About Us
Our Mission
The mission of Houstonians for Great Public Schools (Houston GPS) is to increase public understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school board members and to hold school boards accountable for student and community outcomes.
Our Challenge
Forbes magazine called Houston “America’s next great global city.” There’s no doubt that we live in a large, diverse city full of many opportunities. Despite these opportunities, however, Houston still struggles to meet the educational needs of its children. As of the 2018-2019 school year, less than 30% of Houston’s students met college readiness standards, and fewer than 1 in 4 completed any kind of postsecondary education. All students deserve access to a high-quality public education that will prepare them for the demands of a global economy.
Our Work
At Houston GPS, we believe a dialogue between decision makers and families is essential to providing students with the resources they need to succeed. We work to make sure all parents, guardians, and families have access to information about district governance and to spaces where they can voice their opinions to district leadership.
Our Strategy
If the voting public knows exactly what is expected of school board members and how well they are doing, then school districts will operate more effectively. We will carry out our mission through three core strategies:
- Educating the public about what it means to be an effective school board member;
- Rating existing school board members on their effectiveness;
- Endorsing school board candidates who demonstrate the ability to be great district leaders.
Our Expectations
When public school boards are operating effectively, we expect to see the following:
- Attention and resources focused on kids
- Limited waste of resources
- Increased student achievement
- Higher levels of college & career readiness
Our Values
In addition to being the criteria by which we evaluate current School Board trustees and assess the potential of School Board candidates, the following characteristics also form the core values of our organization. To learn more about how we use these core values to evaluate the trustees, take a look at our grading rubric.
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Impact
Set clear goals, and measure progress. Ask questions. Use relevant, time-appropriate data. Always keep learning.
Strong leaders are driven by clear goals for student outcomes. We use data to measure progress toward community educational goals to determine the effectiveness of our leaders and share that progress with the Houston community to ensure full transparency.
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Collaboration
Work with everyone. Respect the team. Honor differences. Commit to the vision and goals of the district. Trust others’ abilities.
The diverse and changing needs of our children will only be met when we recognize and build on the assets of every community in this city and work together to empower all families and create the best opportunities for kids.
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Stewardship
Respect the oath. Be a trustee and a delegate. Be transparent. Manage finances with prudence and integrity.
Our children are this community’s most precious resource. We are committed to consistently acting on their behalf and in their best interest. We believe that the adults in this community are responsible for allocating resources in a way that will improve outcomes for kids.
