HOUSTON — More parents reached out to us, concerned about a new ‘open door’ classroom policy at New Education System (NES) schools within the Houston ISD.
State-appointed superintendent Mike Miles has said the policy will make it easier for administrators to pop into classrooms to watch teachers and coach them, but the parents of an incoming second grader tell us they fear it will make students and staff more vulnerable in the event of a school shooting.
The district released a statement to KHOU 11 on Thursday, saying, “NES and NESA campuses will, to the greatest extent possible, keep classroom doors open to foster a collaborative environment that allows administrators to observe teachers and effectively coach them. Doors that open to the outside will not be left open. Principals have discretion to allow for closed doors in situations where leaving a classroom door open will be disruptive to teaching and learning.
This policy will be reflected in district regulation.”
That is what Miles told us for a story on August 4 about the school doors. You can see his response below.
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Security was the top concern you told us about in our back-to-school survey. We will continue to get answers for you. Let us know about your concerns in our survey below.