That is why Madison High School and other students are protesting. They want to learn and be treated with dignity.

Help our kids. Can you bring a book and read it before and during the HISD board meeting this week?  To sign up to speak, sign up by noon on Wed. Here's how.

The media is reporting that the kids are protesting about the new cell phone policy, but Madison students say it is so much more.

One student wrote on Instagram, “We walked out of school because everyday at James Madison High School is feeling like jail. High school is supposed to be a space to get your education, make memories and find yourself…We walked out because school doesn’t feel like the warm environment it used to be. We walked out because our library is used for everything but reading. 

We walked out because we never had enough time to fully understand TEKS (a portion of the subject we are learning) because the “NES” system doesn’t account for review time. We walked out for change.”

Here are their demands. Page 1 and Page 2

Register online or print this form in English or (espanol), sign it, and email it to [email protected] by Wednesday at noon.

Here are suggested agenda items to sign up for.

• Choose Agenda item 5 (approval of 3rd grade reading goals) to speak about books being banned from classrooms in NES Schools 
• Choose Agenda item 8 (approval of school calendar) if you want to speak about the expansion of NES across HISD
• Choose Agenda item 10 (approval of minutes) or hearing of community for any other topics - the dehumanizing conditions in which children are learning, firing teachers for dimming the lights, etc. Also, if you are arriving later than 5 pm, this gives you time to get to the board meeting.

Or simply bring a book and read it on Thursday.