Imagine a classroom where the simple act of reading a beloved storybook is treated like a clandestine operation. This is the reality for students and teachers in Houston’s Independent School District (HISD), where a state-led takeover has prioritized test scores over the joy of reading. But here’s where it gets controversial: under Superintendent Mike Miles’ New Education System (NES), teachers are discouraged—and sometimes outright forbidden—from reading actual storybooks to their students, especially in the early grades. And this is the part most people miss: it’s not just about removing books from libraries; it’s about stripping away the very essence of storytelling from kindergarteners and first graders.
Take Rose, a 9-year-old who adored The Tale of Despereaux, a book about a brave little mouse. She and her classmates were trained to hide their books whenever district officials might visit, replacing them with worksheets and test prep materials. ‘I just wanted to read the book,’ Rose said, echoing the frustration of many students. Her classmate Max added, ‘She [the teacher] just told us, ‘if we get caught, I’m going to get in trouble.’ So we just followed that rule because she was a really great teacher.’
The NES curriculum, implemented by Miles, focuses heavily on phonics and standardized testing, leaving little room for imaginative literature. Teachers report being reprimanded or even risking their jobs for reading storybooks aloud. One kindergarten teacher, Elizabeth Vargas, resigned after being unable to share more than a single book with her class. Another veteran teacher, who grew up in Houston public housing and turned to education to inspire others, now feels like a ‘spy,’ sneaking in poems and songs when no one is watching.
Is this the future of education? While Miles’ approach has shown improvements in test scores, critics argue it comes at a steep cost: the loss of creativity, empathy, and a love for reading. Parents like Veronica Guzman have noticed the impact on their children. Her son Gabriel, once an avid reader, lost interest after his classroom shifted to NES, focusing on worksheets and digital passages instead of books. ‘If you’re just reading passages all day and answering questions, it doesn’t let you imagine things that could happen,’ Guzman lamented.
Teachers and parents alike fear the long-term consequences of treating reading as a technical skill rather than a source of inspiration. As one teacher put it, ‘I’ve taught over 450 kids how to read, and it’s much harder to do it without books. It’s harder to get them to understand the joy.’
What do you think? Is prioritizing test scores worth sacrificing the magic of storytelling? Should teachers have to risk their careers to share a good book with their students? Share your thoughts in the comments—this debate is far from over.
