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We reviewed the upcoming agenda for HARRIS COUNTY DEPT OF ED and found 5 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
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District Accepts $1.4M in Federal After-School Program Grants
The board is ratifying acceptance of two ‘Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers’ grants totaling $1,418,210. This federal program provides funding for after-school activities and is often a vehicle for implementing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and other ideologically-aligned programming.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Items 6.F.8 and 6.F.9 accept a major federal grant known to have SEL conditions. Request the grant agreements from Gil Gaona at ggaona@hcde-texas.org to identify specific program requirements and add HCDE to the state tracker for 21st CCLC implementation.
Policy Lever: $1.4M Federal Grant
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
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District to Approve Consultant List Including SEL Firm PEAR
The board will approve a five-year contract award for consultants, coaches, and trainers that includes ‘PEAR & CLOVER, INC. dba PEAR’. PEAR is a prominent provider of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) assessment tools and consulting, creating a pre-approved pathway for spending on these services.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Item 6.H.2 pre-approves SEL vendor PEAR for consulting services. Request the master contract and monitor future purchase orders to identify specific spending on PEAR’s SEL assessments or training. Direct the request to Gil Gaona at ggaona@hcde-texas.org.
Policy Lever: 5-Year Consultant Contract
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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District to Approve Software Contract with SEL Provider Navigate360
The board will approve a five-year contract for software services with a list of vendors that includes Navigate360, LLC. Navigate360 provides platforms for threat assessment, student monitoring, and Social-Emotional Learning, which can institutionalize behavioral tracking and interventions based on contested frameworks.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Item 6.H.1 approves a contract with SEL and student monitoring vendor Navigate360. Request the contract details and scope of work from Gil Gaona at ggaona@hcde-texas.org to determine which specific software modules are being procured.
Policy Lever: 5-Year Software Contract
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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District to Fund ‘Self-Determination’ Training for Therapists
The board will approve a grant proposal for $7,500 to fund a workshop titled ‘Empowering Children’s Executive Function Through Self-Determination.’ The training, for occupational therapists and educators, uses a ‘strength-based lens of self-determination’ which can be associated with Social-Emotional Learning frameworks.
Policy Use
WATCH: The language in the attached proposal for item 6.E.1, while in a therapeutic context, mirrors SEL concepts. Monitor for broader application of ‘self-determination’ frameworks in general education curriculum.
Policy Lever: $7,500 Grant Proposal
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✅ Models to Replicate
Local actions worth capturing as model policy.
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| Model Policy (LEVEL 7) |
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District Accepts Grant for Student Entrepreneurship Program
The board is accepting an $11,250 grant from the TDECU Cares Foundation to implement a ‘Kids’ Day Entrepreneurship project.’ This program supports teaching students about business and free-market principles.
How to Capture It
CAPTURE THE MODEL: Item 6.D.1 is a good example of a pro-free-market student program funded by a local foundation. Request details on the ‘Kids’ Day Entrepreneurship project’ curriculum or activities from Gil Gaona at ggaona@hcde-texas.org to add to the model program file.
✅ Why It Matters: $11,250 Private Grant
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“America First, Always.”
AFPI exists to advance policies that put the American people first. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national excellence, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities in all we do.
America First Policy Institute |