Tag Archives: Millard House

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 →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

HISD budget cuts coming

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to get ugly. Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Friday afternoon that the school district is facing an estimated $450 million gap in funding that will largely be made up by staff reductions as federal pandemic … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More criticism of HISD’s library policies

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t going away. Prominent Houston political and faith leaders on Monday denounced Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to convert some libraries into discipline centers, adding to the growing chorus of critics opposing the change. Members of Congress, Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Mayor Turner criticizes HISD’s library removals

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday blasted Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to close dozens of school libraries and turn them into discipline rooms, alleging it was targeted at “selected communities.” In an impassioned speech at City Council, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

What does Mike Miles have against libraries?

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I do not care for this. Superintendent Mike Miles, appointed in June by the Texas Education Agency to lead Houston ISD, will eliminate librarians and media specialists from the 28 campuses under his New Education System and an additional 57 aligned schools that opted … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

An HISD threefer

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

How much is discretion worth to a school principal? To Jessica Campos, Pugh Elementary School used to feel like a family. The 350-student school that her 10-year-old daughter attends had a tight-knit community with near-constant communication between staff and families, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I still don’t get how Mike Miles is going to do what he says

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the big plans that appointed HISD Superintendent Mike Miles is touting. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles unveiled a dramatically expanded plan for the district at a Thursday board meeting, announcing 150 schools will see “wholesale systemic reform” … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Superintendent House’s last day

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He’s out of there. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II is marking his last day in the office as the head of Texas’ largest school system on Friday, according to Mayor Sylvester Turner, nearly a week before the Texas Education … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meet Mike Miles

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Landing profiles the man who seems poised to be the imposed Superintendent of the taken-over HISD. A hard-charging education leader devoted to shaking up the status quo in struggling school districts appears poised to become the superintendent of Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meet Mike Miles

The last HISD Board of Trustees meeting

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is takeover time. The Texas Education Agency is still aiming to appoint a new Houston ISD superintendent and a board of managers as planned on or around June 1, according to an agency representative. The new leaders will … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The last HISD Board of Trustees meeting

A look at how the TEA trains Board of Managers wannabes

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer: Since mid-March this year, when the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced it would be taking over the Houston Independent School District, the state agency has demurred when asked about the district’s future, saying decisions will be made … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Does the TEA already have a new Superintendent in mind?

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Turner thinks so, and wants the TEA to be more up front about its intentions. Pressure is mounting on the Texas Education Agency to name the superintendent who will soon oversee the Houston Independent School District as the nearing takeover prompts growing … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We ask again if the HISD Board should bother doing anything right now

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I think the answer is still mostly No, but there’s some nuance to that. The Houston Independent School District board met Thursday to discuss potential cuts to the district’s $2.2 billion budget as it faces a growing a growing deficit and a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More HISD departures

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna be a very different district when we get it back. Three more senior staff members at Houston ISD are departing their high-ranking posts at the district as the Texas Education Agency prepares to appoint new leaders to govern the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More HISD departures

Should the HISD Board bother doing anything right now?

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a good case for No, and if that’s their thinking then they’re already on the way. Houston ISD board members expressed concern Thursday about making budget cuts to campuses right before the district is taken over by the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

So now we start processing what happened and what will happen with the TEA takeover

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board points to three key items. Still, if this takeover must happen — and Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it is indeed happening — we want it to work. Houston’s schoolchildren don’t have time for another … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The past history of TEA takeovers

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As of Monday afternoon there’s still no word from the TEA about the fate of HISD, so while we wait we ponder what history can teach us. Assuming that history doesn’t contain anything gay or CRT-related so we’re allowed to … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So is there anything that can be done to derail the TEA takeover?

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Probably not. I mean, I really appreciate the engagement and the passion, but we’re at the end of the road here, a road that started almost six years ago. Sometimes you just run out of things to do. With time … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Superintendant House speaks about the looming TEA takeover

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Not much one can say in this position. Superintendent Millard House II said it’s business as usual in the state’s largest school system until the Texas Education Agency pulls the trigger on its rumored takeover plan. He used the start … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

So it looks like that TEA takeover of HISD is going to happen

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Mayor Sylvester Turner sounded alarm bells Wednesday when he announced that he has heard from multiple sources that the state intends to take over Houston ISD as early as next week. “I’m talking to legislators, and what they’re saying … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HISD facing budget cuts

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna be a rough couple of years. Amid declining enrollment and a looming $215 million deficit, the Houston ISD is eyeing budget cuts that would slash funding to the central administration and cut campus budgets, especially at high schools. The … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD facing budget cuts

HISD in TEA limbo

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No one knows how long this might take. Houston ISD is in limbo as the Texas Education Agency weighs how to proceed with a possible takeover of the state’s largest school system allowed under a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCOTx removes injunction blocking TEA takeover of HISD

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what happens next, but there’s a lot more of this to play out. The Texas Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the state to potentially take control of the Houston Independent School District, which state education … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTx removes injunction blocking TEA takeover of HISD

Math test scores took a hit during the pandemic

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The decline started before the pandemic, but kept on going from there. Students in Houston and across the nation showed “appalling and unacceptable” declines on the 2022 Nation’s Report Card, adding to mounting evidence that the pandemic impacted young people … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Math test scores took a hit during the pandemic

The proposed HISD charter partnership policy change

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have a lot of time to dig into this, but there are a couple of things I wanted to touch on. Parents, education advocates and a group of Houston elected officials including three Houston ISD trustees on Monday … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD buys stuff for its police

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Okay, but I hope the plan to deal with an active shooter has more than this in it. Houston ISD trustees Thursday evening approved a measure to buy 200 rifles, ammunition and 200 ballistic shields for the district’s police department, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD buys stuff for its police

How would HISD’s police respond to an active shooter incident?

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a question we would all rather not have to think about, but this is the world we live in. And at this time, the answer that Superintendent Millard House gave to that question was not reassuring. Houston ISD’s police … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD approves its budget

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First one for the new Superintendent. Houston ISD trustees on Thursday unanimously approved a $2.2 billion budget that will give teacher raises some have called long overdue and fund the upcoming school year when the district is expected to begin … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Superintendent House backs off a key piece of his budget plan

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like he heard the concerns. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II on Wednesday said he would scrap a plan that would have centralized the funding of specific positions and programs, instead asking his administrators to come up with a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Superintendent House backs off a key piece of his budget plan

Maybe not so fast on the HISD budget stuff

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m OK with this. The Houston Independent School District may reconsider proposed budget changes that would have centralized the funding of certain positions and programs, a top district official told principals Monday. “Our cabinet team is revisiting the budget and … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the HISD budget plan

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Trustees make first contact with the Superintendent’s plans. More than a month after Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II unveiled a strategic plan aimed at making the district more equitable, trustees still have unanswered questions about how to pay for it and concerns about whether … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

HISD’s budget plan

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the op-ed pages, a few words from Superintendent Millard House. During a listening session at Chavez High School last September, a mother told me in tears that her child had to travel an hour each way to reach a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD’s budget plan

HISD lifts its mask mandate

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A bit earlier than expected. The Houston Independent School District will lift its mask mandate Tuesday, no longer requiring the use of face coverings at all facilities and buildings, district officials said Monday. The change in policy at Houston ISD … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD’s strategic plan

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It sounds good. Let’s see what feedback it gets. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II on Thursday unveiled his long-awaited five-year strategic plan, offering an equity framework that would aim to equip all campuses with library, nursing and counseling staff, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD’s strategic plan