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| CASE Report
Smart Brevity ®
count: 3.5 mins...932 words
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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HISD Hopeful to Solidify Gains
 Texas, and Houston specifically, has a long legacy of leading on education reform. Charter schools and No Child Left Behind originated in Texas, and currently there is another massive education reform initiative underway with the HISD intervention.
Robert Pondiscio, in his latest article for Education Next
, ponders an important question: HISD is doing an incredible job turning itself around and improving student achievement, but how can HISD keep the gains it has made?
Why it matters:
HISD is on the right track: Test scores are on the rise, board meetings are running smoothly, staff attendance is up, and disciplinary problems are down.
As important as it is for HISD to continue its upward trajectory, it is equally important that HISD can sustain its progress after the intervention ends. Future leaders of the district will hopefully keep the policies and practices in place that have brought HISD its recent success.
Go deeper:
The author highlights several reasons that the Houston community should continue to support the HISD reforms:
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Improved Student Achievement- The HISD reforms are undeniably working. Test scores for all grades and for all subjects are on the rise. If the new instructional methods continue, it stands to reason that student academic success will continue as well.
“Wholescale” Systemic Reform- The expansive, broad nature of the reforms contributes to the reforms’ success. Superintendent Miles often talks about how piecemeal, incremental reform may be more comfortable for the status quo, but students do not have time to wait for slower changes. HISD’s successful first year of the intervention demonstrate that the reforms need to be implemented broadly in order for them to be most effective.
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Equitable Education- The HISD reforms are helping to close achievement gaps that have persisted for decades. For too long, students with lower socioeconomic status have been allowed to underperform, which limits future earning capacity and quality of life. HISD’s reforms have targeted those students with the highest needs and surrounded them with the best educators and resources, resulting in remarkable academic gains.
What they’re saying:
Superintendent Miles said we can’t “keep doing what we did in the 1950s. The world has moved on. How about we think creatively and think differently? Maybe at least consider the changing world and what we do about it? This is a big bet, but it’s the right bet for kids. Until some legislature tells me I can’t, we’re going to do this.”
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HISD Board Signals Support for Bond
 HISD held a rare July board meeting on Tuesday to discuss the bond proposal with HISD's administration, which is working to garner support for what would be the largest school bond package in Texas history and the first for the district since 2012.
Houston Public Media’s story is here.
Why it matters:
HISD is long overdue for a bond, as discussed in numerous articles. Tuesday’s meeting was another step toward official approval of the bond proposal, which would go on November’s ballot. Some community members had questions about specifics such as determining locations of career and technical education centers, identifying campuses will be upgraded, and temporary co-locations, and those questions were all addressed at Tuesday’s meeting.
What they’re saying: “
When you get down to the bottom line of this, I don't think our kids can wait. The problem is we have HVAC systems and security systems and technology vulnerabilities today that would absolutely be unacceptable in a reasonable corporate environment or any other reasonable entity that had responsibility for maintaining the health and wellness of people they serve every day. So the idea that our kids can wait is just absurd." - Ric Campo, HISD Board of Managers.
By the numbers:
HISD, which serves roughly 180,000 students, is proposing to spend $2.05 billion to rebuild or substantially renovate more than 40 aging campuses, $1.35 billion on safety and security upgrades and a total of $1 billion on technology updates, three new career and technical education centers, and the expansion of HISD's pre-kindergarten programs.
What’s next:
The board plans to vote on the bond proposal
at its next board meeting on August 8.
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Beryl Recovery Underway at Dozens of Campuses
 Just weeks after a severe derecho battered HISD schools, another storm has caused significant damage to several campuses, delaying repairs and jeopardizing first-day-of-school readiness.
The Houston Chronicle’s story is here.
Why it matters:
HISD’s aging infrastructure was already needed billions of dollars worth of repairs prior to the derecho and Beryl. These storms have now highlighted the urgent need for HISD’s buildings to be upgraded for safety, security, and resilience.
By the numbers:
Houston ISD reported that 200 of the district's 274 campuses lost power due to Beryl; 50 were hit by fallen trees and 60 had roof or structural damage. As of yesterday, around 20 campuses still don't have power.
What they’re saying:"Many of our schools had minor damage – a few had more significant damage. Our facilities team along with outside crews have been working around the clock to get campuses back online and ready to serve students” - Joe Irizarry, HISD spokesperson.
What’s next:
Campus leaders will reach out to families at affected campuses in the coming days and weeks to share updates on the recovery and readiness for the first day of school.
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