It has been a week since around 60% of voters said no to Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion bond proposal. Soon after, the district once again plunged into turmoil as HISD announced a series of shake-ups to school leadership.
More than 150 principals have reportedly been changed across 141 schools for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Community members, including parents and teachers, are expressing concerns about the impact of frequent leadership changes on students’ learning capabilities, teacher retention and morale, community trust, and campus stability.
So, what happened?
Last week, HISD Central Division Superintendent Luz Martinez wrote to Harvard Elementary parents, informing them that principal Dr. Shelby Calabrese has been recommended for termination, and assistant principal Dr. Alejandra Perez and magnet coordinator Daisha Huntley were to be assigned to other campuses. The district earlier announced Dr. Calabrese was being investigated without specifying the reason.
HISD parents at Supporters of HISD Magnets and Budget Accountability described this as “a change that deeply upset two communities who had built strong bonds with these leaders.”
Martinez added that HISD decided to install new leadership to “minimize the disruptions for students, teachers, and families during the academic year” and to ensure Harvard Elementary students receive a high-quality International Baccalaureate (IB) education.
“District leadership believes this change is in the fundamental best interest of Harvard Elementary students and your school community,” Dr. Martinez wrote.
Sharon Pe Benito, the newly appointed principal of Harvard Elementary School resigned before the first day, citing “extensive bullying.” Credit: Houston ISD.jpg
Sharon Pe Benito was selected as the new principal but quit before the first day, citing “extensive bullying on social media,” and Molly Lashway as the new assistant principal. A new magnet coordinator has yet to be finalized.
According to a statement sent to Harvard ES’ parents by the district that circulated on social media, Stefanie Spencer, who has served as a principal for 18 years in Goose Creek CISD and Spring Branch ISD, was appointed as the interim principal for the remainder of this academic year.
HISD wrote in its statement, “Dr. Spencer joins the team from the HISD Leadership and Strategic Initiatives Office where she had most recently served as campus support for schools throughout Houston ISD in the areas of high-quality instruction and systems. She is eager to work hand in hand with the parents of Harvard to support teachers and students to have a successful school year during this transitional period.”
At Pershing Middle School, interim principal Domiana Battah-Miari, and four assistant principals were also reassigned. This would be Pershing’s third principal of the year as River Oaks Elementary’s assistant principal Bryant Johnson joins Pershing MS as principal with Lanier MS’ assistant principal Stephanie Howard. Pershing AP Tyesha Beller was reassigned to Lanier.
Memorial and Mark Twain Elementary Schools are other schools affected by the shake-up. Harvard and Pershing’s new principals are graduates of HISD superintendent Mike Miles’ 2024-2025 Principal Academy, a residency program that aims to prepare attendees to become future principals in the district.
“This ‘community-busting’ tactic aims to destabilize schools and weaken community voices, but we’re united and pushing back,” said Ruth Kravetz, the co-founder of the nonprofit Community Voices for Public Education in Houston. “Miles has been using community busting as a tool to harm our students since the takeover began. He was similarly disruptive at the 28 original NES schools last year.”
Ruth Kravetz, the co-founder of the nonprofit Community Voices for Public Education in Houston, called the shake-up a ‘community-busting’ tactic. Credit: Public Voices for Public Schools
Kravetz noted that students of Pugh Elementary School started classes in August last year with only six of the 28 teachers from the previous year and that Miles reassigned the fourth-grade team, principal, and assistant principal at Atherton Elementary School.
Kravetz advised parents and teachers to communicate with each other, spread the word, and continue to “push back against community busting this way.”
Harvard Elementary parent Quynhthy Bui believes the district’s frequent changes to leadership are a tactic to disengage the parents and cause a rift in the community.
“What did Dr. Perez do to get moved? I can’t think of a good reason why they would get moved other than to sever their ties to the community and cause disruption,” Bui said. “You have this disengagement from parents because what’s the point of getting to know them? The cynical part of me feels that this is part of the plan to weaken community bonds. They’re just getting swapped in a musical chair exercise to disrupt six communities in one night.”
Bui, who has two children at Harvard, said they were devastated to hear the news.
“My kids have a very close bond to Dr. Perez, um, because she has known them since they were in kindergarten,” she said. “Every time they see her in the hallway, they run up and give her a hug. She’s just very warm, and the kids will tell you she’s not somebody who just sits in her office. She walks around, and she talks to kids all the time.”
