Houston ISD may soon end some of its popular magnet programs at three campuses and redirect students to the district’s career and technical education center. While the move is part of a broader push to align education with workforce demand, it’s also sparked concern among parents, teachers and students about the future of magnet offerings.
In January, HISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers will vote on whether to sunset its graphic design magnet program and other courses at Heights, Northside and Kashmere high schools. If approved, new students would no longer enroll in some on-campus programs that the district says don’t lead to “high-wage, high-demand jobs.”Instead, the district wants to steer students to the Barbara Jordan Career Center for career offerings.
This fall, HISD and the education nonprofit Contigo Ed hired the Education Strategy Group to evaluate how much its career and technical education programs aligned with regional labor market data. The study came after Good Reason Houston — an influential local education nonprofit — found that less than 20% of Houston-area students earn a living wage six years after graduating from high school…