HISD moves to avoid takeover
15 low-performing schools would be given two options for improvement
Houston ISD administrators have proposed dramatic changes to 15 lowperforming schools that, if approved, could temporarily prevent the state from taking over the district’s Board of Trustees or shuttering campuses.
In a bid to pre-empt state intervention and improve academic performance, the district is proposing two options for each of the 15 schools: either allow an outside organization to take control of hiring and curriculum, or close and immediately reopen the campus with entirely new staff and programming before the 2018-19 academic year.
Under the latter option, the campuses would only serve limited grade levels in 2018-19 — pre-kindergarten and kindergarten in elementary schools, sixth grade in middle schools and ninth grade in high schools. As a result, the majority of students at any close-and-reopen school would be displaced in 2018-19. Each campus would add one grade level in subsequent years.
The sweeping proposal, which remains in the early stages, comes as Houston ISD faces significant sanctions for its failure to improve chronically lowperforming schools following the 2015 passage of a law known as HB 1842.
Under the law, the Texas Education Agency must close any school that receives five consecutive “improvement required” ratings for poor academic
performance — a designation received by about 5 percent of schools annually — or take over the school district’s Board of Trustees. Ten Houston ISD schools have received “improvement required” ratings in each of the past four years, putting them at risk of triggering HB 1842 this summer.
A separate law, known as SB 1882, gives districts a shortterm reprieve from punishment if they form partnerships with nonprofits, higher education institutions or charter schools. Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza said the district is exploring partnerships with nonprofits, colleges and universities, which would allow the district to retain local control over the school board. Charter schools aren’t being considered, he said.
“It seems like we’re threading the needle in a way that will satisfy lots of different requirements but still feels authentic to who we are,” Carranza said of the proposal.
All 10 of the schools that must improve to avoid punishment under HB 1842 are being considered for partnerships or close-and-reopen plans, along with five other campuses that have been rated “improvement required” for consecutive years and could struggle to meet the state standard in the future. The ratings are largely based on whether schools meet targets for student performance and progress on state standardized tests. Several schools, for example, were rated “improvement required” because too few students passed the state’s math, reading, writing, science and social studies tests.
The 15 campuses subject to major changes are Blackshear, Dogan, Highland Heights, Hilliard, Mading and Wesley elementary schools; Cullen, Henry and Lawson middle schools; Woodson PK-8; and Kashmere, Madison, North Forest, Wheatley and Worthing high schools. They combined to serve about 11,400 students last year.
Lives upended
District administrators haven’t recommended which schools would employ partnerships or close-and-reopen. They are expected to present recommendations at a Feb. 1 board meeting, with community meetings planned throughout the month. Administrators are aiming for a board vote on the changes by early March.
The proposed changes will likely rattle parents and staff in the 15 schools, whose lives could be altered under the plan. Mading Elementary School parent Jeanette Tillery said it would be “a huge detriment” to her family if her son, a second-grader, was forced out of his home campus by a close-and-reopen decision
“My heart is just breaking to think that could even be a possibility,” Tillery said. “Relationships are the big thing here. I feel like they actually care for us like we’re not just a number.”
Houston ISD leaders have the option of making no major changes to the 10 schools and hoping they all meet state standards this year, avoiding punishment from the state. But that would be risky given that a few schools would need to make monumental progress to meet state standards.
The district’s chief academic officer, Grenita Lathan, said five additional schools are recommended for changes based on past academic performance and changes to the state’s accountability system, which could make it more difficult to meet standards.
“I’m not saying today that they’re not going to (meet state standards),” Lathan said. “I’m telling you, academically, we have some concerns, and we need to strengthen their academic programming.”
District officials are moving forward with the proposal as they await the Texas Education Agency’s decision on whether to issue state accountability ratings to districts affected by Hurricane Harvey, including Houston ISD.
The state gave a one-year reprieve to districts affected by Hurricane Ike. A similar break would give Houston ISD an additional year to improve performance at the 10 long-failing schools before triggering the new state law.
Reshaping campuses
Both options for revamping schools would reshape campuses.
If a school forms a partnership, the outside organization would take complete control over curriculum, governance and hiring decisions. Current staff members would remain Houston ISD employees, retaining their contracts and benefits.
District officials haven’t said which organizations would be considered for partnerships.
At close-and-reopen schools, all staff members would be automatically replaced — even though some of the 15 campuses underwent staffing overhauls this year in an effort to improve student performance. District administrators said they would plan to shuffle staff members currently at close-and-reopen schools into other positions.
“We want to be really clear that we’re not going to be wholesale firing teachers and getting rid of people,” Carranza said.
Close-and-reopen schools would also have a new curriculum or theme. District administrators didn’t offer specific examples under consideration.
It’s also not immediately clear whether accommodations would be made for students who could no longer attend their current school, given that those campuses would serve only pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, sixth and ninth grades in 2018-19.
Newly elected HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, whose district includes eight of the 15 schools, said she’s withholding judgment on the proposal until she receives more specifics. She said she supports partnerships over closing and reopening schools, adding that the district would need to select reputable partners.
“I’m not opposed if it’s something that looks like it’s for the kids,” Skillern-Jones said. “For me, it’s not about avoiding takeover. It’s about making the best academic decision for the kids. Until I know specifics, there’s not a whole lot of commentary.”
In addition to changes at the 15 schools, Houston ISD administrators are navigating a $200 million budget shortfall and dramatic restructuring of the district’s magnet and school choice programs. The district is still reeling from Hurricane Harvey, which caused extensive damage to schools and delayed the start of classes by at least two weeks.