Students from various Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools gathered at the Third Ward Multicultural Cultural Center to shed light on the impact of the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) takeover and the implementation of the controversial New Education System (NES). The panel, comprising students from Yates, Carnegie, Sterling, Wheatley, Worthing, Austin, and Debakey, aimed to provide a platform for open dialogue, free from the constraints often faced in formal school board settings.
Fear and apprehension have gripped many educators within the HISD community, particularly those hesitant to voice their concerns against Superintendent Mike Miles. The panel discussion emerged as an alternative forum for these students to express their thoughts without fearing reprisal.
The discussion becomes even more pertinent as up to 40 additional HISD schools are slated to transition to the NES system in the 2024-2025 school year.
The Defender had the opportunity to speak with a few participants in the panel, including Ashlyn Morton, a junior at Lamar High School; Jose Cantu, a senior at Austin High School; Analiah Espinoza, a freshman at DeBakey High School; and Hira Malik, a junior at Carnegie High School. These students bravely shared their perspectives on the current state of their education.
Defender: What changes have you experienced since the state takeover of HISD?
Morton: The main challenges I’ve faced are the lack of personalization. We have the cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. We are being taught the same way, which doesn’t work for us. And the anxiety. Having board members stalk our classroom, stand there, and watch over our shoulders to make sure we are as smart as we should be and putting our thinking on a time limit is really damaging. I like to interact with my teachers. I like to come up with hypotheticals, and without that, I’m feeling kind of empty.
Cantu: This year has changed tremendously, with our seniors being different. Not having the time to have these senior activities that most seniors did last year. Now we’re focused mostly on testing, grades, scholarships, applications for FAFSA (college funding), and other things you must worry about. It’s difficult because you just want to have a fun time. My first challenge was losing some teachers at our school, and the second was losing some resources. The way that we’re coping is to get with other schools, talk, and get help, as well as with their counselors.
Espinoza: I don’t attend an NES school, but some of those initiatives are in our school. It hasn’t been the best experience, especially as a freshman. I have ADHD, so I have accommodations; however, other students immediately have to put down their pencils and turn in their work as it is. That’s why I’m so concerned for my friends in these schools. I feel like I’m the lucky one. It feels unfair that other people don’t get that [support].
Malik: One of the challenges is the censorship of the curriculum and the classroom environment. I’m currently taking AP United States History. In that class, we’ve simply brushed over Jim Crow laws, segregation, LGBTQ+ policies like the Stonewall Uprising, and things of that nature that tend to be more “left-leaning.” Being a non-NES-Aligned school means I’m speaking from a place of privilege, coming from the number one school in the district. I would love to see a classroom where educators and students are learning about different topics side by side and are both as engaged in their learning. If I saw Mike Miles, I would say that we are the primary stakeholders of this takeover. We are not afraid to use our voices to defend our education that is fair and equitable for all students in this majority-minority district.