HOUSTON — On Thursday night, HISD's appointed Board of Managers unanimously approved a new plan that turns HISD into what's called a District of Innovation.
It was approved with a unanimous vote of eight in favor and none opposed.
The status means the school district will be exempt from certain statutory requirements. It'll also get more flexibility in how the district is run.
One of the exemptions in the plan would allow for a longer school year. The district has proposed starting the 2024 25 school year in mid-August. The plan would also allow the school district to hire teachers who do not hold certifications in order to fill vacancies.
The plan would modify attendance requirements for juniors and seniors who spend the time visiting colleges and universities.
It would also allow for disciplinary actions to be taken at students' home campuses for some offenses. One example would be if a student was caught vaping, he or she would not be automatically sent off to an alternative education program.
It would also create with the district calls "a rigorous teacher appraisal system" that it says would allow the district to retain the most qualified teachers.
"It's been widely adopted across the state of Texas to allow for more flexibility. In this district, it's been considered before. We wanted to give the district sufficient flexibility," HISD School Board President Audrey Momanaee said after the meeting.
The Houston Federation of Teachers issued a scathing statement in response to the board's approval of the DOI plan, writing, "Approval of this plan is a misuse of the public trust given to people responsible for the education and future of our children."
HFT specifically takes issue with the plan to allow uncertified teachers to instruct students. It also said the proposed teacher evaluation plan will create a punitive and subjective system.
Some people at Thursday's meeting weren't happy about the adoption. It seemed that their biggest concern was that it would lead to more job cuts. We'll have to wait and see what happens next to find out if that proves to be true.
Superintendent Mike Miles was absent from the meeting Thursday, however he did thank the board for approving the plan.
"HISD is a District of Innovation," he said in a news release. "We are making the bold changes required to improve instruction and help students develop the competencies they will need to succeed in the future. Having the DOI designation is long overdue and will allow us to accelerate our work in important ways. I want to thank the School Board for its vote tonight. In addition, I’m grateful to the District Advisory Committee for approving the measure, the DOI Committee for developing a thoughtful plan, and our staff and community for supporting Houston’s kids every day."
We're expecting to hear from him sometime Friday afternoon.
What is a District of Innovation?
A DOI allows more than 60 exemptions from state laws over school operations. Those exemptions include teacher certification and contracts, teacher benefits, and student discipline provisions.
More than 960 school districts across the state fall under this process.