Tag Archives: HISD

TEA clears Third Future Schools

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news for Mike Miles. The Texas Education Agency’s investigation into alleged misuse of state funds concluded Third Future Schools — a Colorado-based charter school network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles — did not violate any Texas laws. The investigation also … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The Chron gets on the “no trust, no bond” train

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. The students of HISD shouldn’t have to worry if traces of lead are seeping into the water, past the district’s jerry-rigged mitigation efforts. Or whether a troubled individual with a semi-automatic can slip past a lack of fencing and … Continue reading →

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HISD cornucopia

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, too little time, so a-rounding up we go… Houston coalitions hold dueling press conferences to support, oppose HISD’s $4.4B school bond HISD parents, Houston’s NAACP branch, the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor … Continue reading →

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The cost of the HISD bond

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like this would be getting less attention if it weren’t for Mike Miles. Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion school bond would add an estimated $8.9 billion in debt for the district over more than 30 years if approved by … Continue reading →

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Some tiny trimming of Miles’ wings

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t much, but I guess it’s something. Houston ISD has quietly published a new document draft that would reduce state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles’ authority in appointing members to the committee overseeing the potential $4.4 billion school bond if approved. According … Continue reading →

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HCDP opposes the HISD bond

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have no idea where they’re going to get the votes for this thing. Both the Harris County Democratic and Republican Party executive committees have unanimously voted in favor of resolutions opposing the largest school bond in state history, which … Continue reading →

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The students are leaving and they’re not coming back

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Down, down, down… Houston ISD is on track in 2024-25 to see its largest single-year enrollment loss since the pandemic, with the majority of student departures coming from campuses overhauled under a controversial new model implemented by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. Records … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ruth Kravetz

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

On Monday you heard the case for the HISD bond referendum. It’s fair to say there’s a lit of loud opposition to the referendum, with most of that opposition coming from people and organizations that are normally big boosters of … Continue reading →

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The yarn-based activists against the HISD bond

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how big this group is, but they are visible. Jessica Catrett sat cross-legged on the grass beside Sophie Grace-Rojas, a Project Chrysalis Middle School student, with bundles of yarn on a breezy Sunday morning outside the Houston … Continue reading →

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Interview with Plácido Gómez and Dani Hernandez

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This week we are talking about the HISD bond referendum. We’ve already had plenty to say about this referendum, whose level of public support is unclear because of the questionable polling that’s been done so far. There are plenty of … Continue reading →

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Whitmire plays his greatest hits

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor John Whitmire gave his first State of the City address this week. Here’s the preview story for what we were to expect. Mayor John Whitmire will lay out his administration’s priorities during his inaugural State of the City address … Continue reading →

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That sure sounds like a lot of uncertified teachers

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some more context would be nice. Houston ISD has 2,097 uncertified teachers out of more than 10,000 teachers for 2024-25, according to district records first provided to and reported by ABC13 KTRK. About 1 in 5 teachers, out of a … Continue reading →

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Different HISD bond referendum poll, different result

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not a big surprise, but that doesn’t mean one is right and the other is wrong. Just days apart, two polls related to Houston ISD’s proposed $4.4 billion school bond forecast clashing results, with a new survey released Tuesday suggesting … Continue reading →

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That “poll” of the HISD bond referendum

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry, but this doesn’t tell us anything. Houston ISD voters are overwhelmingly willing to support a school bond package to upgrade campuses throughout the district, according to polling released Thursday, though questions remain about whether residents will back a … Continue reading →

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Miles whines about criticism

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Oh good Lord. State-appointed Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles responded to recent criticism from several Democratic state lawmakers by sending a letter telling them to “lead, follow, or get out of the way.” The letter calls for lawmakers … Continue reading →

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Asking the fox to audit the henhouse

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if that’s the best metaphor, but it’s what I came up with when I read this. Houston Democrats asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Monday to investigate a charter school network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike … Continue reading →

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HISD releases its accountability ratings

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are. About half of Houston ISD schools saw their state-issued accountability rating jump by one or more letter grades this year, a dramatic improvement in scores following a turbulent first year under state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. HISD released … Continue reading →

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The Miles exodus continues

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Brutal. Sarah Malik used to think Houston ISD’s Lantrip Elementary School was a great fit for her daughter. But after the state takeover of the district in June 2023, Malik said the environmental science magnet school in Eastwood, which they … Continue reading →

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Anti-endorsement watch: Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, LULAC Council to oppose HISD bond

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s officially campaign season here now. The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus and the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 60 are both urging voters to reject Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion school bond proposal in November. In separate, recent statements, … Continue reading →

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Accountability ratings release halted

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. A Travis County judge has blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing its ratings of the state’s school districts and campuses for a second year in a row. Judge Karin Crump on Monday issued a temporary restraining order after … Continue reading →

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So many teachers gone

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I just can’t see how this is a good thing. More than 4,000 employees left Houston ISD in June, bringing the total departures since the state takeover to over 10,000. The record number is three times higher than the June … Continue reading →

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HISD approves the bond referendum for November

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I expect there will be some vigorous campaigning over this. I’ll be very interested to see how much money gets raised and spent. Houston ISD will ask voters in November to pass the biggest school bond package in Texas history, … Continue reading →

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HISD reports significant drop in D and F-rated campuses

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is very good news. Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Wednesday that the number of the district’s schools that earned a D or F rating in the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings dropped by about two-thirds compared to … Continue reading →

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The principal shuffle

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a lot. Since Mike Miles was appointed as HISD superintendent in June 2023, there has been widespread principal turnover across the district. The Houston Chronicle has been tracking the leadership changes at HISD campuses through a series of … Continue reading →

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Another Friday Beryl roundup

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Still lots to keep up on, so let’s get to it. CenterPoint spent $800M on mobile generators. Where are they post-Hurricane Beryl? Over the last three years, CenterPoint Energy – the company in charge of delivering power to millions of … Continue reading →

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Still discussing the HISD bond proposal

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There could still be changes, if the Board of Managers decides to do something other than be the usual rubber stamp. About three weeks before its potential vote, Houston ISD’s Board of Managers held a special meeting Tuesday to question … Continue reading →

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Saturday Beryl roundup

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We need better outage data. Meanwhile, the system that once fed CenterPoint’s map – which has quietly continued to report data under the hood of the utility’s website – became overwhelmed almost immediately after Beryl reached the greater Houston area. … Continue reading →

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Bond spending so far

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

HISD is presumably going to spend some amount of money to get its bond passed. It has already spent some money putting the bond package together. Houston ISD has spent at least $700,000 developing and promoting its $4.4 school bond … Continue reading →

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The HISD bond committee has some feedback

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t we all. Houston ISD should provide more communication and transparency around its $4.4 billion school bond proposal, including plans for pre-K expansion and co-locations of several campuses, before a potential vote in November, according to a recent advisory committee … Continue reading →

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More on “No trust, no bond”

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still inclined to vote for the HISD bond, but I’m listening to the opposition and am very interested in seeing what traction they can get. Several HISD teachers, parents and community members say they are planning to cast their … Continue reading →

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Are we really gonna take this show on the road?

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Color me skeptical. The seismic changes seen by Monsiváis’ son and the 180,000-plus students throughout HISD this school year are the result of the most dramatic state takeover of a school district in American history, a grand experiment that could … Continue reading →

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Board of Managers passes Mike Miles’ budget

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It was a close vote, but as we kids used to say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In their most divided vote taken to date, members of Houston ISD’s state-appointed school board on Thursday narrowly approved a … Continue reading →

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On the bonds and closing or not closing schools

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a very complicated issue. Two decades ago, children crowded the halls of Houston ISD’s Attucks and Cullen middle schools, historic campuses located two miles apart on the city’s south side. Since then, hundreds of families have fled the … Continue reading →

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Miles to decimate wraparound services

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bad idea. State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said social work services for students will be provided by a trimmer team of wraparound specialists who will each serve multiple campuses and refer students to off-campus support centers. Houston ISD … Continue reading →

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