Teachers and parents press Midland ISD trustees over staffing, pay and student supports

A seventh‑grade Texas history teacher at Alamo Junior High told the Midland Independent School District board on Sept. 16 that she and one other full‑time social‑studies teacher are carrying 188 students across seven class periods and that Professional Learning Community (PLC) time for non‑tested subjects was removed this year.

"We only have 2 full time social studies teachers, myself and my colleague who is a first year teacher," the teacher said, adding that her largest class has 35 students and that the loss of PLC time makes it "nearly impossible to provide meaningful feedback and differentiate instruction for every child."

Why it matters: Teachers and parents framed the issues as operational decisions with classroom consequences — class sizes, staffing reallocations and how the district communicates student supports. Trustees and the superintendent repeatedly linked those staffing choices to enrollment projections and budget allocations, saying some moves respond to actual attendance and staffing ratios.

Superintendent Dr. Howard acknowledged the concerns and said district staff will follow up on campus‑level questions. "We're 772 students below projection," she told the board, and noted that staffing allocations are tied to that enrollment monitoring process. Howard said the district identified 31 positions for deletion based on projected versus actual enrollment but emphasized those changes often involve reassigning filled positions rather than immediate layoffs.

Teachers and other speakers at public forum expanded the list of concerns. Chelsea Davis, who identified herself as a staff member and parent, said she discovered she had been paid below the salary she agreed to when she started in January and described slow or dismissive responses from HR and the superintendent's office. "When compensation doesn't match what was agreed upon, it sends a message that our time and efforts are undervalued," she said.

Parent and community speakers, including members of Jumpstart Midland, urged better detection and communication about students with learning differences. Heather Thomas said her daughter's dyslexia and ADHD went unaddressed through elementary school until she sought outside testing in third grade. "There is lack of accessible information, inconsistent communication, and inadequate support for struggling students," Thomas said.

Board response and next steps: Trustees asked administration for campus‑specific follow‑up. Dr. Howard said the district will investigate the specific campuses named by speakers (she pointed to Alamo and others) and deliver a class‑size report in the coming weeks. She also defended the district's use of an "opportunity culture" staffing model that can increase class size in some rooms while assigning multi‑classroom leaders to support teams of teachers.

Trustees repeatedly asked for clearer communications to families: several members said they wanted a public plan explaining opportunity culture, classroom ratios, and how parents can learn whether their child's classroom is part of that model. Howard agreed to provide data and to present more detailed information at a future meeting.

The board did not take immediate action on staffing beyond directing staff to investigate the specific campus concerns and report back; several trustees urged transparency in follow‑up and offered to meet with parents who spoke at the forum.

Ending: The board heard multiple public comments on staffing, pay and student supports and directed staff to provide campus‑level follow‑up and a district class‑size report in the coming weeks.