Houston is bracing for another major shake-up in the education system as Houston Independent School District (HISD) Superintendent Mike Miles is set to expand the controversial New Education System (NES) to additional schools. In a move that's left parent groups and educators on edge, Miles announced an ambitious plan to include at least 26 more schools in the reform measures aimed at raising accountability and shaking off state intervention.
Miles, tasked with overhauling the struggling district, is doubling down on his strategy to prop up underperforming schools. According to the Houston Chronicle, schools with D and F ratings will primarily be the target for the NES reforms as part of broad efforts to pull them from the brink of failure. "We need to provide them with a different sort of education and different sort of supports so that they have a chance of getting out of intervention," Miles told the Chronicle.
Last year’s accountability scores dealt a heavy blow to several HISD schools, with the unveiling of a significant number of D- and F-rated campuses. The fuels fueling the drive for sweeping changes in the district's methodology. Miles believes the NES reforms will help catapult schools from the depths of underachievement, suggesting that the NES program is going to get more schools growth and they will get out of D or F status, maybe not in one year but certainly in two years.
The NES initiative, which was introduced shortly after Miles' appointment by state education officials, encompasses a set of radical changes including a standardized curriculum, a specialized staffing model, and long school days with tightly scripted lessons. Despite the bold vision, the program has not escaped criticism. According to an interview obtained by Houston Public Media, some parents feel that the restructuring is happening without sufficient input and is dramatically altering the culture of HISD schools. "We didn't choose this, our elected board was swept away and Miles was appointed by the state," expressed Adam Chaney, a parent at Stevens Elementary.
Not only is the education model transforming, but wraparound services, which focus on the comprehensive support of students, are seeing a fundamental shift in priorities. The department, previously dedicated to meeting basic unmet needs through campus-specific programs, is now aiming to reduce chronic absenteeism and dropout rates. This pivot in strategy has stirred contenders like Savant Moore, a newly sworn-in trustee, to urge the administration to increase services at individual schools, recognizing hurdles such as transportation barriers to newly established Sunrise Centers, as reported by Houston Public Media.
The district eyeing a potential $256 million budget shortfall and changes to the district's central office and expenditures on the horizon, educators, parents, and students alike are waiting to see how these reforms will play out on the ground.
