To the Editor:Re “Anger Rises in Houston Over the State’s Schools Takeover” (news article, Aug. 13):The politically motivated and downright misguided takeover of the Houston Independent School District sets a deplorable example for struggling school districts nationwide. The solution to poorly performing schools should not be to close libraries and force misbehaving students to watch videos in those repurposed spaces. To place them in closed libraries and force them to watch videos of their classes only confirms for those students that they’re troublemakers and that reading lacks value. Superintendent Mike Miles, a former Army ranger “who has no official certification,” is better suited to run an Army base, not schools. His plan to compensate teachers for improved scores on standardized tests is also imprudent, for such tests provide a limited measure of students’ aptitude, are often biased and narrow the scope of classroom instruction.

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Persons: they’ve, Mike Miles, “ Organizations: Houston Independent School District, Army Locations: Houston