Houston Matters
Outsiders’ views of Texas (Sept. 22, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: Have outsiders' views of Texas and Texans changed since the animated series "King of the Hill" left an impression?
Tag: Mike Miles
Houston Matters
Drake becomes a Houstonian: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
HISD
Teacher turnover is a controversial part of Houston ISD reforms. It’s a feature, not a side effect
Posted on · Parents and teachers continue to speak out against reforms and turnover in Houston’s public school system. The protests intensified this week as the state-appointed leaders of Houston ISD removed more teachers from their schools. The debate over these types of reforms is not new — even in Houston.
HISD
TEA-appointed Houston ISD board allows teachers to be terminated if schools close, seeks exemption from state laws
Posted on · The state-appointed leaders of Houston’s public school system say they can’t comply with a new law requiring police officers at every campus, and they’re seeking exemptions for that and other state laws. During the Thursday board meeting, they also geared up for expected school closures in the coming years by approving a policy that allows staffers from those schools to be terminated.
HISD
Houston teachers’ union drops lawsuit as HISD rolls back evaluation system for now
Posted on · The union originally filed the lawsuit against the district because it said HISD’s proposed system violated state law, which requires input from teachers and community members. The union said the policy was done behind closed doors.
HISD
TEA-appointed Houston ISD board wants to lengthen the school year through controversial process rejected in 2021
Posted on · Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers approved Superintendent Mike Miles’ request to seek a longer school year — a proposal that had previously been rejected. District leadership also tweaked how educators are evaluated in response to a union lawsuit, and a group of protesters interrupted the meeting every four minutes.
Houston Matters
Technology’s unintended consequences (Sept. 8, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: We consider recent examples of how technology may help but also hinder us and learn about efforts to teach the next generation of engineers here in Houston the importance of ethical development of technology.
HISD
Bilingual administrators, school safety are top concerns for parents, advocates say
Posted on · Several attendees reported having felt unable to express their concerns to school administrators because of a language barrier. Others said they had heard of some families and students experiencing racism from school employees. Overall, 62 percent of students in HISD are Latino.
HISD
Parents say new HISD board should prioritize dual language programs in first series of meetings
Posted on · At the event attendees expressed concern regarding special education, dual-language programs and recently implemented reforms at the district’s New Education System schools.
HISD
Some Houston ISD students feel drained after the first few days of class, but not necessarily in a bad way
Posted on · For students in 85 Houston ISD schools, this first week of classes was different than previous years. That’s because a third of the district is undergoing reforms at the direction of state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles.
Houston Matters
A new school year — and a new era — begins at HISD under state control
Posted on · The TEA took over, hired a board of managers and a superintendent, and now a summer of change is put to the test.
HISD
Teachers have mixed feelings about Houston ISD reforms under Mike Miles, from ‘I hate it’ to ‘Just support it’
Posted on · Houston public school students start class on Monday, when the sweeping reforms enacted by state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles will be put to the test. Their teachers are already at work, learning the ins and outs of the so-called “New Education System” — and many of them are critical of the changes.
HISD
Houston ISD student regrets performing in ‘propaganda play’ starring Mike Miles
Posted on · Comfort Azagidi, a rising senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, performed in a musical routine during a Houston ISD teacher event on Wednesday. They now say students were “tricked” into participating in the performance.
HISD
‘A fever dream’: Mike Miles stars in musical about himself as disorganization plagues Houston ISD teacher training
Posted on · The week-long training for teachers across Houston ISD got off to a rocky start, with crowded rooms prompting a fire marshal visit. On Wednesday, TEA-appointed superintendent Mike Miles starred in a musical about himself.
HISD
Mike Miles gains power as Houston ISD Board of Managers approves major policy changes, union files grievances and community members protest
Posted on · State-appointed superintendent Mike Miles gained more power Thursday night, but he didn’t get everything he asked for. Also this week, the Houston ISD teachers’ union filed grievances seeking to pause the reforms in about 60 of the 85 targeted schools, and community members organized a “read in” protest at the board meeting.