Vol 28 Issue 8

HISD AND THE TEA TAKEOVER

By: Roy Douglas Malonson

Many are waiting to hear what will happen to the Houston Independent School District (HISD), as the Texas Education Agency (TEA) comes closer to taking over the district. There is no official date on when the takeover will take place, and Mayor Turner said, “To create this uncertainty, especially at a time when kids are about to take their exams, it is not fair to the students, or to the teachers, or to the parents, and quite frankly to this community as well.”

TEA has made no comments regarding the matter, which continues to leave the community and students facing unknown territory.

Although progress has been made under Superintendent House’s leadership, who stepped in the role with tremendous challenges, a takeover is needed to ensure HISD receives the resources and tools they need for our students to be successful. HISD has had problems for many years and if this is how we save the district and turn it around for good, then the takeover needs to happen. According to Strategic Partnerships, “By law, TEA has the ability to take over a school district or charter school due to problems with nances, governance, academics or health and security. HISD cont. on pg. 3

MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VISIT COURT

By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

Shauna Jones, Assistant Principal at MacArthur High School in the Aldine Independent School District (AISD), saw a need for keeping her students out of trouble and getting them on the right path. “I noticed that our students are making bad decisions, so I went to my building principal and told her that we have to do something di erent because our students are making decisions that could change the trajectory of their lives.” A er she received approval from her principal, Shauna Showers, she arranged a eld trip for the students to visit court. Jones wanted students to learn about the criminal justice system and the importance of making good decisions.

Before the students went on the eld trip, Jones did a mini lesson on the criminal justice system. “I had them analyze national and Harris County data, as far as the criminal justice system goes and had them look at statistics for di erent racial backgrounds so that they can get a feel for the racial disparities that are taking place in our country.” is was eye opening for the students as they saw the data of how many people are incarcerated and was able to process the information.

Court cont. on pg. 6

BLACK HISTORY IS 24/7/365, NOT 28–29 DAYS

Superintendent Millard House II

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

Judge Ramirez and Aaron Hancock

Contributing Writers Dr. Bobby Mills

News:

The Overflow

A Revival of God Consciousness

Bobby Mills, Phd

e Houston Independent School District

Do you, have it? For

Having EI can take time, and one may need practice at it, but if you are self-aware, then you can control your emotions and manage just about any situation you are faced in. Now, this does not mean that this will control other people’s emotions and how they may react, or will solve all your problems, but being EI means that you can recognize how others are feelings and use that to your advantage in how you respond. You will also better understand why an individual was feeling a certain way, or may have

thought a certain way. Being EI can not only help you professionally but also in your personal life as well. We live in a sensitized world where anything you say or do can be used against you. Due to this sensitivity, it may cause you to have to walk on eggshells around certain people because you don’t know what may set them o . If you are emotionally aware, it will help you channel your feelings and their feeling as well. With everything that is going around the world such as politics, pandemics, racism, social media, cancel culture, and so much more, it is a lot to try to process all at once. We continue to take in so much information on a daily basis and hardly ever sit down to navigate the emotional side to all of it. is includes identifying what you’re feeling and how it makes you feel. en you must take those feelings and make sense of them. is is where EI comes into play. I have been working on my own EI, and I must say it does make a di erence in how I approach something or someone, and how I manage situations di erently now, than I would have as a younger me. is is personal growth.

America’s constitutional Founders knew that educational spiritual enlightenment is the life blood of social democracy. e Founders wanted everyone to be able to read the Bible, because the Bible declares: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1: 3). Reading is spiritually developmental. us, the Founders created a

mass-universal free public education system to have a stable functioning democracy. erefore, the educational system must be universalized, and at the same time, particularized because one size does not t all. e North Forest ISD found out this truism. Now, HISD has found out the hard way, and is facing state-controlled receivership. Incompetence is a deadly enemy of e ective educational development, even though, HISD is not totally responsible for its receivership predicament. Dysfunctional educational development begins in the home with parents who do not set standards of moral conduct and educational developmental expectations.

more visit aframnews.com

Editor Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D. - Editor

Tristar

Prior to the 2015 legislative session, the law only allowed the TEA to take over a district for two years, but with the passage of House Bill 3106, a takeover can last beyond those two years.

Since 2019, the TEA has kept HISD under their radar a er “allegations of misconduct by trustees and years of low academic performance at Phillis Wheatley High School - one of the district’s 276 schools.” Although progress has been made since then, the district is still not performing where it should be. If the takeover follows through, it will impact hundreds of students, making it the largest takeover to happen. is will not be the rst time the TEA has taken over a district in Texas as this has happened in Beaumont and El Paso, just to name a few. Most of the issues with education stem from a historic case in 1954 known as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. is Supreme Court case ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. is ruling came a er the “separate but equal ruling” in the Plessy v. Ferguson case that deemed racially segregated public facilities legal. But we were never equal, and our communities have always lacked the adequate resources that have been needed to thrive. Integration hurt our communities and did more harm than good as it tore our communities apart

in Beaumont and El Paso,

and even when legal segregation ended, nothing changed. Some of our communities haven’t been the same since. Black people did not have equal facilities like White folks did. Black schools were still not up to par like White schools. Despite this, our communities and schools have done the best we could with what we have. So even though the Brown v. Board of Education case made the ruling of segregation illegal, segregation

to integrate its schools, and one source mentioned how the questions of “de facto remain.”

of segregation illegal, segregation

De facto segregation is a term that was used in the 1960s and has been de ned by Cornell University as a term used to describe “a situation in which legislation did not overtly segregate students by race but nevertheless school segregation continued.” Sometimes segregation occurs naturally due to di erent factors outside of race

HISD Board of Education Trustees

still occurred across the nation and even took decades in some places before they started their desegregation process. It was in 1968 when United States District Court Judge Ben C. Connally ordered HISD to desegregate. e transformation did not happen right away and even took years until anything happened. According to Texas Archive, it wasn’t until 1969 that the Department of Justice stepped in to address the issue. HISD had also implemented the creation of a new school that would have a “balanced faculty.” is was the rst school during that time to exist in the South. HISD took decades

like socioeconomic status for an example.

So, what do our schools look like today? According to e Century Foundation, “Nationwide, two out of ve Black and Latinx students attend schools where more than 90 percent of their classmates are non-White, while one in ve White students attends a school where more than 90 percent of students are also White.” is shows that our schools are still segregated and unequal.

As the largest school district in Texas and the eighth largest school district in the United States, HISD serves approximately 187,000 students. Out of those students,

62.01% are Hispanic, 22.19% are African American, 4.45% are Asian, and 9.951% are White. A TEA takeover would greatly impact the district and the communities it serves, but the bene ts could outweigh the cost. TEA can pump needed funds and resources to help build a stronger foundation that will stand for many generations to come. It can also provide an equitable learning environment that will positively impact all students. Additionally, another potential takeover could happen with Dallas Independent School District (DISD). According to the Dallas Express, “ e district’s latest accountability report found that almost 20% of its Class of 2022 failed to graduate in four years. Furthermore, only 41% of DISD students scored at grade level on last year’s STAAR exams.” Both HISD and DISD have struggled over the years regarding student success. However, HISD has managed to make signicant progress while DISD shows opposite trends. One of the questions that has not been answered is, why are students not successful? Why are our students falling behind and not meeting state expectations? More of a conversation is needed to address the concerns of our future. e decisions made in the potential HISD takeover could set the precedent for the outcome of DISD. As Benjamin Franklin stated, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Let’s do what needs to be done for our children and our communities.

positively impact all students.

pened

Top: Bridget Wade, Dani Hernandez, Dr. Patricia K. Allen, Elizabeth Santos

Bottom: Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Judith Cruz, Kendall Baker, Myrna Guidry, Esq., Sue Deigaard

HOUSTON HBCU ALUMNI CARER & COLLEGE FAIR

By: Crystal LaShan

Jackson State, Wiley, Texas College, and Spelman oh my! e Houston HBCU Alumni Association had HBCUs everywhere. Black excellence was in full e ect. H-E-B returned as the o cial event underwriter for the nation’s largest HBCU College Fair. e 2023 HBCU College Fair took place at the Houston Marriott South Hobby Airport. e HBCU College Fair was free and open to the public. It was an HBCU Love Fest! e highlights of the 2023 HBCU College Fair featured groundbreaking events such as the virtual address from the US Dept. Of Education Secretary – Dr. Miguel Cardona. Over 50+ HBCUs were under one roof for the sole purpose of recruiting. ere was also an HBCU Presidents Forum for University Presidents across the nation, and band and music auditions conducted by the National HBCU Band Directors. In addition, there were workshops on important topics such as, nancial aid/admissions information, conversations with students, degrees in demand/workforce Outlook, athletics, Army ROTC, scholarships, door prizes, and health screenings. What a great way to encourage Black youth to explore their options when pursuing advanced education.

L to R-Marionette Richardson-Scott, Donovan Brooks, Shameka Richardson, and Keshwana Tyler

L to R-Criss Pinson, Cheryl Smith, Denise Igbineweka, Gracie Deason, RT Debose, Lonnie Collins, and Marco Mthembu

Courtney Gross and Jessica Baxter

Kimberly Stewart and Patricia Teamer

Kimberly Stewart and Patricia Teamer

Jennifer Scott Williams and Katavia Larry

RODEO COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Let’s Rodeo! e Rodeo parade was awesome. e most beautiful oats, the best Bands, and Cowgirls with their Cowboys were everywhere. Houstonians came from near and far to enjoy this spectacular display of Rodeo fun!

Grand Marshal Leon Coffee with Terri Lynn Coffee

Houston City Council Member Thomas

Houston City Councilmembers Evans-Shabazz & Pollard

City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and staff

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Howdy

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Parade Committee’s Miss Houston

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia enjoying the parade.

A Black cowboy showcasing his horse in the parade.

Texas Congressman Al Green

Congresswoman Shelia Jackson-Lee

Court cont.

Once they arrived at court, Jones encouraged the students to get a feel for everything and “look at the people that are entering the system… to look around the courtroom and look at the professionals that are working in the courts and how they look like us.” Jones wanted students to understand that even though there were people who looked like them that were being incarcerated, there were also people who looked like them that had successful careers.

Jones described the take aways the students had which was how they need to make good decisions so they don’t end up in the system, and they also took away that if they focus on

the positive, and work hard, they will be successful in life. “ ey were empowered,” Jones said.

During the eld trip, students were able to interact with the judges and ask them questions about their schooling, the hardest cases they’ve seen, and so much more.

e students were also able to sit in felony and misdemeanor courts, and even saw aggravated assault cases. Jones discussed with her students that people end up in the system sometimes due to bad decision making and their emotional response. “As an educator, it is crucial that we teach our students social and emotional skills because they struggle with managing their emotions, which can lead to bad decision-

making.”

One of the most powerful moments that occurred that day for Jones is when a few parents who were attending court with their child complimented her on what she is exposing the kids to and how bene cial it is for the students to be exposed to things like court. One parent told Jones, “I wish the school district my children were in created opportunities like this because I wouldn’t be here today if they did.”

e students truly enjoyed themselves and learned a lot. Most of all, they were motivated to make good desicions. Jones hopes to take another group of students back to visit the courts in April and to make this eld trip an annual one.

Renata Rebolledo, Nicole Rebolledo, Keenan Jackson, and Darius Hicks

Students posing with Judge Franklin to capture memories.

Students posing for a picture in one of the courtrooms.

Students were engaged during their visit and asked many questions.

INCOME TAX IRS PROBLEMS

Notice to Proposers

Lone Star College Request for Proposal:

• CSP #856 Process Technology Center Pilot Plant Construction Services Electrical & Control Equipment. Electronic bids due Friday 03/31/23 by 11:00AM. Site

Visit Monday 03/31/23 09:00AM at Lone Star College Process Technology Center (14001 Lockwood Road, Houston TX 77044). All bid event documents can be found in the iStar Ventor Portal. For info how to register & bid attend our WebEx tutorial Tuesday 03/21/23 at 10:00AM: www.WebEx.com https://www.lonestar.edu/vendors

Contact MC-vendors@lonestar.edu or Michael.Loudis@LoneStar.edu

ROLLOVERS

LEGAL NOTICE

e Houston Independent School District Purchasing Services Department located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092 is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP) via the District’s electronic bidding portal. Proposers may login to view speci cations and submit their responses at the following link https://houstonisd. ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 3:00 p.m. (CST) Tuesday, March 28, 2023, for the following solicitation:

RFP 23-03-02 – Temporary Nursing Services

Pre-proposal conferences via Microso Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and instructions to receive a link to join the meeting can be located within the electronic bidding portal under the “Event Details” tab speci c to this solicitation.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

ADVERTISE ONLINE with

Services: Mowing, Landscape Renovation, Edging, General Lawn Clean Up, Shrub Trimming and Removal, Brush Clearing, Lawn Fertilization, Flower Bed Installations

Sealed bids, in duplicate, addressed to OST/Almeda Corridors Redevelopment Authority will be received at 5445 Almeda Rd, #545, Houston, TX 77004, until 2:00 pm (CST) on ursday, April 6th, 2023. Hard copies of the bid must be delivered in person. Bids will be publicly opened and read at 2:05 PM on ursday, April 6th, 2023, for furnishing all necessary materials, equipment, superintendence, labor, and incidentals for the Construction of Additional Park Upgrades and Improvements at Park at Palm Center. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS are on le at www.civcastusa.com. ere is no cost to download the Bid Documents but you must register at civcastUSA.com. e right is reserved, as the interest of the Owner may require, to reject any and all bids, and to waive any informality in bids received. In Person Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 5445 Almeda Road, Suite 545, Houston, TX 77004, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 10:00 am (CST).

Honoring

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

H-E-B celebrates the trailblazers of the past and the women of today for your leadership, courage, strength, influence and impact. You inspire us.

FLORENCE BUTT, H-E-B FOUNDER