Houston ISD Board Meeting: Students, parents, staff express concerns
HOUSTON - A Houston ISD principal is challenging the district’s decision asking her to resign. In a Facebook post, Dr. Jessica Berry said she was asked by the district to resign as the principal of Herod Elementary School in HISD.
Dr. Jessica Berry tells FOX 26 Houston she was asked by HISD to resign on May 8. Two days later, she responded by saying she would not be accepting her resignation. A couple of days after, she sent another letter saying she would like to seek a remedy for what had been transpiring within the district.
SUGGESTED: Parents protest principal ousting, more staff cuts feared
"No transparency, no trust, no bond," said one HISD parent at Thursday's board meeting.
Upset parents, students, and school staff flooded the Houston Independent School District's board meeting on Thursday. Over 200 people spoke out by voicing their anger over the recent firing of principals throughout the district.
"We need job security for principals and teachers. I’m standing with Dr. Berry," said another board meeting attendee.
"They hand me the resignation letter, and they say, we’re asking you to resign," said Dr. Berry.
SUGGESTED: Congresswoman calls for audit of pandemic-era federal funds
Dr. Berry said the resignation letter restricts future employment by preventing her from working in the district again.
"Then, it has another clause that I can not take any legal, and then it goes into I cannot turn in any internal grievances or complaints about my experiences," said Dr. Berry.
Mike Miles, the district superintendent, acknowledged the job cuts in the district at the meeting.
"We’re well aware that those cuts are not just numbers. They’re real people," said Miles.
"They said due to some special education, I was expressing my concerns about what they were requesting that we do with special education and how it wasn’t aligning with their board policy," said Berry.
Now, students are left confused and worried about Dr. Berry’s sudden exit.
"I was so upset to hear about Dr. Berry and some teachers not coming back to Herod next year. I love my teachers because they help me learn," said one student who attended the board meeting.
"It’s difficult. It’s hard to walk into that campus every day and have these little kids look at me and say ‘please don’t go. Please don’t leave. Why are you leaving?," said Berry.
Berry said, although she’s sent the school district multiple letters responding to her resignation, she has not heard back from the district.