Michelle Williams, president of the Houston Education Association (HEA), suggested that the world may no longer exist in 2035 if the District buys more paper.
Too Much Paper?
Williams made the remarks at a community meeting with newly-appointed HISD Superintendent Mike Miles. The meeting was held so that the new superintendent could answer questions about plans for the district in his new capacity as superintendent, as seen in footage of the meeting.
Some HISD teachers reported that “their classes are going to be 80% paper-based,” Williams said to Miles. “You said, and I’m going to take your words, you said that children don’t have time and then we’re preparing them for 2035. It is fiscally irresponsible to pay $100 per box of paper, and it is environmentally destructive for us to use that amount of paper for 20,000 children in District 2 … 2035 will not exist if you continue to support the deforestation, because it’s going to release too much carbon dioxide, it causes soil erosion, all of those things.”
Paper Debate
According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, less than half of HISD’s students in grades one through three were reading at or above grade level as of December 2022.
“No, I don’t think the world will end by 2035 if the district uses more paper in teaching students how to read and write,” Williams said.
Williams made several remarks at a community meeting against newly-appointed HISD Superintendent Mike Miles.
“I made that statement because before Mr. Miles coming to HISD the district has made efforts to reduce its paper consumption and to teach the students to be good stewards of the environment,” she continued, adding that “this is in line with the district’s 2012 partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and Eco-Schools.”
“I’m not saying paper shouldn’t be used in a reading class, what I’m saying is there should be a balance” of “40% paper and 60% technology,” Williams concluded. HEA is an affiliate union of the National Education Association, according to HEA’s Twitter profile.
Libraries Turning Into Disciplinary Centers
The Houston Independent School District, Texas’s largest public school system, will convert libraries into disciplinary centers.
This change would eliminate librarian and media specialist positions at 28 underperforming schools originally targeted to be overhauled under the New Education System program. Officials would also review 57 additional schools that opted into NES on a case-by-case basis.
“Transforming these spaces into detention centers not only dilutes their educational significance but also perpetuates negative stereotypes about learning, hindering the positive impact libraries can have on students’ lives.”
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