Charter change for Houston ISD bond oversight committee takes appointing authority from Mike Miles – Houston Public Media

Adam Zuvanich/Houston Public Media

When a proposed charter for Houston ISD’s bond oversight committee first was drafted in July, it called for the district’s superintendent to be the “sole decision maker” for committee appointments.

But if Houston voters pass a state-record $4.4 billion bond package in November, that authority is no longer slated to rest with Mike Miles, who has been the target of criticism since he was appointed by the Texas Education Agency before the 2023-24 school year.

HISD’s state-appointed board of managers is now set to vote on oversight committee appointments, based on recommendations by Miles and his executive leadership team, according to amendments made to the charter draft in September. Among other changes, the maximum number of committee members was changed from nine to 11, and the group would no longer be required to provide periodic status reports and an annual report to the board and superintendent.

The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the changes, which were first reported by the Houston Chronicle. The HISD board is expected to vote on committee appointments, along with the charter itself, at an upcoming meeting.

Taking committee-appointing authority away from the superintendent marks a departure from the last bond implemented in HISD in 2012. Members of that oversight committee were decided by the superintendent without input from the board, which at the time was elected.

Much like the committee established for the 2012 bond, the oversight committee being organized for the current proposal would be charged with ensuring transparency in the implementation of bond projects, monitoring their progress and providing related information to the community. The committee would gather at least quarterly in meetings open to the public.

The bond package that will be on the Nov. 5 ballot calls for rebuilding and renovating aging schools, with a focus on elementary and middle school campuses, along with bolstering safety and security and expanding pre-kindergarten and career training programs.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties in Harris County have expressed opposition to the bond proposal, as has the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, which includes the largest teachers’ union in HISD. The Greater Houston Partnership, which serves as a chamber of commerce and economic development organization, has endorsed the bond package.

Miles’ instructional reforms, which put greater emphasis on testing-based evaluations and discipline, contributed to improvements on standardized tests last year, his first year as HISD superintendent. But his changes also have led to widespread staffing turnover, the dismissal of well-liked principals and teachers and pushback from parents and other community members.