The Conservative School Takeover in Houston Is Driving Educators Out—Just as Intended

The city of Houston has become a hot spot for big changes happening in Texas schools. Houston, a fairly blue city in a red state, has resisted many of these changes for years. But recently, Greg Abbott’s Texas Education Agency took over the Houston Independent School District and fired the original board members. Following this takeover, TEA elected Mike Miles to the superintendent position. With this new overhaul, it seems there might not be much parents can do to stop it.

Houston area schools in peril

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this year, his administration made several changes to Texas schools that saw the transformation of libraries into disciplinary centers. Superintendent Mike Miles will expand what is being called the New Education System to over 50 other schools in the Houston area.

In these disciplinary halls, when teachers or administrators deem a student “disruptive,” they are required to sit in front of a screen that has the lesson playing through Zoom. Alternatively, students have to complete their learning materials alone and without aid. In these converted library spaces, books remain on the shelves, but students can’t access them.

I used to work with teachers in Pittsburgh, so I’m familiar with rooms like this. You might be, too. In Pittsburgh, it was usually just a bare, unused classroom. Students usually never completed their work, typically because they had no one to help or instruct them. Instead, administrators labeled them a problem. Shockingly, treating students like bad people doesn’t sit right with them!

Taking away a student’s freedom to read is a huge disservice to their will to learn. In addition to banning books they deem inappropriate, school boards now have the power to decide when a child can read at all. It’s a disturbing trend that likely won’t stop at Houston, some parents warn.

Who is Mike Miles?

Before Mike Miles became superintendent, he was an officer in the U.S. Army. A glowing overview of his career on the HISD website also notes that he spent some time as a diplomat before switching to education. Prior to his career in Houston, Miles worked in Dallas, and he wasn’t popular there either. His term there was “turbulent” and “disruptive,” according to a Texas Tribune report.

From the report, it sounds like Miles hired his friends from a previous position in Colorado and gave them six-figure salaries. Some of those Miles hired had a history of criminal activity and bullying subordinates. Miles himself also engaged in scandalous behavior, as he hired people for positions before the jobs were posted, and before candidates underwent background checks.

Recently, under the direction of the new HISD board, Miles gained permission to spend up to $1 million without approval. Initially, Miles asked the board for a $2 million threshold but they compromised. While Miles and his board say that audits will prevent malfeasance, the community doesn’t trust them. Another controversial change Miles has proposed is to pay teachers based on test scores, performance, and student feedback—and not years of experience.

Teachers, parents, and students alike have sound the alarm on Miles’ tenure. In a video shared to TikTok, a parent of an HISD student explains how Miles organized a musical at a school. The students were tricked into performing, and say they were scared to say no to the superintendent. The play itself painted Miles as a hero and made the press and anyone else questioning him seem laughable.

On paper and in practice, Miles seems like a bad guy. During his tenure in Dallas, the teacher turnover rate increased from 12% to 22%. Hopefully, the same doesn’t happen in Houston. With this in mind, many parents and teachers are sounding off online about the effects.

Teachers and parents speak out

Currently, the tag #HISDTakeover has over 2 million views on TikTok. Houston activist and parent Lauren Ashley spoke out against Miles during a school board meeting, calling out his ego and lack of certification. There are also TikToks about what parents are calling the dismantling of the autism support team in HISD schools. Contract employees who train teachers to help students with autism will likely lose their jobs. HISD claims they are merely “restructuring” their special ed programs.

Many are likening this takeover to what has happened in Florida. Activists warn that what’s happening in Houston could happen to any blue city in the U.S. Most of the teachers who have spoken out have had to do so anonymously, for fear of losing their jobs.

Many critics of Miles and Abbott have pointed out that the HISD schools are largely comprised of Black and POC students from underserved communities. Society already stigmatizes many of these students as problematic. With the takeover and the conversion of libraries into disciplinary centers, many, like activist Sheila Jackson Lee, are calling out the discrimination.

Hopefully, as more students, parents, and teachers speak out, things will start to change for the better in Houston. But as many have pointed out, this story also needs national attention. Nothing changes until more people with power get behind a message and a cause. You might be wondering what you can do from wherever you are. The most important thing right now is to listen to and amplify the stories of people on the ground in Houston.

(featured image: Getty Images)