Houston ISD’s new leaders faced heckling and harsh comments when they held their first school board meeting on Thursday evening.
The room was packed with parents, teachers, and advocates for public education. They were, at times, loud enough to drown out the appointed managers who pushed through the agenda, then left as the audience booed.
The speakers raised issues surrounding trust and transparency, the 29 schools being targeted for reform, and Superintendent Mike Miles’ qualifications.
“I want to tell you we are more than just ranks, grades, and test scores. We need a system that supports individual growth,” a recent HISD graduate said.
Miles will be paid about $1,500 a day while he serves as acting superintendent and will receive $25,000 for relocation.
The managers also elected Audrey Momanaee as President, Ric Campo as Vice President, and Angela Lemond Flowers as secretary. They approved a $3 million donation from a group called Good Reason Houston.
One of their most controversial decisions changes the meeting schedule. It was announced that regular meetings would no longer be required on the second Thursday of every month, as previous administrations did, without explanation.
“We might not even have another opportunity to come and speak. They don’t have to be open about how they’re going to meet now because they just voted to suspend the rules, whatever that means,” Kourtney Revels, an HISD parent, said.
Kathy Bluford Daniels is an elected HISD trustee who attended the meeting.
“This atmosphere, or this climate, is because there’s a lack of transparency. There’s a lack of engagement and involvement from the community at this point,” she said.
The board has posted a notice for the next two meetings on the 15 and 22. It is not clear what will happen after that.
Miles was appointed superintendent during the state’s district takeover one week ago. He’s floated the idea of charter schools and has announced that teachers and principals will be paid for their performance.
One of the other changes Miles has announced in his first week on the job is that employees at 29 schools will have to reapply.
He also promised no school closures in the first year of the takeover.
Like teachers, principals’ pay will also be tied to performance.
Miles told ABC13 that HISD principals would make a base salary of $110,000 to $195,000, depending on performance based on student achievement, quality of instruction, special education, and campus action plans.
Thursday’s meeting also brought together the newly-picked, nine-member board of managers who applied for the position.
There are HISD parents, graduates, and community members represented. Still, the Houston Federation of Teachers is not happy with the board, pointing out that the TEA selected everyone and was not elected by the public.
A new board member says the changes are swift, but they’re needed.
“There’s a floodgate that opened up, so as we do, we drink from the firehose, and unfortunately, there’s an opportunity for us to take that and use it as a growth measure,” Adam Rivon said.
