Decker Middle teachers urge district to reverse transfers they say harmed campus learning

A teacher leader at Decker Middle School told the Manor ISD board during public comment that the campus has been harmed by an influx of students transferred from Manor Middle at the start of the school year.

Michelle Ponish, who identified herself as a teacher leader at Decker Middle School, said campus staff were told earlier that incoming transfers would go through an approval process aligned with the district's published transfer policy'which includes academic, attendance and behavioral standards. She said campus teachers were later instructed to accept all transfers, which she attributed to district concerns about state funding tied to enrollment.

Ponish said a small number of transferred students with long disciplinary histories are causing outsized disruption in classrooms of about 600 students and that experienced teachers who had not previously written referrals are now doing so. She asked trustees to return any transfer students already identified as repeatedly disrupting learning to their home campus so Decker could better address its campus rating.

The board took public comment during the meeting; trustees did not take immediate action on the request. Decker's situation was later discussed during the district's presentation on campus turnaround plans, which outlined targeted interventions and instructional supports for campuses with consecutive unacceptable accountability ratings.

Speakers: Michelle Ponish, Teacher leader, Decker Middle School (public comment; first referenced 00:80:41)

Why it matters: Campus leaders said the transfers have affected classroom climate, instruction and teacher retention/efficacy at a school seeking to improve accountability ratings. The request—returning disruptive transfer students to their home campus—would be an operational decision requiring district review of policy and enrollment implications.