Houston Independent School District (HISD) is undergoing significant changes as Superintendent Mike Miles and his team eliminate over 2,000 positions at the central administration. The move comes as part of cost-cutting measures to support the implementation of the New Education System (NES) and its reforms in 28 campuses.
Earlier, Miles projected a reduction of 500 to 600 jobs, whether vacant or filled. However, during a recent series of community meetings conducted via Zoom, he unveiled that a total of 2,347 positions have been eliminated since June.
In June, HISD reported having 10,204 positions, but now, according to Miles, that number has dropped to 7,857, with the majority being vacant roles—1,675 to be exact.
The chief academic office within HISD took the hardest blow, with its workforce being slashed by more than half, from 2,478 positions to 1,052. This loss exceeds Miles’ earlier prediction of 500 to 600 positions being cut from the academic office. The chief academic office plays a critical role in developing and implementing curriculum and other academic tasks.
In response to questions about the significant variance from his initial projections, Miles advised taking them with a “grain of salt.” The gap can be partially attributed to the elimination of vacant positions and the transfer of certain employees to other departments. For instance, 500 special education positions were relocated to the strategic initiatives office, while others moved to the professional development office.
The reduction in staff numbers aims to offset the expenses associated with the NES implementation, which involves extensive reforms at the 28 campuses. The NES introduces premade lesson plans for teachers, classroom cameras for disciplinary purposes, and an emphasis on testing-based performance evaluations, among other initiatives. An additional 57 schools have voluntarily chosen to become NES-aligned campuses at the request of their principals.
Miles has ambitious plans for the future, with intentions to expand the controversial reforms to a total of 150 schools over the next two years. He also envisions enacting a district-wide, pay-for-performance model for all teachers. However, such changes come with substantial costs, prompting the administration to explore further cuts and the potential closure of certain campuses in the coming years.