Houston ISD acquisition: Superintendent Mike Miles asks workers at Whitley Nutrition Systems, Kashmir, North Forest to reapply

Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Two days into the job, and the new superintendent of the Houston charter school is already making big changes.

Employees from more than two dozen schools have just learned that they will have to reapply for their jobs.

New superintendent Mike Miles called his plan “The New Education System”.

WATCH PREVIOUS STORY: TEA appoints a new HISD supervisor on day one of the country takeover

According to Miles, he started with 29 schools, undertaking what he calls “an overhaul and systemic reform.”

He’s asking every employee — from managers to maintenance workers — at Wheatley, Kashmere and North Forest feeding systems to reapply for their jobs this summer.

The Texas Education Agency has consistently ranked these three schools as the worst in the area.

“No organization can maximize its effectiveness if the way it compensates people is not in line with what it values,” Miles said.

He raised teacher compensation at those 29 schools to a record $96,000 a year.

Staff who are not reassigned will go to other HISD schools, and soon, he says, all district staff salaries will be tied to student performance.

Miles promised not to close any schools his freshman year but said closures are likely after that.

“There’s going to be some anxiety most of the summer, probably,” Miles said. “But we’ll continue to get the information out there, so we can turn anxiety and fear into the best of hopes.”

The state takeover has been marked by a lack of communication since it was announced in March.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath did not attend scheduled community meetings in Houston, and even the district’s nine-member new board of directors only found out last Friday that they had been hired.

These new principals have a wide range of professional experience, but only one of them has taught HISD students.

Another appointed principal lost in a recent school board election.

And at least one of them, Rolando Martinez, has spoken out against the TEA takeover.

“I felt I had a moral obligation to be involved in this process and make sure that the community had someone to represent them,” Martinez said.

“Parents in the area need to decide what they think of us now that we’ve taken some action,” said Audrey Momani, director of the board.

“There is a 50% achievement gap between our Black and Black students and our other students here at HISD,” said Principal Angela Lemond Flowers. “This is criminal. As adults and as a society, we need to be concerned about changing that, or saying that’s okay with us.”

“It’s important to focus on it, not to segment too much, whether you support it or not,” said head coach Rick Campo. “Because I think we all support the fact that children need better than what we give them today at HISD.”

Related:
HISD’s outgoing board members ask questions of TEA two weeks after the acquisition

HISD teachers were disappointed after the first meeting with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath

TEA says “no selection yet” for HISD’s supervisor after the mayor’s tweet

More resignations from HISD leadership positions as TEA takeover looms

TEA’s acquisition of HISD is at least 2 years old, and it will take 3 years to transition again