Houston City Council Member Jack Christie Visits LMS & KIPP Courage

LMS Principal Luis Pratts, TFA Staff Amanda Hagemann,
LMS Teacher Meredith Cook and Council Member Jack Christie

In classrooms across Houston last week, Teach For America teachers opened their doors to local supporters and elected officials to showcase their work. At Landrum Middle School, 7th grade math teacher Meredith Cook hosted former Spring Branch ISD Board Member and current Houston City Council Member Jack Christie.

Cook, who graduated from Texas A&M and is a first year Teach For America corps member, was teaching a lesson on personal financial literacy. As students worked to plan a mock 4-day Texas vacation within their given budget, Council Member Christie helped feed questions to check students’ understanding of unit concepts.

 

Council Member Christie questions students during a personal
financial literacy unit in LMS teacher and TFA Corps member
Meredith Cook's 7th grade math class at Landrum MS

Cook is one of six TFA corps members at Landrum Middle School. Landrum Principal Luis Pratts praised his TFA teachers as “an energized group who bring a lot of passion to the job.”

Council Member Jack Christie, who served as President of SBISD’s Board of Trustees, was appointed Chairman of the Texas State Board of Education from 1995-2000 . He is currently Houston’s At-Large Position 5 Council Member.

Earlier this fall, Christie spoke at KIPP Courage at Landrum’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, celebrating the opening of the new charter program. During this visit, he returned to KIPP Courage to see the program in action. Christie also spoke to the Landrum students about the importance of their academic learning and how the skills they are acquiring now will benefit them in the future.

Cook says her teaching experience at Landrum has been very positive. “My first year at Landrum has been so much more than I could have hoped for. I have an incredibly supportive team and students and families who have welcomed me into their lives.” The Teach for America Visit Week gave her the opportunity to celebrate the transformations taking place in her students’ lives every day. “Getting to share that experience with Jack Christie,” Cook said, “was such an honor.”