HOUSTON — After facing public outcry, Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles said Friday the district will not use proficiency screenings as a basis for firing school principals this year.
The announcement came Friday morning after a board meeting and a four-hour closed session on Thursday with the district’s appointed board managers.
Around 2 a.m., Miles read a statement that clarified that “proficiency screener ratings” would not be used in “adverse employment decisions” for principals or other campus administrators in 2023-2024.
It’s a reversal from plans Miles defended in a press conference Monday. At that time, Miles said that about 10% of principals who did not meet proficiency standards would not be asked to return to their positions.
In early March, 117 principals were told they needed to “continue making progress” based on mid-year proficiency screening results. Of those principals, about 10% would be asked not to come back to work according to the superintendent.
In the weeks following, there was concern among community members that many well-respected principals were at risk of losing their jobs.
However, Miles previously rejected the idea that some principals had been “put on notice" or "threatened with firing."
In a news conference Friday, Miles said the district ultimately changed course because of community feedback at Thursday’s board meeting where more than 150 people registered to speak during a public comment period.
“We found that a good number of members of the community came out and we wanted to listen to their concerns,” he said. “So the board and I made some adjustments and we listened to what we heard last night.”
On Friday, Miles said the district would still use metrics like student achievement and quality of instruction to evaluate teachers. The proficiency screener ratings notably took the same factors into account.
When KHOU 11 asked Miles if 10% of principals who did not meet proficiency standards would still be fired, Miles did not deny that some principals would still be asked to not return to their positions based on performance.
Read the full statement Miles released Friday:
"The district wants to clarify prior communication regarding the use of the proficiency screener. The proficiency screener rating will not be used in the evaluation of principals or other campus administrators in any adverse employment decisions for 2023-2024.
"The Superintendent will continue to use instructional data and student achievement data in the exercise of the discretion outlined in board policy DNB (LOCAL): “When relevant to the decision, written evaluations of a professional employee's performance, as documented to date, and any other information the administration determines to be appropriate shall be considered in decisions affecting contract status.
"This communication supersedes any prior communications regarding the same."