Did I stir a hornet’s nest?

I’ve been asked the same question more than a dozen times this week regarding my open letter to the Hearne ISD School Board about the recently released 2024 A–F ratings—specifically, the “D” and “F” grades assigned to our schools.

Should this not be a topic of conversation? Should citizens, parents, teachers, and staff of Hearne ISD not be concerned? Should we just ignore these ratings and hope the problem disappears?

I don’t think so.

And based on the anonymous letters, notes, emails, and phone calls I’ve received, I’m confident this conversation is only beginning.

Who I haven’t heard from, however, is Dr. Adrian Johnson, superintendent of Hearne ISD, or the majority of the school board. Only one board member responded, and his reply was simply that he was “very busy right now” but would respond at a later time.

That said, I did receive one letter—from a teacher at HISD. I’m intentionally withholding the name. These are opinions, and the claims are unverified. But they are important to hear. So today, I’m turning this column over to those words.

And know this: this is not the only letter. More are coming. Because fixing our schools takes work—and it has to start somewhere.

Please read:

I suppose instead of saying I’ve “witnessed” it, I should have said I’ve fallen victim to the ways of Hearne ISD and Hearne Elementary School.

School Board: Their priorities seem backwards. They are focused on building new additions and renovating existing facilities, while students are advancing to the 4th and 5th grades unable to read or perform basic math. Meanwhile, many employees are afraid to speak up because they have children or relatives connected to members of the school board.

Dr. Adrian Johnson: He’s an excellent speaker and can rally employees when needed, but the follow-through is lacking. He makes appearances on each campus, but beyond maintaining visibility, I’m not sure what substantive action he’s taking.

Mr. Weatherspoon: He acts as an enforcer, often being the one to let employees go at the end of the year. He also visits classrooms to offer “support,” but again, there’s no real follow-through.

Mrs. Yakesch and Mrs. Shico: Both are skilled at showing up when appearances matter. Promises are made—such as demonstrating new teaching techniques or offering employment for the following school year—but those promises often go unfulfilled. Many teachers have been blindsided to learn their positions were cut due to budget changes. Favoritism is evident, and standards vary depending on who you are.

Assistant Principal Mrs. Booker: She is overwhelmed. There are so many behavioral issues that it’s nearly impossible for her to keep up. Despite that, she does the best she can under the circumstances.

Instructional Specialists Mr. Redmond and Mrs. Miller: They genuinely try to support teachers. They visit classrooms regularly and follow through with instructional strategies. However, curriculum changes at HES happen so fast that it’s impossible to determine whether one program works before another is introduced. There’s no time to track student growth effectively.

Ms. Ward: Honestly, I’m not sure what she does, aside from planning parties. After several years at HISD, I still don’t fully understand what “blended learning” even means.

Student Behavior: Students are out of control—and they know it. Many behave inappropriately because they’re aware there will be no consequences. Children of employees often receive special treatment and are rarely disciplined. I’ve never seen an environment so focused on dancing, twerking, and mimicking adult behavior while students still can’t add 1+2 or spell the days of the week.

I hope this is a start.

- Anonymous

I believe it is and I’m in the process of several ideas that I hope will make a difference at Hearne ISD. I will save those for next week. I will apologize to my readers that have little or no stake in this issue, I would love to tell you a funny story, but at the moment, this issue is the only thing I’m really focused on and I’m afraid I may be on this soapbox for a while.

For my HISD follwers, and there are many, I may shift this issue to it’s own column next week freeing up this space for my normal good-humor column, so be on the look out for something new that will allow me address this issue each week as we as a community in Hearne move to better our school.