A Texas high school teacher became visibly emotional during class after discovering that her upperclassmen struggled to complete a writing assignment.
Darius Williams, who teaches at Wheatley High School in Houston, expressed his frustration on the second day of school when his students couldn’t keep up with the lesson due to their inadequate reading and writing skills.
“I concluded a three-hour session and genuinely broke down in tears right there,” Williams shared in a video posted during lunch on Tuesday.
Williams, who is part of the New Education System’s Career and Technical Education staff, recounted asking the students to read two paragraphs and then fill in some sentences. To his shock, they were unable to finish the task.
“I had to practically write the sentences for them,” he stated. “These are kids aged 17 and 18, and they couldn’t complete four words. Just four words!” Williams emphasized.
“I provided the scenario and even worked through it with them. I gave them the answers before the task, but they still couldn’t manage it. It’s unclear what the issue is,” he reflected, clearly frustrated.
“It’s only the second day, but there are seniors who simply can’t read, and some who can’t write at all,” Williams lamented.
The heartbroken teacher, with tears on his face, pointed out that while the students could engage in conversation and defend their opinions, they struggled to apply those skills to writing.
“Our young Black men, our young Brown men, our young Black girls, and our young Brown girls,” Williams said, his voice trembling as he ended the video.
After sharing his experience, Williams faced criticism online regarding his qualifications to speak about students’ literacy challenges.
In April, he revealed that he had obtained a second bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at the American College of Education.
He also mentioned several certifications he has acquired from the Texas Education Agency and other organizations.
“I have all the qualifications,” he asserted in a follow-up video.
“For those questioning my ability to teach young people, I invite you to take accountability. Go get certified, step into these high schools, manage a classroom, and show me how you handle 22 students every hour,” he challenged.
This incident happened shortly after reports indicated that a significant number of students in New York City’s third to fifth grades failed the recent English Language Arts exams.
A report from the state Department of Education disclosed that 57% of third-graders, 52% of fourth-graders, and 57% of fifth-graders received failing scores during the last academic year. Furthermore, only 48% of students in grades 4-8 were assessed as proficient in ELA, representing a notable 5% decline from the previous year.
