UH charter school turns 10

Ten years ago, charter schools were considered “new age” education, a trendy idea that broke too much with traditional schooling. Today, many charter schools are still standing—and flourishing. One of the earliest, the University of Houston Charter School (UHCS), celebrated its 10th anniversary last month.

The UH Charter School follows an educational philosophy that encourages children to construct their own knowledge by solving problems that are of interest to them. This “constructivist” approach, based on the research of psychologist Jean Piaget and educator John Dewey, focuses on the development of reasoning in every aspect of a child’s day.

Today, UHCS has nearly 130 students in six classes of kindergarten to fifth grade. Each class is taught by a lead teacher and an assistant teacher.

Seleste Bautista’s son Jaylon is a first grader. She appreciates the school’s diversity and small class sizes. “With two teachers, he gets a lot of one-on-one time,” she says. “The teachers strive to develop a relationship with him.”

It has paid off, Bautista says. “In kindergarten, Jaylon was already a proficient reader.”

The GCSW goes to Austin

The 80th Texas Legislature is back in session and eleven students from the UH Graduate College of Social Work will be there gavel to gavel. The group is part of the college’s Legislative Internship Program which provides hands-on experience for students interested in political social work. Working closely with state senators, representatives and the Legislative Study Group, these future social workers will do everything from researching and writing policy proposals to meeting with lobbyists and constituents.

GEMI conference tackles “Speculation in Energy Markets”

For the fifth consecutive year, the UH Bauer College of Business’ Global Energy Management Institute (UH-GEMI) held a Trading and Marketing Conference last month at the University Hilton Hotel.

The annual UH-GEMI event brings traders, risk managers, securities analysts, investors, consultants and lawyers together to discuss the changing marketplace. It has developed into one of the leading forums for energy experts to evaluate the current state of the industry.

“Energy trading has come roaring back, but things are quite different,” said Craig Pirrong, UH-GEMI energy markets director. “No longer are merchant energy firms like Dynegy, Calpine, and Williams the focus of the industry. Instead, big financial players, including investment banks and hedge funds, now dominate.”

More than 150 attended the conference. Companies represented included Air Liquide, CenterPoint Energy, Chevron, Locke, Liddell & Sapp, and Shell.

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