Op-ed: Who teaches HISD’s Dyad classes?

Dyad is a program brought to Houston ISD by Superintendent Mike Miles. The Dyad program promises to bring together community members, Dyad consultants, experts in a given field, to teach students enriching lessons simulating real-world experience.

Miles firmly believes in this program; he brought it to every district he ruled. Dyad is often the subject of HISD Source-branded videos and emails, and Miles said that “eventually, many electives will also be taught by consultants.”

I had to find out if the program lived up to the hype. I spoke with many teachers on campuses with Dyad, consumed all Dyad-related media, and even planned to visit Dyad’s classes to see for myself. Unfortunately, at the last minute I was told that if I went to visit Dyad, I would not be able to share any information about my experience. So I withdrew. Here’s what I know.

Good
Having community members who specialize or have expertise in a unique skill set is a wonderful idea. I imagine someone who runs a boxing school, coming in and sharing their expertise with our students. Maybe a dancer from the Houston Ballet could come and teach dance history and techniques. Perhaps a local mechanic shop owner could teach our students the basics of auto repair. Musicians from the Houston Symphony could come and teach our students how to play and break into the profession.

The bad
Although some Dyad consultants are professionals with expertise, many are simply people on the street. Some of them are only 18 years old. Some don’t even know the skills they are supposed to teach.

A Piano Dyad consultant admitted to colleagues that he didn’t know the piano but wanted to “learn with the kids.” As many of these consultants are not professionals, there is constant turnover. Our children need stability, but many are exposed to a revolving door of Dyad consultants.

Some schools place a certified teacher in the room with Dyad so that there is a trained adult to manage student behavior. Several administrators described a class as “unsupervised” if there was not a certified teacher available to babysit while Dyad consultants “taught.”

Certified teachers are listed as official teachers of these Dyad classes, even if that teacher has never set foot in the classroom. Certified teachers are asked to approve grades and special educational accommodations for students they have never met.

Teaching practices are lacking. You can’t blame Dyad consultants; they are not trained in the skills needed to be an effective teacher. Most Dyad classes have no recognized form of multiple response strategy (Miles’s mandatory strategies for assessing student understanding), there is no differentiation, and instructional rigor and fidelity are not even a consideration.

Lesson plans, LO (learning objectives} and (Learning demonstration). This doesn’t happen, but that’s okay because there is no expectation about it or way to evaluate the effectiveness of Dyad consultants. For many students, Dyad time is free time. Might as well dim the lights, put on a good movie and hand out the Crayola program.

The ugly one
As an educator, our number one job is to keep our students safe. Many aspects of Dyad have security issues. I’ve heard the nightmare stories of Dyad consultants who, overwhelmed by poor classroom management, abandoned entire classes of students in the middle of class.

I have heard stories of Dyad consultants who had no control during fire drills. This makes for a hilarious scene in Kindergarten Cop, but it would be a tragedy if it happened during a real fire.

There are also safety concerns related to Sports Dyad classes taught by individuals who have not had the necessary training to prevent, respond to, and treat a student experiencing a medical emergency. I have heard stories of Dyad consultants allowing students to play too roughly and resulting in injuries. I’ve heard of Dyad consultants letting injured students play, causing additional damage.

When children participate in sports activities, their heart rate and respiratory rate are elevated. Ask anyone who has taught physical education or coaching. Things happen. Students have difficulty breathing. The students lose consciousness. Students have allergic reactions. It’s terrifying but it’s part of the job. It is irresponsible to entrust an athletic class to someone who is not trained to provide CPR.

Finally, the topic no educator wants to think about: school shootings. Many schools have not handed over the keys to Dyad consultants. Our children would be easy targets in a shooting, in an unlocked classroom, with an individual who has no classroom management.

The verdict
I’m sure some of Dyad’s consultants are great in their area of ​​expertise, some might even be good with kids, but there are reasons why the state of Texas requires certification for teachers. The Dyad Project is as random and anarchic as the Wild West.

Electives need trained, certified, professional teachers to meet the high standards we have for the instruction and safety of our children. It is time to end the failed Dyad experiment that current district leaders are conducting to the detriment of our children.

Brad Wray is a teacher at HISD who is currently an elected member of the District Advisory Committee and has a child enrolled at HISD.