Houstonians against F. Mike Miles – HISD Superintendent, TEA Takeover & New Education System (NES)

More testing isn’t better for our kids.

Standardized testing is not always the best measure of education because it tends to focus on rote memorization and test-taking skills rather than meaningful learning. Every child learns differently, and these tests may not fully capture a student’s true abilities, potential, and progress. It’s important to acknowledge that children grow and learn in ways that standardized tests can’t fully assess or appreciate.

Here are a few reasons many parents are against NES for their children’s schools:

  • A staffing model that includes the removal of librarians and an unclear future for libraries.
  • Teaching children to read but not assigning or allowing children to read novels in class. Curriculum only includes short passages that are linked to the STAAR test.
  • Promising that magnet programs will not be affected, but removing all magnet funding making the program difficult to maintain.
  • No emphasis on social & emotional aspects of learning. This evidence-based form of learning includes thoughts, feelings and actions that help children succeed in school and beyond.
  • Curriculum has strong emphasis on testing progress, not teaching children to be independent thinkers.
  • Teachers must teach from lesson scripts with little room for deviations or the ability to cater the curriculum to match her students needs. The lesson script includes quizzes after every class.
  • Schools are being rated using a “blocked TEA methodology” that is currently in a legal battle. Only a single data point was used in the ratings: STAAR testing.
  • Libraries are being used as a center for behavioral issues instead of a place of unlimited access to knowledge and curiosity.
  • Longer school days that do not align or consider families with multiple children within the HISD system. Teachers with small children could be inconvenienced by the different working hours.
  • Teacher turnover rate is higher than ever.
  • Wraparound Specialists main focus used to be food distribution and targeted student and family support, but now has a higher priority on student absences and attendance rates.

More important data points to use to determine children’s success and progress other than the STAAR Test:

  • All test scores to track progress (STAAR only tests grades 3-12 & MAP testing)
  • Teacher & staff retention rates. (this means they’re happy at their school!)
  • Title I Status. (we need data points to address hardships of students)
  • Parent & student surveys.
  • Community engagement.
  • Communication with families.
  • PTO involvement.
  • and many other factors that cannot be recorded by a computer but only by visiting the school itself.