Houston ISD parents protest district-wide job cuts, campus leadership changes – Houston Public Media

Hundreds of parents of Houston ISD students in and around the Meyerland area demonstrated Monday morning along the perimeter of Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School. Cries of “Mike Miles must go,” they demonstrated in response to widespread staff cuts linked to a budget shortfall and also performance-based layoffs of highly regarded teachers and principals.

Miles, who is finishing his first year as HISD’s state-appointed superintendent, last week revealed sweeping job cuts across the district, asserting the need to close a projected $450 million budget gap for the 2024-25 school year. Protesters might have been even more upset with the treatment of campus principal Auben Sarabia, who last year was named HISD’s Middle School Principal of the Year. Parents at the school say he was given an ultimatum: resign or be fired.

Amanda Sorena, former president of the parent-teacher organization at Meyerland PVA Middle School, was among the organizers of the protest and said she was furious with the way Sarabia is being treated by district leaders.

“When the list came out just before spring break of principals ‘needs improvement,’ and it covered more than half the district, including many A-rated schools, including principals of the year , including our school, this is a huge problem and a huge wake-up call,” Sorena said “How can you consider half of our schools to be ineffective?

In an emailed statement Monday, HISD did not say how many of the district’s teachers and principals are being replaced for performance reasons. Changing how educators are evaluated is among many reforms implemented under Miles, who was appointed superintendent of HISD by the Texas Education Agency, which also replaced HISD’s elected trustees with a board of members appointed by the State due to previous mismanagement and alleged illegal activities. board members and also because Wheatley High School had a string of academic failures from the state.

Tom Perumean/Houston Public Media

Dozens of HISD schools are aligned with the New Miles Education System (NES), which involves, among other changes, pre-set lesson plans for teachers and a greater emphasis on test-based performance evaluations for students. students. More schools are expected to join the NES model next year.

“We don’t ask directors to resign because of budget cuts,” Sorena said. “I think what they want is for the directors of their main academy to not question Miles, who don’t question the policies of the NES, not to fight against the things that he does in the district that are harming our children and our schools.

Regarding a district-wide staffing reduction that has been underway since January and affects HISD departments and schools, the district reiterated Monday that it “will keep cuts as far away from students and classrooms as possible.” class and will continue to invest in our teachers and leaders.” But teaching positions are expected to be affected as the HISD Board of Trustees last Thursday authorized the potential elimination of teachers in a series of subjects at different grade levels, including math, reading, science, social studies, and fine arts.

HISD said it could not yet comment on specific employees or positions affected by the overall workforce reduction, adding that employees whose jobs are eliminated will have the opportunity to serve in other roles within the district.

“The personnel decisions HISD makes will allow us to allocate the district’s limited resources in a way that ensures all students receive a high-quality education every day,” HISD said.

Monday’s protest featured a cross-section of parents from HISD schools who were on hand to voice their concerns about the district in general and Miles in particular.

“There were representatives, not just from Meyerland,” Sorena said. “There were a number of schools in the area, as we are not the only ones seeing that these policies have extended beyond the NES. We are a non-NES school and we are seeing the devastating effects that Mike Miles has on our school district.”