The “Destination Transformation: 2025 Educational Summit,” which showcased the impact of Superintendent Mike Miles’ controversial New Education System (NES) reforms, drew mixed reactions from local educational nonprofits and protesters.
The two-day summit, held at the Westin Galleria and the HISD headquarters at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center building, featured guests nationwide, spanning nonprofits to educators and C-suite administrators.
The list of attendees included Miles’ sister, Dr. Shirley Miles, the Chief of Schools at Miles’ Third Future Schools in Colorado Springs and her colleague Dr. Brandon Thurston, the Director of Schools and Instruction.
Summit focus
Although the media was not allowed to attend, an HISD press office issued a statement that the summit “ brought together leaders, educators and experts to share insights and build on the district’s promising progress as Houston ISD advances its 2035 vision. One year into district-wide transformation, the summit highlighted systemic improvements, classroom-driven impact, and strategies for lasting academic success.”
The sessions included:
- “Understanding the NES Model & The Art of Thinking,” by Deputy Chief of Strategic Initiatives Ena Meyers, spoke about a possible expansion of the NES model into other districts or organizations.
- “Taking Back The Narrative: Revamping HISD Communications and the Evolution of HISD Now,” which specifically focused on HISD’s communication strategies “amidst a changing and challenging media landscape.”
- “Funding The Transformation: Prioritizing Resources for Student Outcomes” by Miles and Chief Finance and Operations Officer Dr. Jim Terry on the “best practices for financing school transformation efforts,” including maximizing “public dollars.”
One of the keynote speakers at the summit was Michelle Rhee, the former Chancellor of DC Public Schools, who has had her own share of controversies. Rhee and her successor, Kaya Henderson, created a system similar to Miles’, focusing on higher test scores and graduation rates and incentive-based performance reviews for teachers.
Other discussions included HISD’s curriculum and AI elective course for 11th and 12th graders, the school district’s evaluation system at the teacher, leader and district levels while fostering “an organizational culture that is performance-driven.”
What attendees said
Cary Wright, the CEO of public education nonprofit Good Reason Houston, was among the eight invited guests who attended the summit from the organization.
“Education leaders from across the country gathered to learn how HISD has transformed its campuses—raising teacher pay to record levels, enhancing curriculum, strengthening teacher training, and prioritizing increased student services for those communities with the greatest needs,” Wright said in a statement to the Defender. “Houston should be proud: HISD is emerging as a national model for high-quality public education systems, and the nation is taking notice.”
The list of attendees also included representatives from Teach for America, a program that recruits teachers to teach in public schools. However, the organization did not comment on the discussions before the article was published, stating it would “require approval from HISD.”
What protesters said
Protesters expressed concerns regarding the summit's expenses, stating that “thousands of dollars” in taxpayer money “does not help our students.” According to Ann Eagleton, an education advocate, the money used for the conference can be used on classroom projects instead of “vanity projects.”
“Many of the guests are affiliated with his school [The Third Future Schools, which Miles founded in 2015]. His sister is a high-level person at Third Future Schools,” Eagleton said. “They've invited people that he's trying to do business with through Third Future Schools. So this is a conflict of interest and it does not help our students. And we're in a budget crunch. We need the money for our kids.”
Other protesters echoed that sentiment.
Crystal Norman, a former HISD parent who removed her three children from the school district after the Texas Education Agency (TEA) takeover and now homeschools them, said she has family members who attend Dallas ISD who “warned” her about Miles’ educational policies.
“It’s very obvious that our kids aren't getting the proper resources that they deserve,” Norman said. “We're not getting the funding that we need. So put your money where your mouth is instead of having these frivolous gatherings and spending this money.”
The Houston Federation of Teachers, the largest employee union in Houston ISD and headed by union president Jackie Anderson, was “appalled” that no teacher was invited to the summit.
“Teachers are the bottom line, the teachers [are] where the rubber meets the road as far as students are concerned,” Anderson said. “And you have to have buy-in from teachers to be successful with children.”
