Latino students deserve a functioning HISD board

The Houston Independent School District’s motto is “Building Houston’s Future, Right Now” and it includes everyone from children to parents to teachers to citizens. By governing the largest school district in our region, the HISD school board is at the helm of directing our collective future but for far too long it has steered us in the wrong direction. The school board has governed through controversy and engaged in what state investigators have alleged is misconduct ranging from violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and inappropriate dealings with vendors to lying to investigators and interfering with day-to-day operations of the district. .

This must stop.

During public meetings in 2018, the school board talked about student outcomes only 9 percent of the time, and during two of those meetings, trustees spoke about student outcomes 0 percent of the time. What’s more, one of the primary responsibilities of the school board is to select a superintendent, yet HISD hasn’t had a permanent superintendent since March 2018.

The reality is that the HISD school board is falling short of its mission. The future of our city and state depends on the success of our students, 62 percent of whom are Latinos. Our children, like all children in America, have the potential to thrive. Just look at Latino children in the Rio Grande Valley. Over 500 schools in the valley are Latino-majority and majority-low income, yet 75 percent of those schools earned an “A” or a “B” in the 2019 TEA ratings. Compare that to 49 percent of similar schools across HISD.

While not all Latino children are the same, if Latino students in the Rio Grande Valley can succeed at these levels, why can’t more of our Latino students here in Houston have similar success?

Children are resilient and Latino children are no different. They often grow up speaking multiple languages and navigating different worlds with ease. They thrive when they’re supported adequately; however, across HISD, only 8 percent of Latino students are graduating college-ready. This is a direct result of the dysfunction at the HISD board.

Our children’s futures are at stake. The sooner we acknowledge the blatant misconduct and ineffectiveness of the current board, the sooner it can live up to its mission of building Houston’s future. The Texas Education Agency recently released the new school ratings, and one of the four underperforming schools on the Improvement Required list failed to meet academic standards. By law, the TEA now has to either close that school or appoint an interim HISD board. This is not political – it’s the law.

Provided that the TEA commissioner can guarantee a new interim board that will be representative of the children in the school district, will genuinely focus on student outcomes, and work with each other in a respectful manner, then a change in leadership is not only warranted, it is necessary. While appointed leadership on the school board is not an ideal long-term situation, this would not be the first time this would happen. During the past 10 years, several state takeovers have occurred, and the appointed board transitioned back after a few years. A thoughtful process with community input can take place here for appointing a new and diverse board.

Houston has an opportunity to level the foundation to build our city’s future. Our school district has been unstable for too long – even before this current board. We need leaders who are truly committed to improving education for all children and are able to respect and work well with each other.

Diaz-Gonzalez is the president and CEO of Employment Training Centers. Vasquez is the vice president of the Parent Teacher Association at HISD’s Carrillo Elementary. Bustamante is a parent with three children in HISD schools.