The Texas Education Authority stepped in to manage Houston's schools last March. Citing poor performance on previous years' test scores and ignoring recent improvements, the State determined local control was not the path forward and installed superintendent Mike Miles. Miles's plans sound like he is turning minority schools into detention centers, firing librarians, and terminating special education programs.
AP:
Miles, who developed these ideas as CEO of a charter school network, has said he wants to eventually expand his "New Education System" to 150 of the district's 274 schools, whose nearly 200,000 students are more than 80% Latino and Black.
Miles also has disbanded a team that supported students with autism, although his staff says special education services will continue as part of a restructuring, and filled some vacancies with uncertified teachers.
His most criticized change is transforming libraries at dozens of underperforming schools into "team centers" where students will get extra help and where those who misbehave will be disciplined, watching lessons on Zoom rather than disrupting their classrooms.
Texas certainly does not want to be out done by Florida.
