Huffman board responds to new state ratings

By John A. Crone

The Huffman school board passed a resolution of concern at the January meeting regarding the requirement by the Texas Legislature for the Commission of Education to implement a public-school rating system that would assign A through F grades to schools and school districts. This rating system is to begin with the 2017-2018 school year. A preliminary rating for each campus and district was released in January.
“Fifty-five percent of the rating system is tied to the STAAR assessment and testing done each year for all students,” Superintendent Dr. Benny Soileau said. “Over 500 districts in the state have passed similar resolutions of concern that the state doesn’t recognize individual student achievement. Public education is under attack and some want to take dollars and transfer them to charter and home school education programs.”
A response to the grading system is posted on the district’s website. The district’s preliminary grades were reported as one C and three Ds. The website posting states that “the system does not accurately represent the quality of schools, staff and students in Huffman ISD. The reduction of our schools to a single letter grade dismisses the unique qualities and gifts of our students … Such systems are not supported by definitive research to show that any rating system by itself improves school performance.”
The board’s resolution “requests a new system to rate campuses and districts that provides a more accurate and valid reflection of how public schools are performing in the state of Texas.”
The board also honored several students.
Being named Academic All State team members by the Texas High School Coaches Association were the following Hargrave High School boys football team members: Austin Gee, Austin Greer, David Holley, Mason Murray, Dylan Wilson and Trainer Kayla Lee.
Retired Capt. David Brown III awarded University of Houston