Want to make a difference in Houston public schools?

2025 Awardee

Harmony

School of Fine Arts and Technology

Not Rocket Science: How Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology Inspires Every Learner

Part of the “Houston Schools That Inspire” Series

By Meron Tekle

“Do you know how fast the Earth rotates around the sun?”

It wasn’t a student asking me this—it was the principal.

As we walked down a hallway decorated with student artwork and college banners, Principal Isac Chucker beamed with excitement. That simple question—delivered with childlike wonder—stopped me in my tracks. Because in that moment, I realized: this school doesn’t just teach students to be curious. It lives it.

At Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology, learning feels alive. It buzzes. It inspires. But that energy isn’t accidental. It’s built on a foundation of clear goals, simple systems, and a belief that every child—regardless of background—can achieve excellence.

And the numbers back it up.

Harmony is one of those rare schools where every student group—Black, Latino, low-income, emergent bilingual, and students with disabilities—performs above both the state and local averages in reading and math.

Standout STAAR Gains:

Black students: +17% in reading, +21% in math
Latino students: +10% in reading, +11% in math
Emergent bilinguals: +17% in reading, +16% in math
Economically disadvantaged: +15% in reading, +12% in math
Students with disabilities: +11% in math

I asked them how they pulled it off.

They smiled and said, “It’s not rocket science.”

But what they’ve built? It’s something close.

What Makes Harmony School Work: Key Elements

Laser-focused vision

Three clear, shared goals that drive every decision

Double-dose instruction model

Core teaching followed by tiered, data-informed practice

Internal talent pipeline

Developing master teachers from within the community

Integrated approach

Where STEM, arts, and character development work together

Simplified tools

Using straightforward resources aligned to standards

The Power of One Mission, Three Goals

Every conversation I had—whether with a teacher, student, or staff member—came back to three clear goals:

Achieve an “A” through academic excellence
Become a nationally recognized Character School
Grow a pipeline of master educators through Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)

These goals aren’t tucked away in a binder. They’re woven into everything: the master schedule, team meetings, hallway interactions—even the after-school clubs. As Dr. Johnson, Dean of Academics, put it:

“You walk into any meeting here, and we’re talking about those three goals. Not in generalities, but in detail.”

That level of alignment makes the work feel achievable, not overwhelming. Everyone is focused. Everyone is accountable. Everyone owns the results.

Academics That Work—Twice

At Harmony, students don’t just get one shot at learning key content—they get two.

Every day includes a double-dose model: a first block for core instruction, and a second for data-driven, small-group learning. Teachers use that time to reteach, practice, or extend based on real-time student needs.

Planning isn’t flashy—it’s smart. One of the most-used tools is the Navigator Book, a simple binder of STAAR-released questions organized by standard.

“It’s not fancy,” said Dean Nate Ihedigbo. “But it works. It helps us teach to the level of mastery our kids deserve.”

That’s Harmony’s brilliance: smart, focused design—not more work, just the right work.

Where STEM Meets Soul

This is a school where fine arts and technology collide in beautiful, practical ways.

Students sculpt ceramics using geometry. They explore sound through both science and music. Everywhere I looked, I saw creativity and rigor working in tandem.

Harmony isn’t just a STEM school. It’s a School of Character, certified by Character.org. And that’s not a label—it’s a culture.

Students here learn to advocate, collaborate, and create change. Whether they’re pitching a tech solution to a real-world problem or designing a public art project, the message is clear: use what you’ve learned to make the world better.

Master Teachers, Grown from Within

Harmony doesn’t just grow students. It grows teachers.

Today, 23 educators are recognized through Texas’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)—the state’s highest honor for classroom excellence. Many started as paraprofessionals or support staff. Now they’re leading classrooms and coaching others.

That kind of growth isn’t luck—it’s the result of coaching, distributed leadership, and smart tools like Magic School, which helps teachers break down standards and streamline planning.

“We try to take the lift off teachers,” Mr. Ihedigbo explained, “so they can focus on the kids right in front of them.”

Here, instruction and culture don’t compete—they collaborate. Academic and behavioral teams co-plan. When a student struggles, the first question isn’t “What’s wrong?” It’s:
“What academic gap might be contributing to this?”

It’s a schoolwide belief: to support a child, you have to know them.

A Spark That Became a System

Five years ago, this wasn’t the story. Harmony was like many schools: well-intentioned but unfocused. Then a group of leaders said, Let’s commit to three goals. Let’s build systems around them. Let’s do it with care.

That was the spark. The heat met the fuel.

And with the right design, that small ignition became something powerful.

Today, Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology is more than a high-performing school. It’s a model of what’s possible when joy and structure, data and heart, work together.

When I asked the team how they did it, they shrugged and said,

“We just have great people who pull their weight.”

Maybe. But what they’ve built—a school where every student is known, challenged, and inspired—is something every school can learn from.

Because in the end, they were right.
It’s not rocket science.
It’s just what happens when you believe in kids—and build a school where they can soar.