Emotional Evening at Houston Independent School District’s Board Meeting

The Houston Independent School District’s board meeting on Thursday was an emotional evening, with parents expressing frustration over the firing of a beloved librarian at Harvard Elementary in The Heights. However, the district and its superintendent took the opportunity to celebrate the recent STAAR Testing results for high school students.

Celebration of STAAR Testing Results

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles unveiled the results, which showed significant improvements in various subjects. "Biology improved by 23 points in two years, Algebra by 17, English I by 5, English II by 8, and U.S. History by four," said Miles. He emphasized that this turnaround has never been seen in Texas before. The district also highlighted STAAR results for third through eighth grade in math, where HISD outperformed the state in three of six categories and tied in another.

Criticism of District’s Emphasis on Testing

However, not everyone was impressed with the district’s celebration of STAAR Testing results. HISD student Eliana Gottlieb criticized the district’s emphasis on testing, saying, "They are not learning in ways that benefit children. The way we are doing it, it’s not going to be good for when they are forty, it’s not going to benefit them in learning how to take a STAAR test." Gottlieb has spoken at 14 board meetings, and her biggest criticism is that the district is mismanaging its money.

Concerns Over District’s Spending

Gottlieb’s concerns are shared by other parents, who are upset about the district allocating up to $2 million of taxpayers’ dollars to hire a strategic communications and political firm for support of the massive $4 billion bond initiative. This has led to ongoing investigations by the Texas Education Agency and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Parents like Carmen Nuncio are frustrated that the district spent millions of dollars on consultants instead of using the money for classrooms. "You paid millions of dollars to a consultant to help you pass a bond, money that could have gone to our classrooms," said Nuncio.

Conclusion

The Houston Independent School District’s board meeting highlighted the district’s achievements in STAAR Testing results, but also brought attention to the concerns of parents and students. The district’s emphasis on testing and its spending habits have raised questions about its priorities and management of public funds. As the district continues to navigate its challenges, it must listen to the concerns of its stakeholders and work to address the issues that affect the education and well-being of its students.