HISD's new 'super' man

07:12 PM CST on Thursday, December 9, 2004

From 11 News Staff Reports

Click to watch Wendell Edwards' 11 News report

History was made Thursday in Houston and it will likely impact your child's education.

HISD

HISD's Abe Saavedra

HISD officially named its new superintendent. With a district that is mostly Hispanic, 58 percent in fact, the school board confirmed Dr. Abe Saavedra, HISD's first Hispanic superintendent. It's a position he's held on an interim basis since Kay Stripling's retirement in August.

For the first time the district's leader will culturally match the majority of the children he serves.

"I am truly honored and gratified by the confidence this board has placed in me," Dr. Saavedra said.

He praised the school board as "intensely committed to children," and pledged to work hard to improve the performance of America's seventh largest school district.

"We will champion schools and their missions," Dr. Saavedra said as his wife, two children, his mother and friends watched from the audience. "We will serve with integrity and respect for the profession."

Saavedra's been a rising star even since he become a principal at just 28. He beat out a dozen other candidates in a nationwide search some criticized as not being ambitious enough.

Saavedra comes with superintendent experience, because he held the job in Corpus Christi for seven years.

It was during his tenure at Corpus Christi ISD that Saavedra faced charges of tampering with a government document and theft by a public servant.

He allegedly purchased alcohol using a district credit card, calling it a meal. However, a jury acquitted the educator, who was only required to pay a $100 fine.

"I obviously made some mistakes in Corpus Christi in not paying attention to the details, and I should have paid more attention to that," Saavedra said. "I think that blew up into a much bigger thing than it should have blown up."

The school board met at 2 p.m. Thursday and approved the appointment.

In other business

The board also moved to approve a Southwest Freeway location for a new school designed to keep immigrant students from dropping out of high school. HISD plans to open the new school for immigrants on Jan. 10 at Lee High School until the Southwest Freeway location is renovated and ready for use. HISD expects about 120 students to attend the new school in the first year after it opens, and expects enrollment to grow after startup.

The board gave first-reading approval to abolish the HISD marriage penalty -- a policy which had prohibited married teachers from working at the same school.

The district also officially completed the sale of the HISD administration building to Trammell Crow real estate for $38.1 million. HISD will move into a new headquarters building on property it owns next to Delmar Stadium in northwest Houston in the spring of 2006.