Houston district cracks down on school parties
HOUSTON — Superintendent Mike Miles issued updated guidance about holiday parties in Houston district schools to principals two weeks ago, leading at least one elementary school principal to cancel celebrations outright before reinstating the parties at the eleventh hour.
Miles, who has been criticized for imposing stringent rules as the leader of the district after a state takeover, informed principals at a recent meeting that schools were welcome to hold holiday parties for students during lunch and recess, and before or after school, according to district spokesman Joseph Sam. If the celebrations were to be held during class time, they had to be “tied to instruction,” Sam said.
Families and staff members at Bell Elementary in southwest Houston, however, received a letter Tuesday evening from Principal Kizzy Luke saying she had been “notified that class parties are no longer allowed,” and telling them to cancel orders for purchases such as pizza and cupcakes.
“Again, classroom parties are strictly prohibited and will not take place,” Luke wrote.
Sam said the information in Luke’s letter was “inaccurate.” A teacher at Bell informed the Houston Chronicle that Luke walked back her instructions Wednesday evening and was allowing Thursday’s parties to move forward under the stipulations laid out by the district.
It was not immediately clear if any others in the 274-school district had fully canceled their celebrations.
Teachers and parents at several other elementary schools told the Chronicle that parties Wednesday and Thursday were being held as planned, though some expressed frustration with the tighter constraints, such as a rule against playing movies. In previous years, teachers might have flexibility to move their schedules around to accommodate parties at the end of the school day.