Is the New Education System to blame for HISD teacher exodus?

By Laura Onyeneho

Former Houston ISD educator Calvin Mitchell said that his time with the district had to come to an end.

“It was time to take my talents elsewhere, and with the recent shake ups happening with the superintendent’s New Education System plan, I felt I made the right decision,” he said. “I want to go where I feel valued and heard.”

Houston Independent School District (HISD) is undergoing signifcant changes with the introduction of Superintendent Mike Miles' New Education System (NES) initiative. While the plan aims to improve low-performing schools and address the achievement gap, the district is experiencing an exodus of educators just weeks before the start of the new school year. Te departure of teachers has raised concerns about the impact on continuity and stability within the district.

Mitchel was an 8th grade middle school English Language Arts and reading teacher. He taught the class for a year working on his teacher certifcation, and was frustrated that with his education experience, his compensation was “equated to that of a secretary.”

“As an educator, we work too hard and make sacrifces for our students,” he said. “and this NES plan will make things worse for educators.”

Initially, almost 30 underperforming schools were designated for the NES program, and an additional 57 schools voluntarily joined the initiative. Te comprehensive changes include extended instruction time, classroom surveillance cameras for discipline assistance, stringent educator evaluations primarily based on standardized test scores, and a revamped stafng model resembling a "hospital model" where teachers are likened to "surgeons."

“This plan limits a teacher’s style of teaching. All students don’t learn the same. We have students who can barely read in the eighth grade. Just image introducing them to new material,” Mitchell said. “Te superintendent is selling the salary component of this, but what it really means is you’ll work more hours, you’ll be micromanaged, and you’ll be restricted with the NES curriculum.”

Mitchell now works in Alief ISD and is paid a teacher’s salary while he completes his certifcate.

“I’m not leaving the district. I work at a disciplinary alternative education program. I work with students with behavioral problems and not everyone can work with these types of children,” said HISD educator, Larry McKinze. “Te superintendent is selling the program like a car salesman at these family events and has no regard for the actual concerns of the people.”

McKinze said the superintendent’s “military style of leadership doesn’t work well with regular people” and describes Miles’ analogy of treating teachers like “surgeons” as problematic for educators who don’t agree with a one size fts all approach to teaching.

“It’s a nightmare within itself especially for teachers who’ve been in HISD for a very long time,” said Michelle Williams, President of the Houston Educators Association. “We’ve never seen anything like this, don’t get me wrong, HISD has it’s issues, but not like this.”

More than 500 positions at HISD's central office were eliminated, with Superintendent Miles noting that approximately 30% of the cuts were vacant positions. HISD, being the largest employer in Houston with over 20,000 employees, has felt the impact of the organizational restructuring. Teachers at nearly 30 high-priority schools, including Wheatley High, Kashmere, North Forest, and their feeder schools, are required to reapply for their positions as part of the New Education System. Tis has added to the uncertainty and disruption within the afected schools as educators grapple with the decision to continue under the new system.

“A lot of our Black educators have lef. I’m interested to see the confrmed percentages from HISD,” Williams said. “Mike Miles just doesn’t have a plan for this large of a magnitude of people. He says many are on board with his idea, but there are a lot of people who still don’t trust his actions.”