Thirteen English teachers left the school after the end of last year, leaving 54% of the English department vacant. In their place are 12 newly-hired teachers who joined with the remaining 11 teachers to constitute the current English department.

Elizabeth Chapman, who was appointed English department head by former principal Michael McDonough in April 2021, worked with Principal Michael Niggli and Assistant Principal Debra Campbell to hire new teachers for this school year. The hiring process began in February and ended in mid-June.

“Everybody who came on is somebody who I believe has the potential to have as happy and successful of a career at Bellaire as I have had here,” Chapman said. “Bellaire has a long standing belief that the people are the most important element of any community, and so as we began to learn that people were not going to be returning, we invested a lot of time in finding, interviewing and recruiting talented teachers.”

From academic to AP English classes, every grade and level has at least one new English teacher this year. Among them is Michael Wallace, who teaches AP English Literature and AP English Language.

Wallace had previously worked at Hastings High School in Alief ISD for 19 years, where he also taught AP English. Alief operates on a standardized curriculum while Bellaire holds on to its autonomous status.

“I just really needed out of the district that I was in because I’m a very creative person, and I don’t do well with canned curriculum,” Wallace said. “And the kids [here] are awesome. [There] is a huge difference [between] people who want to learn [and] people who refuse to. It’s not even the same planet.”

ESL teacher Helia Forouzan transferred from Sharpstown High School where she worked for six years as an educator.

“In my interview [for the job], the committee proudly supported teacher autonomy,” Forouzan said. “So far not only have they empowered me to stay creative, but they provide adequate training to take my skills to another level.”

Bringing with her the experience of being an Apollo 20 tutor, English 1 and 2 teacher Lanette Charles came to Bellaire after teaching at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Charles’ aunt, who was her primary caretaker, was a fourth grade teacher at Horn Elementary School and Charles herself has long been rooted in the Bellaire community.

“I really like how [Bellaire] feels like home [and] a community,” Charles said. “I feel like at Bellaire, there’s such an oasis because it’s the nostalgia of it. There’s a lot of people who haven’t left the community yet, and they’re continuing to make [the community] stronger. I wish for other schools to have that.”

In AP Literature teacher Lauren Ray-Hart’s previous four years of teaching, she has worked at St. Pius and Spring Branch ISD. She was taking a break from teaching when a sense of safety and encouragement from Chapman gave her the final push to begin teaching at Bellaire, starting her fifth year as a teacher.

“I was [looking into another career] myself over a year ago,” Ray-Hart said. “But finding myself back here, it’s made me realize how much more I want to fight for the system itself to make it better and to encourage my students to make the world better. That impact is what’s really been driving me to continue to go back to education and still be able to preserve my own sense of self and identity.”

In contrast to Ray-Hart’s previous toxic environment, where teachers are expected to give everything and usually burn out quickly, Bellaire is a fresh breath of air with an extensive support system, largely thanks to Chapman.

Chapman has not only provided quick solutions, but also classroom necessities.

“I remember a couple of weeks ago she bought so many supplies for teachers, new teachers, and she just let us pick whatever we want,” Charles said. “[There were] all kinds of supplies for my classroom that I couldn’t afford yet because we hadn’t gotten paid. I really, really appreciated that.”

Teachers like Forouzan come from schools that don’t have cultural inclusion or magnet programs in foreign languages like Bellaire has.

“Ms.Chapman is amazing,” Forouzan said, “With her compassionate understanding of the struggles a new teacher faces, she delegated our challenges so that the burden doesn’t burn us out. She makes the impossible possible.”

Students such as Yacine Gueye, a sophomore in Charles’ English 2 class, have felt the difference Charles makes in the classroom.

“On my first day, she helped me find a seat where the people were welcoming to me,” Gueye said. “I really love how she helps people.”

Charles approaches her students with empathy and takes into account their environment and short-attention span induced by social media.

“I like getting their spirits up,” Charles said. “Because I know it’s gonna take a lot for them just to be open and be awake in my classroom and read a lot of the text.”

The new teachers not only bring their past teaching experiences into the English classes of Bellaire, but their past experiences as students as well.

“I hope that my students feel supported and see my room’s a safe space,” Ray-Hart said. “I didn’t have that as a student, and I want to be able to create that for somebody else.”

Isaiah Gunabe is a senior in Ray-Hart’s fourth period class.

“She’s really nice, really inviting,” Gunabe said. “[Her] curriculum allows us to speak with one another, freely and express our ideas with the whole class.”

While the year has just started, many of the new teachers have already found their place within the Bellaire community. Chapman believes another great year is coming for Bellaire.

“I hope that [the new teachers] know that [Bellaire] is a really special place,” Chapman said. “I hope that they bring lots of energy and passion to their lessons, and that they invest in our mission, which is just that: when you give great people resources, support and freedom, they can do incredible things.”