar High School, and Reagan High School, recommendations are to strip those schools of their Magnet titles “due to limited building capacity to meet criteria” even though all three have maintained successful programs for years.

In the proposed audit, Vanguard schools would lose their Magnet label since Vanguard schools are not Magnet by definition and operate under their own centralized lottery system. Vanguard schools would proceed as-is with the new program in terms of the centralized lottery, testing in for gifted and talented programs, but would also lose the Magnet funding. Additionally, the new Magnet program would become a centralized lottery, where HISD would track what students select which Magnet schools and in some cases make the final decision when a student is selected to more than one. However, a centralized process would allow for more transparency within the system because parents would know where they stand and how the final decision was made.

HISD will host a series of public meetings for parents and other constituents to attend and voice their opinions. They are listed as follows:

Tuesday, January 25

• 6:30 p.m., Bellaire High School (5100 Maple)

• 6:30 p.m., Kashmere High School (6900 Wileyvale)

• 6:30 p.m., Lamar High School (3325 Westheimer)

• 6:30 p.m., Madison High School (13719 White Heather Dr.)

• 6:30 p.m., Ortiz Middle School (6767 Telephone)

• 6:30 p.m., Sterling High School (11625 Martindale)

• 6:30 p.m., Waltrip High School (1900 W. 34th St.)

• 6:30 p.m., Austin High School (1700 Dumble)

• 6:30 p.m., Westside High School (14201 Briar Forest)

Tuesday, February 1

• 9:00 a.m., Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center

Board Auditorium (4400 West 18th)

Saturday, February 5

• 9:00 a.m., Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center

Board Auditorium (4400 West 18th)

For additional resources about the Magnet review process, to view the full report or comment directly to HISD, click here:

http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=eab4ff276604b210VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD&vgnextchannel=9339e02e91b23110VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD

To email feedback to HISD directly, contact magnet@houstonisd.org.

Kidfitness: Age-appropriate fitness levels for children

Kidfitness: Age-appropriate fitness levels for children

By Christina Moreland

As a parent, you may have wondered what is age-appropriate fitness and physical activity for your child. In a society where childhood obesity levels are on the rise, nutrition labels can be confusing and deceiving, and parents increasingly want to protect their children from outside dangers, you may have asked yourself what recreational activities are good for your children and at what age level. Equally important is how to monitor your child’s own physical abilities, and finally, knowing when enough is enough and the sport or activity is just too much for your child’s young growing body. Here are some answers from leading Houston experts.

Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the last 30 years, according to childhoodobesitystatistics.net and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. So it is especially important to make sure children get enough daily physical activity. Aside from being a healthier, leaner individual, there are many benefits to the active child:

• An active child will sleep better
• An active child will have better conditioning and endurance than an inactive child who plays video games and spends most of the time indoors
• Active children tend to enjoy spending time outside, will have fewer illnesses than inactive children, and are more likely to remain active throughout their lives
• Active children are less likely to be obese in adulthood, tend to have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and are less likely to develop obesity-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver or hypertension
• Active children tend to have a higher self-esteem, play well with others through their team sports activities, and tend to make better grades and perform well overall

So what are doctor-recommended physical activity levels for children, ages 3 – 12?

Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian, sports dietitian and director of sports nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital, suggests to parents that the most appropriate exercise for children is “active play.” “This would include playing outside, jumping rope, jungle gyms and any activity that is fun for children,” she says.

Here are some additional doctor-approved guidelines:

Early Childhood (Ages 3 – 5 Years)

Young toddlers in this age group are still mastering running, throwing and hopping. Although they are naturally active at this age, they have difficulty tracking and determining speed of objects, have a short attention span, and are highly distractible, according to Dr. Joseph N. Chorley, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. This means organized sports can be difficult and challenging, often frustrating, if children are introduced too young and to a sport that does not take these things into consideration. Even simple rules may be hard for children of this age to understand and apply, so consider active play that includes swimming, running and basic tumbling. Dr. Chorley says T-ball is Ok at this age. He also recommends play that is in an enclosed, safe environment – “one that is consistent with constant conditions and few variables.”

Additional fun fitness ideas for children of this age group, and that are appropriate for at home or in a park with adult supervision include playing freeze tag, hitting a ball off a T-stand, using foam balls to play basketball, bowling, soccer, catch or volleyball. Organized swimming is also something that can be done year-round in Houston, with the use of indoor swimming pools through athletic clubs, such as the Houston Swim Club, family YMCA or even some local fitness clubs, such as Lifetime Fitness and a few local 24 Hour Fitness clubs.

Childhood (Ages 6 – 9 Years)

Children in this age group are much more coordinated than their early childhood counterparts. They have improved visual tracking and velocity, their balance is automatic, and motor skills overall have improved drastically. For example, says Dr. Chorley, a child has mastered an overhead throw by age 6 and has a mature running style by age 8. Children in this age group still have fairly short attention spans and need both visual and auditory instruction to be successful. Dr. Chorley recommends running, soccer, baseball, swimming, gymnastics and sports that emphasize skill acquisition and fun, but de-emphasize competition.

At-home fitness ideas for children of this age group include skating or rollerblading, bicycling, jumping rope, playing catch, kickball, soccer and basketball. If your child does not like traditional sports, consider signing him or her up for golf, tennis or Tae Kwon Do. Many athletic fitness clubs by membership offer after-school programs and ways to play team sports suited for this young age. Consider a family YMCA membership, Kid Fit USA or even ask your gym or athletic club if they provide activities for families.

Late Childhood (Ages 10 – 12 Years)

While vision is fully developed in this age group and most children at this age have mastered balance, children in this age group may still experience some minor coordination issues, particularly during a growth spurt and as they enter puberty. Their learning ability has improved significantly, as they are able to take verbal instructions and apply them. Dr. Chorley says complex sports, such as football, hockey and basketball are good for this age group. He says however, “there is no such thing as the average athlete and flexibility must be built into any training program.” This means every young athlete will experience sports differently with different stress tolerances, different healing rates, different expectations, motivations and overall experience.

Remember, kids who participate in any sport are at risk for injury, so wearing appropriate protective gear is important, as is proper hydration and nutrition. Kids who specialize in one sport may also be at risk of overuse injuries, including stress fractures and joint injuries.

So how many hours a week training and conditioning is too much for a young growing body to handle? Most experts, including Nutritionist Keith Klein say it depends on the individual athlete, but do watch carefully for signs your child may be experiencing burnout or excessive fatigue from too much exposure.

“Just watch your kid,” says Klein. “If they are acting really tired, seem run down or can’t stay awake, tell the coach and take the appropriate action to make sure they recuperate. I can’t stress hydration enough here. For any kid that is exercising more than 40 minutes, they must be drinking an electrolyte replacement drink. Period.” He says these drinks do not need to contain excessive sugar and can be diluted, but it is important to incorporate electrolyte-replacement into a child’s fitness regime to prevent injuries, such as muscle tears, which can not only be painful, but can take a long time to heal.

“Timing of the meal and what children eat is also critical,” Klein says. “So if a parent is uncertain what to feed them, take them to a sports nutritionist in their area.”

Remember proper nutrition in your child is just as important, if not more so, than the actual conditioning and training of the sport itself. And undoubtedly, proper nutrition does play a vital role in performance. Just be sure to determine the activity level your child’s sport requires and create a nutrition plan.

“How a person should eat is fundamentally determined by the sport they engage in and the goal they want to attain,” says Klein. “Runners shouldn’t eat like baseball players. Bodybuilders don’t eat like long distance runners, and pageant girls don’t eat like soccer players.”

Ideas for Around Town

Monkeynastix

http://www.monkeynastixhouston.com/

Kid Fit USA

http://www.kidfitusa.org/

Young Brothers Taekwondo

http://www.youngbrotherstaekwondotexas.com/

YMCA of Greater Houston

http://www.ymcahouston.org/

Houston Tennis Association

http://houstontennis.org

Houston Swim Club

http://www.houstonswimclub.com/

24 Hour Fitness Clubs in Houston

http://www.24hourfitness.com/ClubList/tx/houston

Lifetime Fitness Clubs in Houston

http://clubs.lifetimefitness.com/Texas-Houston/284/?gclid=CNGy1KmE_KUCFUeW7QodSmR8nA

To find out about youth soccer and T-ball in your area, contact your neighborhood association, HOA or parent network groups to get specific contacts.

Christina Moreland Bio:

Christina Moreland, an H Texas Magazine contributor, is the mom of a bright, spunky 3-year-old and passionate about all sorts of parenting and childcare issues. Her goal with this column is to equip families with good, sound information so they can be well informed and create healthy homes. Her writing has been featured in numerous Houston publications. Contact Christina at ctmoreland@sbcglobal.net.

HISD Performs Magnet Audit District-wide

By Christina Moreland

The first Magnet school in Houston Independent School District was formed in 1971, and after a 39-year evolution, the Magnet program is being audited by Magnet Schools of America (MSA) with definite changes, possibly district-wide, on the horizon. Obviously parents, who have a vested interest in the program, have questions and concerns, and opinions over what those changes should be and implemented over what timeframe, run rampant.

For many, to understand the HISD Magnet program and how it currently operates is like an arduous and challenging puzzle. It can be confusing, and when the process for funding is taken into consideration, the numbers are varying and arbitrary, ranging from $15.35 per student to $4,051 per student. And it is in those cases where the debate begins, as HISD tries to determine what is fair among its Magnets. In some cases, Magnet programs that are underperforming may go away. In others, funding may be significantly altered or reallocated. It is clear though, what is equal in Magnet funding is not necessarily equitable, and that is exactly what HISD hopes to streamline with its Magnet review.

“The external review of HISD’s Magnet program will help the district provide the rigorous instructional standards and supports called for in its Strategic Direction. The goal is to make sure the specialized programs in HISD’s 113 Magnet schools are effective, equitable, and efficient,” HISD states in a press release dated October 23.

Laura Richardson, a member of the Superintendent’s Public Engagement Committee, Parent Advisory Committee and Vice President of Parents for Public Schools Houston, explains the Magnet process this way: “The Magnet schools first fill their spots with zoned children. Once they fill with the zoned kids, then they fill their Magnet spots. Different schools do this in different ways. The problem and the reason HISD needs this audit, is there is no formula or consistency whatsoever for funding or for Magnet enrollment,” she said.

The Magnet program impacts approximately 42,000 students, and parents choose it for a variety of reasons.

Ariel Rozen, whose second grader attends Parker Elementary school’s music program, wanted to give her son an opportunity to balance the discipline of practicing an instrument with school work. She recognizes entry into the current Magnet program per school can vary, and she believes the Magnet process, but not the dollar for dollar funding, should be the same for every school.

“I’m afraid HISD will pull funding from high performing schools and move it around to less performing Magnets because they haven’t kept up with what makes a good magnet program,” she said.

She used the example of Parker, which has about 600 music Magnet spots and instruments to supply to its students and a thriving program, to other fine arts programs with significantly fewer spots available and less need for the competitive dollars.

Lynn Nazareth, whose Kindergartener attends River Oaks Elementary, chose the Magnet option because she felt it would provide a private school type setting without the price tag and because she wanted her daughter to experience greater diversity.

“Just the fact that we live in a school district that is free choice is terrific. Intercity schools typically don’t have the best reputation, and it’s great to have choice, but I hope [HISD] does not force us to private schools because of doing away with choice,” she said.

Another major concern among parents is if the lottery selection process, where wait lists are created at highly coveted schools and qualified applicants’ names are drawn out of a hat, will go away or continue.

Nazareth says, “The way it currently stands, my daughter’s school would have a sibling lottery if she tests in as well, but if numbers do not work out in our favor, and if the rules change, that would be a concern because I want our kids to go to the same school. That’s one of our biggest concerns,” she said.

Lupita Hinojosa, assistant superintendent for school choice, said as for next spring, each school will continue to head up its own lottery, but HISD will need to evaluate recommendations from MSA, which will then go to the HISD Board of Trustees for the final vote.

Although most parents recognize some change is needed, not all agree on what the change should be, and one of the huge debates going on is whether or not to make the Magnet program centralized.  In a centralized program HISD would track what students select which Magnet schools, and possibly make the final call in cases where students are accepted to more than one. For example, Richardson’s son, who attends Wharton Elementary School’s dual language Magnet, applied to nine different Magnet schools and was accepted to four of them.

“We took time to make our final decision and held spots at three different schools, which kept those spots where other parents couldn’t get in,” she said. “HISD doesn’t have a centralized system to know we were holding spots at all those schools. Vanguard by contrast is centralized lottery, and they know where you’ve gotten in, how many spots you have available, etc. Magnets do not know and they don’t track it either. I don’t believe you should be able to hold five, six or seven spots while you’re making decisions.”

Every school has its own criteria for making this determination, and each does it differently. Most parents feel there needs to be one standard for acceptance. Some want to keep it at the school level, while others want an oversight committee formed, where non-members of the school would make those decisions.

“We just need uniformity in our systems and processes, and that would give people more confidence, but how we do it is the big debate,” Richardson said.

To conduct its audit, HISD posted a Request for Proposal (RFP) in mid-July. Six companies submitted bids to acquire the work, and based on the agreed budget and scope of work, MSA won the bid. So why the audit this year?

According to HISD Chief of Staff Michele Pola, the idea of a district-wide Magnet audit had been discussed for several years, and a peer review conducted in 2006 confirmed it was needed.

“Anytime there is change, there is a level of fear. But we are looking for standardized guidelines across the board,” she said. “Up until now funding was based on so many things and we had a wide variance in how funds were awarded. Now we’re looking at what are the best practices.”

MSA is currently forming recommendations from an audit performed over a three-month timeframe. MSA had 15 consultants visit all Magnet schools, where each consultant spent a half-day gathering data. They visited classrooms, met with principals, in some cases talked to parents, and met with Magnet coordinators – who were also required to submit individual campus evaluations. Meanwhile, HISD held public forums and invited parent participation to get a cross-section of ideas and research.

And even though MSA is based in Washington D.C., HISD administrators feel confident it has a sense of the unique Houston culture and educational system.

“It is important to know while MSA is making recommendations, the senior staff in HISD and its Board know Houston and what will or will not work for Houston,” Pola said. “I really do think MSA has captured the essence of Houston, but it will ultimately be HISD’s role to review the recommendations made and ultimately determine if they will work here.”

MSA’s completed report is due to HISD at the end of December, with interim reports released to the public before Winter Break. The recommendations will then go to the HISD Board for a final vote, with initial rollout expected in February or March of 2011. Remaining accepted recommendations will be phased in over a two- to three-year period.

Christina Moreland Bio:

Christina Moreland, an H Texas Magazine contributor, is the mom of a bright, spunky 3-year-old and passionate about all sorts of parenting and childcare issues. Her goal with this column is to equip families with good, sound information so they can be well informed and create healthy homes. Her writing has been featured in numerous Houston publications. Contact Christina at editor@htexas.com.