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MEMBERS[Economic Development Committee]
AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY, OUR GUESTS THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY, I SEE THAT WE ARE JOINED IN THE CHAMBERS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON BY VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, PECK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.UH, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE HAVE ALSO JOINED US IN THE CHAMBER AND ONLINE.
MARTINEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ HAS JOINED US ONLINE.
UH, THE MEETING HAS BEEN HELD IN PERSON.
UH, WE'RE ALSO BROADCASTING LIVE ON HTV, UH, VICE CHAIR FLICKINGER, UH, SHOULD BE JOINING US SOON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, UH, AND YOU'RE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS, WE WILL, UM, DO THAT.
IF YOU ARE VIRTUAL, YOU CAN PUT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION FOR ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE IN THE POD.
UH, WE HAVE 21 MEMBERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER WHO MAY WISH TO SPEAK, YOU CAN SIGN UP AT THE TABLE ON THE DESK.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT HAS A VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE TODAY.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO, UM, KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS AS SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TODAY.
SO WE'LL START WITH, UM, THANKING MR. MILES FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UH, MR. SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO MEET WITH THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL RESIDENTS THAT HAVE APPROACHED THIS BODY WITH CONCERNS.
UM, AND NAMELY, THEY, THEY KIND OF FEEL UNHEARD BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ELECTED BOARD.
SO THEY'VE COME TO COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ASKED US, UM, TO HOST A MEETING AND TO TRY KIND OF JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HISD AND TO, TO KIND OF BE A VOICE FOR THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT, UM, WE'VE ALL COMMITTED TO DO AS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND SO, TODAY IS OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO, UM, PRESENT TO US AND FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ENGAGE WITH YOU AS THE LEADERSHIP OF HISD, UM, AS WE DISCUSS THE VITAL ROLE THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM PLAYS IN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY.
QUITE FRANKLY, WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME THAT THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR TAX BILL IS, UH, HISD FOR SO MANY OF, OF US IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE ARE ALL VESTED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, UM, AND A THRIVING SCHOOL SYSTEM IS CRITICAL FOR CITIES.
UM, TODAY WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, DISCUSS BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS, THEIR PARENTS, AND OUR BROADER COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT OUR TIME IS LIMITED, SO WE'LL GET RIGHT TO THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, UM, SUPERINTENDENT MILES WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANKS FOR INVITING ME AND GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN HISD.
UM, I'M EXCITED AND PROUD TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF HISD, AND I'M HERE TO GIVE A REPORT AND, AND ALSO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, I'LL GET WITH THE REPORT, TRY TO KEEP IT AROUND 15 MINUTES SO THAT THERE'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, NOT JUST WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT.
UM, SO I GOTTA TAKE YOU BACK A LITTLE BIT TO DESTINATION 2035 WHEN I GOT HERE.
I SAID LAST YEAR, UM, THAT THIS IS THE LAST GENERATION OF KIDS IN SCHOOL BEFORE THE SKILLS GAP IS LOCKED IN.
TO PUT THAT IN SOME CONTEXT, OUR DISTRICT, HISD, HAS A NUMBER OF GREAT SCHOOLS, UM, A LOT OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE NATIONALLY RANKED, AND YOU'VE SEEN THE US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT AND OTHER, UH, ACCOLADES THAT COME TO OUR SCHOOLS.
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THEM THAT CAN COMPETE WITH ANY DISTRICT ANYWHERE.
SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE CONFUSING A YEAR AGO WHEN THE STATE, UH, DECIDED TO INTERVENE IN HISD.
THE TRUTH BE TOLD, THOUGH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS.
WHILE WE HAVE THIS GROUP OF A AND B SCHOOLS, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT SERVING KIDS WELL, OF THIS NUMBER, THERE'S 123 DNF
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CAMPUSES, UM, USUALLY IN THE UNDERSERVED AREAS.AND SO WE HAVE A TALE OF TWO DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE A LARGE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN THIS GROUP AND, UH, THIS GROUP.
AND WE KNOW THAT OVER, OVER MANY, MANY YEARS, THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS HAS KIND OF INGRAINED ITSELF IN THE FABRIC OF THE DISTRICT.
BESIDES THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, WE ALSO HAVE A SKILLS GAP.
AND HENCE, THE, THE REASON FOR THE SLIDE AND THE WORDS, UH, THE LAST GENERATION OF STUDENTS BEFORE THE SKILLS GAP IS LOCKED IN.
SO, THE, THEN THE QUESTION BECAME LAST SUMMER, WHAT TO DO, UH, UM, WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THE SAME THINGS AND GET A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.
THAT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN, UH, WHAT ALL URBAN SUPERINTENDENTS KNOW, BUT FEW HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OVERCOME.
THIS NOTION OF PIECEMEAL INCREMENTAL REFORM IN OUR PROFESSION HAS NOT WORKED.
AND SO THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP HAS NOT CLOSED IN ANY LARGE URBAN DISTRICT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
WE'VE NOT CLOSED THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN EQUITY GAP.
THE EQUITY GAP HAS STILL RANG LARGE IN, IN HISD AS WELL.
SO THE METHOD, THE STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE FOR TURNING AROUND THIS LARGE URBAN DISTRICT HAS BEEN WHOLESCALE SYSTEMIC REFORM, WHICH MEANS LARGE SCALE COMPREHENSIVE CHANGES ALL AT ONE TIME FOR ONE SECTION OF THE DISTRICT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TRIED AT THIS SCALE IN ANY URBAN DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY.
IT MAKES SENSE THAT THERE'D BE SOME ANXIETY, SOME TREPIDATION AROUND THAT STRATEGY.
AND YOU HEARD IT EVEN THE FIRST SUMMER, EVEN THE FIRST DAY BEFORE, BEFORE THE BOARD OF MANAGERS, AND I TOOK OUR SEATS, UH, YOU HEARD THIS TREPIDATION REALLY LOUD AND CLEAR, AND THAT, UM, WAS UNDERSTANDABLE.
SO THE VISION IS 150 WHOLESCALE SYSTEMIC REFORM SCHOOLS BY THE YEAR 2036.
THAT'S HOW MANY SCHOOLS WE HAVE.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A REFORM, WHOLESCALE REFORM FOR A SUBSET OF SCHOOLS, NOT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA DO OTHER THINGS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE CHARGE, BUT THAT VISION IS CLEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ACTED UPON.
STILL, EVEN WITH A GOOD STRATEGY, EVEN WITH COMPREHENSIVE REFORM, EVEN WITH A DETAILED PLAN, UH, THE QUESTION THEN BECAME HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN IN A DISTRICT THAT HAD 274 AUTONOMOUS SCHOOLS WITH NO VISION, MOVING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH A FINANCIAL SITUATION? THAT PUT US AT A FISCAL CLIFF BY THE END OF, UH, BY THE END OF THIS, THIS LAST SCHOOL YEAR, THE BEGINNING OF THIS ONE, WITH A LOT OF INEFFICIENT SYSTEMS. AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE GONNA DO AN EFFICIENCY REPORT, UH, DOWN THE ROAD, BUT AN INEFFICIENT SYSTEMS, NO, UH, NO SET PLAN FOR WHAT THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IS OR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THE TASK THEN IS TO TAKE THIS MONOLITHIC SYSTEM, DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM, AND GET OUTCOMES FOR OUR KIDS IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
WE, WE STARTED TO DO THIS, AND THE MAIN STRATEGY FOR IT IS SOMETHING CALLED NES NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM SCHOOLS.
YOU'VE ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT.
85 OF THE 274 SCHOOLS WE STARTED WITH 28 57 SCHOOLS THEN VOLUNTEERED.
NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE AT 130, AND HALF OF THE ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS ARE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, IN ANY CASE, WHAT IS NES? UH, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO, TO GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS, BUT YOU SEE IT ON THE SLIDE ON THIS, ON THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU.
POSTAL SYSTEMIC TRANSFORMATION, THAT MEANS DOING A LOT OF CHANGES ALL AT ONCE.
UH, IT MEANS 85 SCHOOLS, 130 NEXT YEAR.
IT HAS A UNIQUE INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL, WHICH COMBINES DIRECT INSTRUCTION WITH DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION.
BASICALLY, KIDS WHO NEED MORE TIME GET THAT TIME.
KIDS WHO ARE AHEAD GET CHALLENGED.
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OF COMPENSATION SYSTEM.IF YOU COULD PUT THE SLIDE BACK UP JUST SO I CAN WALK THROUGH THAT.
UM, UH, NEXT, THERE YOU GO BACK.
UM, DIFFERENT COMPENSATION MODEL.
WE HAVE TEACHER APPRENTICES AND LEARNING COACHES.
SO THE STAFFING MODEL IS DIFFERENT AND MORE SUPPORTIVE, MORE SUPPORTS FOR THE SCHOOLS.
AND THE NES HIGHER TEACHER SALARIES.
BY FAR, THE AVERAGE SALARY NEXT YEAR IS GONNA BE $84,000.
IN THE NES ORBIT, THAT'S 130 SCHOOLS.
UM, GRADE LEVEL DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM, THAT IS HUGE BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND IN OTHER DISTRICTS DON'T GET GRADE LEVEL INSTRUCTION ON THE JOB COACHING.
YOU, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD SOME, UH, HOW WE DO IT IN THE NES ORBIT, WHICH IS WE PROVIDE FEEDBACK REAL TIME ON THE JOB THAT HAD TO BE TRAINED AND COACHED RIGOROUS EVALUATION SYSTEMS FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND, AND PRINCIPALS.
ELIMINATING NON-INSTRUCTIONAL TASKS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU WANT.
A DYAD PROGRAM THAT ADDS TO ELECTIVES, NOT TAKES AWAY FROM, DOES NOT REPLACE ON TOP OF ELECTIVE OUR STUDENTS IN THE NES ORBIT YET.
THINGS LIKE MARTIAL ARTS, PHOTOGRAPHY, DANCE, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND MORE.
OUR STUDENTS WHO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE ATTENDANCE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 92% ATTENDANCE RATE.
AND THAT KNOCKS OUT A LOT OF KIDS IN EIGHTH GRADE.
AND IF YOUR PARENTS ALLOW YOU TO GO, UM, WE HAD, UH, KIDS GOING TO JAPAN.
THEY WENT TO JAPAN THIS YEAR, FREE OF CHARGE.
IT'S OUR COSTS AND SOME PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS.
GOING TO JAPAN, GETTING A PASSPORT, ALL OF THAT WAS PAID FOR, WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
IF YOU'RE SEVENTH GRADE AND YOU MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, YOU WENT TO WASHINGTON DC AND THEY JUST RETURN, UM, UH, FROM WASHINGTON, DC UH, OUR SEVENTH GRADERS WHO MET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.
SO, IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S, I KNOW THAT'S FAST, BUT, UH, I WANNA GET TO YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, AND WE CAN, UH, DIVE MORE INTO IT IF YOU WANT.
WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR, THEN? WHAT WAS THE RESULT? DID THE BIG BETS PAY OFF? DID WHAT WE, UH, WHAT WE PLAN, HOW DID IT PAN OUT THIS SLIDE, PLEASE? THE, THE, THE ONE BEFORE THAT, THE, THE, THE HEADLINE IS THIS, OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ROSE TO THE LEVEL OF EXPECTATION.
AND FOR A MOMENT, REGARDLESS OF EVERYTHING ELSE, WE SHOULD CELEBRATE WHAT THE KIDS DID.
LET ME SHOW YOU IN WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF DATA HOW THEY DID.
SO, I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A LOT OF SPREADSHEETS.
IT'S IN THE AFTERNOON LATE, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT ANYBODY TO SLEEP.
SO I'LL JUST SHOW YOU A COUPLE HERE.
THE ONE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE RESULTS OF THE STAR.
FOURTH COLUMN IS THE ONE, THE STATE GRADES, MEANING DID THEY IMPROVE FROM LAST YEAR? DID THE PROFICIENCY OF STUDENTS IMPROVE FROM LAST YEAR? AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AS A STATE.
AND THE COMMISSIONER HAS SAID AS MUCH, WE DID NOT DO THAT WELL AS A STATE.
HISD, ON THE OTHER HAND, DID GREAT.
YOU CAN SEE THOSE SCORES RIGHT THERE ON THE, ON THE, UM, SECOND TO LAST COLUMN.
THE LAST COLUMN IS, IF YOU COMPARE OUR INCREASE WITH THE STATE'S INCREASE, SO DID WE, DID OUR KIDS GROW MORE THAN THE STATE? HOW MANY PERCENTAGE POINTS MORE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE THREE PERCENTAGE MORE FOR THIRD GRADE, SIXTH FOR FOURTH GRADE, ET CETERA.
THAT, BY THE WAY, IS THE BEST IN THE STATE OF ANY LARGE URBAN DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THOSE SCORES ARE RIGHT THERE, AND WE CAN, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND GET ALL THE DETAILS, AND WE, AND WE CAN GIVE YOU OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN GET ALL THE DETAILS THERE.
I JUST WANNA SHOW YOU THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RESULTS THAT OUR KIDS PERFORMED.
YOU SEE THE, OUR SCORES, HISD SCORES OVER THERE ON THE LEFT, AND THE COLORED COLUMN.
HOW DID WE DO COMPARED TO TEXAS? SO THE NON NES SCHOOLS DID WELL COMPARED TO THE STATE OF TEXAS.
YOU SEE THOSE PLUSES, THOSE ARE ABOVE THE STATE'S GROWTH.
THAT'S A THIRD OF OUR KIDS OUTPERFORM THE NON NES.
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GREAT.THESE ARE DATA FROM THE STATE TWICE AS WELL.
AND I SAY, AND NO ONE HAS, UH, SAID, I'M, UH, WRONG.
AND I'VE CHALLENGED ANYBODY TO, TO SEE THE READING GROWTH THAT YOU SEE FOR NES AND THE MATH GROWTH.
NES OVERALL, READING AND MATH IS THE BEST OF ANY URBAN DISTRICT.
ONE YEAR INCREASE OF THE TEXAS EXAM EVER, EVEN AFTER JUST ONE YEAR.
BUT THE REAL STORY, UH, IS NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS ARE KIDS AND TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS BEHIND EVERY NUMBER.
YOU SEE, THERE ARE KIDS WORKING HARD.
THEY'RE TEACHERS WORKING HARD, HELPING THE KIDS, BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN, OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN THERE, AND PRINCIPALS GUIDING THOSE TEACHERS.
UH, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE DOZENS OF STORIES LIKE THIS.
THIS IS WAYNE WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WAYNE WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS AN F SCHOOL THIS LAST YEAR, FF RATED.
AND THEY, THEIR SCHOOL, THEIR NES, THE KIDS DON'T KNOW ABOUT NES, NON NES.
AND THE TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, CARE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOL AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCORES HERE.
I'LL JUST MENTION A COUPLE THINGS.
SEVEN 17 PERCENTAGE POINTS READING.
LAST YEAR, A YEAR AGO, 17% OF THE THIRD GRADERS WERE READING AT GRADE LEVEL OR ABOVE 17%.
THAT IS, THAT'S NOT GOOD TO SAY THE LEAST.
THIS YEAR, 46%, THE TEACHERS WERE CRYING FOR JOY.
THE PRINCIPAL'S SO PROUD OF HER KIDS.
THE KIDS WERE, WERE, WERE HOLDING UP THEIR NWA SCORES, WHICH IS NOT THE STAR, BUT THE NWA LATER YOU'LL SEE, UH, IS FURTHER PROOF OF HOW WELL THAT SCHOOL IS DOING.
ANYWAY, THE THE STAR SCORES SHOW GREAT GROWTH.
THESE NUMBERS HAVE REAL KIDS BEHIND THEM.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST WAYNE WRIGHT.
IT'S DOZENS AND DOZENS OF SCHOOLS THAT DID THIS.
AND SO, FOR A MOMENT IN TIME, I HOPE AT LEAST WE CAN CELEBRATE WHAT OUR KIDS DID AND WHAT THEY DEMONSTRATED.
BUT MORE THAN THAT, FORGET ALL THE STAR SCORES.
NWA SCORES, MORE KIDS CAN READ TODAY THAN THEY COULD A YEAR AGO.
HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF KIDS CAN READ AT GRADE LEVEL.
HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF KIDS CAN DO MATH.
THAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THIS INTERVENTION, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE OUT OF INTERVENTION.
NOW, TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE KIDS.
WE KNOW THAT THE KIDS CAN ONLY DO THIS WITH GREAT TEACHERS.
AND SO I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF TEACHERS STEPPED UP.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS STEPPED UP.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS IN ALL THE SCHOOLS, BUT MOSTLY, OR NOT MOSTLY, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY IN OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING, OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP IS, IS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
THERE IS NO GOAL HERE TO CLOSE ANY SCHOOL.
I'VE MADE GOOD ON THAT THIS YEAR.
WE'RE MAKING GOOD ON IT NEXT YEAR.
I CAN'T PROMISE DOWN THE ROAD, UH, WHAT WE'LL DO.
BUT OUR FIRST TASK IS TO MAKE SURE THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE, EVEN OUR SMALL SCHOOLS, HAVE A CHANCE TO IMPROVE AND COMPETE WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE TAKING KIDS FROM THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE NO GOAL TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS WE HAVEN'T DONE AND WON'T DO DURING THIS TIME OF INTERVENTION.
LET'S MAKE OUR C, D AND F SCHOOLS STRONGER, AND LET'S KEEP OUR A AND BB SCHOOLS STRONG.
THAT'S HOW WE GET THE OUTCOMES WE NEED.
AND THAT'S HOW WE GET OUTTA INTERVENTION.
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AND TEACHERS, AND THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IS THE LEADING INDICATOR.WE WON'T DO THAT WITHOUT THEM, WITHOUT EFFECTIVE TEACHERS RAISING THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.
AND SO, UH, I'VE BEEN IN THE SCHOOLS, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF TEACHERS.
I'VE COACHED A LOT OF PRINCIPALS.
UM, I CAN SEE EVERY DAY OUR WORKFORCE GETTING STRONGER, BUT ALSO TEACHERS STEPPING UP AND REALLY ENGAGING THE INSTRUCTION, REALLY ENGAGING AND DOING WHAT'S, WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THE KIDS EMBRACING REFORMS. THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE TEACHERS.
WE NEED TO DO A COUPLE THINGS THAT, THAT DISTRICTS TALK ABOUT, BUT RARELY DO.
NUMBER ONE, LET'S GIVE TEACHERS A LIVING WAGE.
A PROFESSIONAL LIVING WAGE, NOT JUST A LIVING WAGE.
SO WE STARTED WITH HALF THE DISTRICT.
NEXT YEAR, 130 SCHOOLS IS HALF THE DISTRICT.
5,160 TEACHERS IN THE, IN THE NON NES WORLD, IT'S GONNA BE 5,600.
THE TEACHERS ARE GONNA GET 84,400 ON AVERAGE.
SO THERE'S SOME HIGHER, SOME LOWER.
ACTUALLY, IT SHOULD BE CLOSER TO 90,000 NOW IN THE, UM, IN THE NON NES WORLD.
WE ALSO INCREASED OUR SALARIES TO 70,600.
HALF THE TEACHERS, THAT'S HIGHER AVERAGE THAN ANYONE IN THE AREA.
WE HAD A TOUGH, TOUGH BUDGET YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
TOUGH FINANCES IS THE BEST WE COULD DO THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE GONNA RAISE THOSE SALARIES TOO.
SO THE COMBINED AVERAGE NEXT YEAR, AND I, I'VE BEEN ASKING THE CHRONICLE TO REPORT THIS BROADLY, AND I'VE GOT SOME COMMITMENT THAT THEY WILL, THE AVERAGE SALLY FROM A YEAR AGO WAS 68,250.
NEXT YEAR IT'S GONNA BE 77,000 ALL COMBINED, RIGHT? ALL COMBINED.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE AVERAGE FOR TEACHER IN HOUSTON.
NOWHERE, NOBODY ELSE COMES CLOSE TO AVERAGE SALARY.
THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE IN JUST ONE YEAR'S TIME.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE DONE IS, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE WORK LIFE BALANCE, RIGHT? SO IN THE NES WORLD, YOU HEARD ABOUT THE CURRICULUM.
THAT CURRICULUM IS PROVIDED FOR TEACHERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FOR RESOURCES AFTER WORK.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO MAKE LESSON PLANS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO MAKE COPIES.
SO WHEN A TEACHER LEAVES, EVENTUALLY THIS IS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
THIS TEACHERS ARE STILL WORKING HARD.
BUT WHEN THEY LEAVE AT FOUR 15 OR WHENEVER THEY LEAVE FOR THE END OF THE DAY, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE, LEAVE, MEANING LEAVE THEIR WORK AT SCHOOL AND HAVE A BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE, WORK-LIFE HARMONY, LEAVE AT FOUR 15 AND BE DONE BECAUSE THE THINGS ARE, ARE GIVEN FOR THEM, AND THEY STILL HAVE A PLANNING PERIOD.
AND I'M, I'M ABOUT TO CLOSE HERE SO WE CAN TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS MAY NOT SEEM IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DID THIS YEAR, AND THAT IS ZERO BASED BUDGETING.
THAT GRAPH YOU JUST SAW, THAT BLUE LINE WAS A GRAPH THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND IT PREDICTS A FISCAL CLIFF IF WE DID NOTHING.
MEANING WE SHOULD BE AT $548 MILLION FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET THAT WE GAVE, AND THEN 252 MILLION THE NEXT YEAR.
YOU GUYS ARE JUST WENT THROUGH BUDGETING PROCESS.
YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THIS IS.
WE HAD TO FIND $520 MILLION AT LEAST FILL A GAP OF $520 MILLION IN ORDER TO STAY AT THE 800.
THAT ORANGE LINE TO FLATTEN IT OUT.
THAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING WE'VE HAD TO DO AS A DISTRICT.
AND I, I SUSPECT ANY DISTRICT HAS HAS HAD TO DO IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IN ONE YEAR.
THOSE WERE THE CARDS WE WERE DEALT.
AND THIS IS HOW WE, UH, FIXED IT.
UH, AND IT CAME AT A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF PAIN AND, AND A HUGE COST.
BUT THAT'S GONNA HELP THE DISTRICT LONG TERM IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET THE GAINS WE NEED.
I THINK IT'S THE LAST SLIDE THAT SAYS IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY AND HAVE SAID, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
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BUT OUR GOAL IS THE OUTCOMES.WE NEED TO RETURN THE DISTRICT TO AN ELECTED BOARD.
BUT YOU KNOW, IN THE END OF THE DAY, I'M TRYING TO WORK MYSELF OUT OF A JOB.
WE WANT TO RETURN THE, THE, THE, UH, DISTRICT TO AN ELECTED BOARD.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUCKETS, THERE'S THREE BUCKETS.
THE BIGGEST BUCKET IS TO HAVE NO SCHOOLS WITH D OR F RATING.
NO SCHOOL WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF D OR F RATING.
WE'VE GOT TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET OUR KIDS OUT OF INTERVENTION.
A YEAR AGO, MANY PEOPLE, EVEN PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT AND AND PEOPLE WHO STUDY EDUCATION WOULD'VE SAID, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE 274 SCHOOLS THAT WENT ALL OVER THE PLACE, THAT HAD NO VISION, THAT HAD NO COHESIVE KNOWLEDGE OF, OR VISION OF WHAT INSTRUCTION LOOKED LIKE, THAT HAD NO PLAN TO GET OUTTA DNF STATUS, DOING THEIR OWN THING AGAINST THE ODDS THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO, TO GET ACHIEVEMENT GAMES.
AND IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, EVEN IF IT WERE, IT'D BE NECESSARY.
WHO HAS THE FIRST QUESTION? THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT.
MILES, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
WE'LL START OFF, UH, THIS AFTERNOON WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
AND SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND ACCEPTING OUR OFFER, UH, FOR DIALOGUE.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE AS WELL.
UM, YOU SAID THAT BEHIND THE NUMBERS ARE TEACHERS, BEHIND THE NUMBERS ARE STUDENTS.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT BEHIND THE NUMBERS ARE FAMILIES.
AND THERE ARE FAMILIES ALL OVER THE CITY WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICES, CONCERNED, WORRIED, UH, WANT INSIGHT, CLARITY INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE DISTRICT.
YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THE STUDENTS DID GREAT.
THE SCHOOLS DID GREAT, THAT YOU OVERCAME THE ODDS.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAD MASS LAYOFFS.
SO THESE SAME TEACHERS, THESE SAME PRINCIPALS THAT GOT YOU, THESE RESULTS ARE NOW BEING LAID OFF.
SOME OF THEM ARE FROM A AND B SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF INSIGHT INTO WHAT WE CAN TELL OUR CONSTITUENTS ON WHY THAT IS AND HOW CAN WE TALK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, MANY OF THE MOMS AND DADS WHO SEND THEIR KIDS TO A SCHOOL TO WHERE NOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OR THE, OR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY WILL BE IN.
DO YOU HAVE, OR CAN YOU PROVIDE INSIGHTS US ON HOW YOU CAME TO THOSE DETERMINATIONS ON THESE MASS LAYOFFS? AND IF THE, IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHY MAKE SUCH DRASTIC CHANGES WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WELL? YEAH.
SO, UM, THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
EVERY DECISION THIS SPRING FOR REMOVING OR OR CUTTING BACK ON STAFF, UH, HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE.
THERE'S A COUPLE MONTHS AT CENTRAL OFFICE WHERE, UM, THE SUPERVISORS HAD TO TALK TO CLOSE TO 1500 EMPLOYEES.
SO YEAH, THAT'S A LOT OF STAFF THAT'S BEEN LAID OFF.
SO I WISH WE HADN'T USED ESER MONIES FOR RECURRENT EXPENSES.
I WISH THERE HADN'T BEEN THIS ENORMOUS INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CENTRAL OFFICE POSITIONS OVER THE LAST FIVE AND SIX YEARS AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE DISTRICT LOST 30,000 KIDS IN SIX YEARS, INCREASE IN CENTRAL OFFICE POSITION, DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT, HUGE GAP.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE, THE REASON WHY SOME OF THE TEACHERS, WHICH IN MY DISTRICT, I HAD A PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR THAT WAS LAID OFF, THERE'S TEACHERS OF THE YEAR, LIBRARIANS OF THE YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA SACRIFICE THEIR POSITIONS BECAUSE OF BUDGETARY CONCERNS.
'CAUSE DON'T WE HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE POSITIONS? YEAH.
SO I'M, YOU, YOU MENTIONED MASS LAYOFFS.
I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION.
SO PART OF THAT IS CENTRAL OFFICE.
[00:30:01]
ACTUALLY GOT LAID OFF, UH, MOST OF THEM OR, UH, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, 1500, UH, TO ADDRESS YOUR PRINCIPAL OR TEACHER QUESTION.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVERY DISTRICT STRUGGLES WITH IS, UH, EVALUATION.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PRINCIPAL? AND WE CAN HAVE DEBATES ABOUT THAT, BUT THE, THERE HAS TO BE AN ANSWER TO IT.
IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND YOU WANT TO TURN THIS DISTRICT AROUND, NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION WILL GET YOU MORE THE SAME, THE LAST 20 YEARS.
THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE'VE NOT HAD A RIGOROUS EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS.
AND HENCE YOU HAVE THE SAME ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND THE SAME PROBLEMS AS, AS WE'VE HAD BEFORE.
AND SO LEMME JUST TAKE PRINCIPLES, FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN'T TELL YOU, UH, IN THE PAST WHAT THEY USE FOR, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVE PRINCIPLES.
WHAT, WHAT MADE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN ORDER TO ASSESS PRINCIPLES RIGOROUSLY, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT SEVERAL THINGS.
AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA AROUND SEVERAL THINGS BESIDES BEING SUBJECTIVE.
SO WHAT SORT OF DATA ACHIEVEMENT? DATAS, OF COURSE, PROGRESS GROWTH, OF COURSE, NOT JUST WHETHER THEY'RE, AND YOU KNOW, THEY GET A STAR SCORE OF X.
ANOTHER PIECE IS THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.
THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IS THE LEADING INDICATOR FOR ACHIEVEMENT GO TO ANY OTHER LARGE URBAN DISTRICT.
AND THAT IS USUALLY THEY'RE FAILING, MEANING THEY DON'T ASSESS IT, THEY DON'T INSIST ON HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION, THEY DON'T COACH IT.
THE THIRD PIECE IS LEADERSHIP.
'CAUSE HOW THE PRINCIPAL LEADS, THAT'S HOW THE TEACHERS FEEL.
AND THAT'S HOW THE CULTURE GOES.
AND THEN THE THIRD, THE, THE LAST, UH, PIECE OF THAT IS USUALLY CLIMATE SURVEYS, BUT THIS YEAR WE REPLACE IT WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION, GROWTH AND COMPLIANCE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SECOND BUCKET OF THE INTERVENTION.
WE HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE AND WE HAVE TO GROW OUR SPECIAL NEEDS, UH, SERVICES.
THEN THERE'S A FIFTH BUCKET THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, PERSONNEL ACTIONS AND DECISIONS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT EVALUATION FOR PROFESSIONALISM OR BEHAVIOR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD AN EVALUATION SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHY, UH, WE HAVE PRINCIPALS, SOME OF WHOM ARE NOT, UH, RETURNING.
AND JUST TO, MY, MY LAST COMMENT IS A, AS YOU'RE DOING THESE EVALUATIONS, AND THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS COME BACK TO BEHIND THE NUMBERS OF THE FAMILIES.
THE FAMILIES KNOW WHAT TYPE OF INSTRUCTION, FOR THE MOST PART, THEIR KIDS ARE GETTING.
THEY ARE DROPPING THEIR KIDS OFF EVERY SINGLE DAY TO A SCHOOL, AND THEY HAVE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE EDUCATION THAT THEIR CHILD IS RECEIVING.
SO IN THE EVALUATION, YOU CAN TEST, SEE WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS BASED ON THE REACTION OF THE FAMILIES.
IF THE FAMILIES OF THE SCHOOL ARE UPSET WITH THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, THEN THE EVALUATION MAY HAVE TO BE TAILORED.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. MILES, AND ACCEPTING OUR INVITATION TO COME AND ADDRESS US.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND FOLKS AT HISD ON THE IMPROVED TEST SCORES.
WHEN, WHEN DO YOU FORESEE THAT YOUR JOB WILL BE COMPLETED AND WE CAN RETURN HISD TO AN ELECTED BOARD? YES, SIR.
UH, SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE THREE BIG CRITERIA FOR EXIT.
ONE IS, UH, NO SCHOOLS WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF D OR F STATUS.
SECOND BUCKET IS COMPLIANCE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF SPED UH, JAIL.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO IMPROVE SPECIAL NEEDS SERVICES.
AND THE THIRD BUCKET HAS TO DO WITH GOVERNANCE, A MORE EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM.
UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE GROWTH THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR, LET'S SAY WE DO THAT TWO YEAR, TWO MORE YEARS IN A ROW.
AND BY THE WAY, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION REALLY IS THE COMMISSIONER'S, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO ANSWER.
[00:35:01]
'CAUSE I'M NOT IN CHARGE OF, OF THAT TRANSITION.BUT MY SENSE IS IF WE HAD THREE YEARS OF GOOD GROWTH, THE, THE COMMISSIONER WILL PROBABLY START TO TRANSITION TO AN ELECTED BOARD.
I THINK THAT WILL BE, OF COURSE, BE UP TO THE COMMISSIONER.
BUT I SUSPECT THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE ELECTED BOARD WILL REPLACE THE, SOME MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF MANAGER.
SO, SO BEST CASE SCENARIO, IF WE SEE PERFORMANCE LIKE WE'VE SEEN THIS YEAR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THEN WE'LL START TO TRANSITION TO AN ELECTED BOARD.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN ATTENTION DEVOTED TO THE LA LOSS OF WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS DUE TO THE LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDING.
DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT LOSS GOING FORWARD? YES, SIR.
UM, WE HAVE DONE OUR BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS, UH, ON THE ONE HAND.
AND ON THE SECOND HAND, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A CONTINUUM OF CARE AND CAN WE STILL PROVIDE THAT CONTINUUM OF CARE WITHOUT THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST? AND THE ANSWER IS YES, WE WILL KEEP 48 WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS, BUT WE WILL PUT THEM AT THE, WHAT WE CALL THE UNIT LEVEL.
THAT'S, UM, PUSHED CLOSER TO THE, TO THE FIELD WHERE A WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST WILL NOW HAVE FOUR OR FIVE SCHOOLS VERSUS THE ONE SCHOOL, UH, WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST IN EVERY, EVERY SCHOOL.
BUT MORE THAN THAT, WE WILL HAVE TELEHEALTH.
WE ONLY HAD, UH, 88 SCHOOLS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TELEHEALTH.
NOW, 274 SCHOOLS WILL HAVE, WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TELEHEALTH.
SO TELEMEDICINE THAT PROVIDES MORE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR KIDS WHO NEED THAT HEALTHCARE.
WE STILL HAVE THE SUNRISE CENTERS, AND WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOLS WHO CAN REFER, WHICH IS WHAT THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST MOSTLY DID, REFER KIDS TO OTHER SERVICES, LIKE A NURSE, LIKE A COUNSELOR, LIKE A SUNRISE CENTER, UH, OR PROVIDE FOOD, THE FOOD BANK.
SO NOW AN OFFICE MANAGER OR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WILL PROVIDE, GO INTO THE FOOD BANK AND HELP THE STUDENT OR CLOSE.
SO, UH, NOW AN OFFICE MANAGER OR A ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WILL GO INTO THE, UM, TO THE BANK OF CLOSE AND, AND PROVIDE CLOSE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
AND KEEP IN MIND, WE STILL HAVE COUNSELORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, NURSES, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORTS FOR OUR KIDS.
LAST QUESTION, IF I MAY GO AHEAD.
UM, COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE, AND YOUR LAST BUDGET VOTE WAS RAISE THIN MARGIN, YOU KNOW, AND THE, THAT'S YOUR BOARD OF MANAGERS.
DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION GOING FORWARD? YES.
IS THE, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER, UM, THE, THE LONGER ANSWER IS, UM, THAT IS CERTAINLY AN AREA THAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
IT'S CERTAINLY AN AREA THAT WE CAN, UM, DO BETTER AT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SORTS OF COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, ONE THING, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS THE DEFINED AUTONOMY, MEANING, UH, I'VE SAID BEFORE, PROBABLY THE, THE BEST DECISION I MADE WAS TO ADD 57 SCHOOLS TO THE, UM, NES ORBIT INSTEAD OF THE, JUST THE 28 THAT CAME WITH THE WORST DECISION PROBABLY I MADE, WHICH WAS I DIDN'T EXPLAIN CLEARLY ENOUGH THE, THE IMPACT OF NES AND THE THINGS WE WERE DOING ON OUR A AND B CAMPUSES.
AND SO, UH, BELATEDLY, WE PUT OUT THE DEFINED AUTONOMY DOCUMENT THAT THAT IS NOW ON THE WEBSITE.
AND WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE PRINCIPALS AND COMMUNITY ABOUT, AND THAT WILL HELP WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNICATIONS OR MISCOMMUNICATIONS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE YEAR.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO.
WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND THANK YOU, SIR FOR COMING O ON THE SCORES.
UM, DOES EVERYBODY TAKE THE, TAKE THE STAR TEST? ARE ALL STUDENTS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE STAR TEST Y? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UM, THERE'S NO HIGH, UH, HIGH SCHOOL.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? WHEN DO WE GET, UM, RESULTS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOLS? YEAH, THANKS FOR ASKING.
UH, ARE, I DIDN'T INCLUDE IN THE DOCUMENT, THE HIGH SCHOOLS CAME OUT BEFORE THE THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE, AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS WERE ALSO VERY GOOD, UM, BOTH ON ITS OWN AND COMPARED TO THE STATE.
UM, AND SO THOSE RESULTS CAME OUT ALREADY.
THOSE ARE ALGEBRA ONE, ENGLISH ONE, ENGLISH TWO, BIOLOGY, AND US HISTORY.
WE GREW IN ALL OF 'EM EXCEPT US HISTORY WERE FLAT, BUT WE BEAT THE STATE IN EVERY, UH, EVERY CATEGORY.
AND, UH, EVERY OTHER LARGE URBAN DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS BEHIND US IN
[00:40:01]
THE START, IN THE STAR INCREASE.THESE STAR RESULTS ARE BETTER THAN ANY OTHER DISTRICT IN TEXAS.
IF YOU LOOK AT INCREASE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
AND THE, I SEE THAT YOU'RE ADDING A BUNCH OF NES SCHOOLS FOR NEXT YEAR.
HOW, HOW DO THEY GET ADDED? HOW, HOW IS THAT DECISION, THOSE DECISIONS? HOW ARE THOSE DECISIONS MADE? SO, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, UH, WE LOOKED AT THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE F RATED AND LOW D RATED, UH, THAT WERE STILL NOT IN NES.
WE HAD ENOUGH CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, NWA SCORES AND IN THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.
KEEP IN MIND, MY TEAM AND I, WE GO TO SCHOOLS ALL THE TIME.
BY THAT POINT, I'D ALREADY GONE TO OVER A HUNDRED SCHOOLS WALKING AROUND, CHECKING IT OUT, UH, LOOKING AT THE INSTRUCTION COACHING PRINCIPLES.
IN ANY CASE, WE ADDED THE, THE F SCHOOLS AND THE LOW D SCHOOLS, WHICH NUMBERED AROUND 24, I BELIEVE.
WE ALSO OPENED IT UP TO THE REMAINING D SCHOOLS, SO THE, THE ONES THAT SCORED 65 AND ABOVE, UH, D SCHOOLS TO VOLUNTEER IF THEY WANTED TO.
AND, UH, AN ADDITIONAL, OR IT WAS ORIGINALLY 26 THAT WERE DNF LOW, DNF AND 19 VOLUNTEERED.
AND FINALLY, THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT, UM, TEACHERS THAT ARE LEAVING OR HAVE LEFT AND CERTIFICATIONS, LIKE HOW MANY CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS VERSUS NON-CERTIFIED? YES, I CAN, I, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, THAT WE FOCUS THIS YEAR ON TRAINING EVERYBODY, AND WE FOCUS ON HELPING THEM WITH THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, NOT JUST GETTING A CERTIFICATION.
UM, AND ONLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS COULD GET THE SCORES THAT WE HAD.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, RIGHT NOW, THE THING THAT, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS RECRUITING TEACHERS.
RECRUITING TEACHERS WITH A CERTIFICATION.
AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME TODAY WE'RE AT 455 VACANCIES FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S HOW MANY WE HAVE TO HIRE BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST 12TH.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, IT WAS ONE OVER 1000.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET TO ZERO VACANCIES BY THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU, IF YOU ASK THE HR DEPARTMENT AND THE PRINCIPALS AND THE, AND THE DIVISION S SUBS, THEY KNOW THAT OUR PRIORITY IS HIRING CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
LAST YEAR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, NEW TEACHERS, 33% OF ALL NEW TEACHERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WERE HIRED LAST YEAR WERE NOT CERTIFIED.
AND THE REASON THAT IS, IS BECAUSE THERE'S A NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE.
SO WE MAY FACE THE SAME THING HERE.
IT'LL BE THE LAST RESORT TO HIRE AN UNCERTIFIED TEACHER.
BUT I ALSO, SO THAT WE'RE GONNA ERR ON THE SIDE OF CERTIFIED OF COURSE.
AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THE MOST PART.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TEACHERS WITHOUT CERTIFICATION THAT CAN TEACH.
WELL, WE ARE LOOKING FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, AND BECAUSE OF OUR RIGOROUS EVALUATION SYSTEM AND OUR RIGOROUS HIRING SYSTEM, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PERFORMANCE INTERVIEW.
UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, WE THINK WE'RE GONNA GET EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, WHETHER THEY'RE CERTIFIED OR NOT.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT FOR BEING HERE.
UM, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY AN ASKED MY QUESTIONS.
I DO WANNA CIRCLE BACK JUST VERY QUICKLY TO THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ONE MORE TIME, YOUR SUNRISE CENTERS, YOU MENTIONED THAT, SO SUNRISE CENTER SERVICES, APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY SCHOOLS? SO, UM, THERE ARE, UH, SEVEN SUNRISE CENTERS.
SO THEY, THEY EACH SERVE ABOUT, UM, 40 SCHOOLS, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, IT'S, IT'S GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED.
SO THERE MAY BE MORE SCHOOLS FOR THIS SUNRISE CENTER AND FEWER SCHOOLS FOR THIS SUNRISE CENTER.
AND, AND THOSE 40 SCHOOLS DO NOT HAVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WITHIN THEIR SCHOOLS.
I'M JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I CLARIFY.
SO NOW THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES ARE ONE WRAPAROUND, UH, SERVICE PERSON FOR EVERY, UH, FIVE OR SIX SCHOOLS, FOUR TO SIX SCHOOLS, SOMEWHERE IN THAT NUMBER.
IT DEPENDS, RIGHT? IF THE, IF IT'S AN AREA OF GREAT NEED, THERE'S MORE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS.
IF AN AREA OF LOW NEED, THERE'S FEWER.
AND AS WE KNOW CHILDREN THAT DON'T EAT WELL, THAT HAVE STRUGGLES AT HOME, MEN STRUGGLING
[00:45:01]
WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, DEPRESSION, UM, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA, NUTRITIONAL ISSUES, LACK OF BEING ABLE TO BE CLOTHED, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO RECONSIDERING THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR SUNRISE CENTERS? WHAT I HEAR OFTENTIMES IS THAT, UNFORTUNATELY IN SOME SCHOOLS, THE STRUGGLE, IT, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE MOM, DAD, GRANDMA, GRANDDAD, AUNTIE, UNCLE, TO GET TO THE SUNRISE CENTER TO GET WHAT THEY NEED.AND OFTENTIMES THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS, UM, UNIFORMS, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES TO GET TO SCHOOL.
AND THERE'S AN INABILITY THERE OF TRANSPORTATION INEQUITIES, ET CETERA.
FINANCIAL ISSUES, NOT BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PARENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO MISS WORK, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A COMMITMENT NOW.
BUT WHAT I WOULD ASK OF YOU IS TO RECONSIDER HOW YOU LOOK AT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AT SCHOOLS THAT ARE MOST NEED.
UM, I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD PUT THAT INTO YOUR FORMULA.
SO, UM, WRAPAROUND OR THE SUNRISE CENTERS WERE NOT DESIGNED TO REPLACE THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS.
THE SUNRISE CENTERS WAS, UH, INTENDED TO BE A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, NOT TO REPLACE THOSE.
SO IF YOU GO TO A SUNRISE CENTER, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE, YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THERE THAT WE CAN WORK SYNERGISTICALLY WELL WITH.
AND THE SUNRISE CENTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AID TO THE MOST NEEDY STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WITH THE BIGGEST NEED AND CONCERNS, NOT JUST FOOD, BUT EMPLOYMENT, NOT JUST FOOD OR CLOTHES, BUT HEALTH.
AND SO THE SUNRISE SERVICE CENTERS SERVE THOSE KIDS, THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS, THEY'RE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
UH, THE PARENTS CAN STILL GO TO THE SCHOOL AND STILL GET FOOD.
'CAUSE THE, THE, THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS AT THE UNIT LEVEL WILL ENSURE THOSE FOOD BANKS ARE STOCKED, WILL ENSURE THAT THE CLOTH BANKS THAT ARE STILL STOCKED.
AND SO A PARENT DOESN'T NEED TO SEARCH FOR IT.
DON'T, THEY DON'T NEED TO GO TO A SUNRISE CENTER.
THEY NEED TO GO TO THEIR SCHOOL.
THEY'LL KNOW THE OFFICE MANAGER, THEY'LL KNOW THE SECRETARY.
THEY'LL KNOW THEIR PRINCIPAL, AND THEY WILL BE SERVED THAT WAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, MAYBE OF SOME MISCOMMUNICATION.
THAT WE, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GET OUT TO COMMUNICATE WHAT, WHAT WE ARE HEARING OR WHAT I'M HEARING, AND I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ARE AS WELL, IS THAT THEY ARE, THE WRAPAROUND SERVICE PERSON THAT WAS THERE BEFORE IS NO LONGER THERE.
AND SO, GETTING THE ACCESS TO THOSE THINGS, AS MENTIONED, THEY'RE HAVING TO NOW GO TO THE SUNRISE CENTER.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE, IF WE CAN GET A LIST OF THAT, OF WHO THAT CONTACT IS AT ALL THE SCHOOLS, SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE PROPER MANNER.
SO THE, THERE IS NO LIST FROM, FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS.
UH, THE PARENT WOULD GO TO THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OR PRINCIPAL OR OFFICE MANAGER, WHOEVER THE PRINCIPAL SAYS IS THE, IS THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO PASS OUT THE FOOD OR PASS OUT THE CLOTHES OR REFER THEM TO SUNRISE CENTER OR A PSYCHOLOGIST NURSE, THAT THAT PERSON WILL BE UP TO THE PRINCIPAL TO DO SO.
THE, SO THE PARENT, AND WE MAKE IT EASY ON THEM, JUST NEED TO GO TO THE SCHOOL, TALK TO THE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP OR THE OFFICE MANAGER, AND THEY WILL GET THEIR NEEDS MET.
BUT, BUT I'M SAYING FROM AOP, FROM OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S CLEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE ON.
'CAUSE I KNOW HE'S GOT A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME HERE.
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM AND CHAIR.
UM, AND THANK YOU, UM, SUPERINTENDENT MILES FOR COMING IN TODAY.
AND, UM, I WAS GONNA ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, MY COLLEAGUE ASKED ABOUT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UM, I HAVE APPROXIMATELY OVER 21 NSF SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT TWO.
AND SO OF COURSE, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I'VE RECEIVED QUITE A FEW CALLS ABOUT, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHANGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WAS ONE OF THEM.
UM, BUT THE OTHER ONE FROM SOME OF THE TEACHERS, UM, STUDENTS ARE MISSING OUT ON FIELD TRIPS, UM, THAT SOME OF THE TEACHERS FEEL THAT WILL HELP THE STUDENT MOTIVATE THE STUDENT.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO ON FIELD TRIPS 'CAUSE IT INTERRUPT INSTRUCTIONS.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE YOU PLANNING ON, IN ALLOWING STUDENTS TO START GOING BACK ON FIELD TRIPS FROM UNDERSTANDING SIXTH GRADERS DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO TO THE MUSEUM, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT REALLY HELP OUR KIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER PERSON, IS THERE ANY PLAN TO, UM, REBUILD, UM, KEY MIDDLE SCHOOL? AND SO, YOU KNOW, FLEMING AND KEY WAS KIND OF INTEGRATED AND SO KEY MIDDLE SCHOOL IS AN IMPORTANT SCHOOL.
I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU'RE GONNA REBUILD THAT, WE'RE GONNA BUILD THAT.
WHAT IS SCHOOL CHOICE AND WHY? WHAT HIGH SCHOOLS ARE PART OF THIS PARTICULAR, THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM?
[00:50:01]
AND TELL US WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE ABOUT YOUR VERY, YEAH, YOUR VERY FIRST QUESTION WAS ABOUT FIELD TRIPS.SO, UM, YES, IN FACT, UH, WE, WE HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT WE'LL SEND OUT, UM, THIS YEAR CALLED, UH, FOR THE RECORD.
AND SO ONE OF THE TOPICS WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT FOR THE RECORD IS FIELD TRIPS.
BECAUSE FIELD TRIPS ARE A GREAT WAY FOR KIDS TO GROW IN THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, IF THE NON NES SCHOOLS HAVE FIELD TRIPS, WE WANT THE NES SCHOOLS TO HAVE FIELD TRIP TOO.
SO WE HAVE A BOARD, UH, REGULATION, UH, POLICY AND REGULATION AROUND FIELD TRIPS.
AND SO SCHOOLS, INCLUDING NES SCHOOLS CAN TAKE FIELD TRIPS.
THEY JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, UH, THE REGULATION.
AND SO THAT WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA GO OUT OF COUNTRY, THE REGULATION SAYS YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.
IF YOU WANNA GO OUTTA STATE, YOU HAVE TO GET, UH, APPROVAL FROM THE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SO IT, IT'S NORMAL FIELD TRIP PROCEDURES IS THE ANSWER.
THEY'D HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM YOU.
THE MUSEUM DOWNTOWN? NO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO THE PRINCIPAL.
UM, THE, THE OTHER QUESTION AROUND CHOICE.
WE HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM HERE.
EVERY, YOU, YOU CAN CHOOSE DURING THE LOTTERY OR THE, THE SCHOOL, NOT LOTTERY, BUT SCHOOL CHOICE PROCESS TO SIGN UP FOR ANY SCHOOL THAT'S NOT IN YOUR ZONE.
AND SO, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHICH SCHOOL YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE IF THERE ARE, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH SEATS IN THAT SCHOOL.
UH, I MEAN, CAN I JUST, CAN YOU GOTTA BE REALLY QUICK 'CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE TIME UNDERSTANDING HIGH GOING DOWN HIGH SCHOOLS ARE A HIGH SCHOOL'S PART OF TWO.
HIGH SCHOOL ARE PART OF SCHOOL CHOICE.
UH, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THERE WERE TEACHERS HIRED WITHOUT CERTIFICATIONS.
AND IS THAT FOR ALL TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR IS IT PUBLIC SCHOOLS? PRIVATE SCHOOLS COMBINED? UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UH, AND THAT INFORMATION IS, CAN BE FOUND ON, UH, T'S WEBSITE.
SECOND THING, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE SCORES AND THE NES SCHOOLS GO UP FROM THE 20 22, 20 23 SCHOOL YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE 20 23, 20 24 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THAT INDICATES THAT SOMETHING IS, YOUR TEACHERS ARE DOING SOMETHING BETTER, RIGHT.
WHAT WAS THE TEACHER TURNOVER FROM THE 2223 SCHOOL YEAR OF TEACHERS TO THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR? DO YOU KNOW THAT? I, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
AND ADDITIONALLY TO THAT, UM, IF YOU HAD THE NUMBERS ALSO FROM THE TURNOVER FOR THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, THAT'D BE HELPFUL TOO.
AND WE CAN SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, HIS STAFF DID SAY ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE DIDN'T GET ANSWERED TODAY, WE CAN SUBMIT THOSE AND THEN WE'LL PUT THOSE ALL OUT IN ONE DOCUMENT.
UH, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS CHAVEZ.
AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT.
I DID MEET YOU AT THE JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON BOARD, AND I KIND OF LOST MY VOICE, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT THE NES SYSTEM YIELDS HIGH RESULTS.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S BASED ON ROTE MEMORIZATION AND SKILLS, BASICALLY.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT SOME OF THE STUDENTS THAT NEED ADDITIONAL HELP, UH, MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FAREWELL IN THE NES SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT MEASURES YOU HAVE TO RETAIN THESE STRIDES THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ACHIEVED THAT.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE BUDGET DEFICITS, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO EXPAND THE NES SYSTEM? AND THEN I HAVE A, A MAJOR QUESTION AT THE END.
SO IF YOU COULD, UH, ADDRESS THOSE, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
THE, THE CURRICULUM IN NES IS TIED TO AMPLIFY EUREKA CARNEGIE, WHAT WE CALL HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
IT'S NOT ROTE MEMORIZATION, IN FACT, IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE.
IT TALKS ABOUT, WE, WE TALK ABOUT CONCEPTUALIZATION, WE TALK ABOUT APPLICATION, WE TALK ABOUT STORY PROBLEMS, NOT JUST COMPUTATION.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM CLOSELY THAT THE REASON WHY THE KIDS DID BETTER, AND MIND YOU, THIS IS ONE YEAR, SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA STAKE EVERYTHING ON ONE YEAR OF DATA.
ONE YEAR DATA DOES NOT MAKE A TREND, ALTHOUGH WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A TREND BECAUSE OUR MIDDLE OF THE YEAR SCORES AND NWEA WAS STRONG, AND NEXT WEEK WE'LL REPORT OUT TO THE BOARD OUR END OF YEAR NWA SCORES, WHICH ARE ALSO STRONG AND SHOWS
[00:55:01]
THE SAME PATTERN.BUT GOING BACK TO THE CURRICULUM, THE REASON WHY IS THAT CURRICULUM IS AT GRADE LEVEL WITH, AND I DON'T WANNA USE A LOT OF JARGON, BUT WITH SCAFFOLDS, WITH SUPPORTS SO THAT KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT.
SO THE FIRST HOUR IS WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING THE INSTRUCTION, DIRECT INSTRUCTION, HIGH ENGAGEMENT.
THEY TAKE A MINI TEST, A MINI QUIZ, 10 MINUTES, AND THE KIDS WHO ARE AHEAD GO TO THE TEAM CENTER, KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND, STAY WITH THE TEACHER, KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND, GET MORE TIME WITH THE EXPERT, THE TEACHER, KIDS WHO ARE AHEAD GET CHALLENGED.
SO HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THIS? AND HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO PROVE, YOU KNOW, MY GUESS IS THAT NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE EVEN STRONGER.
WE'RE ADDING SOME CURRICULAR SUPPORTS, EVEN MORE SO FOR EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS, BETTER SCAFFOLDING.
THE CURRICULUM HAS ALREADY PROVEN ITSELF, BUT IT'S GONNA BE TWEAKED AND MADE EVEN STRONGER.
UM, WE'RE ADDING MORE NES SCHOOLS.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE EVEN STRONGER GROWTH OF OUR KIDS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN YOU HAD JUST, JUST AS A QUICK FOLLOW UP, UH, WELL, I, I, I'M A CERTIFIED TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, COUNSELOR, DIAGNOSTIC, AND ALL OF THAT, THAT, UH, SO I KIND OF TAKE ISSUE WITH THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR EDUCATION.
WHEN YOU ARE HIRING NON-CERTIFIED TEACHERS, UH, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, KINDA RINGS TO THE FACT THAT, WELL, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO HAVE IT, BUT YOU CAN STILL DEAL WITH OUR MOST CHERISH CHERISHED ASSETS, OUR CHILDREN.
BUT MY, MY REAL QUESTION IS, THERE'S BEEN A QUESTION SINCE YOU GOT HERE AS TO WHETHER YOU WERE HERE ON A MISSION.
AND THAT MISSION WOULD BE TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A GREAT PUSH AT THE STATE LEVEL TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT, UH, SCHOOL CHOICE AND VOUCHERS? UH, SO I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY ELSE.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION A LONG TIME AND MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO SERVE THE UNDERSERVED KIDS.
AND THEY RAISE THEIR ACHIEVEMENT, CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, AND HELP THEM WITH THEIR NEEDS.
AND THAT HIRE GOOD TEACHERS, EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, TRAIN THEM, COACH THE PRINCIPALS SO THAT WE HAVE A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THE FOLLOWING WITH REGARD TO SCHOOL CHOICE.
I'M A LITTLE AGNOSTIC AS TO THE TYPE OF SCHOOL.
I THINK EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD BE A GOOD SCHOOL.
EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD BE A GOOD SCHOOL.
AND WITH REGARD TO VOUCHERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I HAVE ONE MISSION HERE.
I WAS NOT ASKED TO DO VOUCHERS, CHARTERS, CLOSED SCHOOLS.
I WAS ASKED TO GET US OUTTA INTERVENTION BY TAKING THE DNF SCHOOLS AND MAKING THEM STRONGER AND KEEPING OUR A AND B SCHOOLS STRONG.
THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SEE FROM ME.
274 SCHOOLS, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER MISSION.
IF THE LAW PASSES, WE'LL WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT I HAVE 274 SCHOOLS, THE WEAK ONES, WE'RE GONNA MAKE STRONGER.
YOU GIVE THOSE KIDS A CHANCE, YOU BET ON THEM, THEY'RE GONNA THRIVE.
I'M NOT BETTING ON CHARTERS, PRIVATE VOUCHERS, I'M BETTING ON THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE.
I'M BETTING ON OUR KIDS THAT WE HAVE.
'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST 30 YEARS IN SERVING ONLY IN UNDERSERVED SCHOOLS.
THAT WHEN YOU BET ON KIDS, WHEN YOU SAY THEY CAN AND YOU MAKE THEM BELIEVE, AND YOU GIVE THE TEACHERS SUPPORTS AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SYSTEM, THEY'RE GONNA THRIVE AND THE KIDS ARE GONNA THRIVE AND THEY'RE GONNA GET THE RESULTS.
NOT FOR INTERVENTION BECAUSE THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO READ AND HAVE THE SKILLS FOR YOUR 2035 ENVIRONMENT.
AND IN THE PROCESS WE'LL GET OUTTA INTERVENTION'S, MY POSITION ON.
SO WHAT IS A BETTER WAY TO DESTROY EDUCATION THAN DESTROYING HISD? WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER 'CAUSE HE ONLY HAS A FEW, A FEW MORE MINUTES LEFT.
THAT'S SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE, BUT ANY QUESTIONS THAT DO NOT GET ANSWERED, WE WILL SUBMIT THOSE.
DID YOU APPLY FOR FEMA FUNDING AFTER THE NATURAL DISASTER THAT WAS JUST DECLARED? YES, SIR.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, HOSPITAL SCALE PAY, OR HOW, WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT? IS THAT MERIT PAY IS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? THE HOSPITAL MODEL SYSTEM IS ONE, UM, WHERE THERE'S A RANGE OF, UH, SALARIES DEPENDING ON THE POSITION.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, SIXTH GRADE READING TEACHER IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL GETS PAID THE MOST,
[01:00:01]
FOLLOWED BY MATH AND SCIENCE, FOLLOWED BY SOCIAL STUDIES AND, UH, FOLLOWED BY ELECTIVES.THAT'S A HOSPITAL MODEL SCALE.
IT'S NOT A PAY FOR PERFORMANCE MODEL, IT'S INCENTIVE PAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE TURNOVER STATISTICS ARE AND HOW THEY COMPARE TO THE STATE.
ALSO, ARE YOU DOING EXIT INTERVIEWS WITH THE TEACHERS THAT ARE LEAVING? SO, UH, I BELIEVE THE HR DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING EXIT INTERVIEWS TO THE, UH, WHEN THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO PROVIDE AN EXIT INTERVIEW.
AND WITH YOUR NON-CERTIFIED TEACHERS, DO THEY GET MORE CLASSROOM OBSERVATION? UH, ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, UH, HAVE ON THE JOB FEEDBACK.
SO NOT DAILY, BUT ALMOST DAILY, WHETHER THEY'RE CERTIFIED OR NOT CERTIFIED.
AND THE SPENDING, I WAS LISTENING TO AN INTERVIEW THIS MORNING, DRIVING IN, AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT THE SPENDING AT THE NS NES SCHOOLS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PER STUDENT THAN IT WAS IN THE NON NES SCHOOLS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO ARE YOU ABLE, DO YOU HAVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT SPENDING AT ALL THE SCHOOLS WHEN THEY ALL GO TO NES? WE HAVE THE FUND.
SO WE, WE PASSED A BUDGET WITH 130 NES SCHOOLS, 130.
WE'RE ABLE TO SU SUSTAIN THAT 130 SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, WE WILL NOT, AND SOMEBODY ASKED THIS QUESTION EARLIER AND I DIDN'T ANSWER IT.
UH, JUST, UM, FORGOT WE'RE ABLE TO SUSTAIN 130 SCHOOLS.
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF NES SCHOOLS UNLESS WE GET NEW REVENUE COMING IN.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION, HOW MANY STUDENTS WENT TO JAPAN AND HOW MANY WENT TO DC I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS AROUND 300.
'CAUSE IT'S ONLY APPLIED TO THE 20.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? I DIDN'T HEAR.
HOW MANY OF THE STUDENTS GOT TO GO TO THE TRIP TO JAPAN AND HOW MANY GOT TO GO TO DC? YEAH, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S AROUND 300, BUT IF YOU SUBMIT THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU, AN EXACT NUMBER.
AND THEN I THINK WE HAD 400 OR SO.
GO TO DC BUT LET, LET ME GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
THE POINT IS, UH, THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE, THE, THE 28, UM, NES SCHOOLS, THE ORIGINAL ONES, I THINK THERE WAS ONLY LIKE, UH, EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
LET'S KEEP OUR QUESTIONS SUCCINCT 'CAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUTTA TOWN.
UH, THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT FOR COMING, ACCEPTING THE INVITATION FROM THE MAYOR AND, UH, AND OUR, UH, COUNCIL FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
AND, UH, JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY, UM, ASK OF YOU, SINCE YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, AS A STUDENT OF, OF HOUSTON PUBLIC EDUCATION AND UH, 30 YEARS, WE'VE HAD SEVEN SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS.
SO YOU JUST GAVE US A PERCENTAGES OF HOW THE DISTRICT OF HISD, AND IT'S IN THE ARTICLES OF THE PAPER, THE STATE IS STRUGGLING, HISD TRENDS WENT UP.
SO LET ME THANK YOU ALSO FOR ACCEPTING THE REQUEST OF THE PASTORS, THAT WHEN WE CAME TO YOU ABOUT OUR CONCERNS, YOU ACCEPTED US.
NOW, IS IT TRUE OR EXPLAINED TO COUNCIL THAT THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT HISD IS OFFERED TO, UM, EDUCATION, UH, STUDENTS IN COLLEGE, HBCU, WHICH IS WHAT TEXAS SOUTHERN IS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN TERMS OF UPLIFTING THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT NUMBER AS TO WHAT YOU OFFERED HISD TO THOSE STUDENTS LAST YEAR? SENIOR, UH, COLLEGE GRADS GOING OUT IN EDUCATION? YEAH.
AND, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, SO I WILL, WE WILL GET THAT TO YOU.
BUT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE PROGRAMS WHERE WE ARE HELPING KIDS, UH, ESPECIALLY KIDS WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY UNDERSERVED TO GET INTO OUR HIGHEST, THE NATION'S HIGHEST PERFORMING COLLEGES, BUT ALSO JUST TO EXPAND THEIR COLLEGE ACCESS.
AND SO THOSE ARE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS FOR, FOR STUDENTS, FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
BUT THE, I THINK THE BEST THING WE'RE DOING TO HELP, UH, ALL OF OUR KIDS IS TO HELP RAISE OUR COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS SCORES.
AND PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH ACADEMICS.
PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH CAREER TECH ED, AND ALSO PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH GETTING READY FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE EXPANDED FOUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THIS.
FOUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, NETWORKING, LOGISTICS, HEALTH
[01:05:01]
AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.AND THOSE ARE PROVIDED AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL SO THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS GET A BETTER CHANCE AT INTERNSHIPS AND TO ENTER THE MARKETPLACE ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, THE OTHER THING WE'RE STARTING IS AI IN, AS AN ELECTIVE, AI IN THE WORKFORCE, AN ELECTIVE AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, SO THAT KIDS CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE AI IN THE WORKPLACE.
MILES, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU HAD TO LEAVE BY THREE O'CLOCK.
UH, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU TWO FOR YOU.
YOU, YOU DO WANT TO TAKE A, I I JUST, WE DO HAVE TWO MORE.
UH, IF TWO PEOPLE HAVE, OR TWO URGENT QUESTIONS, LET ME TAKE THOSE AND THEN, THEN I GOTTA GO.
BUT WE GOT STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT MILES.
UH, I JUST HAVE, UH, ONE QUESTION ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
YOU HAD MENTIONED TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER THAT HIC HAS APPLIED FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE FOLLOWING THE DERECHO STORM.
SINCLAIR ELEMENTARY AND DISTRICT C SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THAT STORM.
SO WE WANTED TO CLARIFY, HAS HISD SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE FOR THE REPAIRS NEEDED, SPECIFICALLY AT SINCLAIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? SO WE, WE'VE APPLIED FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE FOR ALL THE DAMAGE AREAS, INCLUDING SINCLAIR, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OBVIOUSLY APPLIED FOR OUR INSURANCE, UH, FOR SINCLAIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO WE FEEL, UM, COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT SINCLAIR WILL BE OPEN NEXT YEAR, AND WE WILL, YOU KNOW, WE WILL APPLY OUR FUNDING TO GET THEM, UH, READY.
AND DO YOU HAVE A CURRENT STATUS ON THAT APPLICATION? HAVE YOU HEARD BACK ON THE STATUS? I HAVE NOT, BUT, UH, WE, WE MAY HAVE, WE CAN, WE CAN GET AN ANSWER ON, ON THAT.
TIM, UH, THANK YOU, UH, SUPERINTENDENT MILES FOR, FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I REALLY HAVE A COMMENT MORE THAN A QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU CURRENTLY SHOW 7,200 AS A HOMELESS COUNT FOR HISD.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOWS 1100.
UM, SO IN ESSENCE, I'VE, I'VE OVER THE YEARS KIND OF STUDIED THIS A BIT, AND YOU ALL ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST YOU'RE EDUCATORS, BUT SECONDLY, YOU ARE IN A LARGE SENSE, DEFACTO SOCIAL WORKERS.
UM, SO UNDERSTANDING THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND THE SUNRISE CENTERS, UM, AND THE NEEDS THERE ARE GREAT.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT NUMBER? LAST COUNT I HAD WAS LIKE 245 OF THE TOTAL, UH, SCHOOLS OR, UH, TITLE ONE.
IS THAT STILL APPROXIMATE? THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.
WE CAN GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DISTRICT HAS 48 WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS AT THE UNIT LEVEL.
I, I WILL SAY, I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT FOR DISTRICT H, THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES CAN MAKE OR BREAK A STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY.
SO I JUST WANNA REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, AND, AND I'LL JUST ASK THE ONE MOST SPECIFICALLY, IS, UM, HAS ANY OF THE RECENT STORMS SHIFTED YOUR PRIORITIES AS IT RELATES TO THE BOND? AS IT RELATES TO THE BOND? MM-HMM
UM, NO, UH, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD THREE SCHOOLS WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
UM, ALL THE OTHER, UM, DAMAGES REALLY, UH, FOCUSED ON THE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE REPLACED ANYWAY, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA GO OUT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THE BOARD WILL APPROVE US GOING OUT FOR BOND.
UM, MOSTLY AROUND AIR CONDITIONING, SAFETY, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO, UM, IT HASN'T CHANGED MUCH AS A RESULT OF THE THE STORM.
WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS ONLINE.
I'M GONNA ASK HIS QUESTIONS, AND IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER 'EM RIGHT NOW, WE'LL SUBMIT THOSE WITH THE LIST OF QUESTIONS.
HE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WANTS TO KNOW WHEN EVALUATING STAFF, ARE THEY BASED ON TEA CRITERIA WITH NES MODEL BEING NEW TO HISD? WILL THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK AND INPUT THROUGH A SURVEY? AND ALSO, HAS THERE BEEN A DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT? WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT? SO THE TEACHER EVALUATION IS, UH, IS ALIGNED WITH WHAT'S CALLED T TESTS, WHICH IS A STATE EVALUATION.
UM, IT'S DIFFERENT IN THAT WE CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE RIGOROUS.
WE CAN CHANGE SOME OF THE CATEGORIES, BUT IT'S T TEST BASED.
UM, THE PRINCIPAL EVALUATION IS NOT TIED TO THE STATE EVALUATION IS, UH, AN HISD SPECIFIC EVALUATION.
UM, THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION.
THE, THE SECOND QUESTION, MA'AM, WAS, UH, HAS THERE BEEN A DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT? AND WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT?
[01:10:02]
THERE WAS A DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR.WE'RE ANTICIPATING A SLIGHT DECLINE FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE PLANS ON, ON GETTING ENROLLMENT UP.
AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE SIT IN A CONTEXT WHERE ENROLLMENT IN EVERY LARGER URBAN DISTRICT HAS DECLINED, AND, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS DECLINED.
THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS FOR THAT.
UM, PART OF IT, DEMOGRAPHIC, MOST OF IT HAS TO DO WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION NOT PERFORMING LIKE IT SHOULD.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT HISDS DECLINING ENROLLMENT OVER SIX YEARS, SO IT PRECEDED ME 30,000 KIDS.
UM, THE ENROLLMENT, THE LOSS OF ENROLLMENT CAME MOSTLY FROM THE UNDERSERVED SCHOOLS, THE DNF SCHOOLS, NOT THE A AND B SCHOOLS.
EVERYBODY HAS LOST SOME ENROLLMENT, BUT MOSTLY, UM, PREDOMINANTLY RATHER IN THE DNF SCHOOLS.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA TURN THAT AROUND? WE'RE GONNA TURN THAT AROUND.
WE, BY GETTING OUR ACHIEVEMENT UP, BY GETTING OUR DISCIPLINE UNDER CONTROL IN THOSE SCHOOLS, BY ADDING PROGRAMS LIKE THE DYAD AND TRAVEL AND GETTING PEOPLE BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND COMP, AND HAVING US COMPETE WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT'S TAKING MANY OF OUR KIDS.
AND THEN WE WILL, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU STILL HAVE? WE WILL SUBMIT THOSE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND WE WILL PUT OUT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL THE QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND WE WILL PUT THAT IN THE NEWSLETTER.
UH, AND WE WILL END OUR QUESTIONING WITH, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
IF YOU WANTED TO, UH, MAKE A COMMENT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR MAKING HIMSELF AVAILABLE.
I THINK THE KEY GOING FORWARD IS GONNA BE COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION AND EVEN MORE COMMUNICATION.
UH, THANK THE MEMBERS FOR HAVING A VERY SUBSTANTIVE, UH, DIALOGUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND PLUMBER.
I COULD, THERE'S EVERYONE SIGNED THE LETTER INVITING YOU.
AND I THINK THAT'S INDICATIVE OF OUR CONCERN AND OUR RECOGNITION FOR HOW HISD GOES IS HOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GONNA GO.
SO I HOPE WE REALIZE WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
THERE'LL BE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE, BUT I HOPE YOU'LL LISTEN TO, UH, OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WE DO, AND, UH, COME BEFORE US WHEN YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE.
I HOPE THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SEE THIS VALUE OF HAVING REALLY SUBSTANTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW THE PUBLIC'S GONNA COME FORWARD IN A MOMENT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GOING FORWARD, AND, UH, GOOD LUCK,
AND WE HOPE THIS WON'T BE THE LAST TIME THAT WE'LL HAVE YOU AT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL BE SUBMITTING TO YOUR OFFICE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, DISCUSS TODAY.
BUT I THINK THAT WE'LL GET THOSE ANSWERS AND WE'LL PUSH THOSE OUT TO, UM, THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
AND AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR COMING AND MAKING THIS HOUR AVAILABLE TO US, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING MORE IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT MILES FOR BEING HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UM, IF YOU'LL JUST REMAIN SEATED.
AND WE ARE GOING TO, UM, HEAR FROM THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL TO SUBMIT THOSE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.
UM, HE DOES HAVE ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT THAT HE HAS TO GET TO, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL LISTENING AND WE HOPE THE INFORMATION WAS HELPFUL.
I DO SEE THAT WE HAVE, UM, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ELECT, UH, LAUREN SIMMONS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
UH, IF YOU ARE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, WE TYPICALLY GIVE DEFERENCE TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SPEAK FIRST.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE, UH, A STATE REP ELECT, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, COME UP FIRST, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
OH, TECHNICALLY I STILL HAVE ONE MORE ELECTION TO GET THROUGH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M HERE REALLY AS A PARENT, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AS A PRODUCT OF HISD, VERY PROUD JACK YATES GRADUATE.
WANNA BE CLEAR, BEEN FIGHTING FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME BECAUSE I'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT WORKING WELL.
BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THEY ARE.
I'M A LITTLE FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE, NOT JUST ME, WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS SINCE LAST AU SINCE LAST AUGUST WHEN SUPERINTENDENT MILES STARTED THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF BY FIRING THREE PRINCIPALS A MONTH BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, WHICH IS NOT A STUDENT FOCUSED OR A STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH.
WHAT I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT NOW, SO LET ME BE CLEAR, MY DAUGHTER WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO HISD NEXT YEAR.
[01:15:01]
DECISION THAT WE'VE HAD TO MAKE.MY BABY HAS SICKLE CELL ANEMIA AND DYSLEXIA.
THERE IS NO OTHER SYSTEM THAT WILL WORK FOR HER OUTSIDE OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE MAKING THE EXTREMELY HARD DECISION OF HAVING TO HOMESCHOOL HER, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WAS AWFUL.
FROM THE LOSS OF SUPPORT, FROM THE LOSS OF STAFF, DEDICATED STAFF AT OUR CAMPUS AT LOCKHART, FROM THE PRESSURE THAT WE HAVE SEEN OUR EDUCATORS BE UNDER, IT IS ABYSMAL, IN MY OPINION.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME MANY OF US HAVE EVER SEEN HIM BE HELD UNDER ANY TYPE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WHATSOEVER.
WE HAVE LOST OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
I APPRECIATE MY COUNCIL MEMBER IN DISTRICT D BRINGING UP, AND IT MAY SOUND CONSPIRATORIAL, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT.
WHEN OUR GOVERNOR WENT ON TOUR LAST YEAR FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, PROMOTING VOUCHERS AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND THEN OUR B RATED NOT PERFECT, BUT OUR B RATED SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS TAKING OVER THE VERY SAME YEAR.
I HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I'VE GONE TO SCHOOLS THAT WERE ALWAYS UNDER RESOURCED, ALWAYS UNDERSERVED, ALWAYS, ALWAYS UNDER ENROLLED AND ALWAYS UNDEREMPLOYED.
BUT I KNOW THE POWER OF OUR SCHOOLS.
I MADE A CHOICE TO PUT MY CHILDREN IN THOSE SAME SCHOOLS.
AND I AM HURT BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING DISMANTLED SYSTEMICALLY.
I'M NOT TAKING MY SON OUT OF YATES NEXT YEAR BECAUSE HE'S A SENIOR AND I WON'T RUIN HIS SENIOR YEAR.
BUT I HAVE TO ENSURE THAT MY DAUGHTER, FROM WHAT WE CAN SALVAGE, IS GETTING THE SUPPORT SHE'S NEEDED.
THE LOSS OF WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS I NEED Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND IS SERIOUS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOUGH ON CRIME AND CRIME PREVENTION, THE BIGGEST INDICATOR OF PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES IS THE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY AND RESOURCES, RIGHT? SO WHEN KIDS WHO ARE NOT EATING AT HOME, WHEN KIDS WHO HAVE PARENTS THAT ARE INCARCERATED, WHEN KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE CLEAN CLOTHES TO GO TO SCHOOL ARE NOT ABLE TO GO IN SCHOOL AND FUNCTION AND, AND STRIVE TO FOR EXCELLENCE, THEY ARE GONNA BE THE REASON THAT WE'RE HOLDING OUR PURSES AT NIGHT, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THESE KIDS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.
I KNOW I'M GOING A LITTLE BIT OVER AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A PREPARED STATEMENT.
THIS IS ME SPEAKING FROM MY HEART.
WE GOT TO KEEP ACCOUNTABILITY ON MIKE MILES.
I HATE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
DALLAS ISD HAD THE ABILITY TO GET RID OF HIM WHEN THEY COULD, BUT I DON'T WANT OUR CITY TO FALTER.
WE WILL LOSE A GENERATION OF CHILDREN IF WE ARE NOT DOING WHAT WE CAN TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE AND KEEP OUR DISTRICT INTACT.
SO THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR KIDS ARE AT STAKE.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYTHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO HIM.
BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING AND THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE SEEING IS LEANING THAT WAY.
SO PLEASE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TODAY, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP UP ACCOUNTABILITY.
BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, UH, LAUREN, UH, MS. SIMMONS, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WE DID HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
AND, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, STEPPING OVER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, BUT IT'S OKAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY CONGRATULATE YOU, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB STANDING, NOT JUST FOR OUR CHILDREN BEFORE, UH, OUR DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
MIKE MILES DID HE GET, DID MAKE ME GET IN THIS ELECTION.
'CAUSE I HAD TO SAVE MY COMMUNITY.
SO YOU CAN GIVE HIM A PAUSE FOR THAT.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. SAVANT MOORE.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MR. MOORE.
YEAH, I'M JUST, UM, GOING OFF OF WHAT HE SAID TODAY.
SO TOMORROW'S JUNETEENTH, WE'VE COME TOO FAR TO DOWN ANOTHER BLACK MAN.
UM, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE WAS THAT BLACK MAN.
AND UNDER HIM THERE WERE 50 FELON SCHOOLS THAT HE BROUGHT TO 10.
THE TEA THEY HAD UNDER RAF, THEY HAD A NEW A THROUGH F SCALE OF GRADING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE AT 123 SCHOOLS, A HUNDRED, UM, SCHOOLS SUIT THE TEA WE'RE UNDER TEA CONTROL.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY 123 DNF IT WAS 10 FOR MY SCHOOL.
LIKE, JUST LIKE HER, I WOULDN'T BE A GOOD FATHER IF I KEPT MY KIDS AT MCREYNOLDS, WHERE THEY GOTTA CLIMB UNDER A TRAIN EVERY DAY AND WERE GIFTED.
I SPOKE AT A PROGRAM AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET $20 MILLION FOR A MAGNET PROGRAM FOR SEVEN BLACK AND BROWN SCHOOLS.
THE MOMENT THAT MIKE MILES CAME, HE TOOK THOSE MAGNET SCHOOL PROGRAM AWAY.
MY SON GOT INTO CARNEGIE, BUT I KNOW HOW MR. MILES IS.
I WON'T SEND THEM THERE BECAUSE I KNOW THE EFFECT THAT WHOLE SCHOOL, LIKE HE TRIED TO FIRE THE CARNEGIE PRINCIPAL.
SO MY KIDS ARE GONNA GO TO A BOARDING SCHOOL THAT THEY RECEIVED A $82,000 SCHOLARSHIP.
'CAUSE THEY'RE MATHEMATICIANS.
THERE'S ONLY 23 FAILING SCHOOLS.
IT WOULD ONLY COST $123 MILLION.
HE SPENT 253.3 MILLION IN THIS, UM, APPROVED BUDGET TO HAVE 45 SCHOOLS AND 20 OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
[01:20:01]
DOES HE ADD AND SOME ON A LIST? UM, HE ASKED A QUESTION.HE HAD A LIBRARY IN THE YEAR THAT HE GAVE AN AWARD TO THAT HE FIRED THIS YEAR FROM CROCKETT ELEMENTARY.
WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST COSTS $3.3 MILLION IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE FOR LAST YEAR.
HE'S ABOUT TO SPEND $8 MILLION FOR THE SUNRISE CENTERS AND ANOTHER 8 MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
ONLY, UM, 20,000 CASES WERE MET THROUGH THE SUNRISE CENTERS FOR THIS ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR WHEN WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS DID 14,000 CASES A MONTH.
JUST TODAY, MR. CASTILLO WAS ON WITH THE U PACIFIC.
WE'RE BLOCKED BY TRAINS ON THE DAILY.
I'M ONLY IN MY THIRTIES MY ENTIRE LIFE.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE METRO CAN TAKE THEM WITH THEIR FREE BUS PASSES.
GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP, MR. SAVANT, MR. MOORE.
SO MY LAST THING IS, I DO WANT TO THANK Y'ALL TODAY BECAUSE WHAT YOU DID WAS HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
HE DISRESPECTS ALL THE PEOPLE THAT'S BEHIND ME THAT HAVE BEEN FIGHTING.
YOU GOT TEACHERS 35 YEARS, HAVE NONPROFITS FOR 15 YEARS.
UM, MS. RUTH, AND HE REALLY, HE, THE WAY THAT Y'ALL ARE RESPECTFUL AND LOOK AT US AND TALK, AND AT LEAST LISTEN, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT OUR BOARD MEETING.
SO I REALLY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BECAUSE AS A YOUNG PERSON, I DO LOOK UP TO Y'ALL.
AND I THANK Y'ALL FOR FIGHTING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE Y'ALL WORKING WITH US, THE CHANGE WON'T HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE MAYOR, PLEASE GET YOUR SENATOR FRIENDS AND YOUR HOUSE FRIENDS TO AMEND HOUSE BILL 1842.
SO THERE CAN NEVER BE ANOTHER STATE TAKEOVER BECAUSE OUR KIDS DISCERN THE SAME QUALITY EDUCATION THAT THEY RECEIVE ON THE AFFLUENT SIDE OF TOWN.
CORY FLORES TO BE FOLLOWED BY JESSE HEINER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CORY FLORES, AND I'M THE BREYER GROVE MOM OF TWO BOYS WHO ORGANIZED THE MARCH IN FRONT OF THESE CHAMBERS.
RECENTLY, MY OWN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND 46 YEARS IN HOUSTON HAVE YIELDED ME AN UNDYING AFFECTION FOR THIS CITY AND A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE GREAT INFLUENCE OUR LEADERS HOLD.
I BELIEVE THAT WITH YOUR WELL-EARNED REPUTATIONS, YOU HOLD GREAT POWER HERE AS SHOWN TODAY.
SO I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE TA TAKEOVER IS DESTROYING OUR SCHOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
AND NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO TAKE ANYTHING OUR SUPERINTENDENT SAYS AT FACE VALUE, WHETHER IT BE ABOUT DISTRICT SPENDING, TEST SCORES, STAFF PERFORMANCE, OR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HIS NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.
INTELLIGENT, ORGANIZED, AND THOUGHTFUL CITIZENS HAVE COLLECTED ALL THE DATA NEEDED TO DISPROVE THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT MR. MILES CONSISTENTLY PUSHES.
MOST NOTABLY, THAT OUR DISTRICT IS GOING THROUGH MUCH NEEDED CHANGES, AND THE BACKLASH IS SIMPLY DUE TO NATURAL GROWING PAINS.
MR. MAYOR, I AM FAMILIAR WITH YOUR STORY AND YOUR GREAT WORK.
YOU DON'T KNOW ME, BUT YOU KNOW MY PARENTS WELL.
I TRUST THAT IF YOU TRULY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO YOUR ALMA MATER AND YOUR CITY'S FUTURE, YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE THE TIPPING POINT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
YOU HAVE FOUGHT TO DECRIMINALIZE SCHOOL BEHAVIOR AND HAVE PUSHED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS.
MR. MILES IS TREATING STUDENTS LIKE CRIMINALS, FORCING THEM TO CARRY FILTHY TRAFFIC CONES TO THE RESTROOM.
AND HE HAS TURNED THE MAINSTAYS OF DEMOCRACY.
OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES INTO BOOK LIST CROWDED DISCIPLINE CENTERS, THE FREQUENCY BREVITY AND ONE DIMENSIONAL NATURE OF HIS NON-RESEARCH BASED SPOT OBSERVATIONS ARE ILLEGALLY IGNORING 5 0 4 ACCOMMODATIONS AND PUNISHING, OFTEN FIRING TEACHERS FOR HONORING THEM, LEAVING DIAGNOSED STUDENTS WITH RESOLUTION PLANS TO LOOK SIMPLY LIKE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. AT THIS POINT, IF I WANT MY SON WHO HAS 5 0 4 ACCOMMODATIONS, IF I WANT TO GUARANTEE THAT THEY, THEY BE HONORED, I WILL HAVE TO BORROW MONEY FROM MY PARENTS TO SEND HIM TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
NOT EVERYBODY HAS PARENTS THAT THEY CAN BORROW MONEY FROM.
AND I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND I WANT MY CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
[01:25:01]
STUDENT OUTCOMES, WHICH OUTCOME IS HE AFTER? AS IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT TREATING STUDENTS LIKE CRIMINALS CORRUPTS THEIR EDUCATION AND GENERALLY INCREASES CRIME.A BIT OF MY OWN STORY IS THAT WE MOVE TO BRIAR GROVE FOUR, BRIAR GROVE ELEMENTARY.
DURING THE DISTRICT-WIDE MORALE BOOSTING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK MASSACRE, MR. MILES FORCED OUT 13 BGE TEACHERS CALLING THE FIRINGS PERFORMANCE AND PRINCIPAL DRIVEN.
THOUGH OUR PRINCIPAL HAD NO IDEA OR CHOICE IN THE MATTER INCLUDED, WAS MY SON'S SECOND GRADE TEACHER, A 23 YEAR TEACHER, AND LAST YEAR'S BELOVED TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
AS OF TODAY, AT LEAST 19 OF OUR 37 GRADE LEVEL TEACHERS WILL NOT BE RETURNING.
AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES WHEN YOU INCLUDE SPECIAL EDUCATION CUSTODIANS AND BEYOND.
AND IT IS SHOCKING THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN A FLUENT BRIAR GROVE JUST ADJACENT TO A FLUENT TANGLEWOOD.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS OF THE SAME DISTRICT SINCE THE TAKEOVER BEGAN.
AND EVERY CHILD IN THIS CITY DESERVES A SCHOOL LIBRARY, A STABLE QUALITY EDUCATION, DIGNITY AND RESPECT IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
SO IF YOU SAY YOU'RE TOUGH ON CRIME, IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT PROPERTY VALUES, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY.
IF EQUITY AND DEMOCRACY ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND IF YOU DON'T TOLERATE CORRUPTION AND OVERSPENDING, IF ANY OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, I URGE YOU TO CONTINUE LISTENING TO THESE PARENTS AND THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH.
WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND ALL THIS TIME GATHERING IN GROUPS LIKE THIS, PAYING FOR CHILDCARE TO PLEAD OUR CASE.
MS. FLORE, GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO HEAR EVERYONE OUT.
I ASSURE YOU, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR CHILDREN, OUR QUALITY EDUCATORS IN OUR GREAT CITY ARE WORTH THE TIME THAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE FOR EVERYONE TO UNDER UNCOVER THE REAL TRUTH.
JESSE HEINER, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? CO COREY, HI.
I HOPE I, I'LL JUST SAY I HOPE YOUR MOM AND DAVE ARE WATCHING AND THEY'D BE PROUD OF YOU.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHARING WITH US YOUR THOUGHTS, BECAUSE YOUR VOICE DOES MATTER.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ALL OF US.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT CI HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT FROM JOHN HUNTSMAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY.
AND I AM A TEXAS STATE LICENSED CHILDCARE DIRECTOR.
I HAVE VOLUNTEERED AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR ALMOST A DECADE NOW.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TWO W'S WA WRIGHT ELEMENTARY AND WORKING CAPITAL.
95% OF STUDENTS AT WA WRIGHT, WHICH IS THE SCHOOL THAT I'VE VOLUNTEERED AT FOR A DECADE, ARE HISPANIC OR BLACK.
94% ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, AND 16% RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, WHICH IS TWICE THE DISTRICT AVERAGE.
MR. MILES REMOVED OUR LIBRARIAN.
NES TEACHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH STUDENTS WITH FULL BOOKS.
THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO LEARN FROM WORKSHEETS AND POWERPOINTS, TAKING MULTIPLE QUIZZES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EIGHT YEAR OLDS TAKING THREE TO FOUR QUIZZES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
TODAY, MR. MILES HIGHLIGHTED WAYNE WRIGHT ON THE SCREEN UP THERE, UM, FOR THE IMPROVED TEST SCORES.
WHAT HE FAILED TO INCLUDE WAS THAT WAIN WRIGHT HAS LOST 18 STAFF MEMBERS JUST THIS SCHOOL YEAR, NOT INCLUDING THE SUMMER.
HE FAILED TO MENTION THAT SPANISH INSTRUCTION IN OUR DUAL LANGUAGE CLASSES THAT PROVIDE THE FEDERALLY MANDATED ESL SERVICES TO OUR NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKING STUDENTS, UM, TO NEARLY HALF OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, HE FAILED TO MENTION THAT THAT HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY CAUSING CONCERN FOR A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION.
HE FAILED TO MENTION THAT OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, OUR ENTIRE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT OUR SCHOOL, AND I COULD APPRECIATE, UM, ACTUALLY, WOULD EVERYONE MIND YOUR EYES UP HERE, PLEASE, IF YOU DON'T MIND GIVING YOUR ME YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, OUR ENTIRE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN OUR SCHOOL HAS LEFT THIS YEAR, OR WILL BE LEAVING THIS SUMMER.
THE SECOND W IS WORKING CAPITAL.
AS OF TODAY, AT LEAST 139 SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT HAVE SEEN PRINCIPAL CHANGES UNDER MILES.
AND THE STATE TAKEOVER, THAT'S OVER 50%.
UM, 12 OF THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE SEEN TWO PRINCIPAL CHANGES IN JUST THAT SHORT TIME,
[01:30:01]
JUST OVER A YEAR, ACCORDING TO HISD, 2,740 TEACHERS HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE DISTRICT.AND THIS IS A NUMBER THAT YOUR SUPER, THE SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO PROVIDE THIS TO THE CITY LEADERS.
UM, SO, AND THAT'S THE HIGHEST SEPARATION THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE SUMMER, WHICH IS TYP HISTORICALLY THE HIGHEST TIME FOR SEPARATIONS FOR TEACHERS.
UM, DURING A NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE, WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO KEEP, DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR QUALIFIED BILINGUAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, NOT PUSH THEM OUT.
JUST LAST WEEK, THE STATE APPOINTED BOARD OF MANAGERS VOTED TO TERMINATE A 30 YEAR VETERAN KINDERGARTEN NES TEACHER FROM PU ELEMENTARY, MS. DEBBIE JANE.
IN 30 YEARS OF SERVICE, MS. JANE NEVER TOOK FML NOT ONE SINGLE YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR SHE WAS TERMINATED FOR EXCESSIVE ABSENCES BECAUSE HER DAUGHTER, SHE WAS HELP CARING FOR HER DAUGHTER WHO WAS GOING THROUGH A SURGERY FROM BREAST BREAST CANCER.
UM, INSTEAD OF GIVING HER THE RETIREMENT PARTY OF A LIFETIME FOR 30 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, MILES AND THE BOARD GAVE HER A TERMINATION SLIP.
CAN YOU IMAGINE DOING THIS TO A FIREFIGHTER, ONE OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAD SERVED FOR 30 YEARS SAVING THE LIVES AND TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY? NO, I WOULD HOPE NOT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD JUST BE CRUEL.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT GROWTH IN NES, BUT THE ONLY PERSON TELLING YOU THAT NES TEST SCORES ARE IMPROVING ARE MY, IS MILES.
HE'S THE SINGLE AND ONLY PERSON TELLING YOU THAT TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE TELLING YOU OTHERWISE.
I'M ASKING YOU TO LISTEN TO US.
IF YOU NEED US TO HELP YOU TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN THE NES COMMUNITIES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE, UM, NES PROGRAM IS, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THE DATA WITH YOU IN DEPTH.
MR. MAYOR, I EVEN YOURSELF, IF YOU WOULD SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO US, WE WILL EXPLAIN ALL THE DATA THAT HE THROWS AT YOU.
UM, MS. HENA, GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, LOOK AT NORTH FOREST HIGH IN FLEMING MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THOSE ARE TWO OF HIS PRIZED NS SCHOOLS THAT HE HAS DUMPED MONEY INTO AND EXTRA STAFFING.
BUT BECAUSE OF HIS INEPT AND, UM, INCOMPETENT NES PROGRAM, IT SCORES DID NOT HELP.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES WE ARE ASKING YOU.
UH, NES, SORRY, NES IS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN NES SCHOOLS IS UNETHICAL AT BEST, ILLEGAL AT WORST.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT MR. MILES.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, MA'AM.
UM, JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION JUST FOR, FOR CLARIFICATION.
SO THE CHARTS THAT ARE IN HERE, THESE ARE THESE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THESE ARE NOT ACCURATE? I'M SAYING THEY ARE MISREPRESENTED AND CHERRY PICKED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELISSA YARBOROUGH TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALLISON YOUNG OR JUNG.
AND I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU MY HEARTFELT THANKS FOR LISTENING TO US TODAY.
UM, AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, UH, OUR HISD BOARD DOESN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU REPRESENT US AND WE HAVE LOST THE RIGHT, THE DEMOCRAT, INCLUDING YOU, WE HAVE ALL LOST THE DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO HOLD HISD ACCOUNTABLE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE REALLY NEED YOU TO KEEP DOING THIS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THIS TODAY.
UM, I WAS JUST LISTENING TO HIS PRESENTATION, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO PUT IT AS NICELY AS I CAN.
THIS STATE APPOINTED SUPERINTENDENT MISREPRESENTS THE TRUTH ALL THE TIME.
SO I WROTE DOWN, AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO ADDRESS ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS THE ONES THAT I THINK ARE, OR THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
SO I AM A, UH, RECOVERING HISD TEACHER, AND I ALSO HAVE, UH, MY KIDS AT AN HISD SCHOOL.
SO I'M SPEAKING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT I, AND I TAUGHT IN DISTRICT I, WHICH WAS REALLY NICE.
UM, SO HE SAYS THAT HE'S FIRING THE INEFFECTIVE TEACHERS, AND HE SAYS THAT HE HAS A RIGOROUS EVALUATION PROGRAM.
AND, AND THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE LIE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ AS A, UM, CERTIFIED EXPERIENCED TEACHER, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT BEST PRACTICES REQUIRES STUDENT CENTERED LEARNING AND THE, UM, MILES'S WHOLE EDUCATION PLAN IS ABOUT, UH, TEACHER ONLY, AND IT IS ABOUT OBEDIENCE AND NOT REAL AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT.
[01:35:01]
NOW, FOR EVERY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE NOT, UM, EXPERIENCED IN EDUCATION, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT MILES ISN'T EITHER.HE HAS NO EDUCATION DEGREES, WE HAVE MORE DEGREES THAN HIM.
UM, AND HIS BOARD DOESN'T EITHER EXCEPT FOR ONE.
AND THEY'RE DECIDING WHAT TEACHERS, LITERALLY MANDATING WHAT TEACHERS HAVE TO TEACH AND WHAT THEY CANNOT DO.
UM, AND IT'S NOT BASED IN SOUND PRACTICE.
SO HIS EVALUATION PROGRAM IS NOT IF YOU'RE TEACHING THE RIGHT WAY, THE REAL WAY.
IT'S, IT'S JUST EVALUATING OUR TEACHERS, OBEYING.
HE HAS A CHECKLIST, AND YOU HAVE TO, AND I, I WAS EVALUATED WITH IT.
YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST, EVEN IF IT MEANS DOING WHAT YOU KNOW IS NOT RIGHT, EVEN IF YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR MY STUDENTS.
THE STUDENT ASKED A QUESTION, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN IT TO HIM OR GO BACK AND RETEACH IT.
MS. Y I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, OKAY? BECAUSE HE HAS US ON A TIMER, SO WE HAVE TO BE OBEDIENT.
AND WHEN HE FIRES TEACHERS, IT'S FOR NOT BEING OBEDIENT TO HIS CHECKLIST.
IT'S NOT BASED IN BEST PRACTICES.
THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST LIE, AND I WAS GONNA DO NINE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I'LL, I'LL WRITE SOMETHING UP AND SEND IT TO Y ALL THANK CAN CAN YOU SEND US AN EMAIL? YES, MA'AM.
I, AND WE'LL, WE'RE HAPPY TO DISSEMINATE IT TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERS TO, UM, WE'VE GOTTEN A COMMITMENT THAT WE'LL GET ANSWERS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS.
OKAY, I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, UH, KATHY BLUEFORD DANIELS, IF SHE'LL COME UP NEXT.
UH, FORMER, UH, TRUSTEE, HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE YOU ALL.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL ARE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CRIES AND CONCERNS OF THESE PARENTS AND THESE TEACHERS OUT HERE THAT ARE COMING BEFORE YOU.
I'VE WORKED WITH ANY NUMBER OF YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON THE GROUND A LONG, WELL, A FEW YEARS ANYWAY,
AND I KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I'M IN ONE POSITION AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER, I TAKE THIS VERY, VERY SERIOUS AND I'M STILL ENGAGED BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
MOST OF YOU ALL HAVE CHILDREN, MOST OF YOU ALL HAVE CHILDREN, AND YOU WANT THE VERY, VERY BEST FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
SO PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY.
DON'T JUST, DON'T JUST LET THIS SC OVER YOU FROM, FROM SOME, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE BECAUSE WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
I LIVE IN FIFTH WARD, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS BY MY HOUSE REGULARLY.
SHABAZZ, OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
I SEE THESE KIDS GOING UNDER RAILROAD TRAINS TO GET ACROSS THE SCHOOL.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO ANY ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE OF INEFFICIENCIES, THAT WE AS A DISTRICT, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY ARE NOT WORKING TOGETHER TO CORRECT THEN YOUR HEART, YOUR BRAIN WON'T LET YOUR HEART THINK ABOUT THE LOSS OF A CHILD.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU LIVE WITH EVERY DAY.
YOU JUST PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
MANY OF YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T WANNA THINK ABOUT THAT HAPPENING TO YOUR CHILDREN.
AS A RETIRED POSTAL MANAGER, WE WERE TAUGHT TO INSPECT WHAT WE EXPECT, NOT JUST PUT A NUMBER TO A SCHOOL IN GPS AND THEN GET US TO THAT SCHOOL.
MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS BOARD NOW THAT ARE HIS STAFF ARE NOT FROM HERE.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY THAT WE'VE HAD.
THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THUNDER, SOUL, CASHMERE STAGE BAND.
THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ALUMNI.
WE THEN YATES CHEERLEADERS, UH, RIVALRY, THEY DON'T KNOW THIS.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITIES STILL AND OUR CHILDREN.
OUR BEST STUDENTS ARE LEAVING OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND GOING TO SCHOOLS THAT OFFER SCHOOL CHOICE.
WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I WAS TELLING TRUSTEE, UH, SAVANT MOORE, WHO'S REPLACING ME ON THE BOARD, THAT WE ALL SHOULD GET TOGETHER.
SOME OF US SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND HAVE A BRAINSTORMING OPPORTUNITY SO WE CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU ALL, BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW ALL THE INTRICATE DETAILS, WE CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU ALL WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
BECAUSE THAT DATA, AS A FORMER POSTAL MANAGER, AS I STARTED SAYING, I, I COLLECTED DATA.
SO I I LOOKED AT DATA EVERY DAY.
DATA, AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE IT DO WHATEVER IT WANTS TO DO.
AND THIS DATA THAT'S BEING PUT OUT THERE IS NOT EFFICIENT DATA.
THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD ASK FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT IS, OR THE APPOINTED SUPERINTENDENT IS, WHERE IS THE DATA? AND USE IT.
COMPARE NOW TO WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT TODAY, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAR RESULTS, AS, AS WAS MENTIONED, THAT MAKE MADE UP RESULTS.
[01:40:01]
DATA AND COMPARE HOW IT WAS IN 2019, WHICH IS GOOD, SUFFICIENT DATA OF 20 19, 20 20 BECAUSE THIS DATA IN 23 AND 24, KEEP IN MIND, THE ENTIRE CITY HAD COVID.THE UNITED STATES HAD COVID 20 AND 21.
RIGHT? AND WE WERE AT A B WE WERE IMPROVING, WE IMPROVING MORE POINTS AS THE ELECTED BOARD THAN WHAT HE'S GIVEN HIMSELF RIGHT NOW.
WAS IT ALL, WAS IT UTOPIA? NO.
WE HAD ISSUES ON THE ELECTED BOARD, BUT WE WORKED, WE WERE WORKING TOWARD IMPROVING THOSE AREAS THAT WERE DEFICIENT.
UM, UM, UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO WRAP IT UP.
I KNOW YOU'RE ABOUT TO TELL ME.
UH, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAS A QUESTION.
SHE WAS GONNA GIVE YOU SOME SUMMER TIME.
I'M ON BECAUSE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT I SENT IN.
AND WE KNOW WE DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT YOU ALL DON'T, DON'T KNOW ALL THE INTRICATE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US ABOUT THE CAREER CELL.
WHAT HAVE THEY HAS HISD DONE TO TEST THOSE KIDS OR TO FIGURE OUT IF THOSE DEFICIENCIES THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCES AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING EXPERIENCING IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, YEARS, IF THEY'RE RELATED TO CHRIS OAK, IF THEY'RE RELATED TO THE WATER AGAIN.
AND WE DO HAVE TO MOVE ON, MISS FOR DANIELS, MA'AM, I APPRECIATE IT.
WE, WE CHILDREN, WE'LL GET TOGETHER.
KEEP THAT IN MIND, Y'ALL HAVE CHILDREN AND THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO BE IN AND GROW UP IN.
UH, ALLISON JUNG, I HAVE QUESTION.
ALLISON JUNG, ARE YOU HERE? NO, GO AHEAD.
EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT ELECTED BOARD MEMBER, YOU'RE STILL OUR BOARD MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, I RELY ON COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU, AS YOU SAID, WE DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING.
WE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE.
UM, AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S DEALING WITH HISD.
BUT YOU ARE THERE AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THANK YOU.
BRANDY DODA, BRANDY DODA TO BE FOLLOWED BY RUTH KRAVITZ.
UH, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY TODAY AND ACTIVELY LISTENING.
I AM A THIRD GENERATION EDUCATOR.
I'M A CERTIFIED SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND A REFUGEE FROM HOUSTON ISDS, HEARTLESS DESTRUCTION OF LIBRARIES.
I WILL BE IN FORT BEND NEXT YEAR, BUT I WILL NOT STOP FIGHTING FOR HOUSTON STUDENTS.
MR. MILES IS AN EXCELLENT SALESMAN.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS AND SEE IF WORDS MATCH DEEDS FIRST.
MR. MILES HAS MADE THE PUBLIC STATEMENT MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT LIBRARIES IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY INCORRECT.
THERE HAVE BEEN A MULTITUDE OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS SHOWING SCHOOLS THAT HAVE LIBRARIES WITH CERTIFIED SCHOOL LIBRARIANS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
IN FACT, ONE SUCH STUDY PUBLISHED IN JULY OF 2023 DEMONSTRATED QUOTE, THIS RESEARCH FINDS THAT STUDENTS WHO ATTEND SCHOOLS WITH A FULL-TIME CERTIFIED LIBRARIAN HAVE HIGHER MATH AND READING TEST SCORES THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT.
THE PATTERN WAS STABLE OVER FOUR YEAR TIME SPAN AND PRESENT FOR BOTH MATH AND READING.
ALL OF THIS RESEARCH IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE, BUT PERHAPS MR. MILES, SINCE HE FIRED HALF THE LIBRARIANS IN THE DISTRICT AND THE ENTIRE LIBRARY SERVICES DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE ANYONE LEFT TO ASK.
RECENTLY, AS DISTRICT BUDGET CUTS WERE BEING DISCUSSED AND ANNOUNCED, MR. MILES SAID HE WOULD HAVE LIBRARIES IF HE COULD AFFORD THEM.
WHAT ABOUT HIS ACTIONS PRIOR TO THE STATE TAKEOVER? SUPERINTENDENT DR.
MILLARD HOUSE, AFTER LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY, PRIORITIZED HAVING FULLY STAFFED LIBRARIES IN EVERY HISD CAMPUS, REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE, HE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE THAT CHILDREN'S EDU, THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES HOLD IN CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND THE ROLE LITERACY PLAYS.
IN CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, MILLIONS OF ESSER FUNDS AND TAX DOLLARS HAD ALREADY BEEN SPENT UPDATING AND STAFFING SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
IF YOU PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS.
ALLEGED REASON FOR NOT HAVING LIBRARIES WAS SOLVED BEFORE HE EVEN ARRIVED.
SINCE HIS ARRIVAL, MR. MILES HAS OR WILL SHUTTER OVER 140 SCHOOL LIBRARIES FOR HIS NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.
INSTEAD, HE HAS SPENT UNTOLD MILLIONS
[01:45:01]
ON ORDERING NEW DESKS TO FILL EVERY INCH OF SPACE IN THE ONCE BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES TO CONVERT THEM TO TEAM CENTERS WHERE UNRULY STUDENTS ARE SENT TO WATCH THEIR LESSON ON ZOOM.AND HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS ARE SENT TO CONTINUE WORKING ON HARD WORKSHEETS.
MR. MILES' ACTIONS DO NOT, NOT MATCH HIS CLAIMS. LISTEN INSTEAD TO THE WORDS OF THE COMMUNITY, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WHAT WE ARE TELLING YOU ABOUT HIS ACTIONS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS RUTH KRAVITZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY CASE M.
I WAS AN HISD MATH AND CHEMISTRY TEACHER AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR FOR ABOUT THREE DECADES.
I WAS HISD TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
I WAS HISD, AP CALCULUS TEACHER OF THE YEAR, AND I WAS CO-FOUNDER OF COMMUNITY VOICES FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, A MULTIRACIAL GROUP OF PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO BELIEVE IN THE POWER AND THE PROMISE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
I'M GONNA, UM, TALK ABOUT TEST SCORES FOR A SECOND.
FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT UT PROFESSOR DEMA SAID THIS TIME OF YEAR WE SHOULD BE.
WE, WE TALK ABOUT TEST SCORES, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT BUT INSUFFICIENT FOR IMPROVING KIDS' LIVES.
WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT HOW LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IMPACT STUDENT OUTCOMES.
BECAUSE THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT THESE TEST SCORES TALK ABOUT.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS A CITY COUNCIL ISSUE TOO.
SO TODAY I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HEAR ME DECONSTRUCT MILES CLAIM ON STAR GAINES THIS YEAR, I'LL USE BIOLOGY AS AN EXAMPLE.
THERE ARE OTHERS, WHILE ENGLISH ONE AND ALGEBRA ARE REQUIRED COURSES FOR NEW NINTH GRADERS, TEXAS STUDENTS CAN START SCIENCE WITH A VARIETY OF COURSES.
STILL, 90% OF TECH OF NINTH GRADERS STATEWIDE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND IN HISD USUALLY TAKE BIOLOGY AS THEIR FIRST COURSE NOT THIS YEAR TO ARTIFICIALLY RAISE STAR SCORES MILES RESTRICTED NINTH GRADE NES BIOLOGY ONLY TO PRE-AP STUDENTS.
EVERYONE ELSE ESL REGULAR STUDENTS WHO GROW UP TO BE HONOR STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE SENIORS, SCOFF LAWS, SPECIAL ED STUDENTS, NON-HONOR STUDENTS.
EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON WAS PUT IN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND DIDN'T TAKE THE BIOLOGY STAR.
THAT'S THOUSANDS OF NES HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMEN, 70% OF THE FRESHMEN AT WHEATLEY CASHMERE NORTH FOREST, FUR, YATES, WORTHING, STERLING WISDOM, AND SHARPSTOWN, WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE BIOLOGY.
THIS YEAR, ALMOST 200, ABOUT 200 KIDS TOOK THE NINTH GRADE ENGLISH STAR AT WHEATLEY.
ONLY 34 TOOK BIOLOGY STAR AT WHEATLEY.
WHILE AT WEST SIDE A NON NES SCHOOL, 9,769 STUDENTS TOOK THE ENGLISH STAR AND ONLY, AND 700 TOOK THE BIOLOGY STAR.
THAT'S WHAT COOKING THE BOOKS LOOKS LIKE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP.
PLEASE REMAIN SKEPTICAL AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS THAT NEXT SPEAKER IS CASE M.
OH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE, OH, JUST MAKE A COMMENT.
SORRY I DIDN'T SEE YOU IN THE QUEUE.
RAVI, COUNCIL'S ALWAYS BEEN THE VOICE OF TRUTH.
UH, I, FIRST I WANNA THANK, UM, MY CITY COUNCILMAN MARTHA CASTEX TATUM FOR OVERSEEING THIS MEETING AND INVITING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND TAKING THE TIME FOR HIM TO SHARE WITH US A PRESENTATION.
BUT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M FROM THE MADISON COMMUNITY AND I HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO VISIT OTHER ZIP CODES TO JUST HEAR THE CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND I WANNA BE TRUE AND HONEST AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THE CONVERSATION CHANGES PER ZIP CODE.
I LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE A LOT OF MY STU WHERE A LOT OF THE CHILDREN IN MY COMMUNITY ARE STRUGGLING.
BUT LET ME SHARE SOMETHING THAT MAKES CHILDREN STRUGGLE.
SINCE 2018, WE HAD AT LEAST NINE DIFFERENT PRINCIPALS.
SO AS YOU'VE HEARD, THIS SUPERINTENDENT HAS REPLACED OVER HALF THE PRINCIPALS AT OUR SCHOOL.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE BUILD UPON CHANGE.
SO I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS WE LOOK AT THE TEST SCORES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE LESS CHILDREN BEING TESTS, TAKING THE TEST.
[01:50:01]
WE'RE SENDING MORE CHILDREN TO OUR ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SCHOOLS, DAEP.WE'RE LABELING MORE OF OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE CHALLENGED BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES, LACK OF INSURANCE, LACK OF WHATEVER YOU WANNA SAY.
WHEN THEY GET INTO ALTERCATIONS AT SCHOOL, THEY'RE NO LONGER BEING LABELED AS CON UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED? COMMUNITY COMBAT OR WHERE YOU'RE HAVING A FIGHT WITH YOUR CLASSMATE.
THESE STUDENTS ARE BEING MUTUAL COMBAT.
THESE STUDENTS ARE BEING LABELED ASSAULT.
AND SO WE'RE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING PUT INTO THE SYSTEM, A PRISON TO PIPELINE.
AND THAT IN IT ENTAIL MEANS CHILDREN AREN'T IN THE CLASSROOM.
THEY'RE IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSEDLY BEING TAUGHT HOW TO RESERVE CONFLICT.
BUT WHEN THEY GO TO THESE SCHOOLS THAT ARE PART OF HISD, THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT ON HOW TO MANIPULATE THE SYSTEM SO YOU CAN HURRY BACK AND GET BACK TO YOUR SCHOOL.
SO I JUST WANNA SHARE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THESE NUMBERS AND THIS $1.5 MILLION BUDGET.
I'M JUST A, A PARENT WHO GRADUATED THREE CHILDREN FROM HISD.
AND I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT, UH, OUR NEW MAYOR TALKS ABOUT AGENCIES COMING TOGETHER TO DO WHAT'S BEST.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ALL, AS, AS AN AGENCY, HAS DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA GET INVOLVED WITH WHAT HISD IS DOING.
PAY ATTENTION, ASK THE QUESTIONS, DO TOURS, DO MORE TO SEE IF WE CAN HELP ENHANCE THE, UM, THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE OF OUR CHILDREN.
AGAIN, I'M JUST SOMEONE WHO CAN SEE DAY TO DAY WHAT THIS DOES FOR OUR CHILDREN.
I, I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT A CHEERLEADER FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT I AM A CHEERLEADER FOR STUDENTS AND THE FAMILIES WHO ARE DISENFRANCHISED.
AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR DISTRICT ARE FULL OF FAMILIES WHO ARE DISENFRANCHISED AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE REPRESENTATION TO HEAR YOU HEAR ALL THE NOISE.
BUT THEY'RE NOT HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKING FAMILIES.
WE HAVE WORKING FAMILIES THAT DEPEND ON US TO BE TRANSPARENT, DEPEND ON US, TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND, THAT WE CAN READ, THAT WE CAN DECIPHER, THAT WE CAN DEFINE.
AND EVEN WHEN I LOOK THE STUFF AND I LOOK AT IT ALL THE TIME, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REACH OUT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES TO SAY, CAN YOU HELP ME DEFINE THIS? CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND? BECAUSE I WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR MY COMMUNITY TOO.
SO THANK YOU, UH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM.
I STILL BELIEVE TODAY IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS IS A GOOD DAY IN DISTRICT K
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO RU HOFFMAN LOCKE TO BE FOLLOWED BY DIANA CANDIDA.
HI, I'M DR. RUTH HOFFMAN LACK, I ONLY USE THE DOCTOR 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY RELEVANT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I HAVE AN UNDERGRAD IN ENGLISH FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY.
I HAVE A MASTER'S IN TEACHING FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY.
I HAVE A MASTER'S IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, A CLEAR LAKE.
AND I HAVE A PHD IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I KIND OF KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.
I TAUGHT AT WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NINETIES.
UM, I'M STILL IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF THOSE KIDS.
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION.
I AM SO PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT I AM NOT LICENSED TO WORK IN PRIVATE PRACTICE EVEN THOUGH I COULD BE BECAUSE I ONLY WANT TO WORK IN SCHOOLS.
MY CONCERN, MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HISD IS THAT ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT MR. MILES SAYS IS EVIDENCE-BASED IS NOT.
AND HE USES THAT TERM EVIDENCE-BASED.
HE THROWS THAT AROUND WHAT IT MEANS IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD AND WHAT IT MEANS.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LAWSUITS OF WERE YOU USING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE WITH THIS CHILD WHO HAS IS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THAT MEANS THERE ARE PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES PUBLISHED TO SUPPORT THE PRACTICE.
HE HAS LITERALLY SAID THIS AS HAS HIS CRONIES.
IT'S EVIDENCE BASED BECAUSE IT WORKS FOR US.
SHABAZZ, I DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUND OF EVERYBODY, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T WORKED IN EDUCATION AND YOU HAVEN'T DONE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION, IT WOULD BE VERY EASY, UM, TO, TO NOT UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF EITHER STRAIGHT UP NAIVETE OR GRAVITAS THAT IS
[01:55:01]
BELIED BY THAT STATEMENT.UM, THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITH DOING EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND GETTING IT RIGHT IS THAT LITERALLY THE TIME OF DAY, WHETHER THE KID HAD LUNCH, WHETHER THE TEACHER WHO'S DELIVERING THIS INSTRUCTION IS WEARING A PURPLE HAT, WHETHER, UM, YOU TESTED, UM, BEFORE OR AFTER A HOLIDAY.
ALL OF THESE THINGS AFFECT HOW DATA COLLECTION WORKS.
YOU COLLECT A TON OF DATA, THEN YOU DO ALL THIS STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, WHICH THANK GOD WE HAVE COMPUTERS TO DO BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WOULD ALL BE LIKE DEAD.
AND THEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE, WHERE THE DATA DID NOT TELL YOU WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA TELL YOU.
YOU AND THEN YOU HAVE TO COLLECT THOUSANDS MORE SAMPLES OF DATA ALL OVER AGAIN.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T USE THE FIRST SET OF DATA.
YOU GOTTA GET NEW DATA AND THEN YOU GOTTA ANALYZE ALL OF THAT.
THIS IS INCREDIBLY TIME CONSUMING.
MR. MILES CONTINUES TO USE TEACHER EVALUATIONS THAT ARE NOT VALID BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED.
PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS, HIS ENTIRE NES CURRICULUM IS NOT EVIDENCE-BASED USING TIMERS IN THE CLASSROOM, NOT EVIDENCE-BASED.
LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT HE IS DOING OTHER THAN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ADULTS TO TEACH TO KID RATIOS, NOTHING ELSE IS EVIDENCE-BASED.
SO HE IS USING ALL OF OUR KIDS AS GUINEA PIGS.
AND IF YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS.
YES, IT'S ILLEGAL WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND KIDS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN SPECIAL ED AND IT IS MORALLY REPUGNANT IN GENERAL.
AND YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE SO FAR STOOD UP TO HIM.
HIS BOARD DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE ALL FRUSTRATED AND WHY WE ALL KISS YOUR FEET TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ AND WITH GRATITUDE.
YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA MAKE SURE YOU HAD ENOUGH TIME.
BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR PASSION AND WHAT YOU HAVE MEANT TO ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS THE EDUCATION CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON BRANCH OF THE NAACP.
BUT THIS RIGHT HERE, THIS ONE HERE, THAT'S LOVE FOR ME RIGHT HERE.
CAN, IF YOU CAN STEP BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES SO WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M A PARENT, A TAXPAYER AND LONGTIME HOUSTON RESIDENT CT COUNSEL.
I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING AT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN A SD AS IT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
MR. MILES MAKES IT APPEAR THAT HIS SYSTEM IS WORKING BY CHERRY PICKING DATA, OMITTING IMPORTANT INFORMATION, AND MOVING THE GOALPOSTS SUCH AS THE SCHOOL RANKINGS.
SOME OF HIS SUCCESSES, SUCH AS DECREASED DISOBEDIENCE INCIDENTS ARE DUE TO INTENTIONAL UNDER REPORTING BY STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS, EITHER IN FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS OR ACOLYTES DESIRING PROMOTION.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT TEACHER TURNOVER DURING INTER AN INTERVIEW, MR. MILES DOWNPLAYED IT BY SAYING IT AVERAGE TO TWO TEACHERS PER SCHOOL.
THE TURNOVER HAS BEEN PREDOMINANTLY IN NES SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH NES SCHOOLS LIKE SHARPSTOWN LOSING OVER 22 TEACHERS AND THAT WAS PRE-SUMMER.
IN THE NES SYSTEM, CHILDREN ARE LOSING THE JOY OF LEARNING.
HOUSTON IS EXPERIENCING A BRAIN DRAIN WITH THE MOST TALENTED AND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS LEAVING WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS BEING REPLACED BY THE MORE COSTLY AND LESS EFFECTIVE SUNRISE CENTERS CUSTODIAL STAFF HAVING TO REAPPLY FOR THEIR JOBS, BUT WITHOUT BENEFITS.
THE FIRST SLIDE SHOWN TODAY WAS OF THE MUSICAL CONVOCATION, WHICH COST 470 K MONEY WAS UNNECESSARILY SPENT ON NEW, NEW DESKS FOR NES SCHOOLS.
WHILE MANY PREVIOUSLY INVESTED IN BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES WAS WASTED, AS LIBRARIES AND NES SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CLOSED, MONEY FROM TEXAS THIRD FUTURE SCHOOLS WAS SENT TO THIRD FUTURE SCHOOLS IN COLORADO.
WE CANNOT TRUST MR. MILES WITH HOUSTON TAXPAYER MONEY.
IT MADE ME CRINGE WHEN MR. MILES SAID OUR KIDS, THE MOST DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SUFFERING THE MOST.
HE DOESN'T CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THIS TAKEOVER IS DISASTROUS FOR HOUSTON FAMILIES.
CONSIDERING A MOVE WILL UNLIKELY PICK HOUSTON AS SCHOOLS ARE AN IMPORTANT CRITERIA.
THEY LOOK AT SO MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOW STAFFED BY UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS.
PROPERTY VALUES IN HOUSTON WILL SUFFER CITY COUNCIL.
I ASK THAT YOU CLOSELY SCRUTINIZE THE DATA THAT IS GENERATED BY MR. MILES AND HIS MARKETING TEAM.
SEE THROUGH HIS SLICK WORDS AND TAKE ACTION TO STOP THIS DESTRUCTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JACKIE ANDERSON, TO BE FOLLOWED BY MEGAN BACARA.
THANK YOU ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM DAY ONE.
WE HAVE SAID THAT THIS HOSTILE TAKEOVER IS ABOUT POWER AND MONEY.
OUR MISSION TRANSCENDS INDIVIDUAL FIGURES LIKE MIKE MILES.
[02:00:01]
IT IS ABOUT CLAIMING LOCAL CONTROL AND EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY.THIS PAST YEAR, OUR COMMUNITY HAS WITNESSED THE EROSION OF LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CONTROL OF OUR SCHOOLS DUE TO EXTERNAL INTERVENTIONS.
THIS WILL AFFECT OUR CITY'S ECONOMY.
WHAT LARGE COMPANY WILL MAKE INVESTMENTS IN HOUSTON WITHOUT A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM? THE APPOINTMENT OF INDIVIDUALS LIKE F MIKE MILES TO LEAD OUR SCHOOLS HAS SIDELINED THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND DISEMPOWERED OUR ABILITY TO SHAPE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT BEST SERVES OUR CHILDREN.
OUR GOAL IS A COLLECTIVE DESIRE TO RECLAIM OUR AGENCY AND RESTORE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE TO OUR SCHOOLS.
CURRICULUM TEACHER EVALUATION AND LEADERSHIP DECISIONS HAVE NOT BEEN BASED ON PROVEN PEER REVIEWED AND RESEARCH BASED BEST PRACTICES.
IT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW.
MANY UNACCREDITED TEACHERS HAVE BEEN HIRED BY HISD TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
TEACHING SHOULD BE MEANINGFUL AND ENGAGING, BUT INSTEAD, STUDENTS ARE BEING TARGETED WITH HARMFUL UNPROVEN INTERVENTIONS.
STUDENTS FEEL DEMORALIZED AND DISCOURAGED BY THE INCES NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS PRESCRIBED UNDER MILES' UNPROVEN NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.
ANOTHER TROUBLING RESULT OF VIOLENCE'S LEADERSHIP IS THE GROWING NUMBER OF VULNERABLE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE NOT RECEIVING THEIR LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RECEIVE UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
THE CHILDREN ATTENDING HISD SCHOOLS DESERVE FAR BETTER THAN WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING UNDER MILES' LEADERSHIP.
THE ONGOING LACK OF RESPECT MILES' DEMONSTRATED FOR EDUCATORS, THEIR PROFESSION AND THE STUDENTS THEY SERVE HAS RESULTED IN ANY COMPLETE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN HIS LEADERSHIP.
OUR MEMBERS RATIFIED A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE AND MR. MILES AT 98% MEMBER DISSATISFACTION A LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL, FOX 26, DID A, DID A SIMILAR POLL AND 93% OF VIEWERS EXPRESSED THAT MILES NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.
YES, THE TA TAKEOVER OF A LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A POLI, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, IRRESPONSIBLE EXPERIMENT THAT IS WORSENING INEQUITIES AND DISENFRANCHISING HOUSTON VOTERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO COME DOWN HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN HISD.
WE STAND ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HISD.
TRUST ME, WHAT HE IS TELLING YOU IS NOT TRUE.
WE HAVE THE FACTS THAT WE, WE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
MEGAN BACARRA, MEGAN, SARAH TERRELL TO BE FOLLOWED BY SISTER MAMA SONYA.
I'M A CPA AND I SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER IN AUDITING, LOOKING AT FINANCIALS.
SO THAT'S HOW I COME TO THIS, UM, CONTROVERSY.
WE ELECT A CITY CONTROLLER TO WATCH OUR MONEY HERE, BUT AT HISD THERE'S NO FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY AND NO CONFIDENCE THAT OUR PUBLIC ASSETS ARE BEING SAFEGUARDED.
MILES APPOINTED ONE PERSON, HIS LONGTIME, UH, COLLEAGUE THAT WORKED WITH HIM AT THIRD FUTURE CHARTER SCHOOLS TO BE THE CFO, BUT ALSO TO BE THE, UH, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WHICH IS A FUNDAMENTAL VIOLATION OF BASIC INTERNAL CONTROLS.
UM, I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I WORRY ABOUT THAT IS PART OF MILES' MARCHING ORDERS HERE IS NOT JUST TO CHANGE HISD, BUT TO CHANGE IT IN A WAY THAT IS PERMANENT AND IT CANNOT BE RECONSTITUTED.
UH, AS THE KIND OF DISTRICT THAT HAS THE KIND OF SCHOOLS, AGAIN, WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOUR CHILDREN IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY SELLING REAL ESTATE.
SO, BURIED IN HIS CURRENT BUDGET IS AN $80 MILLION REVENUE ITEM, PROCEEDS FROM SALES OF PROPERTIES, $80 MILLION.
WHEN I DID A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST FOR THE LIST OF THE PROPERTIES, THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO LIST FROM BOARDROOM CHATTER.
WE KNOW IT'S 33 PROPERTIES, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE VALUED AT.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE VALUED, NOTHING.
THE, UH, THE BOARD PRE-APPROVED THOSE SALES BY, BY APPROVING THE BUDGET, WHICH HINGES ON THIS EXTRA 80 MILLION.
THEY PRE-APPROVE THOSE SALES WITHOUT KNOW, WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THEM.
[02:05:01]
WOULD YOU GUYS DO THAT? WOULD YOU GUYS SELL CITY REAL ESTATE NOT KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE SELLING, NOT KNOWING WHO APPRAISED IT OR WHAT IT IS? I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD, BUT OUR BOARD OF MANAGERS DID DO THAT.SO LET ME JUST, UM, MENTION ONE MORE THING.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT WE OWN AS CITIZENS AND, AND TAXPAYERS AND HISD.
YOU PROBABLY KNOW, H-S-P-V-A IS NOW LOCATED DOWNTOWN.
THAT ACTUAL ROCK OF LAND HAS BEEN PART OF THE HOUSTON ISD PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
AS EARLY AS 1886, IT HOSTED THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
THEN IT WAS CENTRAL HIGH, THEN IT WAS SAM HOUSTON HIGH, WHERE MY AUNTS AND UNCLES WENT TO SCHOOL.
AND THEN IT WAS THE HISD HEADQUARTERS UNTIL 1970 WHEN THEY MOVED THAT.
AND THEN FROM THAT TIME FORWARD UNTIL THEY PUT H-S-B-V-A THERE, IT WAS A PARKING LOT.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF CROWN JEWELS THAT WE OWN AS CITIZENS THROUGH HISD PIECES OF LAND WE'VE HAD FOR A HUNDRED OF A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND OF COURSE, THEY GROW IN VALUE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
BUT THOSE ARE OUR APPRECIATIONS, THAT'S OUR FAMILY JEWELS.
AND HE'S GONNA SELL THEM WITHOUT EVEN LETTING US KNOW WHAT HE'S UP TO.
AND THAT IS A PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE CHANGE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS SISTER MAMA SONYA, TO BE FOLLOWED BY STACY HUNTER.
I AM SISTER MAMA SONYA, A PROUD ALUMNUS OF HISD, LOCKHART ELEMENTARY, LANIER, AND THE MIGHTY, MIGHTY JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT US.
YOU SEE, CAN YOU IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THERE'S TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION? CAN YOU IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE TEA HAS GIVEN NO, NO FORCED A MAN DOWN OUR THROATS AT THE BEHEST OF THE GOVERNOR, OUR SCHOLARS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS, CUSTODIANS.
AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, OUR SCHOLARS ARE SUFFERING.
CAN YOU IMAGINE A STUDENT WHO COMES TO SCHOOL WHO NEEDS SOME, SOME, SOME SOCIAL SERVICES? UH, WELL BEFORE WE HAD WRAPAROUND IN EVERY SCHOOL, IF THERE'S ONE WRAPAROUND, UH, SPECIALIST FOR SEVEN SCHOOLS, IF A STUDENT HAS A PROBLEM, WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE WRAPAROUND, OH, IT'S, I'M, THIS IS A PROBLEM ON TUESDAY, AND I DON'T COME TO THAT SCHOOL TILL FRIDAY.
SO I GUESS THE STUDENT HAS TO WAIT UNTIL THEN TO GET SOME HELP.
I DON'T THINK THE SCHOOL, I DON'T THINK THE BOARD OF MANAGERS NOR THE SUPERINTENDENT REALLY KNOW WHAT WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS DO.
EVERY AREA DOES NOT HAVE A SUNRISE CENTER.
IS THERE ONE IN THIRD WARD? I DON'T THINK SO.
SO HOW ARE OUR CHILDREN, IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET TO THE SUNRISE CENTER? MANY PARENTS MAY NOT EVEN HAVE A A, A TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE SUNRISE SERVICE.
THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT US.
WRAPAROUND SERVICES, THEY DO MORE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE HOUSE BURNS DOWN, WHEN MAMA DIES, WHEN DADDY IS SICK, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HELP IN EVERY SCHOOL.
YOU SEE, UM, KUDOS TO MY COUNCILWOMAN.
YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN THE DESTINATION, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT AND GETTING YOUR UNANSWERED QUESTION OUT ABOUT VOUCHERS AND, UH, CHA CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THE NU REGIME DOESN'T REALLY LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS, THE LIBRARY.
OH, I FORGOT HE GOT RID OF THE LIBRARIAN.
THE, UH, THE, UH, SCHOLARS MORE THAN ANYTHING.
YOU SEE, WHEN WE GO TO BOARD MEETINGS, BOARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT JUST SITS THERE AND SMIRKS AT US.
LAST WEEK AT THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE HAD TEACHERS CRYING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T DO THAT.
[02:10:01]
I WASN'T GONNA EVER DO THAT.THEY TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT READING IS.
HOW CAN READING BE SO IMPORTANT? AND YOU SHUT DOWN THE LIBRARIES WHEN YOU GO INTO THOSE CENTERS.
AND I SEE THE LIBRARIES AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS.
WELL, IF YOU WANTED TO GET A SCHOOL BOOK OUT, UH, NO.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO SAY WHAT THEY NEEDED TO SAY.
I HOPE YOU LISTEN TO US, RESPECT US, TAKE US TO HEART.
I HOPE YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT US.
I'M TELLING YOU, I'M HAVING A REUNION UP HERE.
LIKE SEAN, ALL OF Y'ALL, I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL CAME HERE TODAY BECAUSE THESE VOICES HAVE BEEN FIGHTING VERY HARD FOR OUR CHILDREN FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
STACY HUNTER, ANDREA, BAREL, HUNTER, RAQUEL, DOW, JESSICA CAMPOS.
MY NAME IS, UH, JESSICA CAMPOS.
I AM A, UH, PARENT AT PEW ELEMENTARY.
I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, A 3-YEAR-OLD, UH, THAT ATTENDS
UM, I ALSO HAVE AN 11-YEAR-OLD THAT ATTENDS PGH AND A 15-YEAR-OLD THAT ATTENDS DEBA DEBAKEY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, I MUST SAY THAT I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE MAYOR DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S IN HIS BEST INTEREST TO ASK QUESTIONS, BECAUSE IF HE REALLY CARES ABOUT THE SAFETY AND, UH, I MEAN THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I THINK EDUCATION IS THE FIRST PLACE TO START.
THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I SPOKE ABOUT, UH, GUN VIOLENCE.
AND, UM, THAT'S ONLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
I'VE ACTUALLY USED THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I DIDN'T HAVE JACKETS FOR MY KIDS, AND THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST WOULD SEE THAT, AND MY KIDS WOULD COME HOME WITH JACKETS ON.
YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE I DIDN'T HAVE HOT WATER AND THEY HELPED ME PAY MY BILLS.
THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE I DIDN'T HAVE A BED FOR MY KID TO SLEEP ON, AND THEY PROVIDED TWIN SIZE BEDS FOR MY CHILDREN.
SO THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST IN THE SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND THIS YEAR, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OF THOSE SERVICES.
WE HAD NO TURKEY DINNERS THIS YEAR.
WE HAD NO TOYS FOR TOTS THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE LOST THAT.
UM, IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING WHEN THE, UM, OKAY.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT MR. MILES, WHEN HE SAID THAT HE WAS HERE TO TURN AROUND THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WERE FAILING, THAT'S INCORRECT BECAUSE PURE ELEMENTARY WAS AN RATED SCHOOL.
UM, JUST SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OKAY.
VALUE OUR SCHOOL HAS LOST SINCE JUNE.
WHEN THE TEA TOOK OVER, UH, WE'VE LOST 20 OF 28 CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
THE STABILITY OF OUR STUDENTS, UH, KEEPING A CORE TEACHER THE WHOLE YEAR.
WE'VE LOST OUR LIBRARIAN SPEC, UH, MEDIA SPECIALIST, THE MAGNET COORDINATOR POSITION, OUR 50 50 DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM.
OUR EMERGENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS HAVE LOST SUPPORT AND HAVE, UM, AND HAVE LEFT FOR, THEY'VE LEFT OUR SCHOOLS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THE NASA ROBOTICS PROGRAM, THE PLANTS LIKE US MUTUAL AWARENESS PROGRAM ARE A BEAUTIFUL AGRICULTURAL GARDEN.
OVER $40,000 IN STEAM FUNDS, THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT MAJOR CAMPUS RENOVATION PLANS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, THE PARENTS, I MEAN, WE'VE ALSO LOST PARENTS' RIGHTS TO BE ON CAMPUS.
WE'VE, UH, LOST OUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
MANY WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS, OH, NO, WE LOST ALL OF THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS.
OUR MONTHLY COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL MEETINGS, COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH OUR SCHOOL PARENTS VOTED TO RECEIVE NOTICE, UH, FROM THE TEACHER WHEN THE TEACHER HAS CHANGED.
PARENTS' ABILITY TO RECEIVE NOTICE IF THE ACL WATER IS NOT RUNNING.
PARENTS' ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH TEACHERS DIRECTLY, WE'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO HAVE THEIR EMAILS.
UM, STUDENT AND OUR TEACHERS WERE ALSO TOLD THEY COULDN'T SPEAK TO PARENTS.
UM, STUDENTS' ABILITY TO DO PROJECTS AND INTERESTING ACTIVITIES IN CLASS WITH CORE TEACHERS, STUDENTS' ABILITY TO READ BOOKS, STUDENTS' ABILITY TO STAY WITH THEIR CLASSMATES, AND NOT SEPARATED BY THE DOL LEVELS.
UM, PARENTS' ABILITY TO SIT IN A CHAIR.
[02:15:01]
STUDENTS HAVE LOST JOY OF LEARNING AND PARENTS HAVE LOST THEIR VOICE.HAVE YOU GUYS EVER GOTTEN A HAIRCUT AT THE SCHOOL OF BARBERS? PROBABLY NOT.
HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS EVER GONE TO THE SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY TO HAVE A TOOTH PULLED? PROBABLY NOT.
I HAVE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I CAN AFFORD.
AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SENDING OUR KIDS TO THE SCHOOL OF TEACHERS.
THEY'RE EXPERIMENTING WITH OUR KIDS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WHILE THE TEACHER'S TEACHING, THE PRINCIPAL WALKS IN TO TEACH THE TEACHER HOW TO TEACH, HOW DOES THAT QUALITY YOU GUYS, PLEASE HELP US AND, AND, AND LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS.
WE'RE THE EXPERTS, THE PARENTS, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
PLEASE HEAR US OUT, BECAUSE WHEN WE GO TO BOARD MEETINGS, WE'RE NOT HEARD.
I, I STRONGLY, UH, UH, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU GUYS WATCH THE BOARD MEETINGS FOR THE PAST YEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD SEE, WHAT PEOPLE, WHAT US, WHAT WE REALLY THINK.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
LIZ SILVA, YIN ROBBIE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALLISON NEWPORT.
I'M A TEACHER AND THE HOUSTON AREA CHAPTER LEADER OF THE, UH, NATIONAL NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CALLED START SCHOOL LATER.
AND, UM, SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO THINGS, ABOUT ME BEING A TEACHER AND ADVOCATING FOR START LATER START TIMES.
I'VE TAUGHT FOR, UH, 19 YEARS, 18 YEARS AS A FRENCH TEACHER.
AND LAST YEAR WAS A FIRST YEAR AS A MATH TEACHER AT REAGAN, K THROUGH EIGHT, UH, SCHOOL, WHICH BECAME NES AFTER I, I WAS HIRED, AND, UM, SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR, I, I KNEW I WAS COMING INTO A TOUGH SCHOOL AND I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, UH, ASSISTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. MILES TALKED ABOUT THE HOSPITAL MODEL BEING THAT THE TEACHER WAS A DOCTOR AND THAT HE WOULD GET, OR SHE WOULD GET THE SUPPORT THAT SHE NEEDED.
AND I REALIZED I DIDN'T GET THAT.
AND THEN I WAS REASSIGNED TO BE A MATH SUCCESS TEACHER, WHERE I ONLY TAUGHT FOR TWO DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK.
AND IN EACH DAY, I TAUGHT, I TAUGHT FOR FOUR HOURS.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD USE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING TO SEE, BECAUSE I SAW STUDENTS WHO NEEDED SUPPORT IN READING AND IN MATH, THEY, THEY WERE READING AT A SECOND, THIRD GRADE LEVEL, AND THEY NEEDED MY HELP.
AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, WITH MY TIME IN THE HALLWAY AS HALLWAY DUTY I WAS DOING, I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TUTOR THESE STUDENTS WHO NEEDED THE READING AND THE MATH INSTRUCTION.
SO, UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS NOT A GOOD USE OF MY TIME.
AND, UM, OF TAXPAYERS MONEY ALSO, STUDENTS WERE, UH, DURING TRANSITION, THEY HAD TO GET IN LINE.
THESE ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS GETTING IN LINE AT VOICE, ZERO LEVEL, ZERO VOICE.
THERE WAS NO TIME, UM, BREAK AFTER EACH CLASS.
THEY HAD TO GET IN LINE AND WALK QUIETLY FROM ONE CLASS TO ANOTHER WITHOUT A RESTROOM BREAK.
THE RESTROOM BREAK WAS AFTER 15 MINUTES OF CLASS TIME AND THEN, OR BEFORE 15 MINUTES ENDED.
SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S DEVELOPMENTALLY CORRECT FOR STUDENTS.
UM, AND ALSO THE SCHOOL STARTED AT EIGHT INSTEAD OF EIGHT 30.
AND I FEAR THAT, UM, THAT THAT'S THE TREND THAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO EARLIER START TIMES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
WHEN THE RECOMMENDATION BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS AND THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL IS THAT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS START NO EARLIER THAN EIGHT 30.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALLISON NEWPORT.
MY NAME'S ALLISON NEWPORT, AND I HAVE A FIFTH GRADER AND A SEVENTH GRADER.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOU, BUT REALLY I'M JUST HERE AS A MOM TO TALK ON BEHALF OF MY TWO STUDENTS.
UM, I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT HOUSTON SCHOOLS IS POOR.
MY LITTLE ONE HATED SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND BEGGED US NOT TO SEND HIM PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
MILES HAS METICULOUSLY ELIMINATED ALL JOY AND FUN IN LEARNING THIS YEAR AT OUR SCHOOLS.
THE TEST RESULTS HE BOASTS COME AT THE COST OF A GENERATION OF STUDENTS WHO HATE SCHOOL AND DON'T WANNA BE THERE.
FAMILIES CONTINUE TO LEAVE THE DISTRICT SEEKING BETTER OPTIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR A BETTER STUDENT EXPERIENCE THAN HISD CAN.
AS YOU HEARD MILES BOAST HIS TEST RESULTS, PLEASE CONSIDER THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THAT WAS SACRIFICED FOR THOSE GAINS.
[02:20:01]
WANTS YOU TO DISREGARD OUR, OUR CONCERNS AS FEAR AND TREPIDATION.BUT, UH, IF YOU ASK ANY HISD STUDENT, YOU'LL LIKELY GET AN EARFUL OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THE CHANGES THIS YEAR AND HOW MUCH THEY HATED THEM.
THE CELEBRATIONS THAT MILES TALKS ABOUT AREN'T ACTUALLY HAPPENING BECAUSE MILES PROHIBITS CELEBRATIONS, PARTIES, AND FIELD TRIPS AT OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, ANOTHER PARENT THAT WAS HERE WITH ME WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SINCLAIR, BUT SHE HAD TO LEAVE.
SO I DID WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE 'CAUSE ONE OF MY STUDENTS, UH, ATTENDS SINCLAIR AS WELL.
UM, THAT WAS THE SCHOOL THAT WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE MAY 16TH STORM.
UM, SINCE THEN, THE DISTRICT HAS LEFT US IN THE DARK AS TO THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PLANS.
UM, MILES TOLD YOU A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT THE SCHOOL WILL BE OPEN IN AUGUST, BUT THAT WON'T BE TRUE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
THEY ONLY TARPED THE DAMAGED BUILDINGS LAST WEEK, AND THEY HAVEN'T EVEN IDENTIFIED WHICH OF THE BUILDINGS THEY'LL BE DEMOING.
THEY'VE TOLD US THAT REPLACEMENT MODULARS ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE.
SO REALLY THERE'S NO WAY THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE THERE.
IF HISD WON'T TAKE CARE TO TARP DAMAGED ROOFS AND FILE INSURANCE CLAIMS ON TIME, WHY WOULD TAXPAYERS GIVE THEM $4 BILLION? NO TRUST, NO BOND.
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, UM, HOW OLD ARE YOUR STUDENTS? UH, I HAVE A 10-YEAR-OLD AND A 12-YEAR-OLD.
SO WHAT DO THEY SAY WHEN THEY COME HOME? WHAT DO THEY NOT LIKE ABOUT SCHOOL? YOU SAID THAT THEY, THEY HATE GOING, THEY DON'T WANNA GO.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE, LIKE JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE PARTIES AND LIKE CELEBRATIONS OR AFTER YOU TAKE A TEST FOR HOURS AND HOURS, THEN THEY GO RIGHT INTO INSTRUCTION.
AND THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE NORMS THAT THEY'D GOTTEN USED TO FOR ALL OF THE YEARS THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW.
IT'S VERY STRICT, VERY KIND OF MILITARY LIKE.
AND, UM, AND THE KIDS NOTICE, YOU KNOW, AND THE TEACHERS ARE SCARED.
AND THE CULTURE, HE SAID THAT HE WASN'T DOING CLIMATE SURVEYS.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TAMMY REED.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK AGAIN.
SO THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS SPEAKING, I WAS REALLY SAD.
I WAS REALLY UPSET, BUT THEN MIKE MILES CAME IN AGAIN AND I GOT MAD AGAIN.
RIGOROUS STAR PREP TRAINING PROGRAM, TEACHER AIDS AND ASSOCIATE TEACHERS IN EVERY STAR TESTING CLASSROOM.
STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN BELITTLED AND BERATED AND TREATED LIKE THEY'RE PRISONERS, RESTROOM POLICIES THAT ARE BORDERING ON CHILD ABUSE.
OUR CULTURE HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
FUR IS PROBABLY GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT'S SOLD OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT COMBINING IT WITH A MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, FIRST WRAPAROUND PROGRAM IS GONE.
FIRST THEATER PROGRAM IS GONE.
UM, AND THE, THE AWARD-WINNING MULTI GRANT PULLING IN CTE PROGRAM, THE TEACHER THAT WAS MOSTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT IS GONE.
AND THE OTHER TEACHER THAT WAS DOING THE BASICS TO LEAD UP TO BEING IN HIS CERTIFIED PROGRAMS WHERE HE GAVE KIDS THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON TECHNOLOGY, SHE LEFT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SHE'S THE REASON I BECAME THE, THE CAMPUS REP, BECAUSE SHE WASN'T GONNA STAY THERE FOR THAT DYADS.
THEY ARE HIRING PEOPLE WHO LIKES THEATER TO COME IN AND TEACH THEATER AND LEARN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE KIDS.
UM, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE TO COME IN AT SIX 15 EVERY MORNING, OKAY? TWO TIMES A MONTH UNPAID.
THEY EXTENDED OUR SCHOOL DAY FOR TEACHERS, 45 MINUTES AFTER SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY, UNPAID.
I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO STAY AFTER SCHOOL TO GET MY COACHING FOR TWO HOURS, ONCE A WEEK UNPAID.
UM, BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO BE MENTORED AND WE NEEDED TO HAVE OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, TEACHER PLANS LINED UP CORRECTLY.
WE HAVE TO SPEND HOURS AFTER WORK FIXING THE CURRICULUM.
ONE OF OUR TEACH FOR AMERICA TEACHERS, SHE GOT A $10,000 STIPEND TO COME AND WORK AT FUR.
AND THEY MADE HER SO MISERABLE THAT SHE GAVE THE MONEY BACK BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT MENTALLY HANDLE THE ABUSE.
STAFF IS BEING REASSIGNED, STAFF IS BEING SEPARATED, STAFF IS BEING MOVED AROUND WITH LITTLE TO NO AUTONOMY, DEFINED
[02:25:01]
AUTONOMY.HE SAYS HE'S NOT EVEN LETTING THE PRINCIPALS HIRE THEIR OWN TEACHERS ANYMORE.
HE PROMISED A LACK OF BUDGET CUTS TO SCHOOLS THAT MOVE TO NES.
THAT'S WHY, UH, CAMPUSES ARE SAYING, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO CUT THEIR BUDGET.
30 BOARD OF MANAGERS MEMBERS THAT ARE NOW MAKING TWO, $213,000 A YEAR, WHOSE WHOLE JOB IS TO GO AROUND AND TELL US WHAT WE'RE DOING WRONG.
WRAPAROUND PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS COSTS LESS THAN THE SUNRISE CENTERS PRINCIPLES.
HE'S NOW SAYING PRINCIPLES ARE GONNA HAVE TO FILL IN FOR THOSE WRAPAROUND CENTERS.
FEDERAL SPED REQUIREMENTS, FEDERAL LAWS ARE NOT BEING MET.
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION PLANS ARE NOT BEING ADMINISTERED.
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS ARE NOT BEING ADMINISTERED.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS TEACHING OUR KIDS THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT AN INTERVENTIONAL EDUCATION PLAN IS, AND THEY'RE LEGALLY NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH THEM.
HE IS BURNING IT DOWN WITH HIS LITTLE INSANE CLOWN POSSE OF GREG ABBOT AND MIKE MORATH.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
I DO WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THAT IS OUR FINAL SPEAKER THAT HAS SIGNED UP.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, MA'AM? GO AHEAD AND COME UP.
STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I'M JUST SITTING BACK THERE IN SHOCK THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT US AND LISTENING TO US.
I HAVE SPOKEN AT MULTIPLE BOARD MEETINGS.
WE ARE CALLED THE, UH, USUAL SUSPECTS AND NAYSAYERS WHEN WE COME TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD.
THEY, THEY SCOFF AND SMIRK AND SO FORTH.
SO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, UH, FOR JUST MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT WITH US.
I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY STRANGE FOR ME, BUT THE ONE THING I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING, THAT'S WHY I, I JUST SIGNED UP OVER THERE BECAUSE I, THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, IT'S JUST NOT IT.
UM, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A PEN AND I WANT YOU TO WRITE THIS DOWN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT MR. MILES, BUT IF YOU READ UP ON THIS THAT I'M ABOUT TO GIVE YOU, IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE.
MIKE MILES IS AN UNCERTIFIED SUPERINTENDENT.
HE IS ONLY HAD MINIMAL CLASSROOM EDUCATION.
HE IS A CURRENT, UM, OWNER OF THIRD FUTURE SCHOOLS IN COLORADO CURRENT, AND HAS A, AN, UH, AMENDMENT TO HIS SUPERINTENDENCY CONTRACT THAT DOES AWAY WITH THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
NOW, THIS IS WHAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO WRITE DOWN.
BROAD ACADEMY OF SUPERINTENDENCY, BROAD, B-R-O-A-D.
HE GOT HIS TRAINING FROM THE BROAD ACADEMY.
IF YOU READ ANYTHING ON THAT ORGANIZATION, THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND MORE THAN ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY TODAY.
UM, THE ONE THING THAT I DO REALLY APPRECIATE IS THE FOCUS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE MADE ON WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT IS SO CRITICAL AND IT'S NOT A DIFFICULT, UH, THING TO DO.
UM, ASK MORE ABOUT 'EM, ASK MORE QUESTIONS.
A 12, THEY STARTED OFF WITH A $12 MILLION BUDGET, THEY SAID, AND SUDDENLY IT'S 8 MILLION.
BUT WHO'S RUNNING IT? WHO'S STAFFING IT? UM, IT'S NOT A, UH, A CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.
IT'S JUST PUTTING, UM, A LABEL AND A MARKETING, UH, PLAN TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GET RID OF, UH, WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS.
HE SAID TO YOU, UH, SOMEONE OVER HERE ASKED ABOUT A LIST.
I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, YOU ASKED FOR A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE THE CONTACT PERSON.
HE COULDN'T GIVE THAT TO YOU BECAUSE THERE IS NONE.
[02:30:01]
THAT'S THE WAY THAT WORKS.WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE AUGUST.
AND WHAT THAT WAS, WAS YOU WILL NEVER SEE THAT LIST.
AND IF HE DOES GIVE YOU A LIST, IT'LL BE A PERSON THAT HE'S ADDING TO, UH, ON TOP OF A PRINCIPAL, A PRINCIPAL THAT AN ADMINISTRATOR IS GOING TO GO TO THE COAT CLOSET AND, AND, UH, PROVIDE THESE KIDS WITH FOOD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN KIDS ARE HUNGRY, TEACHERS ARE ABLE, MY, IN MY CLASSROOM, UM, MY CLASSROOM IS LOCATED RIGHT DOWN THE HALLWAY FROM OUR WRAPAROUND SPECIALIST, UM, CLASSROOM OR THE ROOM.
IT HAS PROM DRESSES, IT HAS SNACKS, IT HAS, UH, TOILETRIES.
IT HAS, UH, FOOD ITEMS. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THE WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS ARRANGED LAST YEAR TO TAKE A BUSLOAD OF STUDENTS TO GET EYEGLASSES.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN.
AND THOSE STAR SCORES, GUESS WHAT? ALL OF THE TEACHERS THAT, THAT PRODUCED THOSE STAR SCORES GONE.
REALLY LOOK AT THE TURNOVER NUMBERS BECAUSE TEACHERS ARE LEAVING AND THEY, THEY WILL BLOW IT OFF AND SAY, IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK IT OUT.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HIRE UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS.
AND IF YOU DON'T ACT, WHO WILL? THANK YOU, MS. SAM.
THIS IS OUR, THIS IS OUR CITY.
POLLARD, DO YOU WANT A QUESTION? YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR, FOR BEING HERE, UH, AS A BODY.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO YOU'RE DONE WITH ME? YEAH.
OH, FOR US TO, UH, HOLD THIS, UM, THIS DIALOGUE IN THIS MEETING.
I WANT THANK THE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN HELPING COORDINATE THIS.
UH, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE YOU PUT US HERE AND WE WORK FOR YOU.
SO, UM, CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICES, UH, AS YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
WE ARE PROBABLY THE CLOSEST TO YOU ON THIS ISSUE, UH, FOR A BODY THAT YOU PUT INTO OFFICE.
AND SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT AT HISD, PLEASE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE OUR OFFICES FOR THAT.
WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN, UH, WITH THE LEVERAGE THAT WE DO HAVE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
UM, OH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT AND SHARING, UM, THIS INFORMATION.
I WAS JUST TALKING TO, UM, SISTER MAMA SONYA AND, UM, KATHY BLUEFORD DANIELS, AND SAYING THAT THE WAY WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IS BY TALKING TO YOU.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY ADDED INSIGHT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HISD.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS TO YOU MAYOR PRO TE, YOU KNOW, YES MA'AM.
I'VE HEARD MANY SAY THAT WHEN THEY GO TO THE HISD BOARD MEETINGS, THEY CAN'T TALK.
THEY SHUT 'EM DOWN, THEY MISTREAT 'EM.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN CREATE A SPACE HERE AT COUNCIL IN ONE OF THE COMMITTEES, UM, TO WHERE WE GIVE THEM A PLATFORM TO WHERE EVEN IF IT'S EVERY THREE MONTHS OR WHATEVER, TO WHERE THEY CAN COME AND UPDATE ON, UPDATE US ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HISD.
AS I SAID EARLIER, I HAVE 21 SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT.
UM, AND AGAIN, HOW I GET THEIR INFORMATION IS FROM, UM, THE CONSTITUENTS.
SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DID HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S STAFF.
UM, WE DO PLAN TO TRY TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MEET AND TALK.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DIALOGUE.
WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE A GREAT CITY, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS.
UM, AND SO THERE IS CORRELATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN THE MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO HAS COME OUT, UM, TO SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, TO YOU AND TO THEIR FAMILIES, AND TO YOUR STUDENTS.
UM, WE WILL DO OUR PART TO KEEP THE DIALOGUE OPEN, UM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
UH, I WAS GONNA SAY BEFORE WE CLOSE, I KNOW WE, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANNA MAKE A A CLOSING COMMENT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT WERE NOT ANSWERED TODAY AND YOU WANT TO SUBMIT THOSE TO US, WE ARE GOING TO COMPILE A LIST OF QUESTIONS TO SUBMIT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TEAM.
UH, THEN WE, ONCE WE GET THOSE ANSWERS, WE WILL POST THOSE, UM, ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAGE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND WE'LL SEND THEM OUT TO EVERYONE THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND GIVEN US THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE SUBMITTED WITH THIS ROUND, WE NEED TO RECEIVE 'EM BEFORE THURSDAY AT 5:00 PM AND YOU CAN SEND IT TO DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV OR YOU CAN SEND IT
[02:35:01]
TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'LL SEND IT TO US.BUT IF WE RECEIVE THOSE BY THURSDAY AT FIVE, THEY WILL BE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WE SEND OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE CLOSING COMMENTS.
WE'LL GO TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS CHAVE.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT.
THIS WAS A REUNION FOR ME AND SOME REAL HEAVY HITTERS CAME OUT.
AND BUT EVERYONE HERE IS SO GREATLY APPRECIATED.
YOU ALL ADDED SO MUCH TO THE CONVERSATION.
NOW I'M A PERSON OF ACTION AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO FROM THIS POINT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE JUST A CONVERSATION.
IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, EVEN THOUGH THE REPRESENTATION THERE IS NOT ELECTED.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I AM THE CLOSEST PERSON TO THE ELECTED, AND I HAVE BEEN CALLED, GOT AIR CONDITIONING CUT BACK ON IN BUILDINGS AND WHATEVER.
BUT I CONSIDER IT AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE.
AND SO WE WILL WORK AMONGST OURSELVES TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE I SERVED UNDER MANY SUPERINTENDENTS, BUT NEVER ONE THAT HAD A CULTURE OF FEAR.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S SO, SO WRONG TO TREAT PEOPLE IN THAT MANNER.
AND I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
AND I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO MY ACTIVIST NAACP HOUSTON DAYS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN PERHAPS DO TO INTERVENE ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, I'M VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING TODAY.
I HAVE FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MY COUNCIL DISTRICT, AND ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THAT INCLUDES HISD, BUT STILL VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE FOR, UM, A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
I ACTUALLY TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY, AND SO I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO BE A TEACHER AND TO DO THAT WORK.
SO TO ALL OF THE TEACHERS IN THE AUDIENCE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO CONTACT MY OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
AND I WANNA ALSO JUST THANK EVERYONE SO MUCH.
I'M, UH, UM, I WENT TO PO LANIER HEALTH PROFESSIONS NOW DEBAKEY.
AND YOUR ADVOCACY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
ONE THING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS IF SOMEBODY IN THIS GROUP, I KNOW YOU DON'T, Y'ALL ARE NOT A REAL GROUP, BUT IF SOMEONE CAN BE DESIGNATED, OH, YOU ARE A REAL GROUP.
SO WHOEVER THE LEADER OF THE GROUP IS.
IF YOU COULD MAYBE DO A ONE, TWO, THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S BEEN A LOT DISCUSSED TODAY, BUT IF YOU COULD A 1, 2, 3 OF, OF IMPORTANCE.
I HEARD WRAPAROUND SERVICES A LOT.
JUST ONE THING THAT WE COULD START WORKING ON, UM, THAT JUST, WE CAN, AS YOU KNOW, TOGETHER, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE.
BUT IF WE COULD HAVE LIKE THE TOP THREE THINGS FOR ME, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MY, MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING IN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
I THINK THAT WE'VE, UH, GAINED A LOT OF INSIGHT.
UH, BEFORE WE ADJOURN COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE NEXT SCHEDULED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 17TH AT 2:00 PM AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING MORE INFORMATION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS, PLEASE CONTACT THE DISTRICT A OFFICE.
THE TIME IS 4:40 PM AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.