As a 30 year educator, and a middle school teacher at Ortiz Middle School in Houston ISD, I believe that quality schools are important because they provide the foundation for our future. Schools are the place where seeds are planted and nurtured. When students do not receive a good education they are ill prepared to become self sufficient adults.
My hope for today’s schools is that they produce well rounded students and adults. This can only be done when the educational system meets the child where they are, recognizes diversity and deficits and meets those needs socially, emotionally and academically. With that being said, school leaders must be willing to address the diverse needs of school scholars. Leaders that recognize the call for community schools and wraparound services for students and parents. We need a leader that realizes that when a child is hungry and worried about a roof over his head, little learning will take place. This is what a significant number of teachers face today in HISD. Thus we need a leader that will take the reins and get to work to address these issues.
We are a district of the haves and have nots. The community is an integral part of our school district and the influence is great. As we move forward, my hope is that the superintendent will look at the entire district, embrace its diversity, and not focus on a select few. A leader that will allow administrators and teachers the freedom to do their jobs in an environment free from intimidation, bullying and fear of reprisal. One that knows and will view students as individuals and not a test score or a number.
Being a teacher, I am in the trenches and acutely aware of the many facets that children bring into the classroom everyday. Teaching is not what I do, it’s who I am. We need a partner in education. There needs to be a culture of respect. We should be developing community schools and providing wraparound services or our disadvantaged students and parents. We need to counter the effects of poverty. That must be a priority. We will need to come together as a team. “Children First” we all must agree is the battle cry.
Welcome to the new superintendent! Now, Let’s Get to Work.
Jackie White Anderson
Special Education Teacher
Secretary-Treasurer, Houston Federation of Teachers Local 2515
