A new program has been deployed in Houston ISD that allows community members with professional skills to teach elective classes to broaden course offerings and better engage students.
Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles, who initially implemented the “Dyad” program at his charter school network, Third Future Schools, views it as a way to harness the knowledge of local professionals to supplement traditional electives.
“If [Miles is] modeling what we’re trying to do at Third Future, what he started, then great,” said Superintendent Zach Craddock of Third Future Schools, according to the Houston Chronicle. “Anytime that you can get kids engaged in whatever it is, whether it’s career-tech education, athletics, computer programming, or any area where kids are engaged and excited, it is gonna help the student. They’re gonna be a better, well-rounded person.”
Miles was appointed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to run Houston ISD after it was taken over by the state. The takeover of the largest school district in Texas was triggered in part by one campus’ chronic underperformance and allegations of misconduct against members of the board of trustees, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Before being chosen to head up Houston ISD, Miles served as superintendent of Dallas ISD for three years, from 2012 to 2014.
Student achievement outcomes have been a problem in both districts for years. According to the Texas Education Agency’s accountability reports, Dallas ISD — the second-biggest school system in Texas — had more D- and F-rated campuses than Houston ISD in the 2021-2022 school year.
Additionally, in a ranking of the top six big-city Texas counties based on student achievement outcomes, The Dallas Express found that the number of D- and F-rated campuses in Dallas County dragged it to the bottom of the list. Meanwhile, Harris County — where Houston ISD is located — came in third.
The Dyad courses are just one of a number of reforms Miles has implemented at Houston ISD, and they reportedly seem to be popular among students and community professionals. While Dyad consultants, as they are called, do not have to have teaching experience or certification, they offer a broader range of classes and expose students to career possibilities that are not necessarily evident in typical public school coursework.
“I’m glad these kids are getting more exposure to these different experiences outside of just the basics of, ‘Here’s what you need to do to pass the standardized state test at the end of the year,’” said Dyad consultant Grant Watkins, who is teaching students how to code video games this school year, per the Houston Chronicle. “It’s just really cool that the students are getting this exposure … and I hope they get more of that down the line.”
The number of Dyad consultants and classes offered varies by school size and student enrollment. Houston ISD boasts approximately 40 to 50 unique options categorized into five areas: arts and crafts, music and theater, 21st-century media and technology, fitness, and hands-on science.
“A DYAD Consultant is a community member with a special and unique skill set, such as: photography, gardening, boxing, golf, yoga, spin, videography, piano, guitar, and much more. DYAD Consultants are contractors who work with HISD schools on a part-time $30/hour basis, providing students with high-impact enrichment not typically available across K-8 campuses,” reads a description of the program.
