As part of its takeover of the Houston school district, the Texas Education Agency has chosen former Dallas schools superintendent Mike Miles to lead Houston schools.
The Texas Tribune reports that Miles is working under a 21-day contract until a newly appointed board of managers formally approves him as Houston superintendent.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will decide how long the state-appointed school board — which replaced an elected board — and superintendent will be in place in Houston, the state's largest public school system.
The state’s takeover of the Houston district came earlier this year. In 2020, Texas Education Agency officials concluded that the district had failed to correct persistent issues regarding its delivery of services for students with disabilities.
The district takeover was carried out despite the protests of many Houston elected officials, local education advocates and parents.
Miles arrives from leadership posts in Colorado, where he founded a public network of charters and served as superintendent of the Harrison School District in Colorado Springs. He led the Dallas district during a time when Morath served on the district’s school board.
“We were looking for people from a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who believe all children can learn and achieve at high levels when properly supported and who can work together,” Morath said in a news release. “I believe the governing team I am naming today will work as a unified team, dedicated to improving student outcomes and supporting educators.”
In previous statements justifying the state's takeover, Morath has referred to a state law passed in 2015 mandating a state takeover if a school district or one of its campuses receives failing grades in the state's accountability rating system for five consecutive years. Phillis Wheatley High School reached that threshold in 2019.
Morath moved to force out the district’s school board that same year. The district pushed back and sued. The Texas Supreme Court ruled in January that the state could move forward with its plan to take over the district.
