Miles keeps on wasting dollars meant for children!
Sign up to speak at the Thursday HISD Board meeting by noon TODAY.
- Sign up link at http://houstonisd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
- Instructions and agenda packet are at https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1Ye5vrE7wSwE_1wfAoUTSEVEFo7VloyAv7EUQpQaFv-w/mobilebasic
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If you speak about agenda item 1, it is possible but not certain that you will speak before 6 pm. They will then talk about agenda item 1 and then continue with in person and then Zoom speakers.
Here is a summary of a couple of agenda items you could sign up from the horrible new teacher evaluation system, students not learning in the NES culture, etc.
Agenda item 3: Miles’ new teacher evaluation system worsens inequity and will lead to an even bigger exodus of strong teachers from HISD. Houston ISD released the final draft of its Teacher Excellence System (TES), an evaluation system designed to “evaluate and enhance performance.” The system purports to adequately measure and assess teacher performance in four domains. Unfortunately, the plans for assessing these components contain significantly shortcomings that undermine the system’s goals.
Evaluating teacher performance
Spot Observations – A teacher’s Quality of Instruction is based on classroom observations. During the year, each teacher may receive as few as seven (7) or as many as twenty-eight (28) “Spot observations” that count toward their score for this domain. During a spot observation, teachers can receive a combined 15 points for perfect scores in five areas (e.g., Planning, Monitor & Adjust). These areas address characteristics of high-quality instruction, but they are poorly defined, and the resulting scores offer teachers little or no information about what or how to improve.
Targeted Distribution – One of the most troubling aspects of TES is how it rates teachers by comparing them to other teachers. It grades teachers on a curve.
TES is built on the belief that it is more important to win (do better than your colleagues) than to succeed (meet high standards). Targeted Distribution is designed to limit the number of teachers rated as exemplary and requires that other teachers be rated as poor. This emphasis on competition is apparent throughout the system. For example, points are awarded for students’ achievement on high-stakes tests based on a teacher’s results compared to other teachers. The opportunity to apply for recognition as a Distinguished Teacher depends on a teacher’s rating compared to others rather than solely on their merits and accomplishments.
Research provides ample evidence that when teachers work in schools that support collective responsibility and collaboration, student achievement is greater than in those in which teachers compete for ratings.
Agenda item 1: NES Student Performance and Goal progress measures.
Share your concerns about data, curriculum or student learning and how Miles is misusing it to harm student learning.
The agenda item reads in part,”bassed on MOY 2024 data, the administration increased the 2028 long-term target for GPM 1.2 from 38% to 44% and adjusted the SY24-25 interim goal from 23% to 29%. While these changes were reported, they were not officially approved by the Board. Since the original long-term target of 38% was not met at that time, all targets are reset to their initial values."
Translation: Miles decided to increase their goals but, since the board didn't officially approve them and HISD DID NOT meet these goals, they lowered them again for these charts. Shame on them.
Also, it seems unrealistic to expect a 10-20 percentage point increase in 5 years. Miles frontloads 1 and 2% gains in years 1 and 2, kicking the can down the road for most of the supposed growth. The MAP is intended to inform instructional strategies, but why use it if teachers at NES schools are provided with scripted curriculum?
Also, it is unrealistic to expect a 10-20 percentage point increase in 5 years? The MAP is intended to inform instructional strategies, but why use it if teachers at NES schools are provided with scripted curriculum?
Agenda 8: Approval of Vendor Awards Over $1,000,000
Choose this item if you are concerned about how Miles is spending money like a drunken sailor. When the takeover happened, one of the first things Miles and the rubberstamping board of managers did was to change the threshold for board approval for contracts from $100K to $1 Million
Agenda item 20: Conflict of Interest states in part "The committee shall analyze possible conflict of interest disclosures involving the Superintendent and shall make recommendations to the Board for appropriate action..." What will they do? Ask you to send any concerns to [email protected]
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