HISD superintendent Mike Miles touts "historic" test gains; parents, teachers and council members press for data and actions

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles told the Economic Development Committee that the district’s recent gains on state accountability measures were a historic reversal for a large urban district — but parents, teachers and union leaders who testified at the same meeting said the district’s methods and communications have damaged trust and left students and staff behind.

Miles addressed the committee after a scheduled HISD update and framed the results as broad academic progress, saying the district had sharply increased the number of A- and B-rated campuses and narrowed achievement gaps over two years. “We have broken the myth that ZIP code equals destiny,” Miles said during his presentation.

Why it matters: Public education outcomes affect the city’s workforce pipeline, tax base and long-term economic development. The committee heard competing claims: the superintendent described districtwide gains, while multiple parents, teachers and the Houston Federation of Teachers pointed to rising teacher turnover, falling enrollment and what they described as rapid, disruptive changes to curriculum and campus staffing.

What Miles presented

Miles told the committee that Houston had gone from many D and F campuses to a much larger share of A and B campuses, asserting that 74% of HISD students now attend A- or B-rated schools and that no HISD student was on an F-rated campus in the latest accountability cycle. He described a “culture of insistence” on instructional fidelity, higher salaries and a pay-for-performance system intended to reward effective teachers.

Miles acknowledged that the district faced budget pressure after one-time federal ESSER funds were used for recurring expenses before his arrival and said the district started with a roughly $256 million deficit that required prioritization. “You cannot keep all the things you’ve had,” he told council members. He also said the district had raised teacher pay, adding an average $8,000 increase since 2023 and that pay-for-performance would further reward higher performers.

Questions from council and staff

Council members pressed Miles for details on safety, building conditions and the district budget. On safety, Miles explained that doors are required to be open during instruction if a sprinkler system is present because of fire code constraints, and that he is prioritizing vestibules and single points of entry as upgrades. On facilities, Miles said the district’s facilities and maintenance office was working to address HVAC and other infrastructure problems and that a community-led bonding effort could be part of a longer-term funding plan.

Multiple council members and staff asked about declining enrollment and teacher retention. Miles said HISD has been losing students since 2017 and that national and local factors — including migration and a recent “deportation scare” — contributed to a sharper drop in enrollment this year. He said some surrounding districts also saw declines and that HISD would be adjusting staff and purchase services as needed if enrollment remained lower.

Public commenters and union testimony

Dozens of parents, teachers and community members gave public comment after the presentation. Speakers raised a range of concerns, including:

- Allegations that course assignments and schedule changes were used to affect which students take end-of-course exams — a practice critics say can inflate accountability ratings while limiting student access to advanced coursework such as Algebra I or Biology in earlier grades; several speakers cited middle- and high-school course-placement concerns. - Reports of librarians removed or libraries repurposed midyear; parents and teachers said printed packets had sometimes replaced books and that enrichment and elective vendors had not been rehired. - Claims of elevated teacher turnover (union leaders cited a 32.2% turnover figure for 2024–25) and hundreds or thousands of employees leaving the district since 2023. - Anecdotal reports from parents at specific campuses (for example Durham Elementary) of abrupt staff reassignments, vacancies filled by long-term substitutes, and changes to classroom routines that parents said undermined instruction and student well-being.

Representative testimony included State Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, who said civic leaders and elected officials must help bridge communication gaps and added that community members were not simply "disgruntled" but reported repeated, specific issues. Rick Campo, president of the HISD Board of Managers, defended the district’s direction and urged collaboration, saying the district’s improvement matters to workforce development and the local economy.

Union and nonprofit voices urged more oversight. Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, told the committee that teacher turnover and an enrollment drop increase fiscal risk for the district and undermine long-term economic stability. Multiple teachers and parents testified that curriculum materials contained errors, that some students lacked accommodations required by law, and that some campuses had experienced significant staffing churn.

Data, transparency and follow up requested

Council members and audience speakers asked the superintendent and staff for specific data and documentation: enrollment counts (PEIMS/October count), the number of students who may have left due to immigration enforcement or other causes, detailed breakdowns of teacher certification and attrition, and the district’s use of ESSER and recurring-funded positions. Miles said the district would provide further analysis and that the committee could submit written questions for detailed responses; the committee chair said responses would be posted on the committee’s web page.

A number of commenters urged outside oversight, forensic review of the testing and course-placement data, or more openness about the district’s instructional decisions. The district’s accountability reporting is generated from Texas Education Agency (TEA) data; speakers on multiple sides of the debate urged TEA, the district and the public to validate and interpret the same datasets.

Bottom line

Superintendent Miles emphasized rapid gains in state accountability measures and a stated goal to have all campuses at A- or B-level by August 2027. Parents, teachers and union representatives at the meeting said the district’s reforms have proceeded with insufficient communication and have produced harmful local effects — including staffing instability, enrollment declines and lost trust. Council members asked for additional data; the committee will forward written questions to HISD staff and post responses to the committee website.

The committee chair closed the meeting noting the next Economic Development Committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 15 and said the superintendent’s responses to council questions would be made available to committee members.