People who don’t understand how the state takeover is undermining student learning for Houston schoolchildren are saying, “Yes, Miles is authoritarian, but look at those ratings. Kids must be learning.”
They’re wrong.
Kids don’t learn through all-day test prep. They don’t learn when denied full books and the freedom to make meaning from what they read and learn.
And look at what those scores are built on. When students are moved into less rigorous courses so schools can boost their accountability ratings, those students lose access to the most challenging coursework they are capable of doing.
In case you want the “ratings game” articles in one place, here’s some of the data showing how HISD inflated accountability ratings by demoting students in biology, algebra, CCMR and Special Education.
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One Key to Houston ISD’s Rising STAAR Scores? Holding Students Back, 2025
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Fewer test-takers, better results: What HISD's biology STAAR data shows, 2025
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Was Mike Miles improving HISD schools or gaming the ratings? | Editorial, 2026
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Exclusive: Online courses inflated HISD ratings. Without them, some schools would have F's, 2026
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The ‘Houston Miracle’ Shell Game: (Demoting up to 70% of NES juniors to remedial math last year)-2026
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The STAAR Alt Shuffle: How HISD Is Moving Students to Boost Ratings,2026
But F Mike Miles shared none of that data today at the State Senate Public Education Committee hearing. He started at around 1 pm (live feed today and archived tomorrow) and shared his propaganda for almost two hours to a generally cloying state senate. Democrat State Senate Menendez was the only state senator to ask any questions of concern.
Miles said the fund balance was in good shape, the Special Education changes were working well, and boasted about significantly narrowing the achievement gap, especially in middle schools. Morath and others said Texas school ratings are “historic.”
It’s an election year. Time to make Governor Abbott look good.
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