[en español clic aquí]

STAAR scores don't define real learning—they can’t measure critical thinking, true literacy, collaboration, or a student’s ability to navigate conflict and work across differences. No number can outweigh the damage Mike Miles has done to students, schools, and families.

That’s just one reason to sign up to speak at Thursday’s board meeting—the last of the year, and nearly two years into this harmful takeover. 

Here is the sign-up link, agenda packet, and step-by-step instructions.

Miles has manipulated outcomes by controlling who gets tested, who’s withdrawn, and which data gets reported. Unfortunately, he isn’t focused on education—he’s focused on optics. 

• From today’s public release of data by the state, NES high schools with the largest decreases in the number of students testing compared to last year experienced larger gains in English I pass rates than schools with small or no declines in students testing.
• Miles is touting students who scored ‘Meets’ or higher, but he’s hiding the full picture: The state considers a passing score either “approaches”, “meets” or “masters.” By focusing only on “Meets or Higher,” Miles is shifting the goalposts to make his numbers look better than they are.

That flashy Algebra I bump in his press release? It’s just a 3% increase in the pass rate for first time testers. Miles got there by blocking 17% of high-achieving 8th graders in NES schools from taking Algebra last year, placing them in basic math instead. That inflated last year’s 8th grade STAAR scores—and this year’s 9th grade Algebra EOC results —by limiting equitable access to rigorous classes for high-achieving kids at NES schools. 

Biology? Just a modest 1% gain for first time testers—but most new 9th graders at NES schools were blocked from taking the test this year because only Pre-AP students were allowed in biology. The rest were funneled into remedial science to game the scores—and it happened to last year’s NES students too.

This isn’t about student success—it’s about spin. Relentless test prep, selective testing, and a joyless, punitive model push kids out instead of lifting them up. And because the state controls STAAR, Governor Abbott can bend results to fit his political agenda—from justifying the takeover to promoting vouchers.

Is this chaos really worth it? Sterile AI-driven curriculum, worsening inequalities, and a mass teacher exodus are leaving families frustrated and students behind. Miles needs to go.