Houston ISD Annual Report: Student success surpasses national average amid evaluation debate
HOUSTON - Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles presented the annual report on the district's school performance and evaluation during a meeting held Thursday at HISD headquarters.
The report, divided into eight parts, covers various aspects including state academic performance reports, financial data, accreditation status, campus performance, and incidents of violence or crime on campuses. A spokesperson from his office did not go into much detail about the report, but forwarded those in attendance to visit the district’s website for the data.
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Earlier in the day on Thursday, at an HISD luncheon, Miles highlighted that since the start of his administration, Houston students have surpassed the national average in nearly all mid-year exams.
However, leaders cautioned that some of the data presented in the report is premature due to the unavailability of end-of-year data, and some analysis is a year behind. Despite this, over 140 registered speakers, including teachers, parents, and concerned residents, voiced their disagreement with the teacher and principal evaluation method during the meeting.
Noraliz Rodriguez, a parent present at the meeting, urged the board to call for an independent third-party review of all evaluation systems. She expressed concern that Superintendent Miles has focused on creating a culture of fear and despair, instead of uplifting struggling schools, potentially detrimentally impacting the district's overall performance.
Parents of students at Carnegie Vanguard High School, one of the top-performing schools in the district, shared their concerns after their principal, Ramon Moss, was not rated exemplary in the recent evaluation.
"When one of the best, if not the best principals in this district is not ranked at the top of the evaluation system, that system is flawed," said Paul Calzada. "If the system is flawed, what else are you doing that’s flawed?"
Although some board members presented challenging questions about the systems and data presented, Thursday night’s meeting concluded with the majority of them supporting the evaluation.