Photos show what Houston ISD 'detention centers' could look like in existing school libraries

HOUSTON - New pictures shared with FOX 26 from inside Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools reveal what some people are calling "detention centers".

The new areas HISD calls "Team Centers", are located inside libraries in the photos shared with FOX 26. According to Jackie Anderson, President of the Houston Federation of Teachers, the photos were taken this month at Martinez R. Elementary and Marshall Elementary School.

"These pictures are coming from teachers concerned that their libraries are no more," said Anderson. "Being an educator, I can’t in my wildest thought, imagine the rationale behind this. Those things that will increase their reading, schools are being stripped away from the very children you claim you’re here to help."

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As previously reported, at least 28 Houston ISD schools are expected to create these new "Team Centers". Classes are scheduled to start on Aug. 24.

"I think he intended to use the team center for a detention room," said Anderson. "It’s further fostering the school-to-prison pipeline."

A spokesperson from HISD provided the written statement below regarding "Team Centers".

Team Centers in NES schools will be located in large, open spaces centrally located within the campus. If space is limited, Team Centers may be established within existing libraries to best use space and existing reading resources. Team Centers are the hub of differentiated or personalized instruction in NES and NESA campuses. The Superintendent is committed to providing every child in an NES or NESA campus with the education they need to master fundamentals (reading, writing, math, science, and social studies) AND have Year 2035 education experiences. Additionally, HISD will eliminate the persistent achievement gaps that have adversely impacted children of color, children living in poverty, and children with special education needs. Neither of these goals is possible if we take a one size fits all approach to educating children. The Team Center allows us to meet those goals by creating space for an individual learning environment that meets the needs of each student. The Team Center will host all the following activities on a daily basis:

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• Independent work for students who are proficient or accelerated after direct instruction.
• Small group and paired work time for students who prefer to work with others.
• Additional, differentiated learning and 1:1 support for students who need extra help. 
• Opportunities for students who are ready to work ahead of their classmates to work on accelerated assignments or lessons. 
• Access to adaptive technology to re-enforce classroom lessons.
• Independent reading and access to books at all reading levels. 

In addition, when necessary, the Team Center will provide students who are struggling or disrupting the traditional classroom environment due to discipline or behavior issues, the opportunity to get necessary care and engagement while they access their classroom instruction remotely to ensure they do not lose even a few minutes of learning time. The Team Centers will be regularly staffed by Learning Coaches, but other instructional and support staff will engage with students in the Team Centers as well.