HOUSTON – Parents at Durham Elementary School have issued a scathing open letter to HISD leadership, calling out what they describe starting the school year as “chaos, disruption, and fear-based tactics” since their school was designated a “Special Focus” campus.
The letter, addressed to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, the HISD Board of Managers, Houston City Council Members, and other community leaders, outlines months of frustration stemming from sudden teacher removals, dismantled programs, and a what they say is a dramatic drop in morale all without adequate communication or justification.
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This latest outcry comes on the heels of two earlier KPRC 2 reports that showed Durham families’ have mounting concern over abrupt staff reassignments and an unclear plan for reform.
KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun detailed how teachers were removed to “home duty” with orders to call in twice daily, a strategy parents labeled a “loophole” to avoid outright firing. Another story explored how Durham’s slip from a B to a C rating triggered sweeping change.
District leaders say schools like Durham on the cusp of a B-rated school need additional oversight from leaders.
“Every year we tend to work with schools who need a little extra support that may not be getting it with the transformation,” said HISD’s Chief of Schools, Sandi Massey in an interview to KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner. “We want to make sure every student in a Special Focus school gets quality instruction every single day.”
HISD has designated 17 schools as “Special Focus” campuses schools with C or D ratings receiving additional oversight and a standardized curriculum. According to HISD Chief of Schools Sandi Massey, these interventions are meant to “strengthen existing programs” and provide early support before performance declines further.
“It is stressful,” Massey said in a previous interview. “If it’s done well, then students don’t really feel the change that much. It’s mostly from the adult side that we start feeling the change.”
But Durham parents disagree, arguing that children are deeply affected by the disruption.
“Our elementary children are blindsided by sudden changes, leaving families scrambling and anxious,” the letter states. “This neglect is inexcusable.”
What Durham families are demanding
- Stability for Students and Teachers
- Stop last-minute reassignments and disruptive changes.
- Reinstate teachers unfairly removed or reassigned.
- Commit to transparent communication before major shifts.
- Protection of Proven Programs
- Preserve and strengthen Durham’s IB and Dual Language programs.
- Restore the library as a central resource for all students.
- End Harmful Practices
- Eliminate shame-based tactics, including public ranking and “failed bins.”
- Replace punitive, fear-based “coaching” with supportive, collaborative teacher development.
- Local Voice and Accountability
- Restore elected leadership to HISD.
- Create mechanisms for genuine parent and community input on decisions affecting our children.
Durham families have vowed to continue speaking out even as district leadership presses forward with its reforms.
“We will not be silenced. We will not stop advocating,” the letter said. “And we will not forget.”
Read the Durham Elementary open letter:
Dear Commissioner Morath, HISD Board of Managers, City Council Members, and Community Leaders,
Since August, Durham Elementary families have raised our voices again and again. We are not against change. We are against the way change has been imposed on our school — last-minute, disruptive, and without the thoughtful planning needed to ensure student success. What has unfolded this school year is a case study in how not to lead.
Our Concerns Since August
Last-Minute Disruptions: Curriculum shifts announced days before school began, teachers reassigned after “Meet the Teacher Night,” and classroom layouts changed after the first day of school. These destabilizing moves disregarded the needs of students, families, and teachers.
Loss of Teachers and Staff: Beloved educators — including some of Durham’s most effective teachers — have been reassigned, terminated, or have chosen to leave due to the hostile environment. Families are now leaving, too. Each loss destabilizes classrooms and erodes trust.
False Promises of “High-Quality Instruction”: HISD leadership claims students are receiving “consistent, high-quality curriculum,” yet children are being parked on Chromebooks or buried in stacks of worksheets. Research is clear: relationships drive learning. Stability matters. This approach undermines both.
Destruction of the Library: Five weeks into the school year, Durham’s library — a cornerstone of inquiry, literacy, and IB learning — was dismantled and moved to a storage-sized room. Meanwhile, two empty classrooms sit unused. Shrinking a library while boasting about “innovation” is indefensible.
Punitive, Fear-Based Culture: Teachers are micromanaged, shamed, and stripped of autonomy. Students face public ranking practices and constant testing pressure. Fear does not inspire learning or teaching; it drives people away.
Lack of Communication: The district has failed to communicate major decisions to parents. Our elementary children are blindsided by sudden changes, leaving families scrambling and anxious. This neglect is inexcusable.
Skewed Data and Misleading Narratives: HISD uses selective data to justify reforms. Yet the truth is: Durham outperformed NES schools on STAAR scores last year. If NES is the “solution,” why is Durham — with stronger results — being forced to conform?
What We Are Asking For
Stability for Students and Teachers
Stop last-minute reassignments and disruptive changes.
Reinstate teachers unfairly removed or reassigned.
Commit to transparent communication before major shifts.
Protection of Proven Programs
Preserve and strengthen Durham’s IB and Dual Language programs.
Restore the library as a central resource for all students.
End Harmful Practices
Eliminate shame-based tactics, including public ranking and “failed bins.”
Replace punitive, fear-based “coaching” with supportive, collaborative teacher development.
Local Voice and Accountability
Restore elected leadership to HISD.
Create mechanisms for genuine parent and community input on decisions affecting our children.
The Bigger Picture
Durham was an A-rated school as recently as 2022. Under Mike Miles’ leadership, families and teachers have left, morale has plummeted, and our accountability rating has dropped to a C — despite STAAR scores that still outperform NES schools. Enrollment is down because parents do not want to send their children to a school being dismantled under this kind of leadership. The problem is not Durham. The problem is the reckless, authoritarian style of leadership being imposed.
Research is clear: children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and engaged. John Ratey’s Spark shows the impact of movement and exercise on learning outcomes. Leonard Sax’s Boys Adrift demonstrates the dangers of forcing children, especially boys, into rigid, sedentary learning environments. Dan Siegel’s The Whole-Brain Child outlines practical, age-appropriate strategies for raising resilient learners. HISD’s current direction ignores decades of evidence in favor of short-term test score gamesmanship.
Our Message Is Simple
Durham is not failing. HISD is not failing. What is failing is the leadership and implementation strategy being forced on our schools.
We demand that HISD and TEA stop dismantling what works, end the fear-based tactics, and work with families and educators to create a system rooted in evidence, stability, and respect for children.
Our children only get one shot at these years. They deserve better than chaos, disruption, and politics.
We will not be silenced. We will not stop advocating. And we will not forget.
Sincerely,
Durham Elementary Parent & Community Member