Category Archives: School days

I am so sick of Mike Miles

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Lisa Falkenberg’s latest: For months, I had written about other schools within Houston ISD, scrutinizing superintendent Mike Miles’ reforms in the state’s takeover, his closure of libraries and sidelining of storybooks, all the while harboring some relief that my own three kids’ campuses had been … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A followup on Mike Miles’ moneymaker

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the Chron looking into the potential consequences of Mike Miles’ earning outside consultant money while serving as HISD Superintendent, in violation of a recent state law. I’m skipping over the part of the story where they recapped the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Checking in on HISD’s status

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What have we gained and lost after three school years of the TEA takeover of HISD? The Chron did a deep dive. Houston ISD’s state takeover began three years ago, when the Texas Education Agency ousted the elected leadership and … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Checking in on HISD’s status

How Fort Worth ISD parents are responding to the takeover

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them all the best. It’s going to be a long ride. Zach Leonard, a parent to three Fort Worth Independent School District students, wants his children to be able to walk to a high-quality public school in their … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Fort Worth ISD parents are responding to the takeover

Austin ISD is on takeover watch

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Austin ISD’s effort to stave off a possible state takeover suffered a major setback Thursday after the Texas Education Agency rejected the district’s plan to hand three struggling middle schools to an external nonprofit operator. In a letter sent Thursday to Superintendent Matias Segura, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Michelle Williams sues HISD for wrongful termination

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A teachers union leader filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against Houston ISD’s state-appointed board and superintendent, as well as several district administrators and Lake Worth ISD’s new superintendent, after the district terminated her. The Houston Education Association president, Michelle Williams, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Michelle Williams sues HISD for wrongful termination

Going old school

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. After years of classrooms adopting more tech, a small but growing number of Houston-area private and charter schools are dialing back screens. The pandemic saw many students move to online instruction, and afterward schools began to quickly adopt technology, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Going old school

Where have the public school students gone?

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is worrisome. Roughly 76,000 fewer students enrolled in Texas public schools this academic year — the first non-pandemic decline in nearly four decades — with Hispanic students accounting for the overwhelming majority of the loss, according to a report released … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More on the HISD special ed mess

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is from last week, I meant to get to it sooner, but you know how it goes. When Antonio Cruz Trejo opened his son’s backpack last Friday, he found a hand-painted Mother’s Day gift — a major milestone for … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

US Department of Education investigating HISD over special ed changes

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation into Houston ISD after the state’s largest district began to centralize its special education department. HISD announced Wednesday that students in some special education programs would … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s Mike Miles all the way down

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The pattern couldn’t be clearer. Texas officials again tapped a Houston schools administrator to helm a state takeover, this time for Beaumont ISD. Sandi Massey is the new state-appointed superintendent of Beaumont ISD as the district has struggled with years … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s Mike Miles all the way down

This Fort Worth ISD takeover is going to give me PTSD

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Where have I heard this before? Fort Worth ISD families say sweeping restructuring could weaken the tailored support their students — from English learners to college-bound seniors and kids in speech therapy — depend on. International Newcomer Academy teacher Whitney … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This Fort Worth ISD takeover is going to give me PTSD

Morath names the new Lake Worth ISD superintendent

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Lake Worth ISD has new leadership after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on April 23 appointed a new superintendent and five-member board of managers who are tasked with overseeing improving student outcomes for the 3,200-student district. … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Morath names the new Lake Worth ISD superintendent

Unelected HISD Board votes to fire HISD union leader

Posted on April 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What the hell are we doing here? Houston ISD’s appointed board of managers voted Thursday to terminate a teacher union leader even though an independent hearing examiner initially recommended that the district reinstate the longtime educator. All six members who … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Unelected HISD Board votes to fire HISD union leader

Mike Miles wants to foist a bunch of AI on us

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this originally, but now that I’ve seen it I must say, WTF? Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles will convert four more schools into AI-focused “Future 2” schools, up from two previously announced kindergarten-to-eighth-grade schools. But according to … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mike Miles wants to foist a bunch of AI on us

Mike Miles’ money maker

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff from the Observer. Houston ISD pays its state-appointed superintendent, Mike Miles, a base salary of $462,000, and the district also gave him a bonus of $173,660 approved by its state-appointed board in September. Yet, all along, the leader … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We have our first real voucher loophole

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Surely not the last. A Florida-based virtual school could receive Texas taxpayer funds through the state’s new $1 billion private school voucher program, despite provisions in the law meant to block out-of-state schools from joining the program. State records show … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We have our first real voucher loophole

The takeover biz has been good for Mike Miles

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Just raking it in. As more Texas school districts face the threat of a state takeover, they are turning to a charter network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles to try to avoid it. At least seven school districts — Edgewood, Everman, Hempstead, Killeen, San … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Bennett School

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Lots to think about in here. When junior Karson Reeder stepped off the mound in the fifth inning of the UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game last June, he had thrown his last pitch for Tomball High School. Instead … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Bennett School

Using AI to ban books

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And also to review books that have been challenged. The AI vendors want a piece of the action either way. Conservative parents’ advocacy groups have been experimenting with using commercially available artificial intelligence tools to help them flag more books … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Using AI to ban books

Vouchers are for white private school kids

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Shocking, I know. Most of Texas’ school voucher applications come from white families and children who previously attended a private school or home-school. The Texas comptroller’s office, which manages the program, released preliminary data before applications for families interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Schools in flood zones

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t good. Nearly 400 Harris County schools could move to higher-risk flood zones, according to new maps released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The new maps dramatically expand Harris County’s 100-year and 500-year floodplains, moving hundreds of schools and other … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Schools in flood zones

The new Fort Worth ISD Superintendent speaks

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m trying to hear how he differs from Mike Miles. I’m still thinking about it. “It’s going to take a while to correct the system,” [appointed Superintendent Peter] Licata said Friday as he walked around Morningside, a campus slated for … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The new Fort Worth ISD Superintendent speaks

Four HISD schools achieve some separation from Mike Miles

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This seems like a good thing. They all wanted it, I don’t see any quotes from opponents in the story. Am I missing something? Four of Houston ISD’s most prestigious magnet high schools will have new outside managers, after the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Four HISD schools achieve some separation from Mike Miles

One hint about where FWISD might be going

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Not from the naming of the new Superintendent, but by the hiring of his deputy. A top Houston ISD official is joining Fort Worth ISD as second-in-command as the Texas Education Agency prepares to take over the North Texas school district. Daniel Soliz, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One hint about where FWISD might be going

Morath names the new Fort Worth ISD Superintendent

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I wish him well, but more than that I wish the students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders of Fort Worth ISD well. A Floridian who briefly led one of the nation’s largest school districts will captain Fort Worth ISD while … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Morath names the new Fort Worth ISD Superintendent

Spring ISD hoping to avoid HISD’s fate

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, y’all. Spring ISD has just a few more months to turn around a struggling high school or risk a state takeover of the entire district — but school leaders are optimistic that early test scores show improvements. After four … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Spring ISD hoping to avoid HISD’s fate

The school district that didn’t get taken over

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Curious. Texas declined Thursday to take over the Wichita Falls school district, which had been at risk of receiving the state’s most severe form of intervention over years of academic underperformance. Kirby Middle School triggered the potential of a takeover. … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The school district that didn’t get taken over

Board of Managers approves HISD school closures

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

They wasted no time. Houston ISD’s Board of Managers voted Thursday to close 12 schools next school year, despite emotional pushback from parents and public officials who begged for more time and warned the move would destabilize communities and harm students. The vote came … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Board of Managers approves HISD school closures

The TEA falls into a familiar pattern

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We feel your pain, Fort Worth ISD. Nearly 300 people want a seat on the Texas-appointed board replacing FWISD’s nine locally elected trustees, but none of their names are publicly known. The Fort Worth Report requested the list of applicants … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The TEA falls into a familiar pattern

The race and poverty factor in school district takeovers

Posted on February 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

A deep dive by the Trib. The Texas Education Agency last year launched plans to take over four school districts due to low academic performance, confiscating decision-making power from elected leaders based on state-issued F grades at six campuses. All … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The race and poverty factor in school district takeovers

HISD parents upset about sudden school closure announcement

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t blame ’em. As Houston ISD families returned to school Tuesday after the holiday weekend, many said they were shocked by the district’s plan to close or consolidate 12 campuses next year. Some rallied, and many demanded answers, especially about … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

HISD talking school closures again

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, there’s no way this isn’t super messy. Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles recommended Thursday that the district close 12 schools next fall, as it comes to terms with a decade-long enrollment decline and aging facilities. While Miles … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fort Worth ISD loses its appeal

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The takeover is now official. Fort Worth ISD trustees lost their legal fight to stop the state takeover of the district Thursday, clearing the way for Texas’ education commissioner to install new leadership over the city’s largest school system. A state administrative court … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fort Worth ISD loses its appeal