Democracy and local control matter when it comes to schools. We need more democracy, not less.
Before the takeover, HISD had an elected board accountable to voters. There was an agenda review board meeting on the first Thursday of each month for people to weigh in on the agenda ahead of the board meeting on the second Thursday of each month.
Since the takeover, the agenda review meeting has been renamed a work session or, more recently, a “special meeting.” No agenda packet is available to the public. No preview of the items up for a board vote. Nothing. The “board of managers” simply rubberstamps every decision, no matter how wrong for children.
Miles is doing his level best to keep us all in the dark about the important task of educating our children. The agenda packet here and is as bare bones as it gets
Will you speak at the “board meeting” on Thursday at 5 pm against the harmful impact of the state takeover and against Miles’ attempts to harm our children and dismantle our public schools? You must register by Wednesday at noon. Click here for instructions to register as a speaker. You can also get help signing up at a short info session tonight from 8-8:30 pm. RSVP for Zoom link here.
Click here: https://houstonisd.legistar is.com/Calendar.aspx
- Click on e-comment for the meeting for which you want to register. It is on the FAR right of the screen.
- Sign in or create an account if you do not already have one.
- Click on the agenda item you want to sign up for. Click on both “register to speak” and “I agree.”
- You will get an email confirmation immediately after you sign up. If you do not receive it, check your spam folder.
- If you want to speak on Zoom, you need to fill out the Zoom form in the email you receive.
- HINT: for 112/7, sign up for "workshop topic" or any of the "personnel" items. Speak about anything, terminations, harm to kids, loss of libraries, DOI plan to permanently eliminate certifications up for a final vote next week
Speak about the absurd and illegal restroom policy in which HISD admin has stipulated that “that children are discouraged, and, in some cases, banned from using the restroom during class.” An HISD parent said, “My 6th grader is “holding it” all day because she’s not allowed to use the restroom and that can cause bladder infections for girls plus so many middle schoolers are starting their periods. Should we all get doctors' notes or maybe the pediatrician organizations can say something?
Speak about the harmful impact of canceling the Verizon program that provided free internet to students without wifi at home. On Monday, Texas lawmakers sent a letter to F Mike Miles asking him to reconsider a decision to end a program that provided free Verizon internet access to tens of thousands of students.
Speak about NES and NES-A elementary school teachers recently told that they will be “automatically terminated after 10 absences regardless of total available leave.” The email received yesterday further stipulated that each absence after three absences will result in a division-issued memo. “After three total write-ups, an employee is not eligible for their stipend.” There is something seriously wrong in the state of Denmark.
Even if Miles and the board of managers are not listening, the public is. The media is. The nation is.
Your voice matters. Speak on Thursday.
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