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More than 500 positions will be cut from the Houston Independent School District’s central office staff, the first round of additional staff cuts to clear the way for new Superintendent Mike Miles’ overhaul plan. on campuses throughout the district.
Miles spoke about the cuts to a central office that he described as “bloated” and “amorphous” in his appointment last month to run Houston ISD by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. But Friday’s announcement offered the first look at which departments would be affected by his plans.
Miles said about 500 to 600 positions will be cut from academic-related departments, along with 40 from human resources. Several departments will be affected in the coming weeks, he said.
Miles estimates that cuts from academic departments will amount to 30% of current positions, about 3% of which are vacant.
“Reorganization is difficult. There are real people behind the numbers,” Miles said Friday. “We want to make sure we do it in a way that’s respectful but in enough time for people to apply for other jobs.”
Houston ISD had about 3,600 staff members classified as part of “professional support” or “central administration” in 2021-22, the most recent year for which state data is available. The district reports about 23,700 employees throughout Houston ISD.
District officials have begun notifying those affected by the first round of dismissals, which are expected to be completed by July 17, Miles said. Several job cuts will affect communications, school leadership, operations, finance and professional development departments throughout the year.
“Those we don’t want to disturb now, because we are actually delivering children [to] summer school and nutrition services,” Miles said. “They’re big organizations and it takes a lot of time to make sure we do it the right way.”
For the initial round of cuts, department heads first assessed the feasibility of cutting vacant positions before moving on to filled ones. Employees affected by the cuts can apply for the vacant positions that have been retained, Miles said.
Members of Houston ISD’s newly appointed board voted unanimously last month to cut $30 million from the central office budget, which would help fund Miles’ plans to transform schools in district. He plans to overhaul 150 schools by 2025, including 28 campuses – coined “New Education System,” or NES, schools – primarily located in low-income neighborhoods in city to see immediate changes ahead of the next school year.
Miles’ plan for NES schools includes using large pay increases and stipends to attract top-rated teachers to low-performing schools. Additionally, several principals are being replaced and job responsibilities will be restructured before the school year.
Morath tapped Miles and nine new board members to lead Houston ISD on June 1 and fired the elected board. Punishment is largely tied to Wheatley High School’s consistently poor academic ratings. Many community members and educators blasted Miles’ plans and the ouster of the Houston ISD elected board.
But several principals have signaled their interest in joining Miles’ plans ahead of schedule. Those who choose to participate in a pared-down version of the NES program next school year will see a more standardized curriculum, potential cuts to non-teaching staff and new employee evaluation systems in their campuses. Principals must decide by Monday whether to voluntarily participate.
The decision to cut employees is a “people process,” Miles said Friday, and one he acknowledged will be stressful for affected employees and their families.
“This, by no means, means that people are not working hard or that people are not doing the work they are assigned to do,” Miles said. “It’s about making sure we’re right-sizing the central office, and also working as efficiently as possible.”
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