[Call to Order]
[00:00:07]
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES.
A QUORUM OF THE BOARD IS PRESENT IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM.
IF THERE ARE ANY PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING, PLEASE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
NOT AT THIS TIME. OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS TO AGENDA ITEMS.
[Speakers to Agenda Items]
PUBLIC COMMENT DURING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK PRIOR TO THE MEETING TIME, PER CURRENT PROTOCOL. VERBAL AND OTHER DISRUPTIONS BY PERSONS DURING THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, AS THEY INHIBIT THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO OBSERVE THOSE PROCESSES.PERSONS WHO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH BEHAVIORS WILL BE GIVEN 1 WARNING, AND IF THE BEHAVIOR IS REPEATED, THEY WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING. WE HAVE 27 REGISTERED SPEAKERS WHO WILL BE LIMITED TO 2 MINUTES EACH PER BOARD POLICY.
BUT YOU MAY NAME YOUR OWN CHILD. I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RESPECT OUR PROCEDURES AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS AND YOUR COMMENTS PROMPTLY WHEN YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED AT THE TIME, AS THE TIMER RINGS. OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH GROUP A PUBLIC OFFICIALS, FOLLOWED BY HISD STUDENTS AND PARENTS.
WE HAVE PERHAPS ELECTED TRUSTEE MARIA BENSON.
NOT YET MICHAEL MCDONOUGH. OR WE'LL WAIT TILL UNTIL THEY BEGIN.
NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM REMAINING SPEAKERS BEGINNING WITH HISD STUDENTS OR PARENTS.
SPEAKERS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND TOPIC WHEN YOU STEP TO THE MICROPHONE.
MISS SMITH, PLEASE CALL ALL OUR SPEAKERS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE HISD PARENTS TO THE FRONT ROW, PLEASE. STARTING WITH SPEAKER NUMBER 1. HI, I'M SARAH RIVLIN. I'M A FORMER HISD TEACHER. IMAGINE HAVING YOUR JOB PERFORMANCE EVALUATED BY SOMEBODY STUPIDER AND WORSE THAN YOU.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A TEACHER IN HISD THESE DAYS.
DURING YEAR 1 OF THE TAKEOVER MILES REQUIRED EVERY CLASS PERIOD TO BEGIN WITH, STUDENTS WRITING SOMETHING ON A 5 BY 8 NOTE CARD CALLED A RESPONSE CARD, 4 BY 6 NOTE CARDS OR PLAIN PAPER WOULD NOT DO.
I ONLY USED THEM WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS VISITING.
SO ONE DAY MY KIDS WERE WRITING AN ESSAY AND I GOT THE CALL THAT THE DISTRICT COMING WAS COMING.
AND SO I SAID, ALL RIGHT, GUYS, STOP WRITING YOUR ESSAY.
I GAVE EVERYONE ONE OF MILES RESPONSE CARDS AND SAID, I WANT YOU TO COPY THE THESIS STATEMENT THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN FROM YOUR PAPER ONTO THE RESPONSE CARD. AND THEY SAID, WHY? WHAT'S THE POINT? AND I SAID, JUST DO IT. SURE ENOUGH, THE DISTRICT COMES IN.
THERE'S ABOUT 5 OF THEM. THEY TRAVEL IN PACKS, HOLDING CLIPBOARDS AND LOOKING STERN.
BEING AN HISD RIGHT NOW IS LIKE BEING IN KIM JONG UN'S NORTH KOREA.
HE'S AN IDIOT. HE'S A JOKE. BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO BE SCARED OF HIM.
AND IT WAS TOO DEPRESSING FOR ME. AND THAT'S WHY I LEFT IN YEAR ONE OF THE TAKEOVER.
MILES SAID THAT BY YEAR 5, STAR SCORES WOULD GO UP 15%.
LAURA HENRY. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. TEACHER LOSS IS A FINANCIAL LOSS.
BUT TODAY I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY LAST STRAW.
2 DAYS BEFORE A WALK THROUGH THE DISTRICT, PEOPLE ALL FROWNY PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND WERE STATIONED AROUND WITH CLIPBOARDS, TAKING NOTES AND NOT TALKING TO ANYONE, CAME IN LOOKING SERIOUS AND EXHAUSTED.
THEY HAD US REPRINT OUR ENTIRE SEMESTER'S WORTH OF LESSON PLANS WITH BACKDATED CHANGES, AND THERE WAS THIS MAD HUNT WE NEEDED TO BUY WHITEBOARDS, BLUE BINS, AND ERASERS. I HEARD SOMEBODY TELL ANOTHER PERSON TO GO GET ALL THE WHITE SHIRTS.
ALL THE WHITEBOARDS AT LAKESHORE LEARNING HAD, AND THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.
I LOOKED CONFUSED THE MORNING OF THE WALK THROUGH WITH ALL THE PEOPLE AND THE NEW SUPPLIES, AND AN AP TOLD ME, IT'S OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE ANY OF THIS STUFF, IT'S JUST FOR SHOW.
AND THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT EVERYTHING WAS A LIE.
[00:05:02]
MILES DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE PEOPLE LIE TO HIM.WHEN ADULTS DON'T TELL THE TRUTH, THAT'S WHEN LAWS ARE BROKEN.
AND WHEN PEOPLE CAN'T WHISTLE BLOW, THAT'S WHEN ABUSE HAPPENS.
MY SCHOOL LOST AT LEAST 15 ENGLISH TEACHERS, GREAT COUNSELORS, APS THAT CARED ABOUT THE KIDS, AND HANDS DOWN, THE MOST AMAZING MATH SPECIALISTS THAT EXISTS.
I TRIED TO GET TEACHERS TO TALK TODAY. THEY SAID NO WAY.
MY UNDERSERVED, NOT EASY TO TEACH AT SCHOOL LOST THEIR ADVOCATES FOREVER.
WHEN MILES LEAVES AND THE MONEY ISN'T HERE, WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO COME BACK AND TEACH THOSE KIDS? MY HEART TELLS ME IT'S TOO LATE FOR MY OLD SCHOOL, BUT THEY WANT TO DO THIS TO THE WHOLE STATE.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO VOTE FOR GINA HINOJOSA.
IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF SCHOOL TAKEOVERS LIKE THIS ONE.
[APPLAUSE] MY NAME IS MURRAY PATMAN. THE DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN COLLAPSES THE FEDERALLY REQUIRED CONTINUUM OF SERVICES FROM 5 TIERS TO 2.
THIS RESTRUCTURING CREATES SYSTEMATIC VIOLATIONS OF FAPE AND THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH TIERS STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT AND STUDENTS WHO NEED LESS. COMPOUNDING THIS DISTRICT, COMMUNICATION REMAINS CHAOTIC AND CONTRADICTORY.
PARENTS STILL CANNOT GET CLEAR ANSWERS ABOUT WHICH CAMPUSES HAVE WHICH PROGRAMS, BECAUSE THE DEFINITIONS OF THESE NEW TIERS ARE VAGUE, SHIFTING AND INCONSISTENTLY DESCRIBED. THERE IS NO TRANSPARENCY AND THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, NO PUBLISHED CRITERIA, NO CLARITY ON HOW IEP TEAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE INDIVIDUALIZED DECISIONS WITHIN A COLLAPSED MODEL.
THE BOARD SERVICES OFFICE HAS STATED THAT THIS RESTRUCTURING DOES NOT FALL UNDER CONSTRAINT NUMBER 3, BUT EVEN IF YOU MAINTAIN THAT POSITION, YOU CANNOT IGNORE CONSTRAINT NUMBER 2, WHICH STATES THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL NOT ALLOW INEFFECTIVE SUPPORTS, SYSTEMS OR PROCESSES FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT IEP DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.
YOUR GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITIES DO NOT PAUSE FOR THE SUMMER, AND OUR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS DO NOT.[APPLAUSE] ARE THERE ANY OTHER HISD PARENTS HERE TO SPEAK IN PERSON? WE HAVE ELECTED TRUSTEE MARIA BENSON. ARE YOU READY TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE? THANK YOU MA'AM. DOCTOR MARIA BENSON, HOUSTON ISD, ELECTED TRUSTEE. ITEMS 3 THROUGH 6. THE 1882 PARTNERSHIPS.
THIS BOARD CELEBRATED THESE CONTRACTS AS A FINANCIAL WIN.
HOWEVER, HIS OWN BUDGET DOCUMENTS TELL THE TRUTH.
24 MILLION IN REVENUE NOW FLOWS DIRECTLY TO 1882 SCHOOLS.
SO SUBTRACT 19 MILLION AND REDUCED EXPENSES AND ALSO 1.2 MILLION IN MANAGEMENT FEES.
AND HISD STILL LOSING $3.8 MILLION EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
HISD SAYS CLOSING A SCHOOL SAVES 1.2 MILLION ANNUALLY.
THESE 4 PARTNERSHIPS WIPE OUT THE SAVINGS OF THREE SCHOOL CLOSURES EVERY YEAR.
12 SCHOOLS TO SAVE MONEY. TONIGHT, THIS BOARD VOTES TO KEEP BLEEDING.
3.8 MILLION ON PARTNERSHIPS THAT WERE SOLD AS A MONEY MAKER.
THESE PARTNERSHIPS THEMSELVES TRYING TO ESCAPE MIKE MILES NES MODEL.
AND WE ARE PAYING FOR IT. STOP TAKING FROM POOR COMMUNITIES TO SUBSIDIZE PRIVILEGED ONES.
ITEM 8 THE BUDGET BEFORE THE TAKEOVER. LINES 21 AND 23.
INSTRUCTIONAL AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TOTALED $175 MILLION.
TONIGHT, YOU'RE ASKED TO APPROVE $294 MILLION.
THAT IS AN INCREASE IN $119 MILLION IN LEADERSHIP SPENDING.
THE DETAILS ARE DAMNING. INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP WAS ALMOST $21 MILLION BEFORE THE TAKEOVER.
IT NEARLY TRIPLED TO ALMOST $60 MILLION IN IN YEAR 1.
NOW IT'S PROPOSED AT 79 MILLION ALMOST 4 TIMES THE PRE TAKEOVER LEVEL.
EVEN MILES HIMSELF FORECASTED THIS LINE AT $61 MILLION.
YOU WEREN'T BEING ASKED TO APPROVE 18 MILLION MORE THAN HIS OWN PROJECTION.
[00:10:01]
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP JUMPED 52 MILLION IN YEAR ONE OF THE TAKEOVER NOW PROPOSED AT $250 MILLION.THAT'S 30 MILLION MORE THAN MILES OWN FORECAST.
COMBINED THE PROPOSED BUDGET EXCEEDS MILES OWN PROJECTIONS BY 47 MILLION.
AGAIN, MILES TOLD THE COMMUNITY 12 SCHOOL CLOSURES WERE ABOUT SAVING MONEY.
THIS BUDGET TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY. LEADERSHIP BLOAT OUTWEIGHS SCHOOL CLOSURES.
SAVINGS BY MORE THAN 8 TO 1 MILES WILL POINT TO RISING TEST SCORES TO JUSTIFY THESE INCREASES, BUT TEACHING CHILDREN TO PICK THE RIGHT. $119 MILLION EXTRA IN LEADERSHIP. STOP WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND I WILL CLOSE WITH THIS PREDICTION.
GREG ABBOTT WILL LOSE HIS SEAT AS GOVERNOR. GINA HINOJOSA WILL WIN.
AND THIS TAKEOVER WILL END UNTIL THAT DAY. GINA FOR GOVERNOR.
NO TRUST, NO BOND. NO MORE. [APPLAUSE] ELECTED TRUSTEE MICHAEL MCDONOUGH. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON.
NOW, I HAVE 2 DAUGHTERS IN THEIR MID 20S, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY I SURVIVED RAISING TEENAGERS.
AT SOME POINT, ALL YOU CAN DO IS PROVIDE SUPPORT, POINT THEM TOWARD WISDOM, HOPE THEY LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES, AND THEN ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS IN SOME WAY.
THAT'S HOW I'VE APPROACHED MY ROLE AS A TRUSTEE.
SIMPLY PUT. EACH MONTH I COME BEFORE YOU WITH AN APPEAL TO REMAIN CURIOUS AND EACH MONTH I HAVE TO TRUST THAT THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE ARE INFORMED BY BOTH DILIGENCE AND A COMMITMENT TO UNDERSTANDING THE FACTS. NOW, BUDGET IS THE BIG ITEM ON THE AGENDA, OF COURSE, FOR TONIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I'LL START TO HEAR THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN COMMON. PRIMARILY, IT'S WHAT ARE THE IDEAS, PRIORITIES AND VALUES GUIDING THE DECISIONS OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS? BASICALLY, WHY DID THEY VOTE THE WAY THAT THEY DID? AS SOMEONE WHO'S ATTENDED EVERY MEETING, I THINK THIS IS A FAIR QUESTION WHETHER I AGREE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS DECISIONS OR NOT.
I FEEL I UNDERSTAND HIS PRIORITIES BECAUSE HE SHARES THEM PUBLICLY.
HE DOES NOT HIDE WHAT HE BELIEVES, AND THE PUBLIC CAN EVALUATE THOSE BELIEFS FOR THEMSELVES.
I WOULD URGE THE SAME FOR EACH OF YOU. EVERY QUESTION ASKED, EVERY REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, EVERY EFFORT TO PUSH BEYOND A SURFACE LEVEL ANSWER IN PUBLIC GIVES THE COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING, THINKING CRITICALLY AND TAKING YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY.
THE PUBLIC DOES NOT NEED TO AGREE WITH EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE, BUT IN A PUBLIC INSTITUTION, THEY DESERVE TO SEE THE REASONING BEHIND IT. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU SIR. I'D LIKE TO INVITE SPEAKERS 14 TO 20 TO MOVE TO THE FRONT ROW, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS LARRY MCKENZIE. THIS IS MY 31ST YEAR TEACHING.
I WAS RELEASED AND FIRED FROM HISD ON MY DAY OFF.
JUNE 13TH, 2023. I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE OR AN ACTIVIST FOR EDUCATION IN THE HISD SINCE 2005.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON, IT IS THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, WHAT THE CHARTER SCHOOLS NEEDED IN THIS COMMUNITY WERE TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STUDENTS. SO WHEN MR. F MICHAEL MILES GOT HERE AND HE FIRED A LOT OF TEACHERS AND GOT RID OF A LOT OF STUDENTS AND GOT RID OF A LOT OF ADMINISTRATORS, THEY ALL HAD TO PAY THEIR BILLS.
SO THEY WORKED AT MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS. NOW WHEN HE LEAVES AND WHEN HE LEAVES, YOU GUYS LEAVE.
ALSO, THERE WILL STILL BE PEOPLE HERE. I'M STILL HERE.
EVEN THOUGH I GOT FIRED. MY KIDS STILL GO HERE.
MY NIECES, MY NEPHEWS STILL GO HERE. SO THE ONLY SUREFIRE WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE LEAVES AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE CHEERLEADING FOR HIM AND COSIGNING THINGS THAT ARE MORALLY WRONG IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET GINA HINOJOSA IN AS THE GOVERNOR, PERIOD, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT YOU GUYS AGAIN, BECAUSE IF YOU CAN STILL LOOK AT YOURSELF AFTER ALL OF THIS, THERE'S A PROBLEM. AND THEN FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE AND ARE ADMINISTRATORS, THEY'LL COME A TIME WHEN YOU'LL LOSE YOUR PAYCHECK.
[00:15:05]
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE STRIVING OR YOU ARE THRIVING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WITH F MICHAEL MILES, THEN MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED TO BE HERE EITHER. IT'S TIME FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DO NOTHING FOR OUR KIDS TO GO.HELLO, MY NAME IS KATE PICARD, AND I'VE GOT A CHILD AT TRAVIS ELEMENTARY IN THE HEIGHTS.
I'M ASKING THE BOARD TODAY NOT TO ADOPT THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT. [APPLAUSE] BLUEBONNET HAS BEEN WIDELY CRITICIZED FOR INCLUDING DISPROPORTIONATE REFERENCES TO CHRISTIANITY AND BIBLICAL STORIES IN ELEMENTARY LITERACY MATERIALS THAT SHOULD RAISE SERIOUS CONCERNS FOR ANY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AT MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE, WE WERE TAUGHT ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS.
I SAW FIRSTHAND HOW ONE GROUP'S FAITH CAN BE DISMISSED OR DIMINISHED FROM.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL ON MATTERS OF RELIGION.
THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE, IT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THERE IS A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN TEACHING ABOUT RELIGION AND TEACHING RELIGION THROUGH THE USE OF RELIGIOUS MATERIAL IN A LITERACY PROGRAM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, THAT LINE CAN BECOME EASILY BLURRED. HISD SERVES ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS IN THE STATE.
A CURRICULUM THAT APPEARS TO FAVOR ONE RELIGIOUS TRADITION OVER ANOTHER RISKS ALIENATING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AS WELL AS EDUCATORS, AND UNDERMINES THE INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE.
THIS CONSULTATION PROCESS APPEARS RUSHED. HOLDING THIS DISCUSSION DURING THE SUMMER VACATION WITH ADOPTION PROPOSED FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, DOES NOT GIVE FAMILIES AND EDUCATORS THE TIME OR INFORMATION NEEDED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE OPTIONS AND THE IMPLICATIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR ADOPTING THE PROGRAM.
I ASK THE BOARD TO PAUSE BEFORE ADOPTING BLUEBONNET AND TO COMMIT TO A MORE CONSIDERED, TRANSPARENT CONSULTATION PROCESS THAT GIVES EVERYONE FULL INFORMATION AND A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE BEFORE A FINAL DECISION IS MADE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KEVIN LENHART AND MY SON ATTENDS TRAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I AM HERE TO VOICE STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM.
THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IS SACROSANCT.
TO VIOLATE THAT PRINCIPLE WITH A CURRICULUM THAT HEAVILY PROMOTES CHRISTIANITY OVER OTHER FAITHS AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS IS FUNDAMENTALLY UN-AMERICAN AND DOES OUR CHILDREN AND SOCIETY A GRAVE DISSERVICE.
THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST AMERICA DOES NOT END THERE.
BLUEBONNETS. DIMINUTION. DIMINUTION OF SLAVERY AND FAILURE TO ACCURATELY PORTRAY THE HISTORICAL FACT OF RACISM IN AMERICA VIOLATES THE EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT AND JEFFERSON'S CLAIM THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF AMERICANS ARE NON-CHRISTIAN OR NON-RELIGIOUS.
APPROXIMATELY 42% OF THE U.S. POPULATION IS NONWHITE.
OUR SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY, OUR GREAT PRIVILEGE, IS TO PROTECT AND CELEBRATE THIS DIVERSITY, NOT TO OPPRESS IT, AND CERTAINLY NOT AMONG OUR CHILDREN.
THANK YOU.[APPLAUSE] HELLO, JESSE HANER HERE. I SHARED THIS WITH STATE LEGISLATORS EARLIER THIS MONTH, BUT I WANTED YOU TO HEAR THESE NUMBERS AS WELL AS YOU CONSIDER THE BUDGET THROUGH PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT FROM JUNE 1ST, 2023 THROUGH JANUARY 31ST OF THIS YEAR, YOU ALL HAVE TERMINATED OR NON-RENEWED OVER 4500 EMPLOYEES.
DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD, OVER 17,000 EMPLOYEES HAVE RESIGNED.
IN TOTAL, 21,901 EMPLOYEES HAVE RESIGNED OR BEEN TERMINATED FROM HOUSTON ISD DURING THE FIRST 2 AND A HALF YEARS OF THE STATE TAKEOVER. THESE 21,901 EMPLOYEES HAD A COLLECTIVE OF 127,601 YEARS OF
[00:20:01]
EXPERIENCE IN HOUSTON ISD, ACCORDING TO TEA. JUST OVER 3000 OF THE 6500 NEWLY HIRED TEACHERS DURING THAT TIME WERE UNCERTIFIED. 47%. THIS IS AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 749% UNDER THE STATE TAKEOVER COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS.IT IS ESTIMATED THAT FOR A DISTRICT OUR SIZE, TEACHER TURNOVER COSTS 25,000 PER TEACHER.
AS YOU CONSIDER THE BUDGET TONIGHT, ASK YOURSELVES HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE YOU WASTED ON PUSHING OUT 127,000 YEARS WORTH OF EXPERIENCED STAFF IN HOUSTON ISD? THIS IS THE LEGACY YOU ALL ARE LEAVING TO ALL HOUSTON CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I INSTEAD WISH TO ADDRESS MY FELLOW HOUSTONIANS AND TEXANS.
THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] MY NAME IS HONORA BELL AND MY 2 DAUGHTERS ALSO ATTEND TRAVIS ELEMENTARY IN THE HEIGHTS.
BLUEBONNET SHOULD NOT BE ADOPTED. THE CONCERNS ARE SERIOUS AND WELL DOCUMENTED, ESPECIALLY THE LACK OF TEACHER AND SCHOOL AUTONOMY, THE STRONG PREFERENCE FOR CHRISTIANITY, THE MINIMIZING OF KEY ASPECTS OF SLAVERY AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND NUMEROUS FACTUAL ERRORS. THESE ISSUES ALONE ARE REASON ENOUGH NOT TO ADOPT THE CURRICULUM.
BUT EVEN BEYOND THOSE ISSUES, ANY ADOPTION RIGHT NOW IS PREMATURE.
THE DISTRICT HAS NOT ANSWERED BASIC QUESTIONS WHAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS IS, HOW SCHOOL AUTONOMY WILL BE PROTECTED, HOW TEACHERS MAY DEVIATE FROM SCRIPTED LESSONS.
HISD'S ABILITY TO SELECTIVELY CHOOSE MODULES LIKE SPRING ISD AND ALDINE ISD, WHO WOULD SERVE ON THAT TEAM, AND WHETHER PARENTS CAN PARTICIPATE, WHETHER DECISIONS WILL BE CENTRALIZED, MADE BY TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAMS, BY QUADRANT OR CAMPUS BY CAMPUS, OR HOW TEACHER CREATED SUPPLEMENTS WILL BE SUPPORTED.
FAMILIES CHOOSE HISD BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WE TRUST OUR SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS.
IT IS TOO SOON AND THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] DOCTOR RUTH HOFFMAN. I EMAILED YOU EARLIER TODAY AN ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT WAS PUBLISHED ON JUNE 22ND, WRITTEN BY ROSS WIENER, WHO FOR YEARS HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND WAS A BIG BELIEVER IN THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT BEING THE SOLUTION TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE IS I THOUGHT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WOULD FIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I WAS WRONG IN HERE YOU WILL FIND VARIOUS LINKS TO RESEARCH THAT HE FOUND DISTURBING, AND THAT CAUSED HIM TO REALIZE THAT, BELIEVING THAT STANDARDIZED TESTS WERE GOING TO TELL US IF KIDS WERE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IS ACTUALLY BONKERS. AND THE THE DATA FROM MOST RECENTLY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CONSORTIUM, IF WE REALLY CARE ABOUT IF WE'RE PREPARING KIDS FOR SCHOOL FOR LIFE AND BEING SUCCESSFUL, YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS SCHOOL'S EFFECT ON STUDENTS SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND WORK HABITS.
PREDICTED ACADEMIC GAINS ABOUT AS WELL AS TEST PERFORMANCE DID AND WAS MORE PREDICTIVE THAN TEST SCORES FOR STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, ENROLLING IN COLLEGE, AND STAYING OUT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
NOW, I GOT TO TELL YOU, IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR KIDS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT NO DATA OUT THERE SUPPORTS THE IDEA THAT FORCING KIDS TO BE PRODUCERS OF TEST SCORES IS WHAT PREPARES THEM FOR LIFE. THERE IS NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT, AND YOU CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT IT DOES THAT.
IT'S OKAY. IT'S NOT. AND YOU ARE ROBBING OUR KIDS OF WHAT THEY NEED TO REALLY BE SUCCEEDING IN LIFE.
I SEE BOARD PRESIDENT RIC CAMPO HAS JOINED US VIA ZOOM.
[00:25:01]
WELCOME. YEAH. THANK YOU.YET MIKE MILES AND THE APPOINTED BOARD LET GO OF 9000 TEACHERS IN THE LAST 2 AND A HALF YEARS.
WE DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER YET FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS, YOU'RE JUST THROWING US AWAY.
I AM ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS, RIC CAMPOS. PLUS, 2 OF YOU FIRED ME.
A CERTIFIED TEACHER WITH 2 SPECIAL DEGREES IN 38 YEARS OF WISDOM IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
FASCISTS DON'T LIKE TEACHERS THAT TEACH CHILDREN TO BE THINKERS.
LAST NIGHT I WENT TO MEET KAREN CUNNINGHAM, WHO HELPED SPECIAL ED PARENTS.
AND THEN THEY TOLD US WE WERE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WELL, MISS CUNNINGHAM SPOKE ANYWAY TO MANY OF YOUR FIRED TEACHERS WHO WERE THERE, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE TO HELP PARENTS NAVIGATE THIS TRAVESTY OF INSTITUTIONALISM SEGREGATING SPECIAL ED CHILDREN LIKE THE 1950S.
MY 2 GREAT DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS GAVE ME THE KNOWLEDGE TO BE A GREAT EDUCATOR.
I'VE SEEN SUCCESSFUL SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AMONGST THEIR PEERS LEARNING, GOING TO COLLEGE, GETTING JOBS, HAVING FAMILIES, BUYING HOMES. IT'S BECAUSE WE INCLUDE THEM.
MY LAST 8 YEARS WAS NOT IN SPECIAL ED BECAUSE I TOLD MY PRINCIPAL I COULDN'T DO THE SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOM ANYMORE BECAUSE HISD DOESN'T CARE AND THEY JUST WANT A BABYSITTER. WELL, I'M A TEACHER, A TEACHER. SO NOW I'M GOING TO USE MY WISDOM AND VOICE TO HELP PARENTS NAVIGATE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THEIR CHILDREN IN HISD.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT ALONE, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SAY THE 3 WORDS VOTE GINA HINOJOSA.
HELLO? HELLO. Y'ALL HAVING A BUDGET MEETING? IT'LL BE A LOT EASIER IF I HAD THE EXTRA $4.4 BILLION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHEN I LEFT, IT COST ABOUT 25 BANDS.
THAT'S 25 K TO REPLACE ME. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS.
IF YOU GUYS ARE SITTING HERE DOING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, IT'LL BE EASIER IN ORDER TO DO Y'ALL'S JOBS, TO HAVE MONEY.
I'M A CERTIFIED TEACHER, AND YOU GUYS HAVE TO HAVE UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS IN PLACE.
DON'T TELL ME THAT'S IMPROVING THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS.
THAT'S HURTING THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS. IN FACT, Y'ALL HAVE ABOUT 51.
AT THE SCHOOL I WAS AT, I WAS IN THE SOUTH DISTRICT. Y'ALL HAD ABOUT 53% APPROACHES.
I HAD 95% APPROACHES FROM ALGEBRA ONE LAST YEAR, ABOUT 80% THE YEAR BEFORE.
BUT THEN I WAS TOLD BECAUSE ADMINISTRATORS HAD THEIR OPINION.
IF THEY DON'T LIKE YOU, THEY JUST GO AFTER YOU.
THEY TARGET YOU. I WAS TARGET FROM, OF ALL THINGS, THE THING I WAS DOING THE YEAR BEFORE.
I WAS DOING A BIBLE STUDY AND WITH TEACHER AND ADMIN TEAM FROM BEFORE.
AND THAT PARTICULAR ADMIN SAID NO BIBLE STUDY.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. IN TEXAS, OF ALL PLACES, A BIBLE STUDY WITH JUST TEACHERS ONLY AT 7 A.M..
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD ME? IT'S BECAUSE THOSE TEACHERS WOULDN'T MAKE DUTY.
I NEVER MISSED IT. THE TEACHERS I WENT DIDN'T MISS DUTY, SO WHY WOULD THAT BE THE CASE? BUT THAT ADMIN PARTICULARLY DID NOT LIKE THAT BEING THE ISSUE.
SO FROM THEN ON I WAS NOT A GOOD EDUCATOR. MAKES NO SENSE FROM MY HISTORY.
I TOOK THEM TO A COLLEGE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
I TOOK THEM TO A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY. IN ORDER TO TEACH THEM CODING.
BUT GUESS WHAT? I HAD TO GO. AND THAT'S THE CULTURE OF HISD.
SO Y'ALL NEED TO CHANGE. OR GUESS WHAT? PEOPLE EVENTUALLY MAKE CHANGE.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS KATHERINE MARTIN. I JUST COMPLETED MY 30TH YEAR OF TEACHING 25 IN HISD WITH 23 AT ONE BELOVED CAMPUS. I WAS EVEN STARTING TO TEACH THE CHILDREN OF FORMER STUDENTS.
MY 2 OLDER CHILDREN ARE PROUD GRADUATES OF HISD.
SHE HAD 5 PRINCIPALS IN A YEAR AND A HALF. SHE HAD SOME CLASSES OF MORE THAN 50 STUDENTS.
[00:30:05]
SHE WAS BULLIED. SOME TEACHERS REFUSED TO PROVIDE HER ACCOMMODATIONS.THE NURSE DIDN'T KEEP UP WITH HER MEDICATION, AND SHE WAS PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED TO THE POINT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT FILED CHARGES AGAINST THE OTHER STUDENTS. YOUR LINE THAT YOU'RE WEEDING OUT THE BAD TEACHERS IS SIMPLY FALSE.
WE ARE BEING WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS IN OTHER DISTRICTS WITH CERTIFIED SUPERINTENDENTS.
AND WE AREN'T JUST THRIVING, WE'RE LEADING. NOT ONLY ARE YOU COSTING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY BY CONSTANTLY HAVING TO FIND AND TRAIN NEW TEACHERS, YOU'RE COSTING STUDENTS EXPERIENCED, QUALITY, DEDICATED TEACHERS.
THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY MORE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ZOOM. MONICA MATTHEWS HEY, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MONICA.
I AM A PARENT TO CHILDREN WHO ATTEND TRAVIS ELEMENTARY.
I AM HERE TODAY TO URGE THE BOARD TO REJECT THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM.
THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE HAS LONG BEEN A GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD UNITE OUR COMMUNITY BY FOCUSING ON SHARED SECULAR KNOWLEDGE AND CIVIC VALUES, NOT BY DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHLIGHTING ONE RELIGION OR RELIGIOUS TEXTBOOK.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOARD TO REJECT THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM AND ENSURE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS REMAIN INCLUSIVE, NEUTRAL AND WELCOMING FOR EVERY STUDENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
DO NOT PROMOTE ANY ONE FAITH. EVERY CHILD SHOULD FEEL VICTORIA HOFFMAN REPRESENTED IN THE CLASSROOM.
PLEASE MUTE YOUR DEVICE. ONE SECOND. HOLD ON.
PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD UNITE OUR CHAIRS. THANK YOU.
SORRY. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO. IT'S NOT LETTING ME TURN ON MY CAMERA THERE.
OKAY. CAN YOU SEE ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY.
ONE MOMENT. MY NAME IS VICI HAUPTMAN-BRYAN I'M A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, AND CURRENT PARENT OF 2 HISD STUDENTS, MEMBERS OF THE UNELECTED BOARD OF MANAGERS.
I AM SPEAKING BEFORE YOU. NEARLY ON THE EVE OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE IDEA OF AMERICA, TO BEG YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR CONSCIENCE IF YOU STILL HAVE 1, AND TO VOTE AGAINST ADOPTING BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM INTO HISD SCHOOLS.
NOT ONLY IS BLUEBONNET A FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED CURRICULUM FROM A PEDAGOGICAL STANDPOINT, BUT WORSE, IT IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS GRANTED IN BOTH OUR U.S.
AND TEXAS CONSTITUTIONS, SPECIFICALLY FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT CLAIMS THAT BLUEBONNET IS RELIGIOUSLY NEUTRAL, AND YET PAPER AFTER PAPER, INCLUDING SEVERAL PUBLISHED BY HOUSTON'S OWN RICE UNIVERSITY, HAVE FOUND THAT BLUEBONNET NOT ONLY PRIVILEGES CHRISTIANITY BUT PRESENTS STORIES FROM THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE AS IF THEY ARE. HISTORICAL FACT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS SPENT TAXPAYER MONEY TO WRITE SUCH A CURRICULUM IS DISGUSTING.
DID WE ALL FORGET ARTICLE 1, SECTION 6 OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION THAT, QUOTE, NO HUMAN AUTHORITY IN ANY CASE WHATSOEVER TO CONTROL OR INTERFERE WITH THE RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. AND NO PREFERENCE SHALL EVER BE GIVEN BY LAW TO ANY RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OR MODE OF WORSHIP, BUT THAT THE UNELECTED SCHOOL BOARD OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES WOULD ADOPT SUCH AN ANTI-AMERICAN PERVERSION IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
I RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE TO ADOPT BLUEBONNET FROM THOSE WHO APPOINTED YOU, CHIEFLY GOVERNOR ABBOTT COMMISSIONER MORATH, AND THEIR RELIGIOUSLY EXTREMIST BILLIONAIRE DONORS.
[00:35:06]
DO WHAT IS MORALLY IMPERATIVE. SUPPORT TRUE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES AND VOTE AGAINST ADOPTING BLUEBONNET, THEN FIRE MIKE MILES FOR RUINING OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.PRISCILLA MADANI, YOU MAY BEGIN. HI, MY NAME IS PRISCILLA MIDANI AND MY SON ATTENDS TRAVIS ELEMENTARY IN THE HEIGHTS. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM.
AMONG THE MANY REASONS I OPPOSE ITS ADOPTION ARE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
SCHOOL SHOULD NOT BE IN THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING FAITH IN ANY CAPACITY.
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND INOPPORTUNE TIMING. REVIEW OF THIS BY THE BOARD DURING SUMMER VACATION DOES NOT GIVE THE COMMUNITY, FAMILIES, OR PARENTS ADEQUATE TIME TO RAISE PROPER DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MATTER.
THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT TAKES EDUCATION DOLLARS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST.
I ASK YOU TO REJECT BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM. THANK YOU.
CASSANDRA BOLGER. PLEASE TURN YOUR CAMERA ON.
HI. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OH, SORRY. I TURN OFF MY TV.
I'M ACTUALLY JUST HERE TO SUPPORT OUR FORMER AND CURRENT TEACHERS THAT ARE BEING EXILED OR ARE OR HAVE BEEN EXILED. I DON'T HAVE OUR USUAL DURHAM ANYTHING PREPARED FOR YOU TODAY? BUT I DO HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE TEACHERS. IT'S CALLED THE ARCHITECT OF ROT.
YOU TRADED STUDENT GROWTH FOR METRICS, DATA, AND FILES, AND BUILT A PRISON OUT OF CHILDREN'S SMILES.
I'M DISGUSTED BY THE THINGS I'VE SEEN. THE COLD MECHANICS OF YOUR SPREADSHEET MACHINE.
IT MAKES ME SICK TO WATCH YOU CRUSH THE SPARK.
AND LEAVE THE BRIGHTEST, YOUNGEST MINDS IN THE DARK.
IT BREAKS MY HEART TO PACK THESE BOOKS AWAY. THE KIDS I LOVE, THE LIVES I CHANGED EACH DAY.
I MOURN THE CALLING THAT I HELD SO DEAR. NOW CHOKED AND POISONED BY SYSTEMIC FEAR.
BUT KEEP YOUR METRICS, MANDATES AND DECEIT. YOUR PAPER EMPIRE BUILT ON OUR DEFEAT.
I REFUSE TO LET YOUR VENOM COMPROMISE MY SOUL.
I'M LEAVING THE CLASSROOM TO MAKE MYSELF WHOLE.
I URGE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO VOTE OUT MIKE MILES TO VOTE FOR GINA THIS UPCOMING ELECTION.
WE MUST CHANGE THE SYSTEM. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF MORATH.
AND THEN MILES. AND THEN THE REST. INCLUDING YOU, ANGELA.[APPLAUSE] BYE.
ARNETTA. MURRAY. YOU MAY TURN YOUR CAMERA ON AND BEGIN.
HELLO, HELLO. HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS? GOOD EVENING.
I'M ONE OF THEM EXPERIENCED CERTIFIED EDUCATORS WITH YEARS OF CLASSROOM SUCCESS HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT, LEAVING STUDENTS WITHOUT STABILITY AND EXPERTISE THAT THEY DESERVE.
THIS IS ALSO A BUDGET ISSUE AND CONCERN WHY REPLACING THOSE MANY TEACHERS COSTS TAXPAYER DOLLARS, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS, IN ADDITION TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OF PAYMENTS THAT HAVE TO GO TOWARD THAT AS WELL.
SO I WANT YOU ALL TO REMEMBER NOVEMBER. REMEMBER NOVEMBER.
IF WE WANT HISD TO BE GINA FOR GOVERNOR, WE MUST SEE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WILL NOW HOLD OUR PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE.
[Public Meeting to Discuss Budget and Proposed Tax Rate]
SUPERINTENDENT MILES. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YES, MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL OUR SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BUDGETING, DANIEL FLORES, TO SHARE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE.[00:40:02]
THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT. MILES. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.THIS CALENDAR. FINAL BUDGET MEETING TO ADOPT.
I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPERTY VALUES. 1 OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS BROUGHT IN FROM THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS THE TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT. SO A COMPARISON OF THE, OF 2 YEARS LAST YEAR IN THIS, IN THIS COMING YEAR BASED ON THE MEDIAN VALUE OF A HOMESTEAD, WHICH IS THAT SECOND COLUMN AND THE FINAL.
IT'S ONE OF THE NEW CODES THAT WE'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT THESE ARE THE 3 BUDGETS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO APPROVE THE GENERAL FUND, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND THEN ALSO THE NUTRITION SERVICE FUND.
THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WE WILL NOW CONSIDER ACTION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
BOARD POLICY REQUIRES BOARD MEMBERS TO ABSTAIN FROM ALL DISCUSSION AND VOTES PERTAINING TO CONTRACTS THAT MIGHT INVOLVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BOARD POLICY BFA LOCAL DEFINES A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AS ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT COULD CAST DOUBT ON A BOARD MEMBER'S ABILITY TO ACT WITH TOTAL OBJECTIVITY WITH REGARD TO THE DISTRICT'S INTERESTS.
WE HAVE 1 ITEM PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 1 APPROVAL OF THE OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE TRANSITION PLAN AND ADOPTION OF HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BLUEBONNET LEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.DO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER COLON AND A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER GORE. SUPERINTENDENT I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD BEFORE OUR VOTE.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. I'M HERE WITH A SHORT PRESENTATION ON HISD BLUEBONNET.
TYPICALLY, WHEN WE LOOK TO ADOPT A LITERACY CURRICULUM, THERE ARE A COUPLE CRITICAL RESEARCH FOCUSED TOPICS THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO IN MAKING THAT ADOPTION. AT1ST AND FOREMOST, WE ALWAYS WANT A LITERACY CURRICULUM TO ALIGN TO THE TEAKS ACROSS ALL THE GRADES BEING CONSIDERED.
2ND, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT CURRICULUM INCLUDES AN EXPLICIT SYSTEMATIC PHONICS SCOPE AND SEQUENCE INSTEAD OF SUPPORTS, AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT WILL ENSURE WE HELP KIDS LEARN HOW TO READ.
AND THEN 3RD, WE REALLY LOOK TO MAKE SURE ALL CURRICULUM HAS KNOWLEDGE RICH GRADE LEVEL TEXT.
THIS YEAR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ADOPTION, THERE'S THREE THINGS I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
AND THE FIRST IS THAT THE STATE BOARD APPROVED A REQUIRED VOCABULARY AND A REQUIRED READING LIST, AND THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO ALL TEXAS DISTRICTS.
THE UNDERLYING TEXT AND VOCABULARY IN THESE READING LISTS ARE THINGS THAT THE STATE WILL USE WHEN ASSESSING STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE LISTS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY WILL REALLY SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS BEING SUCCESSFUL AS THEY CONTINUE IN THEIR SCHOOLING. SECOND, RECENT LEGISLATION PASSED REQUIREMENTS OF TEACHING RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND ITS IMPACT ON HISTORY AND LITERATURE.
AND SO THERE'S A SET OF REQUIREMENTS THAT DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRED TO TEACH.
[00:45:03]
WHEN WE LOOKED AT BLUEBONNET SPECIFICALLY. BLUEBONNET DOES INCLUDE THE STATE BOARD TEXT AND VOCABULARY LISTS.LOOKING ACROSS THE STATE, ABOUT 365 UNIQUE DISTRICTS HAVE ADOPTED BLUEBONNET.
I THINK THIS IS 25-26 THIS YEAR. IT LOOKS TO BE ABOUT 100 MORE DISTRICTS ON TOP OF THAT.
ONE THING IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE WE DO NOTE THAT THIS IS HISD'S BLUEBONNET, IS THAT THE DISTRICT INTENDS TO UPDATE SOME OF THE UNDERLYING TEXTS WITH THE BLUEBONNET MATERIALS, AGAIN TO ALIGN WITH THAT STATE BOARD TEXT LIST, BUT WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR OWN LESSONS AND OUR OWN LSA ASSIGNMENTS. SO WHILE WE WILL USE THE BLUEBONNET TEXT, WE WILL STILL BUILD OUR OWN LESSON PLANS, OUR OWN LSA ASSIGNMENTS, AND THAT WILL ENSURE THAT TEACHERS THERE'S NOT A HUGE CHANGE FOR TEACHERS.
IT WILL ENABLE US TO MAINTAIN KEY CURRICULUM DESIGN COMPONENTS OF THE MODEL THAT WE'VE BUILT.
AND AGAIN, IT LIMITS THAT CHANGE FOR TEACHERS. SO THAT'S IT.
I'LL PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? YES. BOARD MEMBER GORE. THANK YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT OUR STATE AND OUR CITY AND THIS DISTRICT IS THE DIVERSITY.
RIGHT. I MEAN, IT'S WONDERFUL. AND THAT DIVERSITY EXTENDS DOWN TO THE WAY PEOPLE LEARN, RIGHT? WE HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSE LEARNERS. I THINK WHEN SOME PEOPLE HEAR CURRICULUM, THEY THINK OF IT AS LIKE A MONOLITHIC CONCEPT, RIGHT? LIKE ONE THING, CAN YOU CAN YOU ELABORATE HOW THIS CURRICULUM CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED FOR SOME OF OUR DIVERSE LEARNERS THAT, THAT ARE THAT ARE IN HISD. RIGHT. YES. I MEAN, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO PARTICULARLY FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR EMERGENT BILINGUAL POPULATIONS ARE WE EMBED INTO CURRICULUM WAYS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, FOR THE CURRICULUM AND CONTEXT OF ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
SO WE'LL WE'LL PREVIEW CONCEPTS IN SPANISH AT THE FRONT AND THE END OF THE LESSON.
AND WE'LL EMBED SCAFFOLDS THROUGHOUT THE LESSON WHERE WE CAN HIGHLIGHT COGNATES OR SIMILAR WORDS.
SO WE INGRAIN THOSE THINGS IN THE, THE DESIGN OF CURRICULUM.
AND ACTUALLY FOR EVERY LESSON THAT WE WRITE FOR OUR PRIMARILY ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASSROOMS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VERSION FOR OUR BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS THAT INCORPORATES THOSE THOSE SCAFFOLDS TO HELP THOSE STUDENTS LEARN.
AND SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE. I WOULD ADD TO THAT.
YES. SO ALSO THE ELLIS MODEL ITSELF, WE'RE WRITING THOSE EXTENDED LESSONS THAT ARE DIFFERENTIATED AND THAT REALLY HELPS A DIVERSE POPULATION OF STUDENTS.
THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. SO WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT HERE IS WE HAVE SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH USING OUR OWN CURRICULUM.
ARE YOU ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THIS CURRICULUM WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS WELL? AND THEN RELATEDLY, WHY GO? WHY TAKE THIS PATH AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUING TO USE THE CURRICULUM THAT WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH INVESTMENT IN YOU.
I KNOW YOU HAVE WORKED ON THAT A LOT. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT? ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE DESIGN OF THE CURRICULUM IS THAT EVERY LESSON IS DESIGNED AROUND A VERY SPECIFIC ACADEMIC LEARNING OBJECTIVE. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO ENSURE THAT EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERLYING SET OF TEXTS THAT THE LESSON REMAINS FOCUSED ON THE ACADEMIC LEARNING OBJECTIVE. AS WE PROGRESS FORWARD. AND YES, WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN THE CURRICULUM, BUT WE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE TEXT EVERY YEAR.
AND WE'VE ADDED NOVELS, WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS OVER TIME.
ALIGN FOCUSED LEARNING OBJECTIVE. YES, DEPUTY.
[00:50:03]
YOU MIGHT ALSO, IF I GET THIS WRONG, JUST CORRECT ME.BUT MUCH OF THE CURRICULUM THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WILL REMAIN.
BOTH THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM AND THE HISD CURRICULUM IS AMPLIFIED BASED ORIGINALLY.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER TEXTBOOK THAT WAS USED IN THIS DISTRICT AND MANY OTHER PLACES.
OR AT LEAST PILOTED IN THIS DISTRICT. SO MANY OF THE LESSONS ARE THE SAME.
THE TEAKS ARE VERY MUCH THE SAME, OR MOST OF THEM ARE THE SAME, SO.
WHILE IT SOUNDS LIKE A MASSIVE CHANGE, IT ISN'T.
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, THERE'S NO QUESTION.
SOME OF THE TEXTS WILL BE DIFFERENT, BUT A LOT OF IT WILL BE THE SAME.
OUR ESTIMATE IS ABOUT 40% IS DIFFERENT. 60% IS THE SAME.
I'M OBVIOUSLY FAMILIAR WITH THE RESULTS THAT THIS TEAM OVER HERE HAS ACHIEVED HERE IN HOUSTON.
CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT THE DATA HAVE BORNE OUT ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM? YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE USED IT.
WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE NOT ANALYZED THE DATA OF OTHER DISTRICTS CURRICULUM.
AND WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT GRADE LEVEL, COMPLEX TEXTS ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF HELPING ENSURE WE CAN PREPARE KIDS FOR POST-SECONDARY READINESS. IF WE CONTINUE TO TEACH KIDS AT GRADE LEVEL, WHICH MEANS ALLOW THEM TO DEEPLY UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THEIR READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS TO THOSE COMPLEX TEXTS AND THOSE UPPER GRADES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PREPARE THEM.
AND THEN AGAIN, THAT EXPLICIT SYSTEMATIC PHONICS THAT ENABLES KIDS TO LEARN HOW TO READ.
AND CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE START OF SCHOOL? RIGHT. ROLL OUT IMPLEMENTATION, THAT SORT OF STUFF.
HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE FOR OUR TEACHERS? THE DESIGN OF THE CURRICULUM, THE PRIMARY DESIGN DOES NOT CHANGE FOR TEACHERS. THEY WILL STILL RECEIVE A LESSON PLAN IN THE FORMAT OF THE LESSON.
THEY WILL STILL HAVE LSE AS DEFINED AND AS DESCRIBED.
AND ANYTIME THERE'S A NEW TEXT, THEY HAVE THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PLANNED FOR IT.
ALL RIGHT. NOW. NOW, SEPARATE FROM THE TEACHERS.
SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE ALREADY AT WORK IN TERMS OF PUTTING A LOT OF THIS STUFF INTO PRACTICE.
IS THAT WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW OVER THE SUMMER BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS? YES, WE DO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY AHEAD IN CURRICULUM BASED ON WHEN A TEACHER WOULD HAVE TO TEACH THAT LESSON.
AND TO PUT IT SIMPLY RIGHT, OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS AUGUST 13TH.
THAT'S AFTER SCHOOL STARTS. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PUT OFF UNTIL THEN.
FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT? NO. I MEAN, YOU WANT SOME CLARITY FOR TEACHERS.
YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE AT LEAST 6 WEEKS MATERIAL AHEAD OF TIME.
AND YOU WANT YOU WANT THE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS, THE WHOLE SCHOOL SYSTEM, TO KNOW THAT THIS IS THE CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE TO DELAY IT AND MAKE A VOTE. THEN IT'S JUST YOU'RE STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF WITHOUT THAT SORT OF CLARITY.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE SLIDE WHERE YOU HAD THE BOOKS, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU WOULD STILL BE MAKING LESSON PLANS IN LSE AND WE KEEP SAYING THAT, BUT CAN YOU REMIND US AND THE POPULATION, WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THAT WHAT IT IS Y'ALL ARE MAKING FOR THE TEACHERS? SO WE TAKE THE UNDERLYING TEXT. AND WITH THAT, WE MAKE A STUDENT FACING SET OF MATERIALS THAT THE TEACHER USES TO PROJECT IN THE CLASSROOM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE BUILD FOR THEM.
SO WE BUILD THAT. AND THAT PROVIDES THE TEACHER THE LESSON PLAN TO WALK THE STUDENTS THROUGH OVER THE COURSE OF A LESSON, HOW TO MEET THAT PRIMARY LEARNING OBJECTIVE OF THE DAY.
SO WE BUILD THAT STUDENT FACING SET OF MATERIALS FOR THE TEACHER.
AND THEN WHEN WE REFER TO LSE WHAT THAT IS, IS A SET OF 4 DIFFERENTIATED STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSIGNMENTS THAT A STUDENT CAN DO AT THE END OF THAT LESSON BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY MASTERED THE LEARNING OBJECTIVE.
[00:55:04]
PUSHES, THEIR THINKING AND THEIR WORK EVEN FURTHER.AND IF THEY DID NOT MASTER THE LEARNING OBJECTIVE, THEY GET A SET OF ASSIGNMENTS THAT FURTHER SCAFFOLDS AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO STAY FOR A SECOND, TEACH WITH THAT TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THEN IN THAT SECOND BIT OF TIME TO GET ADDITIONAL TIME WITH THE TEACHER IF THEY WERE STRUGGLING, BUT THEN GET THAT MORE ADVANCED WORK, IF THEY MASTERED IT AND ARE ABLE TO, TO PUSH THE THINKING FURTHER.
SO FOR CLARIFICATION, THE YOUR TEAM IS WORKING FOR THOSE MATERIALS OVER THE SUMMER.
THAT IS THE SCAFFOLDING THAT'S PROVIDED. AND SO THE TEACHERS STILL HAVE THE SAME.
IT'S JUST YOU HAVE NOW DONE THE WORK TO SWAP OUT THE CONTENT, THE READING THAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO YES, THEY WILL RECEIVE ALL THE SAME MATERIALS AND SUPPORTS.
THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS, SO I DO SORRY. JUST SO THE WAY YOUR THE KEY INDICATORS RIGHT NOW TO GET TO STUDENT SUCCESS AND WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT, IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE? IS IT, ARE WE ADDING ANYTHING OR. NO, IT'S STILL REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON MAKING SURE ALL STUDENTS CAN BECOME GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENT AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF IF THEY'RE BEHIND, ARE ACCESSING GRADE LEVEL TEXT AT THE RIGHT COMPLEXITY FOR THEIR GRADE LEVEL.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT IS JUST MAKING SURE ALL KIDS ARE PROGRESSING.
SO EVEN OUR MEET STUDENTS NEED TO GET TO MASTERS OR [INAUDIBLE] APPROACHES NEED TO GET OUR APPROACHES, OUR APPROACHES NEEDS TO GET TO MEET. SO ALL STUDENTS NEED TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND OUR STUDENTS MOST BEHIND.
WE NEED TO GROW MORE AND FASTER. SO ONE OTHER QUESTION.
I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THERE'S ALREADY I DO KNOW THIS.
THERE'S ALREADY SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE USING THE BLUEBONNET.
AND THERE'S YOU ARE SAYING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOUNDS LIKE 100 MORE GOING TO BE USING IT.
IS THERE A HISTORY OF SUCCESS YET OR IS IT TOO EARLY? IS IT. WE'VE WE, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE CURRICULUM ON ITS OWN AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU ADOPT IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE THING THAT DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT A DISTRICT IS SUCCESSFUL. THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF SUCCESS IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRICULUM AND WHETHER IT'S DELIVERED WITH QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION. WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO KNOW OF THE 100 DISTRICTS OR THE 365 PLUS ANOTHER 100 THIS YEAR.
THAT'S FAIR. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND SOMETHING FOR THE SCHOOLS. THOSE ARE OUR AUTONOMOUS SCHOOLS, CORRECT.
SO FOR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED OR PURCHASED ANOTHER CURRICULUM FOR NEXT YEAR, WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS? QUESTION NUMBER ONE AND QUESTION NUMBER TWO, WILL THOSE SCHOOLS BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE USING THEIR SELECTED CURRICULUM? IF ANY SCHOOL HAS ALREADY ADOPTED A DIFFERENT CURRICULUM, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO USE THAT CURRICULUM.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE. SO AS I HAVE APPRECIATED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CURRICULUM SO MUCH OF IT IS BEING THOUGHTFUL, USING KNOWLEDGE RICH TEXTS, USING COMPLEX TEXTS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INTENTIONALITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DO IN 3RD GRADE AND 2ND GRADE, YOU KNOW, HAS TO HAVE ECHOES OF WHAT YOU LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SLIDE BETWEEN 2ND GRADE, 3RD GRADE, 3RD GRADE, 4TH GRADE, AND YOU ALL HAVE MADE A LOT OF THOSE CALLS.
I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT NOW IS IF WE'RE SWITCHING FROM SOMETHING TO SOMETHING ELSE, ARE WE NOW GOING TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE REPEATING SOMETHING IN 3RD GRADE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY COVERED IN 2ND GRADE, OR ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING? SO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE TRANSITION AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR KIDS WHO ARE GOING BETWEEN THE 2 CURRICULUMS, EACH OF WHICH HAS BEEN INTENDED TO COVER THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, K TO 3, 3 TO 8, YOU KNOW, TIMELINE IN, IN AMPLIFY. PREVIOUSLY IN THE BLUEBONNET, THERE IS GRADE LEVEL TEXT THAT'S ASSIGNED TO EVERY GRADE.
[01:00:01]
SO TEXT THAT YOU READ IN THIRD GRADE ISN'T TEXT THAT'S REPEATED IN FOURTH GRADE.THEY DESIGN IT THAT WAY. AND WITH THE ADOPTION OF BLUEBONNET, IT'S NOT MOVING TEXT BETWEEN GRADES.
IT IS JUST REPLACING SOME OF THE TEXT IN SOME GRADES WITH NEW TEXT.
A LOT OF THE TEXT OF WHICH WAS ADOPTED ON THE STATE BOARD'S LIST.
AND I THINK YOU ACTUALLY ASKED THIS QUESTION EARLIER.
TYPICALLY, IN READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS, IF A KID IS READING A TEXT FOR THE SECOND TIME OR THE THIRD TIME, THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AROUND WHAT THAT TEXT IS TALKING ABOUT.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU 1 MORE QUESTION, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT.
I HAVE REVIEWED A NUMBER OF THE BLUEBONNET MATERIALS.
I'VE ACTUALLY REVIEWED MORE OF THAT THAN I HAVE OF THE HISD CREATED CURRICULUM, AND I KNOW WE HAVE HEARD A A SERIES OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE INCLUSION OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS AND, AND IT OBVIOUSLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TO.
MY VIEW BASED ON MY REVIEW IS THAT IT'S NOT PROSELYTIZATION, IT IS NOT RELIGIOUS INDOCTRINATION AT ALL, BUT RATHER IT IS THE USE OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS IN A FEW INSTANCES FOR PROVIDING CONTEXT TO OTHER PERHAPS HISTORICAL TEXTS. YOU KNOW, A LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, READING IN CONJUNCTION THE RELIGIOUS TEXTS THAT ARE ALLUDED TO IN THAT LETTER FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THE CONNECTIONS. YOU'VE BEEN IN EDUCATION A LONG TIME.
IN YOUR VIEW, IS THIS CURRICULUM OVERTLY RELIGIOUS CURRICULUM OR NOT. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT BY LAW, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROMOTE ANY RELIGION.
AND SO THE GUIDANCE TO TEACHERS IS THAT YOU ARE YOU ARE NOT TO PROMOTE RELIGION.
YOU ARE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE ACADEMIC LEARNING OBJECTIVE AND NOT DO THAT PROMOTION.
WE ARE NEUTRAL ON ANY ONE RELIGION AND THAT'S THE GUIDANCE THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE.
ALL RIGHT. BUT I ASK I'LL ASK YOU A SLIGHTLY MORE PRECISE QUESTION.
DO YOU VIEW THIS CURRICULUM AS ANY SORT OF RELIGIOUS INDOCTRINATION? NO, SIR. OKAY. NOR DO I JUST I'VE REVIEWED THE DOCUMENT.
THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT IT IS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
LET ME GO. JUST, IF YOU DON'T MIND. JUST A STEP FURTHER ON THAT WILL HISD BE ABLE TO ADAPT THE CURRICULUM FOR THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR COMMUNITY? AS WAS POINTED OUT EARLIER, THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ACROSS A WHOLE RANGE OF LINES RELIGION, LANGUAGE, CULTURE.
AND IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY AS TEACHERS GO THROUGH THIS, THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SOMEHOW ADAPT THAT, OR YOU WILL HELP THEM ADAPT THAT SO THAT THERE IS NO OVERT PRESSURE ON ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE LIVE.
SO WE DO APPEAR NEUTRAL IN THE WAY THIS TEACHES CHILDREN.
WE CONTINUOUSLY ADAPT OUR CURRICULUM EVERY YEAR BASED ON TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL FEEDBACK.
AND WHEN ANYONE TEACHER HAS A LESSON, THE GUIDANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO TEACHERS THAT YOU STAY FOCUSED ON THE LEARNING OBJECTIVE AND THEY DO CONTINUOUSLY ADAPT FOR THEIR ACTUAL INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS. YEAH. BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR TOO WITH, WITH REGARD TO TEACHERS AND THE CONTENT THAT IS REQUIRED READING FROM THE STATE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ALLOWING TEACHERS TO ADAPT THE CURRICULUM, AS WE ARE CAREFUL NOW, BECAUSE ONE WAY TO GET POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS PROSELYTIZATION IS TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE MAKE THAT DISCERNMENT.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE WE'VE WE'VE LEFT THE POLITICS OF IT.
IN AUSTIN. I DON'T, I DON'T GET TO CHOOSE WHAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, NOR DO I WANT TO CHOOSE WHAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES OR DOESN'T APPROVE. THEY ARE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT THEY GET A JOB. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE A JOB.
[01:05:02]
INVOLVED IN SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DID PASS, AND THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS.I AM NOT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, AND THAT'S NOT MY JOB.
MY JOB IS TO TEACH READING THE TEAKS, THE STANDARDS THAT THE STATE HAS.
I DON'T GET TO CHOOSE WHAT TEAKS THEY HAVE. WHAT I DO GET TO DO AND I GET THE TEAM TO DO.
WE ARE EXPERTS AT HELPING KIDS LEARN HOW TO READ, HOW TO DO MATH AND PREPARE FOR YEAR 2030 WORKPLACE AND WORLD AND THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
AND PART OF THAT REQUIRES US TO BE PRETTY STANDARD IN HOW WE TEACH THE DELIVERY OF INSTRUCTION AND THE CLOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN INSTRUCTION AND CURRICULUM. AND SO THAT IS WHAT HAS MADE US SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR PEOPLE TO, TO CHANGE THE CURRICULUM BASED ON THEIR OWN POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. WE'LL STAY APOLITICAL AND RELIGION AGNOSTIC.
SUPERINTENDENT, CAN I ASK YOU, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE.
WILL THIS CURRICULUM. ALLOW THIS TEAM TO KEEP DOING WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING? CAN THEY STILL DO THIS WITH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING WITH THIS CURRICULUM? YES, SIR.
SO THIS I MEAN, YOU YOU POINTED OUT THAT SO MUCH GOES SO MUCH WORK EXPERTISE AND TIME AND INVESTMENT GOES INTO MAKING A GOOD CURRICULUM.
ALSO, WHETHER IT'S BLUEBONNET OR AMPLIFY OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND SO THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THAT.
THIS TEAM WILL BE ABLE TO DO EXACTLY THAT. AND IN THE END OF THE DAY, WE THINK JUST LIKE WE HAVE FOR 3 YEARS IN A ROW, NEXT YEAR, MORE STUDENTS WILL BE READING AT GRADE LEVEL.
THAT'S THE JOB. THEN THIS YEAR, AND YOU IMPLICITLY SAID THIS, I WANT TO ASK TO MAKE IT EXPLICIT.
IS THIS A GOOD CURRICULUM? I MEAN, GOOD, GOOD IS A, YOU KNOW, IS A IS PRETTY VALUE LADEN WORD.
BUT LET ME LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY. THIS CURRICULUM WILL ALLOW US TO HELP KIDS GROW IN THEIR READING SKILLS AND HELP US TEACH PHONICS AND CONTENT. SO IT'S A CURRICULUM THAT'S EFFECTIVE IN HELPING KIDS LEARN HOW TO READ.
AND THAT ADDED BECAUSE OF CONTENT THAT ADDED TO THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING, LIKE THE ART OF THINKING IS GOING TO GET THEM BETTER PREPARED FOR YEAR 2030 2035 WORLD AND WORKPLACE. THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT.
AND WHAT WHAT AGES DOES THIS CURRICULUM COVER? JUST SO WE'RE ALL CLEAR. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
5. 5H GRADE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM1 APPROVAL OF THE OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE TRANSITION PLAN AND ADOPTION OF HOUSE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. BLUEBONNET LEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
I VOTE YES. THE VOTING HAS CLOSED. I VOTE YES. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD THAT.
YES, WE HEARD YOU. THANK YOU. PERFECT. THANK YOU.
THAT IS 7 YES AND NO OPPOSED, 0 ABSTENTIONS. THE MOTION PASSES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA?
[CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEMS BY CONSENSUS AGENDA. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.I HAVE A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER ROSALES AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER COLON.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? AND PLEASE VOTE. PLEASE VOTE YES.
THANK YOU SIR. THE VOTING IS CLOSED. WE HAVE 7 IN FAVOR.
THE NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD AUGUST 13TH, 2026.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED AT 6:11 P.M.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.