lathan leaving

HISD's interim superintendent announces sudden departure after 3 years

Lathan is moving to Missouri.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

Dr. Grenita F. Lathan’s tenure with the Houston Independent School District has come to an end. In a media statement on March 8, Lathan announced that she is leaving after some three years as interim superintendent to take a position in Missouri.

Her statement calls out her work with the district, including some three years as interim superintendent overseeing some 196,943 students:

It’s a bittersweet moment as I accept an opportunity to make a positive impact in the Springfield [Missouri] Public School District, while bidding farewell to one of the most remarkable school districts in the country. The students, teachers, principals, staff, parents, and community of HISD are close to my heart, and I leave knowing that they are resilient and stronger together.

Their light will keep shining through, and they will continue to be known for their innovation and success. I am beyond honored and thankful for this amazing opportunity, and I thank HISD for all the lessons learned, the success of our students, and the commitment of our staff.

It has been more than six years that I have worked shoulder to shoulder with our principals, administrators, and teachers to get dozens of schools out of improvement required status and help our students reach their full potential.

I intend to work as interim superintendent until the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

HISD’s school board voted six to three in November 2020 not to name Lathan permanent superintendent, as CultureMap news partner ABC13 notes.

However, in a letter to HISD parents, Lathan outlined her successes, including:

Successfully transitioned 92 percent of our 271 schools to a passing grade under the state's accountability system, with a high "B" overall rating.
Reached near completion of the 2012 Bond program, resulting in the most modern, state-of-the-art portfolio of learning facilities in the U.S.
Expanded pre-K access across the district.
Launched mentorship programs that leverage wraparound resources to support boys and girls of color through Ascending to Men and R.O.S.E.S.
Expanded CTE programs across the district and increased certification opportunities for our graduates.

Lathan’s new position in Missouri begins on July 1, her statement adds.

education

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”