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Hello Houston,
I'm heading out to another student walkout soon at Bellaire High School. It's one of several student anti-ICE protests planned today — even as school and state leaders threaten disciplinary action.
Hundreds of students and officials rallied at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center Tuesday, demanding the release of their classmate, Mauro Yosueth Henriquez. Henriquez, the school's soccer captain, and his father were detained by federal immigration agents in December.
"He's supposed to be graduating. He's a very good person," senior and teammate Alexander Mendoza told us. "What happened to him was something that shouldn't happen to anybody."
Must-reads:
- HISD cabinet members anonymously evaluated Superintendent Mike Miles. See his scores.
- HISD broke barriers with the first public French program in Texas. Now, it plans to dismantle it.
 | Claire Partain, HISD reporter |
Photo by: Houston Chronicle
Texas' school vouchers have opened. Here's what to know and how HISD may be affected.
This week Texas kickstarted its $1 billion school voucher program with more than 30,000 applicants on the first day.
The program offers families state-funded accounts for private school tuition and other expenses. It could serve up to 100,000 students.
While the state reported a relatively smooth launch Wednesday, concerns remain about certain schools being left out and whether vouchers will mostly benefit higher-income families.
Public school advocates also worry that vouchers could exacerbate declining enrollment trends.
Last month, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said HISD will compete with vouchers by offering enhanced career and technical programs, using artificial intelligence in classrooms and possibly opening two new K-8 schools.
"Our competitive advantage to private schools and charter schools is that we can do (career and technical education) better and more efficiently than anybody else," Miles said.
The voucher application is not first-come, first serve and remains open until March 17.
Reporter's Notebook
Most of my reporting is in HISD, but yesterday I took a rare trip outside district boundaries to watch a seriously good rendition of "Guys and Dolls" in Spring Branch.
I truly think the students from Stratford High can contend with opera signers and ballet dancers downtown. But I went for more than entertainment — this year, proceeds from Stratford's Black Bucket program went to the Katherine Ferruzzo Legacy Foundation.
Katherine was a recent Spring Branch ISD graduate and Camp Mystic counselor who died in the July 4 floods. Her mother, Andrea Ferruzzo, created the foundation in her honor to continue Katherine's legacy of helping special needs students.
The foundation has since raised money for classrooms in Spring Branch and Hunt ISDs.
Many students in the play have connections to Katherine and Camp Mystic. Show director Cece Prudhomme said it's been healing for students to know that their performances will directly help Spring Branch kids.
Stratford has three more showtimes through Saturday evening.
What Else Happened This Week
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The Calendar Ahead
• Feb. 7: School Choice Fair at Mandarin Immersion Magnet School
• Feb. 11: Teach in HISD Virtual Information Session
• Feb. 12: Board of Managers meeting
• Feb. 13-16: No class, President's Day
Meet The Team
Photo by: Susan Barber
Our HISD coverage is fueled by reporting from Megan Menchaca, Nusaiba Mizan and Claire Partain. Laura Isensee is our education editor, and Jennifer Radcliffe is local news editor.
You can reach out to any of them by emailing them at their firstname.lastname@houstonchronicle.com, filling out this survey or by replying directly to this email.
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