HOUSTON – With no opinions and an open mind, Deirdra Dobbs and her son Adrienne watched and listened attentively at Williams Middle School as the Houston Independent School District’s new superintendent, Mike Miles, explained his vision at his second community meeting of a series of seven family events.
Dobbs is a teacher at HISD. Her son Adrienne is a student in the district.
“I just wanted to hear what he had to say because I’ve also been in the district 14 years and wanted to hear what he had to say before rejecting or canceling him out,” she said.
While there, Dobbs learned teachers at Williams Middle School voted to voluntarily align with Superintendent Miles’ New Education System. Dobbs said her son will be attending the school next fall.
“I’ll be waiting to see what happens but I’m open,” she said.
According to Miles, NES will focus on several areas of reform to improve the quality of education at 28 HISD schools that feed into the lowest-performing high schools: Wheatley, North Forrest, and Kashmere. Other schools outside of the feeder pattern can choose to align with the model.
“The vision is over the next three or four years to have about 150 schools be in this New Education System, not 270 because some schools just don’t need this sort of transformation,” said Miles while talking about his system at the community event.
Deidra joined a line of parents and community members with questions at the meeting about student services, teacher support, and accountability.
“I think he did a good job, you know, he listened to the questions. I appreciate that. He didn’t just shoot them down. He did the best he could being that he is coming into a situation,” she said.
Miles promised transparency throughout the process.
“I try hard not to say things that I don’t mean, and I try hard not to make promises I can’t keep,” he said.
“We have to sit back and at least give him a chance,” Dobbs added.