Faces of Harmony: Afreen Merchant

Afreen Merchant is with Harmony family since 2008 at Harmony School of Science Sugar Land. She is currently the Assistan Principal in high school department. Ms. Afreen candidly answered our questions.

How and when did your Harmony experience start? What positions have you assumed so far?
I started my journey with Harmony Public Schools in 2008 when Harmony School of Science Sugar Land  K-8th then and  K-5 now, opened it’s doors to the community. I served as an English teacher, department chair, AR coordinator and now an administrator.

What does being a member of the Harmony family mean?
Being a member of the Harmony family means that I look forward to coming to work every day. It means that I don’t mind the long hours, the Saturday meetings, or the 12:00 a.m. emails. Being a member of the Harmony family means being a part of a very diverse school community, fostering a caring environment where all children succeed, being able to recognize that we all share a common goal and we are all in this together.

What is the difference between being an administrator and a teacher at Harmony?
Meetings and conferences! There are a lot more meetings and conferences now. As a teacher, I was lucky enough to have an administration who fully believed and executed an “open door” policy. As an administrator, I am now able to execute that same policy. The ideals and ideas that I had as a teacher – I now have the ability to help implement them.

What makes Harmony Public Schools different from other public schools?
Being that we do not receive local/city funds, we are not held to the same rigid political movements and decisions as public schools. Being a state school allows us to answer directly to the Texas Education Agency and enables us the freedom to not only make decisions but to also make immediate changes. We are able to adapt to our students’ needs, rather than attempt to make them adapt to our abilities fulfilling  our passion and our desire to bring out the best in every student.

Do you think Harmony Public Schools can be good role models for other schools with their gang-free and drug-free policy?
Absolutely. Though it is not the policies alone that make HPS a good role model; it’s the constant and detailed implementation of the policies. We, at Harmony Public Schools, take pride in providing safe, gang free and drug free schools by creating an educational climate resulting in a vibrant learning environment.

Can you tell us more about the student-parent-teacher triad at Harmony?
Harmony parents and Harmony teachers share a common goal: to see their student(s) achieve and surpass all goals. By working together, we are able to provide students with constant support and encouragement, as well as any necessary academic and social interventions.

How does Harmony’s contribution take place to the community it belongs?
Harmony Public Schools helps strengthen young individuals’ senses of civic engagement to help them achieve their educational, developmental and social goals. HPS embraces public service as an integral part of its mission. A fundamental element of Harmony’s education is it’s commitment to strong moral and ethical values and to the public good.

Finally, what is your motto in education?
Always for the children!

Thank you very much.
My pleasure.

Charter Schools as a Growing Alternative

Northwest Houston Community Impact newspaper featured a story on the expansion of charter and private schools as an alternative to public education in Texas. The article cited Harmony as an example of the charter model.

New education choices grow locally
Charter schools offer alternatives
Marie Leonard
November 18, 2011

NORTHWEST HOUSTON — More than 360,000 Texas students attend a private school or a public charter school this year, compared to the nearly 5 million students enrolled at traditional school districts in Texas. However, public charter schools and private schools are expanding and finding a niche in growing communities such as Northwest Houston.

“When you look at charter schools, they are able to be flexible and innovative, and that’s why they were created: to be more adaptive to the communities they were set out to serve,” said Josie Duckett, vice president for public and governmental relations at the Texas Charter Schools Association.

A new public charter school opened its doors Nov. 14 to serve students in grades 9–12 who are interested in gaining two years of college credit by high school graduation. Responsive Education Solutions, which runs more than 20 charter schools in the state, opened the first Houston location of iSchoolHigh, which will be permanently housed at Lone Star College–University Park in January.

“[Northwest Houston] is a growing area, but it’s an area that doesn’t have a lot of educational options,” said Thomas Terry, director of media relations for Responsive Education Solutions. “Anywhere we go, we’re trying to find opportunities to give kids more options.”

A growing need

In 1999, the year the first charter school opened in Texas, there were 66 charter schools in the state, compared to 437 today, Duckett said.

“Texas is the second fastest growing charter state in the country,” she said. “In proportion to traditional school districts, we are still small; [charter school enrollment] is pushing 3 percent of the overall school population.”

There is a cap of 215 on the number of charters that can be awarded in Texas, but multiple campuses may be opened under one charter. However, since more than 56,000 students statewide are on charter school waiting lists, raising the cap will be a major priority for the TCSA in the next legislative session, Duckett said.

“We need that [cap] lifted because there are operators who want to come into the state of Texas,” she said. “Many people have contacted the association who want to come in and fill that demand.”

There are several types of charter schools statewide that serve different purposes, such as dropout recovery, special mission and college preparatory campuses. iSchoolHigh focuses on the college preparatory aspect, which stems from a partnership with LSC–UP.

“In working with LSC, my superintendent figured out there was a need for an early college high school on this side of town,” said Michael Laird, principal of iSchoolHigh.

When iSchoolHigh moves to its permanent location at LSC–UP in January, it will be able to house 150 students. Although students from any zip code in the area may apply to attend public charter schools, Laird said he has received the most interest from students in the Cy-Fair, Klein, Tomball and Spring Independent School Districts.

Array of choices

The state’s largest charter school network, Harmony Public Schools are college preparatory charter schools that focus heavily on math and science. Harmony has more than 10 campuses in Houston, five of which are located in Northwest Houston and opened within the last six years.

“Harmony tends to attract students interested in math and science who want a rigorous curriculum, because they hold students to a high standard,” said Jenifer Sarver, public relations and community outreach coordinator for Harmony.

Draws to charter and private schools may include class size, which can range from 10–15 students, and flexible hours. The Katy location of Calvin Nelms Charter Schools, at Fry Road and Clay Road, serves approximately 300 students from 6–12 grade, and offers flexible hours for older students.

“The [traditional] school districts are doing a fine job, but sometimes a kid needs to be in a different environment where they are safer than they thought they were somewhere else,” said Ron Nelms, superintendent of Calvin Nelms Charter Schools.

Enrollment at Cypress Christian School, a private college preparatory school, has grown by 40 students to 565 total students over the past four years, said Angie Ramirez, admissions director.

“The majority [of students] are from Cy-Fair ISD, although we do reach into the Spring, Klein and Memorial areas,” she said. “Cy-Fair has a wonderful school district, but we are just an alternative. The biggest difference is that everything is taught from a Christian perspective; it’s an amazing education, and I think our end results show that.”

Growth and challenges

Houston Christian High School, which serves 500 students from 55 zip codes, has expanded its campus to include 43 acres over the last decade, and the school’s board of trustees voted in March to begin a capital campaign to build a 35,000-square-foot student center. The new space will include food service, academic and performing arts areas. Although Houston Christian High School has seen an increase in enrollment over the years, the money raised every year from tuition dollars does not cover the entire budget, said Mark Pillsbury, executive director of advancement at HCHS.

“Although, nowhere in Houston is tuition cheap, but it’s quite a sacrifice for families to send their child to private school, so we have to always be sensitive to our parents,” he said.

Harmony, which will continue to expand as long as there is a demand, Sarver said, received a $5 million federal grant in September, which will give Harmony the resources it needs to open seven new campuses in three years.

“To me, one of the most compelling statistics about Harmony is that they have 21,000 kids on a waiting list,” Sarver said. “If you step foot into a classroom there, you can see the students are attentive, very interested and they are there to learn.”

Highlights from the Innovation in STEM Conference

This week, Harmony hosted the Innovation in STEM Conference in Houston. At the conference Mayor Annise Parker issued an official proclamation designating November 14, 2011, as Harmony Public Schools Day. Here are some highlights from the two-day event:

• Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige, joined the event as our conference keynote speaker.
• Sherriff Adrian Garcia from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office spoke to the importance of providing a quality STEM education, innovations within law enforcement, and the critical connections between education and community law enforcement.
• Honored guest, Captain Margaret Ward, Representative of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, also spoke of the behalf of the Secretary of the Navy in Washington.
• Dr. Marshall Schott, Assistant Vice President for Instructional Support and Outreach at the University of Houston – Main Campus, offered opening remarks to signal the commencement of the inaugural conference, and to highlight importance of creating connections between colleges and K-12 institutions.
• Representative Sylvester Turner, Texas House of Representatives (District 131), offered opening remarks and to highlight ways for local- and state-level leaders to forward STEM-based educational agendas.

HSA Euless Earns 8 Gold Performance Awards

The TEA Gold Performance Acknowledgements recognize districts and campuses for high academic performance on various indicators. As a whole, the campus earned GPA in every category including:

• Commended Reading/English Language Arts (ELA)
• Commended Writing
• Commended Social Studies
• Commended Mathematics
• Commended Science
• Comparable Improvement in Math
• Comparable Improvement in Reading
• Attendance

Harmony Public Schools congratulates HSA Euless students, faculty members and parents for this amazing feat.

Faces of Harmony: Samantha Joseph

Samantha Joseph graduated from Harmony Science Academy Houston. She is currently the Alumni Public Relations Manager. Ms. Joseph is the unsung hero of many alumni-related organizations.

When did your Harmony experience start?
My Harmony experience began in 2004, I was a seventh grader. Six years later, I graduated in 2010 and began working for Harmony Public Schools immediately after graduation.

What position are you assuming right now at Harmony?
I am the alumni public relations manager, and assistant alumni coordinator.

What does being a member of Harmony family mean?
Being a part of the Harmony family means the same as being a part of any other family. You look out for each other, take care of each other and support one another. Most importantly it means remembering what you have learned from your Harmony family members who have impacted you along the way.

What is the difference between being a student and a staff member at Harmony?
Being a staff member definitely has its benefits! The difference is that I’m no longer on the stage now. I’m working behind the scenes. You never realize what great lengths people go through to make things work until you have to do the work yourself. The difference is the amount of responsibility.

What makes Harmony Public Schools different from other public schools?
The teachers and the overall student body culture… I believe that Harmony students have created a culture that is very different from other schools including their attitudes towards the world, and life. The students are mature, unique, and unafraid to be themselves.

Do you think Harmony Public Schools can be good role models for other schools with the gang-free and drug-free policy?
Of Course! At Harmony, we manage to replace drugs and gangs with things that enrich us, we are naturally inquisitive. We are just too busy to get involved with those things anyway! I think that Harmony shows students from other schools that being successful is much more rewarding and fulfilling than being in a gang or doing drugs.

What would your life be if you never attended Harmony Schools?
I don’t believe that I would have aimed as high or had the same interests. I don’t believe that I would have had as many opportunities to succeed at such a young age. I would have missed the chance to learn so many important things.

What sort of activities do you organize with Harmony alumni?
Harmony alumni work on lots of community service projects like car washes, tutoring and etc. But we do that just for fun. We also have movie nights, game nights, and of course reunions.

I hope that all students are encouraged to come back as alumni and visit, and hopefully impact students of a later generation.

Harmony Eligible for The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools

Harmony Public Schools join Uplift, KIPP, Winfree and American CAN as charter schools eligible3 for the Broad Prize, which will be announced in June.

The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools honors the public charter management organization that has demonstrated the most outstanding overall student performance and improvement among the country’s largest urban charter management organizations in recent years while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students.

The winner will receive $250,00 for college readiness programs. Read a recent article from the Dallas Morning News about the eligible schools here and more about the award here.

TSCA Promotes STEM Conference

The Texas Charter Schools Association featured the following blog from Dr. Soner Tarim discussing the upcoming “Innovation in STEM Conference.”

Innovation in STEM Conference

As educators, we strive to instill in our students the desire to continue learning through their lifetimes.  We believe this principle – always learning and improving – applies to us as well.

With this in mind, I’m pleased to invite you to the inaugural Innovation in STEM Conference, hosted by Harmony Public Schools (HPS) on November 14 and 15, 2011. The conference will provide a forum for sharing best practices from STEM education initiatives around the nation by bringing together key individuals from public schools, higher education institutions, state and governmental agencies, non-profit & philanthropic organizations and businesses & corporations. We believe stronger relationships and connections will be forged among these groups, all for the benefit of the students we educate.

HPS is a network of 36 charter schools in Texas and is a pioneer in education practices emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across the K-12 spectrum.  Educators and leaders at HPS strive to develop students who are prepared and empowered to matriculate in competitive college programs, and eventually make future strides to a wide variety of STEM-based fields.  Our STEM model is achieving results – our students have received recognition at state, national, and international levels – and STEM education is continually being highlighted by our nation’s education leaders. In fact, 17 of our campuses are designated T-STEM campuses.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently said, “Everyone has a stake in improving STEM education. Inspiring all our students to be capable in math and science will help them contribute in an increasingly technology-based economy, and will also help America prepare the next generation of STEM professionals-scientists, engineers, architects and technology professionals-to ensure our competitiveness.” We couldn’t agree more, and hope that this inaugural conference is an important step toward improving and expanding STEM education in Texas.

We hope you will join us for an exciting lineup of speakers, including former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige, as well as panel discussions and breakout sessions designed to facilitate networking and the sharing of information in a collective effort to shape STEM education. For more information and to RSVP for this event, please email dhouston@harmonytx.org.

Dr. Soner Tarim
Superintendent, Harmony Public Schools