Here’s what you can do to help bring change:

Focus on the Real Decision-Makers: While only the board of managers can fire Miles, the true power lies with Governor Abbott and TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, Abbott’s appointee. The Texas Legislature passed the takeover law (HB 1842) in 2015, granting TEA the authority to set rules and establish exit criteria for ending the takeover. This means TEA has the power to modify these criteria, transition the board back to an elected board, or end the takeover at any time.

Demand Action from Leaders: Put pressure on everyone in power to push for Miles’s removal. He’s hindering our children’s progress and worsening inequalities, was a major factor in the bond’s failure, and is making Houston less appealing for families and business. 

Contact your state representative and your cousin’s rural state rep. Ask them to repeal the takeover law. Contact elected officials at the city, state, and national levels, including representatives in the legislature, the State Board of Education, and members of the Greater Houston Partnership, high-profile business and philanthropic leaders, and Governor Abbott. If you know donors to Abbott or people in their networks, share your concerns with them.

Morath’s Exit Criteria that he can change at any time:

• No Multi-Year D or F-Rated Schools: This criterion is more stringent than the original reason for takeover. With STAAR 2.0’s new accountability standards, achieving this is about as likely as spotting a unicorn.
• Special Education Compliance: Although HISD is required to meet federal and state standards, the NES model has led to frequent denial of federally mandated accommodations for students with disabilities.
• Focus on Student Outcomes: The board must be “highly focused on student outcomes,” measured partly by how much meeting time is spent on STAAR scores (student outcomes) over administrative topics. The Lone Star Governance model, required for districts under takeover and pushed aggressively by AJ Crabill, prioritizes rigid metrics over community needs, focusing boards on data-driven outcomes while sidelining parents, teachers, and local stakeholders.

TEA’s Power Grab Over Local Schools: 

With SB 1365’s passage in 2021, TEA’s power has grown at the expense of local control. Under this law:

• The bill broadened "unacceptable" performance to include multiple D ratings, not just F ratings, leading to more districts and campuses facing interventions and sanctions. In return, school districts got a pause year in 2022 during the pandemic where STAAR scores didn’t count against them—a poor trade-off for parents, teachers, and students. 
• SB 1365 also allows the TEA commissioner to appoint a board of managers for an entire district if a single campus has a conservator for two years, expanding TEA’s control over school districts. 
• The bill redefines accreditation investigations as "special investigations," widening TEA’s disciplinary reach, including takeovers.

Sign up to speak at the HISD Board Meeting Thursday at 5pm (late arrivals allowed). Registration is open from 5pm today to noon Wednesday. Sign up for any agenda item, not the hearing of citizens. A Zoom option is available. Instructions are here. Get help signing up Tuesday at 7pm. RSVP for Zoom link here.

Attend the CVPE meeting this Saturday. Here are some additional things you can do, both large and small.