HOUSTON – More campuses will join Houston Independent School District’s New Education System or “NES” next school year.
The district says NES is designed to improve academic performance at struggling schools but not everyone is on board with the changes.
KPRC 2 reporter Re’Chelle Turner spoke one-on-one with Jackie Anderson who is the President of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
“I think it’s premature at this point. I’ve heard from some of the teachers whose schools have been added and they are very disheartened. They feel like they have worked hard, and they are being treated unfairly,” Anderson said.
- SEE MORE: What is HISD’s New Education System?
“It’s just too many question marks, too many ‘ifs.’ I think he’s taken way too much latitude into doing what he wants to do without the consideration of other parties,” she continued.
The Texas Education Agency did not release the official accountability ratings after several school districts sued the state, saying it was unlawful and would harm districts across the state. Anderson has questions about the ratings.
“Suppose the court does not uphold the state’s accountability then those schools have been judged by Mr. Miles accountability or his interpretation of it and then those schools might not be correct, so then he’s made a decision to bring in more schools when their accountability may not be as bad if those districts win in court,” she said.
The new changes would also provide higher salaries for teachers at NES campuses vs. teachers at non-NES campuses.
“I don’t know where he is going to get the money. If this takeover came with no money, we were told in the beginning that this district… this takeover was not coming with money from the state. We were already operating at a deficit where is the money coming from,” Anderson said.
Turner also spoke one-on-one with Melissa Yarborough. She is a former HISD teacher who left the district after the takeover.
“I had never been in a takeover before. I didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t feel right because it wasn’t the people electing the board anymore, it was somebody in the state appointing the board, so just from an understanding of basic democracy I knew that was bad,” Yarborough said.
During the interview, Yarborough acknowledged that HISD is not perfect, but she feels like the district will not improve under Miles’ leadership. She spoke about the changes she would like to see happen.
“If there are problems, let’s get to the root of it and try understanding it. You’ve got to talk to the people closest to it to understand it. Talking more to students… what’s going on with bullying? Bullying is a huge problem. A superintendent coming in and putting a rule about no bullying doesn’t solve the problem. Sit down with the kids, not just the few that you pick, not just the few teachers who agree with you. You need to get all sides so sitting down and listening to students and teachers to get to the roots of the problems and find solutions, that would have helped us a lot,” she mentioned.
Turner also asked Yarborough about more schools being added to the New Education System.
“Work as in improve the district? No, I see teachers already responding to those schools that are now NES or future NES schools on the list. They are talking about...’I have to fix up my resume. I have to start applying to jobs.’ Now students are talking about ‘how I can transfer...I need to transfer out of here.’ I expect that HISD is going to lose its best and brightest teachers, the ones who don’t want their hands tied,” she said.
Turner also asked Yarborough about teachers receiving higher salaries at NES schools vs. non-NES schools.
“It’s possible, but look at the teachers who did that this year. There are some who went in and regretted it. I know two teachers who went in regretted it as soon as they got in and are now out,” Yarborough said.
Yarborough has been teaching for over seven years. She hopes to go back to HISD as soon as the policies under Miles are gone.