59 °F
Protesters are once again voicing their disapproval over actions taken within the Houston Independent School District.
Students, parents and other community members protested at multiple campuses Friday against state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles’ forced resignation of principals.
Parents and students gathered in front of Hamilton Middle School early Friday morning carrying signs and chanting they need reform.
Liz Silva, a Crockett Elementary mom, said the school will become an NES campus in the fall and her kids are extremely upset to return to school next year without their principal, who was asked to resign or would face termination.
“She's dedicated, but she's truly like an amazing person and amazing leader, her staff loves her, the kids love her and just the thought of like my kids starting next year without her, really is heartbreaking,” Silva said.
Silva says she is worried about the leadership, culture and fine arts programming. District officials point to a lack of state and federal funding for the cuts and say although these are tough decisions, they are doing their best to protect students.
RELATED: Ousted Houston ISD principals speak out, saying forced resignations were unwarranted
Parents at Lantrip Elementary School were also out in protest. Timothy Suing is the parent of a student at Lantrip and he said teachers there have a long track record of working with kids who have difficulty studying. However, he said the implementation of the New Education System at HISD is a concern.
“The new system that has been imposed on this school, despite the fact that it’s not an NES school, is that the teachers are under pressure,” Suing said. “They’re not able to spend time for students who are behind who need the additional help.”
Meanwhile, overnight, the HISD board voted for more teachers to be terminated, while not renewing certain contracts. Eight board members voted in favor, with one abstaining.
Over 200 people spoke out at the meeting last night against the forced resignations.
Erica Smith contributed to this report.
This story will be updated.