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Large public comment turnout urges HISD to reverse library and teacher terminations; Harvard Elementary librarian termination draws sustained protests
Summary
Hundreds of public commenters including many students urged the board to rescind a recommended termination of Harvard Elementary librarian Dania Garcia and to restore librarians and wraparound staff across the district; speakers linked school-level cuts to equity, academic supports and declining morale.
More than 120 people signed up to speak at the June 12 Houston ISD board meeting and a large proportion of public comments focused on the district's staffing decisions: parents, students, teachers and retired librarians urged trustees to retain librarians and reinstate wraparound supports. A concentrated cluster of speakers asked the board to rescind a recommended termination of Harvard Elementary librarian Dania (Dania Garcia Giampetro), saying her removal would harm student literacy programming.
Student speakers repeatedly described Garcia's programs (a —40-book challenge,' —1 Book 1…
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