HOUSTON – Dozens of parents are expected to pull out their students from more than 100 Houston ISD campuses as part of an organized ‘sickout’ Monday afternoon.
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Around noon, parents from several schools will be outside HISD’s headquarters on W 18th Street to protest the negative impact Superintendent Mike Miles’ policies have on students, staff as well as the community.
A ‘sickout’ is a form of protest where a group of workers collectively and unexpectedly call in sick to express their grievances or demands.
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In a news release, organizers called the sickout a way to amplify how frustrated they are with HISD’s lackadaisical response to potential ICE raids on the heels of pressure teachers continue to face.
“Schools should be safe spaces for students to learn, not hunting grounds for ICE,” Briana Mohan, one of the organizers said. “Mike Miles is not sending a strong enough message of support to immigrant students and needs to take a stronger stand.”
“Families are frustrated with the harmful educational practices under the takeover and lack of support for both students and teachers,” Fred Woods, an HISD parent added. “Instead of a meaningful, well-rounded education, students are subjected to scripted, one-size-fits-all, AI-generated test prep, while teachers face unreasonable pressure to focus on testing or risk being fired.”
KPRC 2 will have more updates on the demonstration as more information becomes available and stream it live.