The Ratings Game. The AI Experiment. The Cost to Our Kids.

[en español clic aquí] Dan Dawer and Ruth Kravetz wrote an op-ed for The Texas Observer about how Mike Miles has inflated school ratings by systematically holding back students and limiting opportunities for thousands of Houston children, especially students in Black and Latino communities.   Read more

Stand Up for Our Kids and Teachers This Saturday

How do good educators and school leaders go to bed at night without shame? Here is the rule they live by. If it helps the child and also improves the school's rating, do it. But if it boosts the rating while hurting the child, don't do it. That's the rule to live by. Children must always come before data. Every time Read more

Is the Staggering Rise in STAAR Alt 2 the Latest Way Mike Miles Is Inflating HISD Ratings?

[en español clic aquí] Parents and students deserve more than a snake oil salesman like Mike Miles.  No more data games. Put students first.   Read more

The STAAR ALT Shuffle: How HISD Is Moving Students to Boost Ratings

[en español clic aquí]

Mike Miles is making the podcast rounds this summer, claiming credit for what he calls the transformation of HISD. He points to rising scores as proof of success and claims they are the result of ending a culture of low expectations. 

We know better. Miles has manipulated who gets tested to inflate ratings. Our kids are not data points and our schools are more than ratings.

 

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When the Fox Guards the Henhouse: HISD Says One Thing. TEA's Order Says Another.

[en español clic aquí] How much trust has Mike Miles earned when it comes to students with disabilities? This is the same superintendent whose administration planned to move roughly 5,000 students in self-contained special education classrooms to different campuses without notifying their families. Parents learned about the plan in May only because it was leaked to the media. That’s not democracy. Read more

Independence Day: Public Education Is Worth Defending

[en español clic aquí] Saturday is Independence Day, a day to celebrate democracy and the freedoms we share.  But we live in strange times.  The State Board of Education (SBOE) voted last week to add Bible stories to the required reading lists for Texas schoolchildren.  “Even if Texas parents opt their children out of instruction, those students could still be tested on it.”   Read more

Inspired. Informed. Ready to Act!

[en español clic aquí] Thank you for joining us for the 2026 Summer Forum as we came together to protect public education. It was an unforgettable day of learning and purpose-building. Read more

HISD Closed Schools to Save Money. So Why Is It Losing $3.8 Million on 1882 Partnerships?

[en español clic aquí] HISD's four 1882 partnership charter agreements are costing the district about $3.8 million a year.  Read more

Early Bird Tickets End Soon + Student Internship Applications Now Open

[en español clic aquí] Have you bought your ticket to the June 27th CVPE Summer Forum yet? This year's theme is Protect Public Education, Protect Democracy. Hear from researchers, educators, students, and advocates from across Texas, including keynote speaker Domingo Morel, author of Takeover. See the session lineup below. Read more

HISD Board Meeting: Speak for Students on June 11

[en español clic aquí] Three years into the takeover, it may seem like we are simply fighting against a top-down experiment imposed on our children and our city. We are not. Read more