Houston ISD’s new superintendent plans on implementing a new campus model in nearly 30 struggling schools.
State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles introduced his “New Education System” (NES) earlier in the summer. Its focus is to reform 29 “high-priority, high-needs” schools by adding time to the school day, altering teacher evaluations, and reconfiguring staffing, per Houston Public Media.
One of the more controversial changes Miles plans to institute at the campuses is dismissing librarians and repurposing libraries.
Miles said that the goal for NES schools is to improve the quality of instruction, raise student achievement, and close the achievement gap while preparing students for the future.
“We think we can do that with the staffing model that we have … The model that we have is proven. I’m not saying librarians can’t help. Librarians have been effective in the past, and I think there are so many positions that need librarians outside of these 29 schools that they will be afforded that opportunity,” said Miles, according to Houston Public Media.
The library spaces will remain in place, and students will be allowed to read books before, during, and after school. Students that wish to take books home with them will be trusted to return the books using the honor system, per the Houston Chronicle.
The spaces will also be used as “team centers” for students who misbehave during class.
“Every classroom has a webcam and a Zoom link, and it’s on 24/7,” said Miles, reported Houston Public Media. “If a kid is disruptive, we pull that student out of class. We put them in what we call a team center, and they’re being monitored by a learning coach, and they Zoom right back into the class they get pulled from.”
The decision by Miles to repurpose libraries at NES schools has been met with some criticism.
Sherrie Curry, a former Houston ISD librarian, told the Houston Chronicle, “When you start taking away access to the library, you’re taking away access to information. At the end of the day, it’s just going to make the kids feel like reading is less important.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had to step in and take over Houston ISD because of chronic academic underperformance at one of the district’s campuses, dismissing the locally-elected school board and superintendent.
“This model that Mike Miles has used has produced the result in the last couple of years of taking D and F schools to A and B overnight,” said University of Houston education professor Duncan Klussmann, per Houston Public Media. “But remember, that’s only the STAAR test. You’ll see student improvement in test scores and in the state accountability system, but the question will be: Will you see improvement in the areas that really make the difference in life for those students?”
During the 2021-2022 school year, only 43% of Houston ISD students tested at grade level on their STAAR exams. Additionally, only 85.7% of its graduating Class of 2022 earned a diploma in four years.
It is unclear whether Miles can turn the troubled district around; however, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath expressed his confidence in Miles in a letter informing Houston ISD’s former school board of its replacement.
“Mr. Miles is the right leader to serve as the superintendent of Houston ISD during this intervention, and I am confident that he will be able to drive the system-wide changes necessary to increase student achievement, satisfy the exit criteria to return the district to elected board leadership, and create the conditions necessary for long-lasting student success,” Morath said.
Still, Miles was unable to significantly boost student achievement outcomes when he was superintendent of Dallas ISD, which has long struggled to produce adequate marks in its TEA accountability reports.
Despite the best efforts of the district’s dedicated and hardworking teachers, the Dallas school system, much like Houston, still struggles to provide its students with a quality education.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, only 41% of students scored at grade level on the 2021-2022 school year STAAR exams and only about 80% of its Class of 2022 graduated in four years. As of the 2021-2022 school year, 57 Dallas ISD campuses have a D rating in student achievement — 29 have an F.
Further details regarding Miles’ NES plan can be found on Houston ISD’s website.
Note: This article was updated on July 28, 2023, at 11:53 a.m. to include additional information pertaining to Miles’ adoption of the HISD superintendent role.
