Teaching is an honorable profession. Learning is a beautiful thing. Under normal circumstances, it’s wise policy to develop partnerships with area universities to increase the number of well-trained teachers for our schools.
But how can we trust Mike Miles who is more focused on propaganda and spin than on students?
Recently, the Houston Chronicle reported that HISD spent nearly $470,000 on Mike Miles’ self-written August HISD convocation musical in which high school students were tricked into performing and forced to sign NDAs.
Miles’ announcement of an HISD and TSU College of Education partnership to establish a pipeline for future teachers is yet another PR stunt. The program will serve just seven students in year one and sixteen in year two.
Miles also expects teacher apprentices to be superhuman. Former teacher apprentice Nataly Reyna says she was thrown into the classroom with no support. “Despite not being certified as a teacher and being hired to serve as a teacher apprentice (supposedly support) at Gallegos Elementary, one of the 85 (NES or NESA) campuses, Reyna was told on the first day of classes that they would fill in as lead teacher due to a vacancy.
From Miles’ powerpoint, if the teacher apprentice doesn’t become a full-time teacher of record during their first year, they can not be hired for a second year as a teacher apprentice. Will that mean they are also dropped from the TSU teacher certification partnership program? Furthermore, pressuring college students to maintain a full student load plus a full teaching load is bad for college students and worse for schoolchildren.
If Miles’ draconian and mean-spirited learning and teaching conditions persist, the graduates will probably take their certification to another district and teach there. Some will abandon teaching entirely. Que lastima.
Will you help fight back? Before winter break, can you ask three friends, parents, teachers, PTO leaders or college students to sign the petition at houstoncvpe.org to oppose the takeover? We’ll follow up and help get them involved in the fight for our public schools!
With the year drawing to a close, if you have a moment, would you update your annual CVPE membership with a donation of any amount, $10 on up? Donate here.
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