Tag Archives: schools

More on HISD’s enrollment decline

Still worrisome. HISD reported an enrollment of about 183,900 in late October, a drop of more than 6,000 students since the 2022-23 school year and more than 30,000 students since the 2016-17 school year, when the district hit a 10-year … Continue reading

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Mike Miles versus the principals

I don’t even know, man. Houston ISD’s appointed Superintendent Mike Miles put about half of the district’s principals on notice Thursday evening after receiving results of their midyear proficiency screenings, informing them that they must undergo a second assessment this … Continue reading

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HISD kids still not getting the Internet access they lost

Just another thing by the wayside. Houston ISD has not provided at-home internet service to the vast majority of students who relied on a free Verizon program that the district canceled three months ago, leaving some of Houston’s most vulnerable … Continue reading

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The Mike Miles “efficiency report”

I’m going to reserve judgment on this for now, but it is fair to say that I start out with a nontrivial amount of skepticism. Nearly a year into the state takeover, appointed Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles says he … Continue reading

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HISD chooses its longer year calendar

Plan your vacations accordingly. Houston ISD’s appointed Board of Managers unanimously approved a new academic calendar on Thursday that will start the next school year earlier in August and add more days of instruction to students’ schedules. Under the finalized … Continue reading

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Don’t expect much from that Uvalde grand jury

I mean, I wasn’t, but in case you were, don’t. After more than a year of pressure to file criminal charges against some of the Texas law enforcement officers responsible for the botched response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, … Continue reading

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The principal shuffle

I have some thoughts about this. The memos came in one after the other, a laundry list of grievances listing all the ways Federico Hernandez was supposedly failing as principal of Houston ISD’s Middle College High School. A teacher used … Continue reading

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More NES schools coming

Not a surprise, in fact entirely expected, but I do have a question. As many as 40 schools will be added to Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ New Education System in the 2024-25 school year, the district announced Tuesday, bringing … Continue reading

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On HISD’s budget issues

They’re Mike Miles’ problem now. It would be nice if he shared with us how he intends to deal with them. Last fall, when Houston ISD’s new superintendent, Mike Miles, first laid out his expensive plans for Texas’ largest district, … Continue reading

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On hiring more cops

Not as easy to do as you might think. Halfway through his inaugural speech, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city made it far too hard for people to join the Houston Police Department. As an example, Whitmire pointed out … Continue reading

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DOJ releases its Uvalde report

It’s brutal. Officers had many opportunities as the 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, was still unfolding to reassess their flawed response to the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the US Justice Department concludes in a … Continue reading

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HISD presents its longer-year calendar options

See if you have a preference. After months of speculation over potential changes to Houston ISD’s academic calendar, district officials are considering four options for 2024-25 that would each move up the first day of classes and increase the number … Continue reading

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Whitmire’s approach to HISD

It’s on brand, I’ll say that. Mayor John Whitmire met Monday with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to reaffirm his support for Houston ISD’s appointed leadership, signaling a new approach from City Hall toward the state’s stewardship of the district … Continue reading

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Get ready for a shorter summer

Your HISD student will be back in school before you know it. Houston ISD is poised to begin the upcoming school year more than two weeks earlier than usual after the Board of Managers voted last week to make HISD … Continue reading

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HISD Board approve District of Innovation plan

No suspense there. Houston ISD will be allowed to extend the school year and begin it earlier after the district’s state-appointed board of managers unanimously approved a “District of Innovation” plan Thursday, marking the end of a process that began … Continue reading

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School safety funding is still a farce

Blame Greg Abbott and his voucher monomania. Public school administrators were well aware that the Texas House’s vote to block a school voucher program last month would likely mean getting no new money for teacher raises and inflation adjustments this … Continue reading

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Would you please fix that Verizon debacle, HISD?

It sure would be nice. Twelve state legislators representing the Houston ISD area sent a letter to Superintendent Mike Miles on Monday asking him to reconsider a decision to end a program that provided free Verizon internet access to tens … Continue reading

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On “active shooter” training and what happened at Uvalde

You may not want to read this story, which is part of a package that includes a TV documentary. It’s about the Uvalde massacre and how it could be that so many law enforcement officers were just standing around doing … Continue reading

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HISD’s continued enrollment decline

It’s not great. Houston ISD saw its steepest enrollment decline this year since the first full school year of the pandemic, losing roughly 6,000 students, according to preliminary data obtained by the Houston Landing. Some 183,884 students now attend HISD … Continue reading

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PragerU videos? Seriously?

Once again I have to ask, what the hell is going on at HISD? A Friday lesson intended to teach students at dozens of Houston ISD schools how to think objectively included a video that mocked the idea of human-caused … Continue reading

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The Mike Miles effect so far

A couple of explainers from the Chron. First up, this one about what has actually happened so far in HISD since Mike Miles took over. Superintendent Mike Miles has made sweeping changes in Houston ISD since he was appointed by … Continue reading

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Vouchers die another death

What a great use of everyone’s time these special sessions have been. ​The Texas House on Friday voted to strip school vouchers from the chamber’s massive education funding bill, effectively gutting Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority from the legislation. The … Continue reading

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HISD moves towards District of Innovation status

One more step to go, which ought to be a mere formality. The Houston ISD District Advisory Committee voted in favor of the “District of Innovation” plan Tuesday, putting the state’s largest school district one step closer to obtaining the … Continue reading

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HISD reveals its “District of Innovation” plans

I’m more skeptical than I was before, mostly because of how things have gone so far in HISD. Houston ISD released a draft plan Monday evening to potentially exempt itself from 10 state laws, including teacher certification requirements, class size … Continue reading

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The school safety funding farce

Typical. State legislators made school safety a top priority this year after 19 students and two teachers died in the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. But even after they passed a sweeping bill on the topic this May, schools have been … Continue reading

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Who still wants to teach at HISD?

This is bad, right? Perelman is one of 137 teachers who left Houston ISD during the first month of school this year, all but five of them of their own volition, according to public records obtained by the Houston Chronicle. … Continue reading

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Another HISD threefer

Once again, too much news and too little time… HISD special ed teachers say new instructional model under Miles is too rigid to support children. Brian Tucker started getting help for a speech impairment and learning disability in second grade … Continue reading

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DeBakey students finally get an AP Physics teacher

Better late than never and all that, but sheesh. AP Physics students at the DeBakey High School for Health Professions had a new teacher Wednesday after Houston ISD lifted a hiring freeze that had kept the position vacant since the … Continue reading

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Seriously, what the hell is going on at HISD?

I have three things to say about this. Well, three things that aren’t just straight-up WTF? Juniors and seniors at Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions walked into their AP Physics classes at the beginning of the school … Continue reading

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Do unto public schools as you would not do to charter schools

Infuriating, but hardly surprising. In June, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath embarked on the largest school takeover in recent history, firing the governing board and the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District after one of its more than … Continue reading

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HISD releases its special education plan

We’ll see. Houston ISD’s administration rolled out a long-anticipated list of fixes to its special education programs Thursday, unveiling plans aimed at rectifying the district’s persistent problems with serving students with disabilities. In a presentation to HISD’s state-appointed school board, … Continue reading

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HISD update threefer

I can’t keep up with all of the HISD stories, so I’m going to just highlight a couple of recent ones. Rumors of closure spark third rally at HISD campus as parents consider options. The family joined a Wednesday afternoon … Continue reading

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Two book ban updates

Bad news. A state law banning “sexually explicit” books from Texas schools will now go into effect, after an appeals court temporarily blocked a lower court ruling. The three-judge panel did not offer any reasoning. Their decision is temporary until … Continue reading

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Katy ISD’s book banning

What are these people doing? Katy Independent School District has remained silent on the reasons 14 additional books were removed from shelves and how the district’s book review policy is being implemented, despite a public pledge of transparency on book … Continue reading

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