Compliance is all a matter of attitude, according to Mike Miles.
Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said the district has nearly complied with a state order requiring it to meet with families of students with disabilities, clearing the way to reassign about 1,600 students to new campuses.
But some advocates questioned the way the district contacted families — calling hundreds by phone instead of meeting in person — and whether families had a full discussion about major changes to their children’s individualized education programs, or IEPs.
The calls may allow the district to move forward with its plan to consolidate special education services, announced just months before the 2026-27 school year. The plan drew strong community pushback, with many families and advocates saying it would disrupt students’ stability and relationships at school. After some parents filed complaints with the state, the Texas Education Agency directed HISD to review students’ IEPs and meet with families before reassigning them.
Miles called HISD’s phone outreach and and holding more than 70 meetings “a huge success.”
“We picked up the phone,” Miles said. “We worked with Texas Education Agency to make sure we were doing way more than we had to. In other words: trying to not only comply with the letter of the law, but also try to help parents even more to be okay with where their student was going to be served.”
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Jane Friou, a co-founder of the Houston Special Education Parent Association, said she was shocked and skeptical to hear that the district called around 1,600 parents. She questioned what the amendments said, whether they were documented in the district’s special education software, and what HISD asked parents over the phone.
“I do not believe that moving a child from one campus to another campus is a minor change, and many things can change in moving a child from one campus to another that have to be discussed in an IEP meeting,” Friou said.
See here for the previous update. Hey, they nearly complied. I’m sure any lawyer will tell you, that’s good enough. Lord knows, if anyone is adept at making obstreperous data look good, it’s Mike Miles. They tried, they really did. Good job, good effort. You’ll get ’em next time, slugger, I know you will! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go bury my head in my hands for awhile.