Houston Matters
Outsiders’ views of Texas (Sept. 22, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: Have outsiders' views of Texas and Texans changed since the animated series "King of the Hill" left an impression?
Tag: hisd
Houston Matters
Drake becomes a Houstonian: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
HISD
Teacher turnover is a controversial part of Houston ISD reforms. It’s a feature, not a side effect
Posted on · Parents and teachers continue to speak out against reforms and turnover in Houston’s public school system. The protests intensified this week as the state-appointed leaders of Houston ISD removed more teachers from their schools. The debate over these types of reforms is not new — even in Houston.
HISD
After Houston ISD administrator tells ‘nonbelievers’ to accept reforms or ‘You will not be here,’ students and parents protest
Posted on · On Friday, an administrator told teachers at Cage Elementary and Project Chrysalis Middle schools to affirm their commitment to the new reform program by the end of the weekend or be reassigned. Monday morning, about thirty protestors gathered in front of the campus to speak out against the directive.
HISD
TEA-appointed Houston ISD board allows teachers to be terminated if schools close, seeks exemption from state laws
Posted on · The state-appointed leaders of Houston’s public school system say they can’t comply with a new law requiring police officers at every campus, and they’re seeking exemptions for that and other state laws. During the Thursday board meeting, they also geared up for expected school closures in the coming years by approving a policy that allows staffers from those schools to be terminated.
HISD
Houston teachers’ union drops lawsuit as HISD rolls back evaluation system for now
Posted on · The union originally filed the lawsuit against the district because it said HISD’s proposed system violated state law, which requires input from teachers and community members. The union said the policy was done behind closed doors.
HISD
TEA-appointed Houston ISD board wants to lengthen the school year through controversial process rejected in 2021
Posted on · Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers approved Superintendent Mike Miles’ request to seek a longer school year — a proposal that had previously been rejected. District leadership also tweaked how educators are evaluated in response to a union lawsuit, and a group of protesters interrupted the meeting every four minutes.
Houston Matters
Technology’s unintended consequences (Sept. 8, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: We consider recent examples of how technology may help but also hinder us and learn about efforts to teach the next generation of engineers here in Houston the importance of ethical development of technology.
HISD
Bilingual administrators, school safety are top concerns for parents, advocates say
Posted on · Several attendees reported having felt unable to express their concerns to school administrators because of a language barrier. Others said they had heard of some families and students experiencing racism from school employees. Overall, 62 percent of students in HISD are Latino.
HISD
Parents say new HISD board should prioritize dual language programs in first series of meetings
Posted on · At the event attendees expressed concern regarding special education, dual-language programs and recently implemented reforms at the district’s New Education System schools.
Houston Matters
Teacher pay lawsuit (Sept. 1, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: The head of the Houston Federation of Teachers explains why her organization is suing over HISD’s plan to tie teacher pay, in part, to test scores. And we learn why a few hundred particle physicists are descending on Houston next week.
HISD
Some Houston ISD students feel drained after the first few days of class, but not necessarily in a bad way
Posted on · For students in 85 Houston ISD schools, this first week of classes was different than previous years. That’s because a third of the district is undergoing reforms at the direction of state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles.
Houston Matters
Houstonians helping with Idalia relief (Aug. 31, 2023)
Posted on · On Thursday's show: What is now Tropical Storm Idalia continues to roll through the southeast’s Atlantic coast, Houstonians are poised to help folks in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Houston Matters
A new school year — and a new era — begins at HISD under state control
Posted on · The TEA took over, hired a board of managers and a superintendent, and now a summer of change is put to the test.
Houston Matters
Back to school at HISD (Aug. 28, 2023)
Posted on · On Monday's show: Today is the first day of classes at Houston ISD under state control. We discuss a new school year of change.