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.
Now, HISD is asking families to trust the district once again.
According to Mike Miles, "For The Record” email sent out this morning, “Under special education law, a change in campus location, by itself, does not require an ARD meeting when a student's IEP and services remain the same.”
HISD is telling parents that changing a student’s campus does not require an ARD meeting.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is saying that it might and that problems are systemic and require an across the board review.
In response to a parent's complaint filed in May, TEA wrote: “The IEP specifically notes that the student will be instructed at XX during the 2026-2027 school year. Therefore, the student cannot be moved to another campus without violating 34 CFR §300.323, related to implementation of the IEP.”
TEA also found that the issues extend beyond a single student and ordered "systemic corrections for all students with disabilities." It directed HISD to
-
"review each impacted student's record... before students are moved to a campus different than the one designated on his or her IEP" and
-
"ensure, when required, that HISD holds IEP team meetings with families to review and revise IEPs before students are moved to a campus different than the one designated on his or her IEP."
HISD is moving forward with its flawed plan while telling parents to trust that the district will decide whether an ARD meeting is needed. That is not what TEA's order says. The review is supposed to happen before students are moved, and ARD meetings must be held when required.
Here is what parents can do! MAKE SOME NOISE.
-
Talk to the media. Contact the Houston Chronicle link or any reporter covering education.
-
File a complaint with the Texas Education Agency. [LINK]
- - - - - - - - -
Mike Miles taxpayer-funded pet project, HISD Now, is a PR Spin Machine. For independent reporting on HISD and Special Education changes, see:
-
Channel 13 (July 16): TEA finds HISD to be out of compliance after some parents launch complaints
-
Channel 11 (July 15): Houston ISD to launch new special education program this fall as federal investigation continues
-
Houston Public Media (July 14): Houston ISD’s special education changes violate student rights, TEA says in letter
-
Houston Chronicle (July 13): HISD will continue special education overhaul. Experts say its plan conflicts with state orders.
It never ends well for children when the fox is guarding the henhouse.
Do you like this page?