Simply Disappointed

Early in my career, the first newspaper I owned was my hometown publication in Johnson City, Texas, where I graduated from high school. I can tell you that my English teacher never saw this career path coming. To be honest, she was as surprised as I was, but I digress.

I was often accused of citing too many opinions in my writing for that newspaper. Being new to the experience, I took everything personally—every issue related to my school or community felt like a personal affront.

I was justified in publishing my writing in a few cases, and I can recount several incidents. However, more often than not, my stories were woven with my opinions as the publisher, and that is not good practice.

This column is the appropriate place for my opinions. The news stories throughout this paper are not where you should look for my thoughts on pressing issues. At the moment, I find myself at a loss for words (hard to imagine, I know). The reason for this is my research into the 2023-2024 Texas Education Agency’s A-F rating system that has recently been released.

So much information is associated with these ratings that it is challenging to process and condense it into 500 words. I could write an article for each school and intend to do so starting next week. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t express my disappointment with the Hearne ISD School Board, Superintendent, and administrative officials.

Hearne Elementary School received its lowest rating since 2018, an F, while Hearne High School and Junior High received D ratings.

The data gathered to calculate these ratings is extensive and will take me over a week to analyze. However, these ratings are taken very seriously, and Hearne ISD now ranks as one of the lowest school districts in Texas.

On Tuesday, I emailed each school board member, and I encourage you to do the same (If you would like to use this, feel free, email addresses can be found on the Hearne ISD website):

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To: Board of Trustees, Hearne ISD

Subject: Accountability Ratings and the Urgent Need for Leadership Response

Dear Board Members,

I will be direct, because this situation calls for nothing less.

The recently released TEA accountability ratings show Hearne Elementary with an overall rating of F, and Hearne Junior/High School with an overall rating of D. This performance is unacceptable. As trustees, each of you bears responsibility for the leadership, welfare, and educational outcomes of our students, teachers, and campuses. These scores are a reflection of systemic issues that demand immediate and transparent accountability.

This newspaper is committed to supporting our schools and our community — a community that includes more than 5,000 residents who deserve answers. The students of Hearne ISD deserve better. The educators who work tirelessly every day deserve better. And our community deserves to know what actions are being taken to address this persistent failure.

Let me be very clear: I am asking each of you to respond — on the record, to the following questions for publication:

What is your immediate and long-term plan to reverse this downward trend in performance across Hearne ISD?

What steps will you take to reestablish academic credibility and community trust?

What accountability measures are you thinking about regarding Superintendent Johnson, whose tenure in Hearne has mirrored the same ineffectiveness seen during his time in Houston?

Without excuses, a clear action plan is needed now. Please explain to the readers of the Robertson County News why you are on the Hearne School Board and what, if any, goals you have accomplished during your tenure.

I don’t have all your phone numbers, so I will rely on email for now. But understand this — what I will not accept is silence. A lack of response is, in itself, is a response — and one I will be forced to report in full to our readers.

This is your opportunity to lead. Please don’t waste it.

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I have not received a single response from any Hearne ISD Board members. This lack of communication suggests that the board tends to ignore problems rather than address them directly. If this board is unable to make changes and improve the school district in all areas of education, I recommend that we, the community, begin searching for suitable replacements through the election process.

Our children and our community deserve better than becoming a mockery of the State of Texas through our inability to lead and educate.

You may think I will get off my soapbox after this article, but I can assure you that I will remain on this soapbox until changes for the better become evident. In truth that is what I want, for the school district to improve for the kids and the community.

Hearne community members should not accept substandard leadership of our children; we should and can demand better.