A recent decision from the Houston Independent School District to eliminate 28 school libraries and repurpose at least some of them as places for administrators to discipline students is drawing criticism from city leaders and intensifying the debate about the relevance of school libraries.
The district’s new Superintendent Mike Miles recently proposed a plan to close the libraries and get rid of designated librarian roles at a set of schools dubbed the New Education Schools for other purposes. Under the plan, the buildings could be used to host kids for discipline, additional classes or for multipurpose uses of learning, said Joseph Sam, a spokesman from the school district. The school board signed off on the plan this summer, said Sam.
Miles will speak out about the decision at a news conference in Houston on Saturday, according to Sam.
The decision comes at a time when school library books and the roles of school librarians are under attack across the nation.
The Houston Independent School District is the largest district in Texas and serves more than 189,000 students at its 274 campuses, according to its website. The once- independent district was recently taken over by the Texas Education Agency. That agency appointed Miles as superintendent of the district, and he took reigns of the role in June.
Houston ISD: “We understand the significance of certain programs associated with libraries”
The repurposed libraries will be called “Team Centers,” said Sam, “which are designed for students to continue working – individually or in teams – throughout the school day.”
During the school day students who act out in class could sent to one of the centers, “where they will rejoin their class in a virtual setting to maximize their access to ongoing instruction,” he said, adding that kids can still access the libraries before and after school.
The district is also “evaluating libraries at 57 other schools on a case-by-case basis.” wrote Sam.
Despite the closures, Sam said school leaders “understand the significance of certain programs associated with libraries and will strive to maintain those valuable offerings.”
Houston Mayor: “What the hell are you doing?”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner criticized the district for the move during a speech at a Houston city council meeting on Wednesday, Houston Public Media reported.
“For many of these kids,” Turner said, “the library is their portal to the outside world.”
“You cannot have a situation where you are closing libraries for some schools in certain neighborhoods and there are other neighborhoods where there are libraries, fully equipped,” he said.
Behavior vs. books:US students are rowdier than ever post-COVID. How’s a teacher to teach?
Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kaylajjimenez.
