The History of Education in My Local Context
Houston, Texas: The Big City with Even Bigger Challenges in Education
Written and researched by: Ieesha M. Collins
“We are in the middle of an education recession.” – Rod Paige
The irony of this quote is twofold. Rod Paige is the former U.S. Secretary of Education – he served under President George W. Bush during his first term from 2000-2004 and he’s also the former superintendent of Houston Independent School District (HISD). Although this quote is attributed to Paige, the date and context in which he shared this quote is not documented. What history has taught us is that through the storied history of America, and Houston in particular, there has always been an educational recession underway, one that the city has never quite overcome – welcome to the history of education in my local context.
As a new Houstonian, I had a lot of research to do. The things I’ve learned throughout my research and conversations have been enlightening, informative and sometimes, disturbing. Despite this reality, I still have hope for Houston and our children.
Currently the 4th largest city in the nation and according to the 2010 census, also the most diverse city in America, Houston calls itself a place for everyone.
Houston, Texas was
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Prior to this date, there was several schools serving students across the city, but never under one governing body. The first leader of HISD was Edison Oberholtzer who went on to found University of Houston. Another powerful figure at the start of HISD was Hubert L. Mills, the business manager of the district, who had immense political power in the district. Mills was influential in the founding of the system because he had been working in school management for 10 years prior to Oberholtzer and he held more political capital, and thereby more power to get things done his