Not much there. You can read whatever you want into that.
If Houston ISD trustees expected the district’s administration to make an impassioned, detailed appeal to the state for an accountability reprieve at Wheatley High School — a last-ditch effort to avoid severe state sanctions tied to chronically low performance at the campus — they did not get it from Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan.
Instead, Lathan submitted a two-page, bare-bones case for overturning Wheatley’s failing grade to the Texas Education Agency, infusing the request with none of the emotion that trustees displayed last month when they ordered her to file an appeal. Rather, Lathan briefly recounted the reasons trustees expressed for supporting an appeal — the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey, some signs of progress at Wheatley, the impact of sanctions on a district — that her administration believes is doomed to fail.
“I think they could have stated a very strong position and documented evidence, for example, from renowned research on the long-term effects of an incident like Harvey,” said HISD Trustee Sergio Lira, who voted to order the appeal. “I think it could have been much stronger, and I’m disappointed.”
The disconnect over the depth of HISD’s Sept. 13th appeal, obtained through a public records request this week, illustrates yet another example of the frayed relationship between Lathan’s administration and a majority of the district’s school board, which have been engaged in a year-long standoff marked by distrust and differences of opinion.
[…]
In a statement Tuesday, HISD officials said the appeal “was submitted in good faith.”
“As such, the administration stands behind the submission and has no further comment,” the statement read.
TEA officials are expected to rule on HISD’s appeal by December.
See here for the background. On the one hand, as I understand it the data is pretty cut and dried, and there’s not much in there to be disputed. No one really thinks that this appeal has much chance of success, so no real point in doing valueless work. On the other hand, when your boss tells you to do something – and the Board is the boss of the Superintendent – you do it, and you do it in a way that meets your boss’ expectations. To do otherwise is somewhere between incompetence and insubordination.
I’m not in a position to say which is the more accurate description of the situation. But however you look at it, this isn’t how this is supposed to work.
Both, incompetent and insubordinate, Lathan is there as the State has stated they can’t get a new superintendent. HISD is suing TEA so while the lawsuit is pending I believe they can’t take over HISD.
Lathan has a history of incompetence, https://tinyurl.com/y47u6duv
Personally, I believe that they should close Wheatley or turn it over to a charter school.
Maybe Grenita should have hired Demetria Smith, Johnny T. Taylor and Derek Broze to write the appeal…in all capital letters!