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HISD Now “District of Innovation”

ABOVE: Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles observes a classroom on Aug. 11 at Sugar Grove Academy in Houston’s Sharpstown neighborhood. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing) Houston Independent School District is officially a “District of Innovation.” The HISD Board of Managers voted unanimously, 8-0, in favor of the new status at a meeting on Dec. 14. […]
The post HISD Now “District of Innovation” first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 months ago

December 24, 2023

Forward Times Staff

ABOVE: Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles observes a classroom on Aug. 11 at Sugar Grove Academy in Houston’s Sharpstown neighborhood. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing)

Houston Independent School District is officially a “District of Innovation.” The HISD Board of Managers voted unanimously, 8-0, in favor of the new status at a meeting on Dec. 14. (One board member was absent, as was the district superintendent.) The move gives HISD the power to alter class sizes and disciplinary measures — and to hire uncertified teachers.

“HISD is a District of Innovation,” said Superintendent Mike Miles in a press release. “We are making the bold changes required to improve instruction and help students develop the competencies they will need to succeed in the future. Having the DOI designation is long overdue and will allow us to accelerate our work in important ways.” It will also allow his district to bypass or sidestep state laws, which nearly every school district in the state has done since the 2015 passage of HB 1842. That law, co-written by State Rep. Harold Dutton, paved the way for the HISD takeover in the first place.

And the writing was on the wall months ago. At a community meeting back in April, one woman warned listeners: “I want everyone to know that HB 1842 also brought with it ‘District of Innovation,’ which gives the districts that participate the same freedoms as charter schools – freedoms to circumvent state laws that protect students, teachers and parents’ rights, including the right to a certified teacher,” she said. But after the recent board vote, that’s all changed.

District of Innovation

A District of Innovation, Miles said, is exempt from “certain statutory requirements.” To put it more bluntly: “A DOI allows more than 60 exemptions from state laws over school operations.” The current plan allows just seven exemptions. Some are student-centered: for example, HISD wants to allow high school juniors and seniors to spend more than two school days visiting colleges without having unexcused absences.

One exemption concerns a rule where students caught vaping are sent to a DAEP. A Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, or DAEP, is an alternative program for students temporarily removed from class for disciplinary reasons. Miles said some kids will be sent to in-school suspension; others will be suspended out-of-school. “There’s always going to be consequences,” he said at a press conference on Nov. 15.

At that same presser, District Advisory Committee member Celeste Barreto Milligan took the mic to share why she supports the policy change. “I think that the law is unjust,” she said. “You may know that in Texas, you can arrest and jail a child as young as 10 years old […] Immediately sending them to a DAEP situation opens the doors for them to get into the school-to-prison-pipeline,” she said. “I have two middle-school boys; I would hate for them to be held accountable at that level for such a mistake. I’m going to hold them accountable; I’m their mom. [But] I don’t want to see them enter the school-to-prison pipeline, especially as children of color.”

Another exemption pertains to minimum attendance for class credit or final grade. Under current rules, students must attend at least 90% of class days to get final grades. HISD wants flexibility in determining attendance requirements (i.e. ensuring that student attendance is at least 70% for each course). Elementary and middle school students must adhere to the current statute.

School Year

One of the exemptions allows HISD to start school earlier. Statute says a school district may not start before the fourth Monday in August. HISD’s DOI plan proposes that “the first day of school for the 2024-2025 academic year be no earlier than Aug. 7 and no later Aug. 14.” (The DOI plan cites research from a Harvard study of third graders, stating that extending the school year by more than 10 days improves student achievement more than grade retention or smaller class sizes.) The current HISD calendar has 172 days of instruction for students; the DOI calendar would have at least 180 instructional days.

“Houston ISD cannot improve academic proficiency for all students or close the pernicious achievement gaps that affect our students of color, students with special education needs, and students from economically disadvantaged communities without more high-quality instructional days,” the district plan said. It also argues that the move will help teachers pace their curriculum equally, provide students with an equitable amount of learning time and give them an extra week of instruction in advance of STAAR testing.

Teacher Hiring

Another DOI exemption allows HISD to hire uncertified teachers and counselors. Specifically, it allows HISD to hire high school teachers who do not have certification — without getting a waiver from the state or notifying parents. The board also voted in favor of hiring uncertified counselors. (The exemption does not apply to special education teachers, bilingual/ESL teachers, or pre-K teachers. Those requirements cannot be waived.)

“This will allow HISD to fill vacancies in positions that are hard to staff and will help give all students a constant classroom teacher,” the action plan says. Its authors claim that the teacher shortage spurred this change: “The District will continue to prioritize hiring credentialed teachers but will allow campuses to pursue innovative staffing methods to fill hard-to-staff positions to ensure all students have access to a high-quality teacher.”

But this move isn’t approved by everyone. Houston Federation of Teachers president Jackie Anderson blasted the DOI shift as “sinister” in a withering statement: “Evidence of teacher expertise and knowledge apparently doesn’t matter much to the board, since this plan allows HISD to hire uncertified teachers without a waiver and conceal that from families. The secrecy shows that Miles realizes parents would not approve of this.

The plan also allows class sizes to increase for elementary grades, when smaller class sizes are crucial for optimum learning; permits schools to dispense with a campus behavior coordinator, as if chronic misbehavior doesn’t impede instruction or safety; and allows for a custom teacher evaluation system with no teacher input,” Anderson said. “The District of Innovation plan is only innovative in that no other school district interested in investing in real solutions, not destroying public education, would even consider these provisions. This plan will last for five years, the entire length of time a child attends elementary school—the formative years when everything after depends on that foundation.”

It’s unclear what kind of foundation students will have when they return to school next year.

The post HISD Now “District of Innovation” appeared first on Forward Times.

The post HISD Now “District of Innovation” first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.