Laura Henry, a national board-certified English teacher and respected HISD educator until last June, recently wrote, “Remember when finals week was for reviewing exams? Not under Mike Miles. He believes there’s ‘no time to waste,’ so high school students no longer get half-days to study. Instead, teachers must teach full classes on exam days, with appraisers ensuring bell-to-bell busy work—even after the semester is over.”

She continues, “Last year, on the last day of final exams, teachers were required to use error-riddled slides for test prep on “synthesizing.” One teacher was even walked off campus ‘for playing chess with his students and playing music after the kids had  finished their final exam.’

“When HISD students don’t have time to study, they aren’t competing on a level playing field with peers across the state. Without study time, they miss out on developing essential study skills, and without time to breathe, we risk burning them out at a young age.

Unfortunately, this harmful practice persists. This week, Central Division Senior Executive Director Davila told high school teachers they couldn’t review for finals, dismissing student-produced work as "Crayola curriculum." Miles even issued a memo stating that class parties are only permitted during the last hour of the day in elementary schools and before school hours in high schools.

“Taking brain breaks, having time to think about ideas, studying, and even saying goodbye to friends is not wasted time. A shallow, disconnected curriculum focused solely on STAAR prep that’s forgotten as soon as students leave the room—now, that’s wasted time.”