I’m not sure if you’re talking about me (I asked you this question back in June), but I appreciate your addressing this with your readers -- both the issue of funding as well as your intentions for what this writing project will be.
What is happening in our district is complicated. Somebody whose opinion I really respect said that there are a lot of truths to it, and I think that’s exactly right. Even though your goal for your Substack is to tell only one of those, I hope that you can still still treat the other people in the system with respect. I was so disappointed to see you argue yesterday that the teachers who have been raising concerns are just doing so because they are lazy and don’t want to work hard. I have been trying to mostly listen in this conversation about the future of public education in Houston, but the teachers who have been speaking up are some of the most dedicated and effective educators I have ever known in my career.
I know what it is like to believe in a leader with a vision for transforming education, but I think there needs to be a layer of loyalty that extends beyond the individual to the ultimate good that they are trying to serve. If you believe in Miles because you think he has the answer to fixing the schools in our community, I hope that you will get to know that community and treat their perspectives fairly and with sensitivity.
Well said. Miles knows nothing about Houston and refuses to learn which will be to his own detriment. Teachers aren't the only people speaking out, it's the parents as well. Ignoring parents' concerns is never a good idea because they are the customers in HISD. To date Miles' customer service lacks luster. One thing that's for sure experience will be the teacher
Reminder, Michelle. Although I completed your homework assignment about researching the WWW, you still have graded my work nor for me identified a feature of Houston's schools (or district administration) that (1) is significantly different from Dallas and (2) Miles doesn't know and (3) refuses to learn [ how does anyone refuse a choice not offered? ] and (4) is easily learned by use of the the internet but (5) will be taught (to Miles, willy nilly) by experience? Related to Jim Schutze's comments about pedagogery: there have been since Sputnik two main philosophies in competition: Constructive Learning and Direct Instruction. Direct Instruction (DI) is the old-fashioned idea that an adult tells a kid what lesson is supposed to be learned, then teaches the lesson, then tests the lesson to see if the kid learned it. Repeat as required. Phonics-based reading instruction typically DI. Constructive Learning (CL) is the progressive idea that if you surround a child with resources and assign group projects and offer motivational incentives and social rewards ... well, a bunch of other stuff ... the kid will DISCOVER the lesson. "Whole Language" reading methods are examples of CL. You, may I infer, adhere to the philosophy that Miles and I ought to go discover what makes Houston weird, without your explicit explanations? You are in the CL camp? If so, may I beg you make this one time exception and directly answer my direct question? What is it that you already know about Houston that Miles doesn't, and that I do not, and that is not measured by PEIMS data gathered by the TEA, that will prevent deployment of methods proven successful in Dallas?
One thing I know about Houston once upon a time Houston would not have allowed their school district to become low performing,once upon a time they would have voted School Board out and demanded change,however liberals and unions have made Parent's believe their kid's are inferior and can't learn because of different reasons,but this new Houston has bought into that victim mentality and shut down.Miles knows education and lack thereof and has more Faith in the kid's ability than any of you.
Excuse me but I am confused. What is so uniquely distinct about Houston that Miles knows nothing about? Stipulating you're correct and there are attributes making Houston different from Dallas, or New Orleans, or Mississippi or Tennessee, or other geographical places where "tough love" school reforms have been successfully implemented, why is such "differences" difficult to learn about? Why do PARENTS and their concerns seem to be getting less news coverage (Jim Schutze's substack and facebook aside) than the concerns of teachers and political activists? And why are the concerns of teachers and political activists (few of which latter group teach or tutor or even coach a football team) so remarkably similar in Dallas and Houston and everywhere else attempting any kind of "reform" ? As a person who does worry about parents' concerns, I'd just throw vouchers at parents and encourage them to address their OWN concerns. At least in populous and diverse regions like Dallas and Houston. Why shouldn't Vietnamese Catholic war-refugee families clustered in Arlington TX have schools that address their concerns, differently, than Cajun Protestant Katrina hurricane-refugee families from New Orleans now clustered in Houston? Or what do any of us NOT know about Houston, that you can teach us?
Michelle, please indicate from the TEA data table below what needs to be learned about Houston that is distinct from Dallas.
<pre>
STUDENTS
Measures Houston ISD Dallas ISD
African American 22.40% 21.40%
Hispanic 61.70% 69.90%
White 9.80% 5.80%
American Indian 0.20% 0.40%
Asian 4.40% 1.20%
Pacific Islander 0.10% 0.10%
Two or More Races 1.40% 1.10%
Economically Disadvantaged 78.50% 85.10%
English Learners (EL) 33.40% 46.60%
Special Education 8.20% 9.70%
Bilingual/ESL Education 34.20% 45.10%
Career & Technical Education 0.00% 0.00%
Gifted & Talented Education 16.00% 17.60%
Attendance Rate (2019-20) 98.40% 97.10%
Annual Dropout Rate Gr. 9-12 (2019-20) 3.10% 3.90%
4-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2020) 83.80% 82.80%
5-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2019) 84.20% 88.00%
6-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2018) 85.20% 90.30%
TEACHERS
With 5 or Fewer Years of Experience 39.70% 41.50%
Average Years of Experience 11 10
With Advanced Degrees 22.90% 28.40%
Teacher Turnover Rate 18.80% 13.80%
African American 35.40% 34.40%
Hispanic 30.30% 32.10%
White 26.40% 27.60%
American Indian 0.30% 0.60%
Asian 5.90% 3.10%
Pacific Islander 0.10% 0.20%
Two or More Races 1.60% 1.90%
Regular Education 75.70% 74.50%
Special Education 4.90% 9.80%
Compensatory Education 1.30% 0.00%
Bilingual/ESL Education 8.00% 3.80%
Career & Technical Education 3.20% 3.50%
Other Education (Includes G & T) 6.90% 8.40%
</pre>
I'm not confident Substack recognizes HTML formatting... So keeping it simple for now. TEA indicates 18 Peer Districts for Houston. There are literally dozens or hundreds of characteristics measured. The one minor distinction I see is that Houston's -- still tiny -- fraction of Asian students and teachers is higher than Dallas's fraction. Is that the difference that Miles doesn't know about and can't be bothered to learn? And if so, why are Black activists so protective of the Asian minority?
Anything from the WWW? Then you won't mind if I use the Texas Education Agency's profiles to compare demographics, etc, between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc etc? As for "organizers", when I was in grade school I liked the colorful "Mead" brand "Trapper Keepers" but since puberty I tend to do data with Excel... Thanks anyhow. Betcha a nickel the TEA data matches pretty closely among all the big districts -- test scores excepted. I'll have the spreadsheet ready for you Monday.
Here's the problem with your argument about parents:
Kids don't get to pick their parents.
Just because a kid doesn't have a parent to advocate for them, or fall into a cohort that aligns with high parent engagement, doesn't mean their needs should take a back seat to those who do.
Yes, as I commented on another post, engaging with parents is part of the job of teachers, principals, and administrators, and failure to do so effectively can undermine the core educational objective. However, it's ancillary to the educational process, and the fact that a customer has strong feelings doesn't mean they must be acted on.
If Miles weren't his own worst enemy quite so often, then I am not sure you'd have felt the pull to tell this story in this manner right now. He did not make it easy to stay in his corner when he was in Dallas at times, and he was personally a jerk to me, but he offers a better chance for kids than the alternatives.
The Doom and Gloom I have been reading just about everywhere else. He raises points that make me think that no one else is. The Chronicle and the Union, of which I am a member, have one way of looking at it, - it’s going to be a disaster - and I just like to hear other discussions as well.
You seem to be listening to what people are saying. I encourage you to do your own research on his methods. One thing that should be very apparent as a teacher is Miles' methods do not support past or present research based practices for educating students. For example, hiring inexperienced uncertified personnel. Miles' talking points always include student outcomes. Here's the research that he should use to support his decision making regarding teachers. Teaching experience is positively associated with student achievement gains throughout a teacher’s career. Gains in teacher effectiveness associated with experience are most steep in teachers’ initial years, but continue to be significant as teachers reach the second, and often third, decades of their careers. You can read about the research here https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/does-teaching-experience-increase-teacher-effectiveness-review-research
Michelle, you and I are in absolute agreement on the enormous power and importance of teachers in this picture. But that makes bad teachers every bit as powerful as good ones -- able to do as much harm as better teachers can do good. That's why it's so important to know who's who.
I do not question your belief in the correctness of Miles’ approach to improving student success in HISD. I do agree with Ms. Chapman, however, that you have insinuated that teachers raising concerns are doing it because they are lazy. I have a feeling that Mike Miles is probably communicating that sentiment as well. That is unfair, disrespectful, and will end up standing in the way of making the needed changes.
Teachers have a choice: stand up for kids, or stand up for their lowest performing colleagues, from whom they have empirically failed to protect kids. It's really that simple.
In other licensed professions, like nursing, there are systems to protect the vulnerable from mistakes by poor performers, and accountability when those systems fail. Those who can't immediately remedy their deficits are removed from patient care. That rarely happens in education, and that's the reason we're having this discussion at all.
To me the key point in this post is that Jim was skeptical of Miles at first but changed his mind after seeing the results. That is far more interesting and useful than the knee jerk repetition of a political talking point.
Tell her I'm Black woman ,Texas certified Public School teacher and lived in Houston and Dallas and Mile Miles is best I've seen who care more about the kid's and less about politics, unions or his salary.Nobody paying me to support Miles I do because he is right.How many hour's a day do any school kid spend in the school library, it's not even a requirement nor is there a schedule time to go,in fact a student has to get special permission to leave class to go too library!
To me, it is really hard to understand why a blog read by about 40 people could be viewed as such a threat. In my opinion, the teachers and their union have had decades to solve the problem, and they haven't. The failure of American children to learn how to read is a problem of unbelievable national importance. Miles can't do worse than the folks who have controlled HISD for the last 50 years.
This is me, trying to speak in the voice of Natasha Fatale, The devastating Cold War spy of Rocky and Bullwinkle:
Yes, little Schutznik, you will receive many and great rewards when you will defect to the communist paradise. Your concern for children is a pathetic front. It's working in Mississippi and in New York City, but here it's just a Commie plot. We will bury them!
I usually agree with you on Social, political, neighborhood and most other issues, but often disagree with you about education. I don’t know enough about Mike Miles or Houston to weigh in here but I will investigate a bit, talk to my friends and colleagues in education and get back wth you. I also think you are a good human and a funny guy!
If you can afford it, I believe it is very important to support local newspapers. Journalism is not free. Mr Schutze can pursue free journalism only because he is retired.
trust me I support all sorts of journalism DallasNews, WaPo, NYTimes, The Telegraph, TheTimes, WashingtonTimes, Times-Picayune, Richmond Times-Dispatch. but they all offer some sort of free access (limited number of articles each month)
Thank goodness Jim is covering this story, not even the DMN is doing so even those Miles headed up DISD.
I’m not sure if you’re talking about me (I asked you this question back in June), but I appreciate your addressing this with your readers -- both the issue of funding as well as your intentions for what this writing project will be.
What is happening in our district is complicated. Somebody whose opinion I really respect said that there are a lot of truths to it, and I think that’s exactly right. Even though your goal for your Substack is to tell only one of those, I hope that you can still still treat the other people in the system with respect. I was so disappointed to see you argue yesterday that the teachers who have been raising concerns are just doing so because they are lazy and don’t want to work hard. I have been trying to mostly listen in this conversation about the future of public education in Houston, but the teachers who have been speaking up are some of the most dedicated and effective educators I have ever known in my career.
I know what it is like to believe in a leader with a vision for transforming education, but I think there needs to be a layer of loyalty that extends beyond the individual to the ultimate good that they are trying to serve. If you believe in Miles because you think he has the answer to fixing the schools in our community, I hope that you will get to know that community and treat their perspectives fairly and with sensitivity.
What have you done to hold your lowest-performing colleagues accountable for their students' outcomes, and what effect did that have?
Well said. Miles knows nothing about Houston and refuses to learn which will be to his own detriment. Teachers aren't the only people speaking out, it's the parents as well. Ignoring parents' concerns is never a good idea because they are the customers in HISD. To date Miles' customer service lacks luster. One thing that's for sure experience will be the teacher
Reminder, Michelle. Although I completed your homework assignment about researching the WWW, you still have graded my work nor for me identified a feature of Houston's schools (or district administration) that (1) is significantly different from Dallas and (2) Miles doesn't know and (3) refuses to learn [ how does anyone refuse a choice not offered? ] and (4) is easily learned by use of the the internet but (5) will be taught (to Miles, willy nilly) by experience? Related to Jim Schutze's comments about pedagogery: there have been since Sputnik two main philosophies in competition: Constructive Learning and Direct Instruction. Direct Instruction (DI) is the old-fashioned idea that an adult tells a kid what lesson is supposed to be learned, then teaches the lesson, then tests the lesson to see if the kid learned it. Repeat as required. Phonics-based reading instruction typically DI. Constructive Learning (CL) is the progressive idea that if you surround a child with resources and assign group projects and offer motivational incentives and social rewards ... well, a bunch of other stuff ... the kid will DISCOVER the lesson. "Whole Language" reading methods are examples of CL. You, may I infer, adhere to the philosophy that Miles and I ought to go discover what makes Houston weird, without your explicit explanations? You are in the CL camp? If so, may I beg you make this one time exception and directly answer my direct question? What is it that you already know about Houston that Miles doesn't, and that I do not, and that is not measured by PEIMS data gathered by the TEA, that will prevent deployment of methods proven successful in Dallas?
One thing I know about Houston once upon a time Houston would not have allowed their school district to become low performing,once upon a time they would have voted School Board out and demanded change,however liberals and unions have made Parent's believe their kid's are inferior and can't learn because of different reasons,but this new Houston has bought into that victim mentality and shut down.Miles knows education and lack thereof and has more Faith in the kid's ability than any of you.
Excuse me but I am confused. What is so uniquely distinct about Houston that Miles knows nothing about? Stipulating you're correct and there are attributes making Houston different from Dallas, or New Orleans, or Mississippi or Tennessee, or other geographical places where "tough love" school reforms have been successfully implemented, why is such "differences" difficult to learn about? Why do PARENTS and their concerns seem to be getting less news coverage (Jim Schutze's substack and facebook aside) than the concerns of teachers and political activists? And why are the concerns of teachers and political activists (few of which latter group teach or tutor or even coach a football team) so remarkably similar in Dallas and Houston and everywhere else attempting any kind of "reform" ? As a person who does worry about parents' concerns, I'd just throw vouchers at parents and encourage them to address their OWN concerns. At least in populous and diverse regions like Dallas and Houston. Why shouldn't Vietnamese Catholic war-refugee families clustered in Arlington TX have schools that address their concerns, differently, than Cajun Protestant Katrina hurricane-refugee families from New Orleans now clustered in Houston? Or what do any of us NOT know about Houston, that you can teach us?
Kindly please refer to the world wide web. If you'd like I can provide you with a graphic organizer of your choice.
Michelle, please indicate from the TEA data table below what needs to be learned about Houston that is distinct from Dallas.
<pre>
STUDENTS
Measures Houston ISD Dallas ISD
African American 22.40% 21.40%
Hispanic 61.70% 69.90%
White 9.80% 5.80%
American Indian 0.20% 0.40%
Asian 4.40% 1.20%
Pacific Islander 0.10% 0.10%
Two or More Races 1.40% 1.10%
Economically Disadvantaged 78.50% 85.10%
English Learners (EL) 33.40% 46.60%
Special Education 8.20% 9.70%
Bilingual/ESL Education 34.20% 45.10%
Career & Technical Education 0.00% 0.00%
Gifted & Talented Education 16.00% 17.60%
Attendance Rate (2019-20) 98.40% 97.10%
Annual Dropout Rate Gr. 9-12 (2019-20) 3.10% 3.90%
4-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2020) 83.80% 82.80%
5-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2019) 84.20% 88.00%
6-Year Longitudinal Graduation Rate (Class of 2018) 85.20% 90.30%
TEACHERS
With 5 or Fewer Years of Experience 39.70% 41.50%
Average Years of Experience 11 10
With Advanced Degrees 22.90% 28.40%
Teacher Turnover Rate 18.80% 13.80%
African American 35.40% 34.40%
Hispanic 30.30% 32.10%
White 26.40% 27.60%
American Indian 0.30% 0.60%
Asian 5.90% 3.10%
Pacific Islander 0.10% 0.20%
Two or More Races 1.60% 1.90%
Regular Education 75.70% 74.50%
Special Education 4.90% 9.80%
Compensatory Education 1.30% 0.00%
Bilingual/ESL Education 8.00% 3.80%
Career & Technical Education 3.20% 3.50%
Other Education (Includes G & T) 6.90% 8.40%
</pre>
I'm not confident Substack recognizes HTML formatting... So keeping it simple for now. TEA indicates 18 Peer Districts for Houston. There are literally dozens or hundreds of characteristics measured. The one minor distinction I see is that Houston's -- still tiny -- fraction of Asian students and teachers is higher than Dallas's fraction. Is that the difference that Miles doesn't know about and can't be bothered to learn? And if so, why are Black activists so protective of the Asian minority?
Anything from the WWW? Then you won't mind if I use the Texas Education Agency's profiles to compare demographics, etc, between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc etc? As for "organizers", when I was in grade school I liked the colorful "Mead" brand "Trapper Keepers" but since puberty I tend to do data with Excel... Thanks anyhow. Betcha a nickel the TEA data matches pretty closely among all the big districts -- test scores excepted. I'll have the spreadsheet ready for you Monday.
https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/accountability/academic-accountability/performance-reporting/snapshot-school-district-profiles
Here's the problem with your argument about parents:
Kids don't get to pick their parents.
Just because a kid doesn't have a parent to advocate for them, or fall into a cohort that aligns with high parent engagement, doesn't mean their needs should take a back seat to those who do.
Yes, as I commented on another post, engaging with parents is part of the job of teachers, principals, and administrators, and failure to do so effectively can undermine the core educational objective. However, it's ancillary to the educational process, and the fact that a customer has strong feelings doesn't mean they must be acted on.
If Miles weren't his own worst enemy quite so often, then I am not sure you'd have felt the pull to tell this story in this manner right now. He did not make it easy to stay in his corner when he was in Dallas at times, and he was personally a jerk to me, but he offers a better chance for kids than the alternatives.
The Doom and Gloom I have been reading just about everywhere else. He raises points that make me think that no one else is. The Chronicle and the Union, of which I am a member, have one way of looking at it, - it’s going to be a disaster - and I just like to hear other discussions as well.
You seem to be listening to what people are saying. I encourage you to do your own research on his methods. One thing that should be very apparent as a teacher is Miles' methods do not support past or present research based practices for educating students. For example, hiring inexperienced uncertified personnel. Miles' talking points always include student outcomes. Here's the research that he should use to support his decision making regarding teachers. Teaching experience is positively associated with student achievement gains throughout a teacher’s career. Gains in teacher effectiveness associated with experience are most steep in teachers’ initial years, but continue to be significant as teachers reach the second, and often third, decades of their careers. You can read about the research here https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/does-teaching-experience-increase-teacher-effectiveness-review-research
Michelle, you and I are in absolute agreement on the enormous power and importance of teachers in this picture. But that makes bad teachers every bit as powerful as good ones -- able to do as much harm as better teachers can do good. That's why it's so important to know who's who.
Thank you for your input and suggestions.
Hello Jim. I am a teacher in HISD and I appreciate having an alternate viewpoint for thinking about what is going on. Thanks for writing.
What's altenate about his viewpoint?
I do not question your belief in the correctness of Miles’ approach to improving student success in HISD. I do agree with Ms. Chapman, however, that you have insinuated that teachers raising concerns are doing it because they are lazy. I have a feeling that Mike Miles is probably communicating that sentiment as well. That is unfair, disrespectful, and will end up standing in the way of making the needed changes.
Teachers have a choice: stand up for kids, or stand up for their lowest performing colleagues, from whom they have empirically failed to protect kids. It's really that simple.
In other licensed professions, like nursing, there are systems to protect the vulnerable from mistakes by poor performers, and accountability when those systems fail. Those who can't immediately remedy their deficits are removed from patient care. That rarely happens in education, and that's the reason we're having this discussion at all.
To me the key point in this post is that Jim was skeptical of Miles at first but changed his mind after seeing the results. That is far more interesting and useful than the knee jerk repetition of a political talking point.
Tell her I'm Black woman ,Texas certified Public School teacher and lived in Houston and Dallas and Mile Miles is best I've seen who care more about the kid's and less about politics, unions or his salary.Nobody paying me to support Miles I do because he is right.How many hour's a day do any school kid spend in the school library, it's not even a requirement nor is there a schedule time to go,in fact a student has to get special permission to leave class to go too library!
I have learned a lot from listening to you over the years, and I'm grateful that you are here sharing your wisdom in this important conversation.
To me, it is really hard to understand why a blog read by about 40 people could be viewed as such a threat. In my opinion, the teachers and their union have had decades to solve the problem, and they haven't. The failure of American children to learn how to read is a problem of unbelievable national importance. Miles can't do worse than the folks who have controlled HISD for the last 50 years.
There is an analogy to the Sandanista rebels in Nicaragua, but I can't decide whether Jim or Miles gets to be Sandino.
This is me, trying to speak in the voice of Natasha Fatale, The devastating Cold War spy of Rocky and Bullwinkle:
Yes, little Schutznik, you will receive many and great rewards when you will defect to the communist paradise. Your concern for children is a pathetic front. It's working in Mississippi and in New York City, but here it's just a Commie plot. We will bury them!
Hi Jim,
I usually agree with you on Social, political, neighborhood and most other issues, but often disagree with you about education. I don’t know enough about Mike Miles or Houston to weigh in here but I will investigate a bit, talk to my friends and colleagues in education and get back wth you. I also think you are a good human and a funny guy!
I look forward to your postings since the Houston Chronicle has an inpenetrable paywall
If you can afford it, I believe it is very important to support local newspapers. Journalism is not free. Mr Schutze can pursue free journalism only because he is retired.
trust me I support all sorts of journalism DallasNews, WaPo, NYTimes, The Telegraph, TheTimes, WashingtonTimes, Times-Picayune, Richmond Times-Dispatch. but they all offer some sort of free access (limited number of articles each month)
Thank goodness Jim is covering this story, not even the DMN is doing so even those Miles headed up DISD.
You're way ahead of me. Sorry for preaching to the choir.