HOUSTON — Nearly 60 additional schools have opted into the new superintendent’s reform program in a major development in the state takeover of Houston Independent School District.
What does this mean for the schools involved? That’s what a lot of people are waiting to see in the new school year.
New leadership in HISD said this program will bring struggling schools more support.
It’s called the New Education System, or NES. Twenty-eight schools identified as underperforming were added to the program first. Now, an additional 57 schools have voluntarily joined the initiative.
District officials said NES schools will get additional support in areas like course curriculum offerings, PowerPoints, and demonstrational learning.
“This is very much a supporting model, one that will help teachers do their job better and help principals do their job better,” HISD Superintendent Mike Miles said.
On the other hand, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers is concerned schools in the program will be treated differently.
“We’ve always known that HISD is the tale of two cities, and it appears to me that the NES model is further strengthening that concept—that some people are going to be treated differently from others,” said Jackie Anderson with the Houston Federation of Teachers.
On top of shake-ups in schools, HISD employees are also bracing for big changes. More than 500 positions have been cut at HISD’s central office.
An employee shared an email with KHOU 11 that said virtual meetings will be happening Wednesday to talk to employees about their now eliminated jobs and placement in new positions.
The meeting will be virtual. According to that email, employees can have an attorney present as long as they let the district know ahead of time.