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WATCH: Aldine AFT President Candis Houston testifies against Florida-based charter at the State Board of Education
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
While we await the final vote on Florida-based Texas High School for Accelerated Learning’s charter application (extensively covered here), we encourage you to read and watch this testimony against the application from Aldine AFT President Candis Houston. Houston is a union leader and former CTE teacher with expert knowledge on how this new charter would affect her community in Aldine.
Candis Houston’s full testimony text:
Chair Little and board members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in opposition to the Texas High School for Accelerated Learning. My name is Candis Houston. I'm the president of Aldine American Federation of Teachers. I'm also a former CTE teacher with 17 years of experience, and I've co-written the CTE curriculum with Hall Success Academy in Aldine ISD, which is our existing alternative high school for dropouts.
I wanted to provide some contrast between CTE at Aldine ISD and the charter applicant, because the charter highlights its CTE program as a major innovation. I know firsthand the CTE opportunities provided at Hall Success Academy. Students at Hall can take hands-on courses in carpentry, welding, and teaching and training, which include practical experience and dedicated space where students actually use tools, not just online courses.
These courses are one of the reasons students like going to Hall, because they still get the in-person experience of a traditional campus. In contrast, it appears that CTE courses at this charter school will be delivered online through videos and virtual reality. Hall does accept students outside of Aldine ISD. The last two years, Hall's graduation rate has been 80% in 2024 and 85% in 2025, which is a higher graduation rate than the current CMO in Florida.
In Aldine ISD, we don't need a Florida based charter management organization to open a campus with fewer support for teachers and fewer opportunities for students. Please veto the Texas High School for Accelerated Learning.
