Rewriting the Story of Houston’s Public Schools

How immersive experiences helped spark a recognition movement that’s still growing five years later.

When Meron Tekle joined Good Reason Houston as Managing Director of Insights, she faced a challenge familiar to many in education: How do you help school leaders reimagine what's possible when the system has trained them to focus almost exclusively on what’s broken?

Houston schools were under pressure. The state was threatening takeovers. Teacher turnover hit 60%. And school leaders were exhausted from being told their communities were failing.

Meron needed to create a strategy to recognize and support schools differently—in ways that would boost morale, retain teachers, and shift the narrative beyond data. But she knew traditional professional development wouldn't work.

"In education, professional development usually teaches us there’s one way to do a thing,” Meron said. “So, it’s done that way all the time, everywhere, which doesn’t work. And then people stop caring about learning it."

Creating Space to Think Deeply and Differently

Franklin Street Studio designed a series of experiences that took principals and administrators out of their schools to visit innovative schools and programs across the city. But these weren't typical site visits focused on replicating best practices.

Instead of telling participants what to look for or what to copy, Franklin Street created space for leaders to observe, reflect, and decide for themselves what inspired them.

"Franklin Street’s approach is unique because they're not giving any answers," Meron said. "It's not a direct transfer of a skill. It's really this idea of inspiration: exposure to things that make you think more deeply, instead of exposure to something you should do. 

The impact was immediate. Principals started sharing success stories that went beyond test scores. They talked about family engagement, oral language labs, and the beautiful ways they were building community; things they assumed no one cared about.

"After the experience, leaders told us that having the space to think and dream made them feel respected as professionals," Meron said.

A Movement That Continues Five Years Later

What started as a series of inspiring experiences became something much bigger. Houston Schools that Inspire is an annual campaign that recognizes 3-5 schools each year for the inspiring and especially impactful work they're doing.

Schools create videos showcasing their work, hang banners in front of their buildings, receive funding, and host community celebrations. The campaign has its own social media presence and website, and other schools can visit recognized schools through organized "field trips” to see for themselves that success and impact are context-specific, deeply responsive to students and communities, and enacted by a team of caring and visionary adults.

More importantly, the project has given schools something they desperately needed: a source of hope and a way to stand up for their work.

"We're seeing that teacher retention is on the rise," Meron said. "We see principals who were recognized just bringing more joy into their building. It's a source of pride, really."

Inspiration that Made Growth Possible

Meron credits Franklin Street's approach with making the entire movement possible.

"100%," she said. "Without Franklin Street, I would have taken educators to schools that are excellent schools to see data-driven instruction. I wouldn't have said, ‘What would happen if we transformed our schools into places where we felt inspired and started to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of school?’"

Five years later, the campaign continues to grow. And the methodology Franklin Street introduced—creating space for people to think deeply rather than telling them what to do—has become embedded in how Good Reason Houston approaches its work.

Meron Tekle is the Managing Director of Public Engagement at Good Reason Houston, where she builds systems for community learning, leads thought leadership and storytelling partnerships, and works across teams to deepen public engagement. With more than 15 years of experience serving students, teachers, and families—as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, manager of principals, and consultant—she has coached and developed school leaders across the U.S. and internationally. A Houston native, Meron believes deeply in the power of community to drive change.