The Brief

A high school teacher said on social media that his senior students struggled with a reading assignment.

Houston ISD issued a statement to FOX 26 regarding the teacher’s post.

The teacher is well-known on social media for his cooking career and previous controversy.

HOUSTON – A Houston ISD teacher has gone viral after sharing an emotional video about his concern for his students within the first few days of school.

Houston teacher says students ‘cannot read’

What they’re saying

In the social media video posted Tuesday, Wheatley High School teacher Darius Williams shares his experience with his senior students.

Williams says the students were assigned two paragraphs to read and a sentence to write. According to him, however, the students struggled to complete the assignment.

“I gave them the scenario, we annotated together, I gave them the answers before we even had the problem, and they couldn’t do it,” Williams said. “I have seniors who simply cannot read, and seniors who cannot write.”

According to Wheatley High School’s online staff directory, Darius Williams is listed as an NES CTE teacher in a non-foundational program of study.

The Texas Education Agency says a “non-foundational” teacher teaches elective, specialized, or enrichment subjects instead of core academic courses.

HISD response

The other side

A Houston ISD representative sent the following statement to FOX 26 in response to the video:

Houston ISD has a sense of urgency about ensuring every student graduates prepared for college, career, and life. We know some students enter high school significantly below grade level, and helping those students accelerate their learning is among our most important responsibilities.
The first days of the school year are an important time for teachers to get to know their students’ academic abilities, assess their individual needs, and determine the support each student may require. We see students with a range of academic needs every day. As teachers and instructional leaders, it is our responsibility to identify those needs and our commitment to close the gaps.
At Wheatley High School, students have made significant academic gains, demonstrating that strong instruction, high expectations, and targeted support are making a difference. At the same time, we know there are students who need additional academic support, and we will continue working with our teachers and school leaders to ensure those students receive it.We are proud of the progress students are making. Our work continues until every student is prepared for the future.

More on Darius Williams

Dig deeper

Darius Williams came to Houston ISD with a large social media following.

Williams is more well-known online as a chef, a cookbook author, a restaurant owner, and more.

Williams’ success has been met with controversy in the past. FOX 26’s Atlanta affiliate, FOX 5, reported in 2022 that over 70 customers complained of not receiving products from Darius’ business after purchasing them.

Click here for previous reports from FOX 5.

The Source

Social media post from Darius Williams, Houston ISD, and previous reports from FOX 5 Atlanta.