As Houston ISD students settle back into classrooms post-spring break, the future of almost half the district's principals hangs in the balance. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles, who's been spearheading educational reforms, is set to address principal evaluations after a contentious announcement that placed 117 principals on the chopping block for potential dismissal if they fail to improve their performance scores. HISD's ultimatum follows the results from mid-year proficiency screenings that have stirred up widespread anxiety and concern among educators and the community alike.
These screenings aim to rigorously appraise "quality of instruction" and "student achievement," with the former assessed by independent teams through classroom observations, and the latter determined by interim assessment data. In a move designed to raise the stakes, principals must now not only meet but exceed certain benchmarks in a subsequent assessment or face termination. The lowest scoring 10% are slated to be automatically removed, according to information obtained by the ABC13.
Despite the looming assessments, HISD has expressed confidence about the majority of principals catching up to the mark. "One hundred and twenty principals learned that they are making good progress and that if they continue to work hard, focus on strong instructional leadership, and demonstrate their ability to support student success, they will achieve the level of proficiency necessary to return in the next school year. We are confident most of our instructional leaders will meet our performance expectations and return to HISD in the 2024-2025 school year." the district shared in a statement with ABC13.
The district's forceful performance-led strategy has been panned by critics like Ruth Kravetz of Community Voices for Public Education who suggest that constant principal turnover could negatively impact student success."Principals are now afraid. Teachers are afraid. This is not the kind of environment that we want for our children." Kravetz told the ABC13.
Moreover, disgruntled HISD parents and students have raised their voices, primarily at high-achieving schools, puzzled over why acclaimed principals were marked as underperforming."It just doesn’t make sense to me why our school would be less-than-proficient or why our principal would be less-than-proficient because our school is running very smoothly," remarked Comfort Azagidi, a senior at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, according to an interview with Houston Public Media.
Adding to the turmoil was ABC13's publication of a list of principals warned of potential removal—a list that was soon retracted under threat of legal action by the district, given that it may have inaccurately included an individual. Superintendent Miles has since taken a softer tone, acknowledging the press's role in public discourse but condemning the leak as an "egregious violation of our employees' rights," as reported by Houston Public Media. Amidst the backlash, many have hailed the Chronicle's decision to go public with the list, advocating for transparency within the public school system.
Miles' new principal evaluation system, which heavily leans on test scores and classroom observations, has come under fire for being opaque and for inadvertently fostering an environment of fear and retaliation rather than improvement. Expected outcomes will be clear come May 1, when principals will be informed if they have secured their positions or if they'll be replaced by new entrants to the district's ranks—a strategy that aims to inject fresh leadership into almost a quarter of the schools in HISD.
