I've covered schools and education this entire school year. COVID-related issues have gotten tons of attention. But Houston ISD's search for a new superintendent is another big story. It's the largest school district in the state and is often plagued by problems. But it's a job that attracted 60+ applicants during a nationwide search. Trustees finally revealed that Millard House II of Tennessee was their lone finalist for the position. I had a 12 hour workday the night before this story as trustees conducted final interviews and discussion.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
High school senior overcomes brain tumor to finish 8th in his class
As if the pandemic wasn't enough of a challenge for school kids this year. An Aldine ISD senior also dealt with a life-threatening diagnosis. But Jonathan Johnson persevered through two brain surgeries and ongoing therapy to finish in the top 10 of his class.. Although he had to give up playing basketball which earned him a letter jacket. This story started with a pitch from the district. I was happy to be able to share it with our audience.
Monday, May 17, 2021
Convention comeback in Houston as pandemic eases
I pitched this story after reading an article by news partner Houston Business Journal on the number of upcoming conventions. They include the NRA's annual convention set for September in Houston. The organization confirmed to me that it expected 70,000+ attendees and has already contracted 7000 rooms in 40 hotels. I recently noticed a new Hyatt Place downtown that opened during the pandemic. It was happy to contribute to the story as well. I also reached out to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which attracts tens of thousands every year.
Friday, May 14, 2021
Two Spring ISD students accepted to all Ivy League colleges between them
This story originated with a press release. It was about a Spring ISD senior accepted to all eight Ivy League colleges and his decision to attend Harvard. One of the district's media contacts got word of a second senior in a nearly identical position while I was in touch with her about the first one. I got Zoom interviews with the two students on a day they were taking finals.. Which are very important to them. Both will be in Boston next fall and want to pursue medical research professions.
Principal/assistant principal dead after suspected murder-suicide
Reports of domestic violence have risen dramatically in many areas amid the pandemic. There's still a lot to learn from this deadly incident. But we quickly discovered that a murder-suicide in League City, TX (a SE suburb of Houston) involved a principal and her assistant principal husband. Police said he killed her before killing himself while two young children were also at home. The couple worked for different school districts from which I got statements regarding their deaths and a photo of the principal. I later went to their neighborhood for reaction from neighbors and friends.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Checking out one of the Houston area's oldest surviving homes
A house believed to be the oldest in the Klein community will soon be on the move. An effort is underway to relocate the Martin Frank home to nearby Wunderlich Farm Interactive History Park. I pitched the story thinking I wouldn't necessarily get to do it. But I'm glad I did. Fortunately, the folks behind the project were willing to meet me on a Sunday afternoon in order to talk about it. Klein ISD (which is connected to the group seeking to move the home) even provided some drone video. It's always fun for this History major to get an assignment like this.
Honoring school nutrition employees for work during pandemic
Folks who keep kids fed during school days have worked overtime amid the pandemic. They still provided meals even when physical schools were closed. This year's "School Lunch Hero Day" was a way to honor them. Houston ISD surprised some of its employees with a special proclamation. My photographer and I visited one of the district's big food distribution sites in order to capture the moment and some of the work that's ongoing.
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Bringing COVID vaccinations to high school campuses
I've been following the vaccination effort in relation to education since vaccines started rolling out. Many teachers have been vaccinated at hub sites and even at school facilities. Some districts are now prioritizing students. Cy-Fair ISD, Texas's third-largest district, partnered with Harris County Public Health to bring the Pfizer vaccine to high school campuses. It's the only vaccine currently authorized for people under 18 (16 and 17 year-olds). The problem I ran into with this story was getting video of the vaccination event inside a high school in time to include it in my 4:00p story. Fortunately, CFISD has a very good video production department which helped me with b-roll.
Monday, May 3, 2021
Galveston Island anticipates cruise ship return
I was dispatched to Galveston Island upon hearing that two Carnival cruise ships were heading back in order to prepare for voyages that could begin as soon as this summer. Thousands of jobs are tied to the cruise industry on the island. I didn't set any interviews up before leaving Houston. But I did reach out to a number of potential interviewees. I always say you shouldn't wait on return phone calls. Fortunately, we had a lot of luck by just dropping by a longshoremen's union hall and local shops. We also randomly met a Royal Caribbean employee who agreed to do an interview.
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