History
Hightower opened on August 13, 1998 and was dedicated on October 11 of the same year. The $35 million school campus, when opened, had fewer than 600 students and 50 teachers.
Debbie Dunlap was the first principal. She said that her style of managing the school was "to be supportive. I just let the teachers do their jobs." Todd Spivak of the Houston Press said that Dunlap "was hailed for assembling a staff that some say included the best high school teachers in the Houston area" and that the school "quickly gained a reputation for academic excellence and became a destination school for veteran teachers." Dunlap left her position in 2003 so she could work for a teacher certification company.
Patricia Paquin became the next principal. Many of the teachers that were at the school during Dunlap's term as principal left during Paquin's term. During each year of Paquin's term, until 2006, between 35 to 55 teachers left. Todd Spivak of the Houston Press said that many teachers believed that Paquin micromanaged too closely.
In the 2005-2006 school year, Paquin gave over 1,800 suspensions. Spivak said "This would appear to indicate the work of a strict disciplinarian. But many teachers and parents say student behavior at Hightower is getting only worse, with fights breaking out on a regular basis."
Pavlos Karnezis, a 12th grade honors student who was sent to jail and later expelled from school for bringing a knife to class in November 2005. Paquin could have chosen lighter stipulations for Karnezis' expulsion. Despite the fact that teachers had vouched for his character, Paquin had chosen the most severe punishment possible, sentencing him to a boot camp. Karnezis' parents, Thomas and Kathy, fought and had the entire expulsion decision overturned in 2006, allowing Karnezis to return to class.
By 2006 Hightower had over 2,600 students and 140 teachers.
Read more about this topic: Hightower High School
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