Houston ISD teachers sounding off after closed meeting with Texas Education Agency Commissioner
HOUSTON - The TEA takeover continues to leave teachers questioning the future of their classrooms and jobs.
On Tuesday evening, teachers exited Delmar Stadium after meeting with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. And to say they were less than pleased with what came out of that meeting is an understatement.
"I feel like we were being talked down to in some ways," said Stephen Wright, a teacher at Lamar High School.
Daniel Santos, a teacher and Executive VP of Houston Teacher's Federation also weighed in, "We felt like stepchildren who are just receiving the news from the parents about the divorce."
The TEA announced the state takeover of HISD schools in mid-March and these teachers say there are still critical questions they need answers to, answers they hoped they'd get at Tuesday's meeting.
"People were asking about school closures, people were asking about charter schools, about teacher pay, people were asking about what interventions were going to take place," said Wright.
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"How will we be able to hold those board of managers accountable? How do we assure they are responsive to the needs of our schools and our communities?" Santos added.
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These educators say they left with unresolved issues, unanswered questions, and even more frustration than when they arrived.
"The vast majority of answers were, 'it'll be up to the board of managers' again, an unelected body," Wright said.
On June 1, Morath is expected to announce the nine board of managers he's selected, along with the name of the new superintendent.
The teachers that were at the meeting say they hope once that happens, they'll start getting some real answers and more transparency.