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Critics condemn superintendent Mike Miles’s ‘new education system’ that removes students’ access to books
The largest school district in Texas announced its libraries will be eliminated and replaced with discipline centers in the new school year.
Houston independent school district announced earlier this summer that librarian and media-specialist positions in 28 schools will be eliminated as part of superintendent Mike Miles’s “new education system” initiative.
Teachers at these schools will soon have the option to send misbehaving students to these discipline centers, or “team centers’” – designated areas where they will continue to learn remotely.
News of the library removals comes after the state announced it would be taking over the district, effective in the 2023-24 school year, due to poor academic performance. Miles was appointed by the the Texas Education Agency in June.
In a press release announcing the schools participating in the “new education system” program, Miles said: “I am overwhelmingly proud that this many HISD school leaders are ready to take bold action to improve outcomes for all students and eradicate the persistent achievement and opportunity gaps in our district.”
Lisa Robinson, a librarian retired from the school district, told local news outlet KPRC2 that her “heart is just broken for these children that are in the [NES] schools that are losing their librarians”.
Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, condemned the district’s move and said the solution to the problem of behavioral conduct was not to revoke access to books, especially in these underserved communities.
He said: “Are there students who need additional support? Yes, and I am 100% supportive of that. But it’s not an eithe/or. You don’t close the libraries, remove the librarians, and simply have the books on the shelf. What about all the other students? What are you saying to them?”
He added: “With all due respect to the superintendent, I grew up in this city. I still live in the same neighborhood that exists. I am the mayor of this city, and I am the mayor of every person who lives in the city of Houston.”
He urged schools to open up libraries to avoid creating a two-tier system within the district, as well as providing additional support to students who need it.
The Houston independent school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Teacher here. I’m fucking speechless. What kind of people remove a library and claim it as a win? The only people who do that are shooting for authoritarian regimes where the people are kept stupid.
“Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.” ~Thomas Jefferson
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The same people want to further the current industrial prison complex problem. I can see this dude’s brain thinking ‘this is great we will prepare them for prison’, and honestly believe its a positive outcome.
Apparently the superintendent is a former Army officer.
The only people who do that are shooting for authoritarian regimes where the people are kept stupid.
Exactly what they are going for.
even a slave owner had that much common sense. I mean, there are better people to quote from but i think we got the point
I hope I followed the rules correctly, this is the first serious attempt to post a news article while following the sub guidelines.
Also, as someone who is married to a school librarian, this is incredibly fucked.
The Guardian has been killing it lately. Good find. I was a librarian in uni and it was by far my favorite job. Surrounded by knowledge, working with interesting people, having great conversations.
I really am having a hard time believing this isn’t an onion article. Jesus Christ.
This is hideous. What’s next, close the schools and replace them with child labor camps?
They’ve already brought child labor back. Restrict abortion, remove libraries, feed your yokels nothing but propaganda about the evil libs and they vote for you while you pick their pockets forever
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Dear Fucking God!
The Guardian is a generally reputable source but I swear this reads like an Onion piece. If true, then the Republican’s there are truly trying to create an uneducated and uninvolved electorate. Jeez, I am glad I don’t live in Texas. Granted, Alabama isn’t much better, but still.
People joke about neo-feudalism, and that they just want slaves. But if you extend this thought out to it’s conclusion, we’ll all be living in prison colonies under military control in 30 years.
The extra idiocy of this is that they’re keeping the library books where they are, but are firing the librarians. The books are going to be on an “honor system”, apparently.
This is one of those events that we look back on in 10 years when Idiocracy becomes reality.
I’d like to sit back and laugh in (immigrated) European, but we are not that far behind you in some places.
And I thought, looking back on it, the American education system I experienced in the 80s was horrific. This is just …is William Gibson writing this season?
Alright class, this is a comparison without using like or as. We call it a metaphor. Now say it with me class, MET-A-PHOR.
