A state-appointed hearing examiner has recommended that Houston ISD reinstate longtime educator and teachers union leader Michelle Williams, concluding that the district failed to prove the allegations it used to justify her firing.
The recommendation marks the second time an independent examiner has sided with Williams, president of the Houston Education Association (HEA), after HISD attempted to terminate her employment in 2024. The first hearing examiner’s account resulted in her placement at Benbrook Elementary School from her former school, Shadowbriar Elementary School.
The final decision now rests with Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers.
In a written recommendation following a two-day hearing in February, independent hearing examiner Jacquelyn Coleman concluded that the district did not establish “good cause” for terminating Williams’ contract and recommended that she be reinstated as a classroom teacher at Benbrook Elementary School.
My attorney received my recommendation from the Independent Hearing Examiner today.
— Michelle Williams (@hea_president) February 27, 2026
She found that HISD did not meet it's burden to terminate my teaching contract.
I want to that everyone for their support. This not only a win for me but a win for the HISD students and teachers. pic.twitter.com/ONf7OFSyLx
Williams, a 26-year educator and longtime advocate for teachers, said she believes the ruling validates her efforts to prioritize students and comply with state law.
“I am pleased that the independent hearing examiner has recommended that I be reinstated as a teacher in Houston ISD,” Williams said in a statement. “I was wrongly terminated by a non‐elected board of managers for putting the needs and education of my students over arbitrary district rules that, I believe, violate state laws and Texas educators’ code of ethics.”
While the hearing examiner’s recommendation carries significant weight, the final decision now rests with HISD’s Board of Managers, which was appointed by the state following the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the school district.
The board will review the findings and determine whether to accept or reject the recommendation.
If the board adopts the examiner’s ruling, Williams would return to her classroom at Benbrook Elementary.
If it does not, Williams will be terminated.
A long-running dispute
The case stems from HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ October 2025 recommendation to terminate Williams’ contract.
The Board of Managers accepted the proposal and notified Williams shortly afterward, prompting her to appeal to the Texas Education Agency for an independent hearing.
Williams was teaching third-grade science and reading at Benbrook Elementary School at the time. The campus had been designated an “NES-aligned” school under HISD’s New Education System instructional framework introduced during the state takeover of the district.
The NES model emphasizes timed instruction and testing to accelerate student learning on campuses with low academic performance.
Williams, however, raised concerns about the model’s pacing requirements, arguing that they could conflict with state laws protecting special education students, emergent bilingual students, and gifted learners.
According to the hearing examiner’s findings, Williams emailed school administrators in August 2025, expressing concerns that teachers might be penalized for adjusting instruction to comply with legal requirements for those students.
In a letter, Miles said Williams should be fired because of her “refusal, verbally and in writing, to follow the HISD curriculum and the NES instructional model.”
The examiner found that Williams did not refuse to follow the district’s curriculum or instructional model in those communications.
“Miles is behind this, and I’ve already filed after my hearing concluded with TEA against him and all the violations, federal and state violations, grievance violations…they have broken so many laws,” Williams told the Defender. “I don’t know why he [Miles] feels like he is the authority on Texas public education, but we have laws and…the independent hearing examiner made that abundantly clear that the law is above Mike Miles.”
Evidence examined during the hearing
During the hearing, HISD argued that Williams failed to follow directives related to the NES curriculum and the district’s instructional expectations.
But Coleman found that the district’s evidence did not support those claims.
For example, one allegation involved Williams teaching a lesson one day behind the district’s pacing schedule after missing the first day of school due to jury duty. Williams testified she delayed the lesson because she did not want a substitute to teach new material to her students.
Other concerns documented by the school principal included instances where Williams was briefly seated during instruction or adjusting classroom materials.
However, the examiner found no evidence that those issues were repeated or amounted to insubordination.
“The District presented no evidence that either of these two concerns was repeated,” the recommendation states.
The examiner also determined that Williams had implemented the district’s curriculum “to the extent possible, while remaining in compliance with law.”
In addition, the hearing record showed that Williams had requested a transfer from the campus due to concerns about the instructional model, but was not reassigned.
Another complaint HISD had was that Williams left campus on Aug. 27 without informing anyone. The examiner said there was no evidence of that, or Williams made “comments that were not respectful, courteous, or professional. The evidence showed she was respectful, courteous, and professional.”
The school’s principal, Edward Heard, also testified that Williams was “very, very civil.” Moreover, the examiner stated, “he’s [Heard] never had any interactions with Ms. Williams that he would say were hostile in any way.”
What happens next
Williams has served as president of the Houston Education Association since 2019 and represents roughly 200 union members across the district.
Williams’ attorney, Giana Ortiz, said the ruling sends a message that teachers must be allowed to advocate for students with disabilities and bilingual students without fear of retaliation. Ortiz added that the recommendation is a “victory” for Williams and also for “every teacher in HISD who has felt pressured to prioritize rigid curriculum timelines over the needs of special populations.”
— Michelle Williams (@hea_president) March 6, 2026
