Houston teachers union tells council takeover and "New Education System" harmed students and working conditions

The Houston Federation of Teachers told the Labor Committee that the Texas Education Agency's takeover of Houston ISD and the district's rapid rollout of a "New Education System" (NES) have reduced local control and harmed both teaching conditions and student learning.

"Thousands of books that were bought with taxpayer money, that we don't know where they went," Karina Ortiz, chief of staff presenting for HFT, said during a roughly hourlong presentation. Ortiz described libraries on many NES campuses being converted to "team centers" for discipline and said the changes disproportionately affected higher-poverty schools.

Jesse Heiner, a digital organizer for HFT, introduced the union as the largest in HISD and said the TEA takeover on June 1 led to appointment of Superintendent Mike Miles and a board of managers with decisionmaking authority removed from elected trustees. Ortiz said that, since the takeover, the district expanded NES quickly and implemented a scripted, timed curriculum and mandatory demonstrations of learning that limit teachers' instructional flexibility.

Presenters also said the district has tightened personnel rules and increased monitoring. Ortiz said teachers now face an additional weekly 75-minute post-school requirement and a shortened threshold for medical documentation from seven days to three, and that principals are required to conduct multiple "spot observations" per day. "You're being watched, you're being timed," she said.

HFT described a sharp increase in formal grievances after NES implementation: "before the new system we would have about 20, 25 grievances a year; with this new system, last year, we saw over 150," Ortiz said. The union also cited figures shown in its packet for uncertified hires (noting 122 uncertified hires in 2020 and 1,093 last year) and warned that uncertified instructors can affect course credit and special education services.

Council members pressed presenters for specifics. A council member asked whether uncertified teachers are inputting grades; Ortiz answered they had seen uncertified staff enter grades under pressure and that teachers sometimes feel bullied into compliance for fear of losing their jobs. Committee members also asked how NES campuses were selected; presenters said feeder patterns around certain high schools were used.

Members of the public who spoke during the meeting echoed concerns. Ruth Kravitz of Community Voices for Public Education said removing libraries and steering students away from college-preparatory courses harms opportunity and urged the committee to oppose a proposed HISD bond. Parent Tisha Mays described classroom temperatures regularly exceeding 80 degrees and said her third-grader has suffered migraines she attributed to heat and hydration issues.

Committee members acknowledged city limits in overseeing the independent school district but discussed areas of possible local action, such as inspecting fire and safety code compliance, assisting with wraparound counselor referrals, and directing residents to resources. Chair noted materials and recordings from the meeting will be posted on the committee website and the committee's next meeting is Sept. 12.

The committee took no formal action at the meeting; presenters asked the council to share information with constituents and explore ways the city can help students and families affected by district-level changes.