October 15, 2024

Open Letter to the Harvard Community

A Message from the PTA President

Dear Harvard Community,

First, I want to extend my sincere thanks to each of you for allowing Maggie and me the opportunity to represent you on the recent town hall call with HISD. Your support of the PTA and your belief in our school is truly inspiring. I’ve personally received numerous texts, emails, and messages of encouragement, offers of help, and thanks. It’s clear that we are united in our commitment to the success of Harvard Elementary and its students.

While the call had positive aspects, I must express frustration with its format. Many parents could not participate due to how it was implemented and technical issues, leaving voices unheard and concerns unaddressed. This is deeply disappointing for such an important conversation.

That said, we did find common ground during the call. HISD and the Harvard community agree on several key points:

• We want the best educational experience for our students.

• Rigor is essential and necessary in education.

• Preserving the IB PYP framework at Harvard is in the best interest of our school and community.

However, we disagree on how the district is trying to achieve these goals. Harvard has historically maintained excellent ratings and provided a rigorous education without the need for the significant changes now being imposed. It’s possible to have both rigor and an outstanding educational experience without this overhaul—this is being done successfully in many other districts, and it’s what our community wants.

The district’s coup d’etat-style takeover of Harvard has left our community frustrated and disheartened. We were promised autonomy under the district’s framework, yet we now find ourselves without local leadership, with a district-appointed overseer. HISD claims that local leaders made these decisions, but after speaking with leaders from Harvard and other schools, it’s clear they were not given real choices. For example, I’ve been told by a principal from another school that, while autonomy was granted, at the time of choosing, only NES-based curriculums were financially supported by the district and district would not provide additional teaching support for other curriculums. This left them with no real options.

Currently, our teachers are under extreme stress and fear for their jobs. Some are even considering leaving Harvard, and this morning I heard from parents who are now exploring private school options due to the uncertainty we face. This is not just about the families currently at Harvard. It’s about the entire community—the families who live here, our neighbors, and even local officials. Harvard has long been a cornerstone of this community. Families chose to live here because of Harvard, the way it was, not the way HISD is trying to change it. This issue concerns everyone in the community, including City of Houston officials, because Harvard is a public school that has helped build a thriving, highly regarded part of Houston.

Even if you don’t have children attending Harvard, your neighbors and friends do. We are asking for help from the city and the broader community. We need your support. HISD talks about accountability, but we cannot keep them accountable without help from our local leaders and the greater Houston community.

We remain committed to working constructively and respectfully with HISD. We all want the same outcome: an excellent educational experience for our students. We can find a path forward that the community and HISD can agree on. But let’s not forget that we are a community of grit, determination, and collaboration. We are a respectful community. We do this for the benefit of our children, and we know what’s best for our community because we live in it together.

I am working with Ms. Craft on a follow-up meeting to continue working together constructively. The goal of the meeting is to gain a deeper understanding of the facts surrounding the current situation so that we can work towards a win-win solution for both the district and our school community.

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Anar Abasov

PTA President, Harvard Elementary