Possibly for the first time, Mike Miles says something we can all get behind: The TEA takeover of HISD should be over soon.
Houston ISD’s state takeover could end after the 2026-27 school year, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Tuesday.
Miles, appointed as superintendent by the state in June 2023, said he believes the district has nearly met all the criteria needed to end the state takeover. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath is expected to decide whether to begin the transition back to local control in June 2027.
Miles’ comments echo what Morath told reporters in August: that he expected the takeover to end “relatively soon.”
“We always wanted to work quickly to get out of the intervention strategy,” Miles said on a Hello Houston radio appearance. “I think the official end may be the end of this school year, and then the commissioner will determine what sort of transition period there will be.”
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While the district could begin its transition out of the state takeover after the 2026-27 school year, Miles has a contract for four more years until 2030.
On the first day of school, Miles did not commit to staying through the transition to an elected board, saying “anything can happen.”
“The new school board — when that happens — they’ll want their own superintendent, I think,” Miles said Tuesday.
You can say THAT again. Yes, this is another reiteration of what we’ve been told before. And as noted in the story there remain big questions about the state of special education and HISD’s reported accountability ranking gains. But you know what? I’d be happy to pretend everything is sunshine and roses if it means we see Mike Miles pack his bag and move along. Let him and the TEA declare victory, I don’t care as long as it means they’re out of our business. We’ll have to try to fix things from there, but I have faith that we can. Just give us the chance.