Texas Education Agency names new Houston ISD superintendent, appoints Board of Managers amid takeover

HOUSTON – The Texas Education Agency announced the appointment of the nine-member Board of Managers for the Houston Independent School District and the selection of a new superintendent Thursday.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath named Mike Miles as the new superintendent of HISD. Superintendent Miles began working Thursday under a 21-day interim contract until he receives formal approval from the Board of Managers, a news release said. He was the superintendent of Dallas ISD from 2012 to 2015.

Who is Mike Miles? Texas Education Agency picks Houston ISD superintendent, commencing state takeover

“Over the past few months, we have been heartened to see so many Houstonians eagerly step up to serve their community and the students of Houston ISD,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “We were looking for people from a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who believe all children can learn and achieve at high levels when properly supported and who can work together. I believe the governing team I am naming today will work as a unified team, dedicated to improving student outcomes and supporting educators.”

Morath also appointed the following individuals to the Board of Managers:

• Audrey Momanaee: Momanaee is an HISD parent and native Houstonian. She is an experienced litigation attorney and advocate for pro bono legal work.
• Ric Campo: For more than 40 years, Campo has served on numerous public and private boards. Campo is the grandson of immigrant farmworkers and was the first in his family to graduate from college before building his own company in Houston.
• Angela Lemond Flowers: An experienced educator, Flowers began her teaching career at Jesse H. Jones High School in HISD, where her mother also taught. She has served as a high school English teacher and in administrative leadership for over 20 years in Houston-area schools. She is the mother of four, including two Houston ISD graduates.
• Michelle Cruz Arnold, Ph.D.: The mother of an HISD student, Arnold earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Planning and has spent more than 20 years as an education policy advocate working to create college and career opportunities for students, the TEA said. Arnold currently leads government relations and advocacy work for a national non-profit college access organization.
• Cassandra Auzenne Bandy: Bandy is an HISD graduate and parent of fourth-generation HISD students. She is an active PTO volunteer at her children’s school. She is a chemical engineer by training and currently works as a business strategy manager at a global consulting firm, according to TEA.
• Janette Garza Lindner: Garza Lindner is a wife and working mom of two children who attend HISD schools. She is a management consultant within the energy industry, and her civic advocacy spans education, the arts, and making neighborhoods in her community safer and healthier, Morath said.
• Rolando Martinez: Martinez is a native Houstonian, an HISD graduate, and a parent of three children who all attend HISD schools. He currently serves on the District Advisory Committee and works as a human resources manager at a large healthcare system in the Texas Medical Center.
• Paula Mendoza: Mendoza is a longtime Houston resident, the mother of an HISD graduate, a community leader and an entrepreneur. She is a small business owner and has “demonstrated her commitment” to the Houston community through service on numerous non-profit and governmental boards, including the University of Houston Board of Regents, Texas Ethics Commission, and Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, TEA said.
• Adam P. Rivon: Rivon is the parent of an HISD student and is the founder and owner of a small business in the real estate industry. Rivon served in the United States Army, earning a Bronze Star for leadership as an Army Artillery Officer during combat operations in Iraq.

Houston ISD takeover: Meet the district’s newly appointed Board of Managers

According to the TEA, the appointed Board of Managers temporarily replaces the current elected board of trustees and will be responsible for overseeing the management of the school district. The board will hold its first public board meeting on June 8 and is expected to work in collaboration with the new superintendent to ensure that educators and staff have the necessary tools and resources at their disposal to facilitate student success in the classroom and beyond, the release said.

The statistics for applicants were as follows:

• 462: Total applications
• 422: Total applications within HISD boundaries
• 199 Male / 260 Female / 3 Other
• 180 African American, 52 Hispanic, 154 White, 21 Asian, 35 Two or More Races, 20 Other
• 22 High School Diploma, 118 Bachelors, 198 Masters, 124 Doctorate (38 with Doctorate in Education)
• 238 attended the Lone Star Governance training. 227 completed the training and were eligible to advance in the selection process (some candidates left early or did not return for Day 2 of the training). 52 were interviewed.

Mayor Sylvester Turner released the following statement after the announcement:

“I have been very straightforward in my position that the state takeover of HISD is not in the best interest of the students and staff of HISD. Even with the announcement of a Superintendent and Board of Managers, most of whom I do not know, my position has not changed. This process has been flawed and anti-democratic from the very beginning. There has been minimal community engagement and very little transparency. The named Superintendent and Board of Managers were chosen behind closed doors by the state with little or no input from parents, teachers, or local community leaders. I do not question the desire of those persons to do their very best on behalf of HISD. Still, they are being asked to address deficiencies and budgetary shortfalls without any additional resources coming from the state. In fact, the student population has steadily declined amidst all of this talk of a takeover by the state, which equates to a further loss of state financial support, not to mention the alarming exodus of tenured and experienced executive staff from HISD as a result of the incoming Administration, which will also have a detrimental impact on the students and remaining staff of HISD.  General Colin Powel told President Bush that if you invade Iraq, you will own it. The state has chosen to take over HISD, the largest school district in Texas, and it now owns it and has the responsibility of seeing that every one of the 274 schools is academically performing and given the resources needed to meet the needs of every student. Anything less only adds to the distrust that already exists between the state and local units of government.”

RELATED COVERAGE:

Timeline: How the TEA takeover of Houston ISD unfolded

What happens when Texas takes over a school district like Houston ISD

TEA report reveals multiple violations by HISD board members

HISD asks for injunction aimed at blocking TEA takeover of board

TEA informs HISD board it will be taken over by state-appointed managers

Teachers rally in Austin as uncertainty looms

TEA to take over Houston ISD after weeks of speculation

Houston coalition files DOJ complaint due to TEA takeover

Texas school superintendent gives HISD administrators insight to TEA state takeover

Community leaders, organizations join at Wheatley High School in march against HISD takeover

Mayor Turner shares thoughts after rumors surface of TEA taking control of Houston ISD

HISD union, community members want to hear directly from TEA commissioner

Houston leaders, parents react to possibility of TEA taking over HISD

NAACP hosts meeting to discuss HISD’s TEA takeover