Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles checks on a Audrey H. Lawson Middle School student doing his class worksheet on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 in Houston.

In a YouTube video last week, Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles talks with a middle school principal about a “growth wall,” a chart that lists students’ names with their academic gains. Although there are no scores, the chart appears to show how students measure up.

“There are a lot of double-digit gains,” Miles said. “This is really encouraging for kids. It’s great for the kids to be appreciated like this.”

I’ve read enough books by Brené Brown to know shame when I see it. For students with low academic performance, learning differences or even test anxiety, this sounds like a setup to be shamed.

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Brown, a best-selling author and University of Houston research professor who spent the past two decades studying shame and empathy, has said that shame can make a........

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