HOUSTON – An organization that unites Houston parents, educators, students, and community members to advocate for policies that strengthens HISD’s school system is spreading awareness of what is happening to schools since the takeover.
On Sunday, the Community Voices for Public Education held a block walk on Majestic Street near Second Ward.
Organizers went door to door talking to parents and connecting with the community.
The group is demanding a library and librarian in every HISD school. Librarian positions have been an ongoing debate throughout the district.
HISD is eliminating librarian positions at 28 schools this upcoming year and utilizing some of the libraries as “Team Centers” where kids with behavioral issues will be sent.
This comes as part of new superintendent Mike Miles’ reform program called New Education System or (NES). Currently, there are a total of 85 schools that have joined Miles’ program, and of those, 28 campuses will lose their librarians.
The district says librarians will have the opportunity to transition to other roles within the district.
The remaining 57 NES schools’ librarians will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the district. Melissa Yarbrough is a parent and teacher who works for HISD. She says it’s upsetting to hear about the recent library cuts.
“It’s a horror story. Libraries should be a sacred place in our schools. To close them and turn it into a quote-unquote teams centers just stuffed with desks where kids will go and do work online, that’s not what libraries are made for,” she said.
The libraries will now be available to students who are dropped off at school before classes begin or after school before they go home. The first day of school for the Houston Independent School District is Aug. 28.