Education
BY SARAH BRAGER & NICHAELA SHAHEEN
UH launches lm graduate certicate Applications opened in February for a new University of Houston online graduate certicate aimed at preparing students for jobs in Houston’s rapidly growing lm and television industry. The details The program oers evening synchronous classes and is designed to build a local workforce pipeline for producers and project leaders, a news release from UH states. UH ocials tied the launch to growing production momentum statewide due to Senate Bill 22, which allocates $300 million every two years to lm and TV incentives. The rst cohort will begin in summer 2026 and will be capped at 15 students, with priority given to artists based in Houston and Texas, per the release. Applications are due May 1.
Cy-Fair ISD board reinstates deleted textbook chapters
Impacted subject areas 13 chapters were deleted from ve textbooks ahead of the 2024-25 school year: Biology
Environmental science
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Cy-Fair ISD curriculum will be able to include previously deleted chapters from science textbooks after the board of trustees voted Feb. 9 to permit the material as supplementary content. What you need to know The item, brought forth by board President Julie Hinaman, permits the use of all adopted textbook material and directs the administration to “ensure that materials meet community standards and present a fair and balanced perspective,” according to agenda documents. The board adopted the item in a 4-3 vote, with trustees Christine Kalmbach, Justin Ray and Todd LeCompte opposed. The three dissenting mem- bers voted to omit the textbook chapters in 2024, Community Impact previously reported.
Earth systems
Principals of education and training
Health science theory clinicals
SOURCE: CYFAIR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT
In May 2024, trustees voted 6-1 to remove chap- ters from several science textbooks, citing concerns with subjects they viewed as “controversial” including climate change, vaccines and COVID-19. Hinaman voted against the 2024 decision. The district’s current lesson plans will remain intact, but teachers can add in content from chap- ters that were deleted in 2024, Chief Academic Ocer Tonya Goree said.
CFISD declines Senate Bill 11 school prayer policy
“There are a lot of tentacles. That’s what was challenging about the statute as written is that it did not allow local school districts to do a lot of
The Cy-Fair ISD board on Feb. 9 declined to adopt an optional school prayer policy as granted by Senate Bill 11, legislation allowing public school districts to set aside time for prayer or reading religious texts during the school day. Trustees Justin Ray, Christine Kalmbach and Todd LeCompte voted against the motion to decline the policy.
Some context Districts had until March 1 to decide if they will be implementing the policy, which they are not required to do. CFISD ocials expressed concern with meeting the law’s specications in a district of Cy-Fair’s size and cited the daily moment of silence as an option for prayer or reection.
individualization.” MARNEY COLLINS SIMS, CFISD GENERAL COUNSEL
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