A Neighborhood Centers first

Everyone's welcome: A mariachi-style reopening for Ripley House Middle School

The official welcome of Neighborhood Center's first community middle school,Ripley House Middle School, was more akin a lively pep rally than a traditionalrite of passage. Board members, founders, students and educators cut theNeighborhood Centers' orange ribbon.
Photo by Ben DeSoto
It was a Mariachi fiesta during which this Second Ward Neighborhood Centers'community developer Bolivar Fraga danced Ballet Folklórico-style.
Photo by Ben DeSoto
A group of nine seniors worked together to craft a special mural mosaic on thebuilding's north side.
Photo by Ben DeSoto
Students led tours of their new school.
Photo by Ben DeSoto

It may be that the typical ribbon-cutting ceremony is a photo op to recognize philanthropists and investors that support people doing good. Mundane speeches, check presentations and unveilings are often a superficial and an exclusive formality.

But not this one; not at Ripley House. It's not how things are done here in the East End.

The official welcome of Neighborhood Center's first community middle school, Ripley House Middle School, was more akin to a lively pep rally than a traditional rite of passage, rolling out the proverbial red carpet — though the nonprofit's CEO Angela Blanchard prefers the energy of the color orange — for parents, students, educators, leaders, politicians, seniors, babies and artists for whom the center is intended.

It was a mariachi fiesta in which Second Ward Neighborhood Centers' community developer Bolivar Fraga danced Ballet Folklórico-style, children led visitor tours and no one went home without a slice of cake.

This middle school building's overhaul was overdue. Though the main structural elements remain intact, the new design reflects an ethos of inclusivity.

What housed offices of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County until recently is now a vibrant, newly renovated education center for grades six through eight — and part of the Ripley House Neighborhood Center. As a complex, Ripley House offers health services, hosts a Texas Children's Hospital Pediatric Associate Project Medical Home, computer classes, ESL, soccer, yoga, cake decorating, jewelry design, senior activities, nutrition, summer camps, after-school programs, tax preparation services and citizenship workshops, in addition to a charter elementary school.

On Friday, the adjacent Ripley House Middle School structure was rededicated as the Tsanoff-Ripley Building in honor of Corrinne S. Tsanoff, who was the president of the Houston Settlement Association (the group that would become Neighborhood Centers Inc.), and the Daniel and Edith Ripley Foundation. Tsanoff and the Ripleys joined together to establish Ripley House in 1938, the first building erected from the ground up as a community center; it opened its doors in 1940. It was rebuilt as a 60,000-foot resource hub in 2001, and in 2002 it earned the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter's Award of Honor and the Award for Community Enhancement.

As such, this middle school building's overhaul was overdue. Though the main structural elements remain intact, the new design reflects an ethos of inclusivity.

Crafted by Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH) co-founder Reginald Adams, a geometric, star-studded tile mosaic encases the entrance with aquas, oranges and reds. The same cornucopia of colors bursts from the interior walls and glossy stained concrete floors. The foyer is outfitted with living room furniture, antiques and Mexican textiles — a favorite spot where children and adults were relaxing and enjoying popcorn and ice cream.

"In theater class, this year I will learn all about public speaking. It will give me the confidence to say what I am thinking."

A long corridor leads to the bright library and many classrooms, all equipped with modular desks and interactive whiteboards.

"In theater class, this year I will learn all about public speaking," Abrigal Garcia, 11, said to her guests while conducting a tour. "It will give me the confidence to say what I am thinking."

Garcia is thrilled to be one of the first 144 students at Ripley Middle School. Her theater teacher, Crystal Curry, wants to create an environment where all the arts disciplines meld together. She previously worked at a private school. As Big Sister and a volunteer for a few nonprofits, Curry was allured by Ripley House's sense of community.

Curry agreed to help start this fine arts program, which is funded by a $5,000 gift from the center's advisory board. In the winter, Curry plans a Nutcracker-themed show.

Physical education teacher Tiffanie Ginn was demonstrating how props would be used for indoor exercise, stretching and drills. Outside, she has the option to engage her students in kickball, soccer and baseball.

When hiring teachers for the school, officials sought individuals who wanted to connect with families, who were excited to talk with parents, who lived to teach, who loved children and who had an attachment to the community.

Ripley House Middle School opens Monday.

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texas premiums

These 10 jobs earn the biggest salary premiums in Texas, study says

Photo by MARC RANGEL on Unsplash

Geoscientists earn the biggest premium by working in Texas, whereas editors have the biggest penalty.

A move to Texas helps some careers and hurts others, and a new SmartAsset study has revealed the top professions where the median annual earnings in the Lone Star State exceed the national median. The study also examined the occupations that suffer the biggest penalties for being in Texas.

The report, "When it Pays to Work in Texas — and When It Doesn’t," published in April, analyzed over 700 occupations to determine which have the biggest "Texas premium" — meaning jobs where the price-adjusted median annual pay in Texas most exceeds the national median for the same occupation — and which jobs have the biggest “Texas penalty,” where the statewide median annual pay falls furthest below the national median. Salaries were sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and adjusted for regional price parity.

According to the report's findings, geoscientists have the biggest "Texas premium" and make a $159,903 median annual salary. Texas' salary for geoscientists is 61 percent higher than the national median for the same position (after adjusting for regional price parity).

"Texas’s large petroleum industry helps explain why employers in the state retain so many geoscientists," the report's author wrote. "In fact, the Lone Star State is home to more geoscientists than any other state except California."

There are more than 3,600 geoscientists working in Texas, SmartAsset said.

These are the remaining top 10 occupations with the biggest "Texas premiums" (salaries are price-adjusted):

No. 2 – Commercial pilots: $167,727 median Texas earnings; 37 percent higher than the national median
No. 3 – Sailors: $67,614 median Texas earnings; 36 percent higher than the national median
No. 4 – Aircraft structure assemblers: $83,519 median Texas earnings; 35 percent higher than the national median
No. 5 – Ship captains: $108,905 median Texas earnings; 27 percent higher than the national median
No. 6 – Nursing instructors (postsecondary): $100,484 median Texas earnings; 26 percent higher than the national median
No. 7 – Tax preparers: $63,321 median Texas earnings; 25 percent higher than the national median
No. 8 – Chemists: $104,241 median Texas earnings; 24 percent higher than the national median
No. 9 – Health instructors (postsecondary): $128,680 median Texas earnings; 22 percent higher than the national median
No. 10 – Engineering instructors (postsecondary): $129,030 median Texas earnings; 22 percent higher than the national media

Where Texas workers suffer the biggest penalty
SmartAsset said an editor is the Texas profession where workers earn the furthest below the median for the same occupation elsewhere in the U.S. Not to be confused with film and video editors, BLS defines editors as those who "plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material" and "may review proposals and drafts for possible publication."

The study found editors make a price-adjusted median wage of $29,710, which is 61 percent lower than the national median for the same position, and there are nearly 8,200 editors in Texas.

It's worth noting that the salaries for editors may be skewed by the fact that there are not major publications in rural areas of Texas, and other professions may also have financial deviations for similar reasons.

Several healthcare jobs also appear to have the worst penalties in Texas compared to elsewhere in the country. Home health aides are the second-worst paying professions in the state, making a median wage of $24,161.

"More home health aides work in Texas than in nearly any other state, with only California and New York employing more," the report said. "However, the more than 300,000 Texans in this occupation earn median annual pay that is about 31 percent below the national median, after adjusting for regional price parity.

SmartAsset clarified that pay penalties are not consistent "across the board" for other healthcare occupations in Texas.

"For physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, and postsecondary nursing instructors, Texas may be an especially strong place to work, with these occupations offering 'Texas premiums' of between 17 percent and 26 percent," the study said.

These are the remaining top 10 occupations where median annual earnings in Texas fall furthest below the national median for the same occupation:

No. 3 – Cardiovascular technicians: $49,382 median Texas earnings; 27 percent lower than the national median
No. 4 – Semiconductor processing technicians: $38,295 median Texas earnings; 25 percent lower than the national median
No. 5 – Tutors: $30,060 median Texas earnings; 25 percent lower than the national median
No. 6 – Control and valve installers: $56,496 median Texas earnings; 24 percent lower than the national median
No. 7 – Mental health social workers: $46,109 median Texas earnings; 23 percent lower than the national median
No. 8 – Clinical psychologists: $74,449 median Texas earnings; 22 percent lower than the national median
No. 9 – Producers/directors: $65,267 median Texas earnings; 22 percent lower than the national median
No. 10 – Interpreters/translators: $46,953 median Texas earnings; 21 percent lower than the national median

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