Houston Independent School District (HISD) is facing a firestorm of controversy as the one-year anniversary of the state takeover approaches.
Superintendent Mike Miles, appointed by the state, finds himself at the center of a growing wave of protests, teacher terminations and lingering discontent from parents and educators.
Recently, an estimated 600 HISD supporters gathered at City Hall demanding the resignation of Superintendent Miles.
The protest is just the latest chapter in a saga of discontent that has unfolded under the state’s control. A series of terminations of principals and teachers deemed “low performing” by the district has sparked outrage.
Parents fear the loss of experienced educators who know their children and the community, while teachers worry about job security and the future of the district’s academic performance.
Eshalon Ngute is a Westbury High School parent. Her son attended charter school his entire life before coming to the school to attend its magnet program. She was surprised when she learned that the principal had been fired.
“She [the principal] is at every single event for these kids. Where most parents aren’t there, the principal is there,” she said. “Now, next year, she’s not going to be there… they already backstabbed her.”
Savant Moore is the HISD District II Trustee and father of two McReynolds Middle School students. Two years ago, he fought for it to be a magnet program, but when the state took over, they removed the program and turned it into an NES school. He said it’s hurtful to have gifted and talented children and not have the same resources as someone on the more affluent side of town.
“[The Principal] She was about to start a college preparatory system in our schools, and now we’re back to scratch. He (Superintendent Miles) has fired all the teachers,” he said. “There were only two VPs (vice principals), the counselor, and the police officer left.”
The past week has seen protests, including student walkouts across multiple schools.
At Herod Elementary, dozens of families gathered, claiming that at least 12 teachers, staff personnel and the principal received termination letters. During the May 24 public HISD board meeting, 200 speakers and many former educators, including a Principal of the Year honoree, passionately argued against the terminations.
Several protesters believed that many of the principals who are fired come from non-NES schools and that this could be part of a bigger plan to expand the district under the NES model.
Brandie Horton is the parent of two sons who attend Westside and Westbury High Schools. Neither school is under the Mile’s NES model, but she felt compelled to support others impacted by it.
“I’m concerned if something is affecting one school; what makes you think if you’re doing this at those schools, it wouldn’t come to our?” she said. “I was under the impression from Mike Miles that if the school was performing well, which West Bar Middle School is currently, it was currently a B school, but Dr. Michelin (principal) was forced to resign or be fired. Why is that happening?”
The Roots of Discontent
But what’s driving this escalating tension? A few factors create this situation.
First, there’s the lingering suspicion surrounding the state takeover itself. Many in the HISD community view it as a power grab, a top-down approach that undermines local control and fails to address the district’s specific needs. This distrust fuels concerns that the current leadership is more interested in imposing an agenda than collaborating with the people who know HISD best – its parents, teachers and students.
Susan Espinoza is a 27-year HISD veteran educator and a teacher at Red Elementary. She has been outspoken about Mike Miles and his decisions to cut support services and knew that she “would have a target” on her back at some point.
She was eventually terminated. She received a “Conference for the Record,” which involved the area principal or director and a member of her union (Houston Federation of Teachers). She was informed that she was being “recommended for termination,” voted by Miles and the Board of Managers.
“[That] was about a month ago. I knew it was coming,” she said. “I expected to finish my teaching career in HISD. So, that has upended my life plan. I’m obviously at the farther end of my teaching career, reaching retirement age… I’ve got to start all over again somewhere else… I still have to make a living.”
HISD has responded to inaccuracies provided regarding budget cuts, teacher contracts, and school staffing. Here’s a breakdown of the situation with the latest information from HISD:
Budget Cuts:
While budget cuts are necessary due to a projected deficit and declining enrollment, HISD clarifies that the reductions are not solely focused on schools experiencing enrollment decline.
“HISD budget cuts are not focused on schools experiencing declining enrollment,” the district states. “The situation is more nuanced than that, and HISD has been forced to implement reductions across the entire district.”
Schools will no longer be “held harmless” for student enrollment declines, as has been the case for the last three years. Previously, schools received funding based on past enrollment levels, even if student numbers dropped. Now, schools must adjust budgets to reflect their actual student population. However, Superintendent Miles has capped individual campus budget reductions at 12% for the upcoming year, even if enrollment dips necessitate deeper cuts.
Pandemic Relief Funds and District Finances:
“Pandemic relief aid is one-time money provided by the federal government,” explains HISD. “These funds are no longer available at the end of the 23-24 school year. Previous administrations chose to fund recurring costs with the one-time money.”
With the loss of this one-time funding, combined with stagnant state funding and declining enrollment, HISD must make adjustments. This includes potential cuts to positions and programs previously funded with pandemic relief money, and a focus on finding efficiencies within the central office.
School Staffing and Teacher Contracts:
Concerns have been raised about teacher contracts and potential staffing reductions.
“More than 8,500 teachers have received contracts for 24-25,” clarifies HISD. “All outstanding teacher contracts for next year were sent late on May 30th.”
This clarifies the earlier report that only 2,000 teachers had received contracts. The district maintains all outstanding offers were issued as of May 30. “Approximately 2000 contracts were sent earlier in the spring. Between 250-300 current teachers are on continuing contracts and did not require a new contract this year.”
Regarding staffing reductions, HISD clarifies that there’s no targeted plan for cuts at non-NES schools, which have more principal control over budgets. All schools will need to adjust budgets based on enrollment, but cuts won’t exceed 12% for any campus.
“No campus will have to reduce their budget by more than 12%, regardless of how much the campus’ student enrollment has decreased,” HISD states.
What the district is saying
While the district aims to send out teacher contracts by June 1, educators wait until close to the end of the school year to find out if they have a job next year. So far, only about 2,000 teachers have received contracts, which creates a lot of anxiety for teachers. Teacher contracts for the next year are normally renewed earlier in the school year.
The Defender reached out to the district for more explanation about contract delays, and they stated:
“HISD works to issue contracts as quickly as possible, but we have said that it could take through the month of May for all teachers to receive their offers for the 2024-25 school year,” explains HISD. “Non-NES campuses just submitted their budgets on May 8, and those budgets directly affect each school’s staffing. We couldn’t begin the contracting process at these schools until the budgeting process was complete.”
The district also said they “use data and on-the-job observation to staff every school with a leader who will ensure consistent, high-quality instruction at their campus.”
They prioritize campuses with A or B ratings as indicators of strong leadership and investigate schools with lower ratings to ensure consistent high-quality instruction. While acknowledging the disruption caused by principal changes, HISD outlines a plan for community involvement in selecting new leaders.
As far as budget cuts, HISD maintains that teaching positions weren’t directly cut as part of budget adjustments. Decisions to retain or release teachers at non-NES campuses are primarily made by principals based on data and performance evaluations. Schools experiencing enrollment declines may have adjusted staffing accordingly.
“Employees who are not eligible to continue working in the NES but meet the requirements for non-NES positions in HISD are encouraged to apply for those available roles.”
Corrections Note: The article regarding HISD budget cuts and teacher contracts contained inaccuracies. Updates have been addressed by the district. Please refer this updated version for the most current information.
