Houston, We Have A Problem— Houston Independent School District Announces Plan To Hire Uncertified School Teachers

Houston Independent School District (HISD) isn’t just content with getting rid of school libraries. In their latest shocking move, HISD has asked the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for waivers so they can hire uncertified teachers.

This is an extremely concerning plan because research shows that Black students will be disproportionately impacted. Data from across the country has shown that “schools serving predominantly Black students have 5 percent more novice teachers than schools with fewer Black students [and]…In a quarter of states, gaps are even wider: Predominantly Black schools have at least twice as many novice teachers as schools serving the fewest.”

But apparently, this was the solution that HISD came up with to fill the teacher vacancies in advance of the looming school year. While the exact number of vacancies has not been disclosed, “we do know more than 800 teachers resigned from March to July 2023.”

Jackie Anderson, President of the Houston Federation of Teachers said, “They’re looking for quantity and not quality.”

One parent, who doesn’t want to be named out of fear of blowback coming down on her child, said, “Honestly, this is not at all surprising coming from HISD. They’ve made some questionable calls throughout the years but this one is by far the most concerning. It’s discouraging to see that they are not prioritizing our children’s education, and it makes me even more concerned for the future.”

She continued, “And that doesn’t even touch on the topic of how the safety of our children will be in untrained hands. This is extremely upsetting, but unfortunately this is on par with what HISD typically does, which in turn reflects in the district’s poor performance. I’m curious as to when a call for actual reform will occur.”

HISD teacher and Houston Education Association member Michelle Williams is confused about why the district didn’t “put out a call for retired teachers and have [Superintendent Mike] Miles’ staff step in.” “Put your staff in there. Make them go teach the kids. They have certifications. His executive team has certifications – all of them are certified to teach,” Williams told a local ABC News affiliate.

“When you have a person who comes just off of the street and says, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a teacher,’ they know nothing about the dynamics of teaching, classroom management. Then there is the content knowledge. There is dealing with parents. That cannot be taught in one year,” added Williams.

Another concern lies in the fact that typically new teachers heavily rely on veteran teachers for tips around effective classroom management and teaching strategies. Dallas ISD hired Andrew Kirk “before he was certified,” and Kirk said that, “Veteran teachers are spending time supporting those newer teachers rather than focusing on their own classrooms and students.” Kirk is worried that if there is an influx of new, uncertified teachers, “too much time will be spent coaching and not enough teaching.”

And Houston isn’t the only one with a problem. Officials are saying that “[s]ome parts of the country are reporting the biggest staffing shortages in years…More than 40 states are suffering from what’s being called a ‘severe’ teacher shortage. Many education officials are scrambling to fill open positions.”

To address this issue, the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has called on “governors, state school chiefs, and state policymakers to commit to: establish teaching as a Registered Apprenticeship; invest in evidence-based teacher residency programs; establish or expand loan forgiveness or service scholarship programs; and increase teacher compensation.”