A judge has granted a request by a teachers union in Texas’ largest school district to temporarily block a new system to evaluate educators that is being implemented following a state takeover
Community members, teachers, parents, students and elected officials protest the closing of libraries in Houston's Independent School District schools outside the Hattie Mae White Educational Service Center on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Houston.
In its lawsuit, filed Wednesday in state district court, the Houston Federation of Teachers alleges the new system was approved without input from teachers and school committees, a violation of state law. The union says the new evaluation system will pit teachers against each other and not foster an environment of collaboration and improvement.
“Teachers at HISD do not have a problem with being evaluated. ... We just want to know that we’re going to be evaluated by a system where we know what the expectation is and what the criteria is,” union president Jackie Anderson said after Thursday's court hearing.In court documents, lawyers for the school district asked that the lawsuit be dismissed because the union had failed to complete an appeals process with the Texas Education Agency before seeking court intervention.
But some board members questioned the impact on students of repurposing libraries as places that will be used in part for discipline.Morath blamed concerns about the libraries to inaccurate media reports, saying the change to bring misbehaving students to an area where they can still get quality instruction is a “massive improvement.” He said the team centers will also be places for extra tutoring or for independent study for high-achieving students.
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