An early morning protest at West Briar Middle School before classes started and the day’s heat kicked in, reinforced in a louder way that a lot of parents and students are not happy with Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles and his policies — and the fact that so many teachers have left the school.
With chants of “No more cuts. No more lies,” in the background, parent Kelly Blikre who also spoke at the last HISD board meeting, pointed out the HISD police presence (as is usual at on-campus protests) but said they got no pushback from the school or district administrators after posting an advance on the planned protest, although they did not confirm anything about it with the administration..
She referred to the community letter signed by 400 people and sent to the administration, saying they have been in contact with Kasey M. Bailey, the new West Division Superintendent, who has said she does want to meet with them.
She said 47 percent of teachers at the school left last year. “That’s one of the questions we’re asking is transparency in staffing .” She also said there have been numerous teachers on stress-related health leave. She said a number of support staff have left as well.
“The foundation of leadership is trust and it needs to be developed with staff first and community second. That has not happened yet,” she said speaking about first year school principal Crystal Blanchard.
Blanchard and Executive Director Erika Carter came under heavy criticism in recent days when the Houston Federation of Teachers revealed on their Facebook page an exchange between the two in which they appeared to be exulting over the resignation of a teacher and Carter named four other teachers — using their names — that she expects to be next.
An HISD spokesman released a statement in response saying that “The tone and language used in the message do not meet the expectations for any district employee, and appropriate action has been taken.”
Blikre who used to be a third grade teacher, says she’s a long time supporter of public schools.
“This isn’t just about West Briar. If it’s happening here, it’s happening everywhere. Teachers are continuing to leave and students are paying the price.”
Despite having “full autonomy” last year as a B-rated school (and it has since dropped to a 78 from an 80 which makes them a C-rated school), students said they don’t like how the school operates and don’t feel like their teachers are supported.
“I’ve had a math teacher who has not been her in four months. And our bathrooms are like the worst bathrooms I’ve ever seen. They’re really dirty. We got rid of half of our janitors.,” said Jack Howell,, seventh grader.
Parent Kelly Foster who has an eighth grader and a sixth grader at West Briar said: “Today I am here because I already felt like they were failing my kids and then to find out it’s with intention is devastating,” She said she was referring to the text message between the principal and executive director. “To put your kids in front of a computer all day long is already something that we’re battling. It’s already doing major disservice to our kids’ brains.” Foster said her children have always gone to school in HISD.
Seventh grader Thijs Wageneer said: “I’m here today to get our voices heard so Mike Miles understands how we find it really annoying and we can’t learn when not only the administrators take over our classrooms but they’re also firing some of our best teachers because Mike Miles is put in strict rules over them which make it cruel for them to work. And then they’re getting rid of the only good teachers.
“The administrators will come into our class and they’ll start teaching the class and taking over from the teachers sometimes. If they feel like anything is wrong they’ll almost like take over and ask you questions about what you are doing even though it has to do sometimes with the lesson. “I have lost multiple very good teachers.The students just have a huge struggle trying to learn.
“I’ve led four protests now. I feel like this is my right and I want to get my voice heard.”
