CASE Report: Details Out for Bond Oversight Committee

CASE is a collective of Houstonians committed to ensuring every student within Houston Independent School District (HISD) has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education.

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Details Released for Bond Oversight Committee

HISD is now accepting applications for the Bond Oversight Committee.

HISD’s Board of Managers approved the placement of the HISD Bond for the November 5th election. This election order provides details about the Bond, including the exact language that will be on the ballot, details about the debt, and the specific projects included in the $4.4B proposal. You can also see the full proposal in spreadsheet form here , and the school-by-school one pagers at this link.

This Oversight Committee is a critical component in the District’s plan to manage and execute this bond in a transparent, effective, and efficient manner should voters approve it on November 5th.

HISD is asking for applications by September 6, so apply today!

Teacher Absenteeism Down Significantly

HISD is reporting that teacher absences are down by over 20% after year one of the intervention.

In the Efficiency Report that was released in February, chronic teacher absenteeism was highlighted as an area of concern. Teachers were simply not showing up to work, leaving students to try to learn in unstable environments.

Now, it appears that this problem has been largely addressed, as fewer teachers are skipping work and policies on leave are being applied consistently across the district.

Houston Chronicle’s story is here.

Why it matters: Chronic teacher absenteeism creates inconsistencies in the classroom, which often result in negative outcomes for students. The steep decline in unapproved absences signal a new, high-performance culture.

By the numbers: In the first year of the intervention, teacher absences in HISD dropped more than 20% to about 92,200 absences - down from nearly 117,600. The district cut down on the number of teachers with more than 10 days of absences, with 1,715 fewer teachers between last academic year and 2022-23. In contrast, the district previously had 220 fewer teachers absent for more than 10 days between 2021-22 and 2022-23.

What they’re saying: “Those students (with consistently present teachers) are likely to have higher outcomes than students who have a kind of constant turnover. But we do care about absences and teacher turnover generally because consistency in the classroom has been related to higher student outcomes.” - Toni Templeton, a research scientist at University of Houston Education Research Center.

AI Fundamentals to be Taught in HISD High Schools

Houston ISD is debuting a new "Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence" elective for high school juniors and seniors in the 2024-25 academic year.

The class will cover data literacy, AI history, applications of generative AI, and responsible use in classrooms and workplaces.

Houston Chronicle’s story is here.

Why it matters: AI is an emerging field, and jobs of the future will increasingly have some integration with AI. By teaching AI literacy early on, HISD gives its students an edge as they enter college, their careers, or the military.

By the numbers: About 3,700 students at 41 campuses are scheduled to take the course.

What they’re saying:"The earlier that we can provide students with the foundational AI literacy ... the more empowered our students are to be ready for the future." - Raul Alanis, HISD’s director of academic operations.

Go deeper: The course materials were developed with input from local and state organizations specializing in AI technology and ethics. The industry-led approach ensures that students are learning exactly what future employers need them to know.

District Details HVAC Response Efforts

During Hurricane Beryl and the spring derecho, HISD suffered major damage to many of its buildings, which were already in rough shape due to decades of deferred maintenance. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles recently sat down with Brittany Jeffers of KPRC2 to discuss HISD’s cleanup and restoration efforts in the wake of these storms.

Below are some highlights, and you can check out the full story here.

Faulty Equipment: Miles noted that HVAC systems constantly trip overnight, causing maintenance teams to scramble to fix the breakers and start up HVAC before kids arrive at school in the morning. This is necessary to maintain operations, but is not sustainable long term.

HISD Bond: Miles said that while he cannot advocate for the bond, he can say that the bond proposal includes upgrades for most of the buildings and equipment that have fallen into disrepair.

Restoration Efforts: HISD’s maintenance team regularly works deep into the night to prepare for school the following day. Miles said, “I’ve had calls as late as 12:15 [a.m.] or text messages from [our maintenance team] that night, and then as early as 4:30 the next morning, same night, same morning.”

Communication: Miles said HISD is constantly improving its communications operations so that it can be as responsive as possible to parents. Additional methods of communication have been utilized to make sure that parents can timely get accurate information.

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