Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles defended Wheatley High School's recent "A" rating from the Texas Education Agency, even as a teacher's emotional video detailing the struggles of illiterate seniors at the same school gained national attention.
Miles acknowledged that student literacy issues are not new within the district. "The sentiment, I think we all shared for four years or three years, the sentiment that there are kids who need … support," Miles told reporters Thursday.
He contrasted the current situation with Wheatley High School's past performance, noting that the school was rated "F" four years ago. "There were many more students who could not read at grade level or do math at grade level. That is why we’re here. That’s why this is serious. That’s why we’re doing something about the fact that the students can’t read at grade level," Miles stated.
Miles announced plans to visit Wheatley High School to celebrate its academic achievement. "Yes, we’re doing great. I hope we celebrate that. In fact, we’re gonna go to Wheatley tomorrow and celebrate the fact that they have an ‘A’ — because the ‘A’ and these numbers don’t really mean that much unless you think about the kids behind it," he said.
The viral video, posted by Wheatley High School teacher Darius Williams, depicted him in tears during his lunch hour. Williams, a New Education System (NES) Career and Technical Education (CTE) staffer, described his distress after a class exercise with seniors. He reported that his students, aged 17 and 18, struggled significantly with a short reading assignment and writing a single sentence.
"I basically completed the sentence for them," Williams said, expressing his dismay. "These are 17- and 18-year-old kids, and they couldn’t fill in four words. Four words!" he exclaimed, visibly frustrated.
Williams, with red eyes and tears streaming, elaborated on the situation, stating, "This is only day two, and I have seniors who simply cannot read and seniors who cannot write. They cannot write."
The Texas Education Agency's accountability ratings evaluate students' learning progress by grade level and their readiness for subsequent stages, whether it be college, the workforce, or military service, according to KHOU. The ratings also assess how effectively schools prepare students for life after high school.