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Houston Matters

Grass-Roots Efforts Work to Improve Houston Schools

The debate over public education usually revolves around funding or testing or statewide curriculum. But at the grass-roots level, there are often efforts taking place that move beyond policy debates. On this edition of Houston Matters, we hear about steps some Greater Houston schools – and the communities that surround them – have taken to […]

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The debate over public education usually revolves around funding or testing or statewide curriculum. But at the grass-roots level, there are often efforts taking place that move beyond policy debates.

On this edition of Houston Matters, we hear about steps some Greater Houston schools – and the communities that surround them – have taken to try to improve the education they offer.

First, we talk with Rick Gardner, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Humble Independent School District, about that district’s use of a new screening tool designed to help hire better teachers.

Then, we talk with Katherine Heinrich, a parent of a fourth grader who volunteers at her neighborhood schools in The Heights. She’s among a group of parents who, through their “Learn Local” organization, are seeking to establish a “bridge” for their kids between what they see as successes in their elementary schools and Hogg Middle School. We find out what that means.

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Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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