More than 500 positions will be cut from Houston Independent School District\u2019s central office staff, the first round of staff downsizing that will further clear the way for new Superintendent Mike Miles\u2019 plan to overhaul campuses across the district.<\/p>\n
Miles has been vocal about trimming a central office he described as \u201cbloated\u201d and \u201camorphous\u201d upon his appointment last month to run Houston ISD by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. But Friday\u2019s announcement offered the first glimpse into which departments will be impacted by his plans.<\/p>\n
Miles said about 500 to 600 positions will be cut from academics-related departments, along with 40 from human resources. More departments will be affected in the coming weeks, he said.<\/p>\n Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. <\/em>Sign up for The 74 Newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p> Miles estimated the cuts from academic departments total 30% of current positions, about 3% of which were already vacant.<\/p>\n \u201cReorganizations are hard. There are real people behind the numbers,\u201d Miles said Friday. \u201cWe want to make sure that we do this in a way that\u2019s respectful but also in enough time for people to apply for other jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Houston ISD had about 3,600 staff members classified as part of \u201cprofessional support\u201d or \u201ccentral administration\u201d in 2021-22, the most recent year with available state data. The district reported about 23,700 employees across Houston ISD.<\/p>\n District officials have begun notifying those affected by the first round of dismissals, which is expected to be complete by July 17, Miles said. More job cuts will impact communications, school leadership, operations, finance and professional development departments throughout the year.<\/p>\n \u201cThose we didn\u2019t want to disturb right now, because we\u2019re actually in the middle of transporting kids [to] summer school and nutrition services,\u201d Miles said. \u201cThey\u2019re larger organizations and it takes more time to make sure we do it in a way that is sound.\u201d<\/p>\n For the initial round of cuts, department chiefs first assessed the feasibility of cutting vacant positions before moving to those filled. Employees affected by cuts can apply for vacant positions that have been retained, Miles said.<\/p>\n Members of Houston ISD\u2019s newly appointed board voted unanimously last month to cut $30 million from the central office budget, which will help fund Miles\u2019 plans for reshaping schools in the district. He plans to overhaul 150 schools by 2025<\/a>, including 28 campuses \u2014 coined the \u201cNew Education System,\u201d or NES, schools \u2014 primarily located in the city\u2019s low-income neighborhoods that will see immediate changes ahead of the next school year.<\/p>\n Miles\u2019 plan for NES schools involves using large pay increases and stipends to attract highly rated teachers to low-performing schools. In addition, several principals have been replaced and job responsibilities will be restructured ahead of the school year.<\/p>\n Morath tapped Miles and nine new board members to lead Houston ISD<\/a> on June 1 and ousted the elected board. The punishment was largely tied to chronically poor academic ratings at Wheatley High School. Many community members and teachers have blasted Miles\u2019 plans<\/a> and the ouster of Houston ISD\u2019s elected board. <\/a><\/p>\n But dozens of principals have signaled their interest in joining Miles\u2019 plans ahead of schedule. Those who choose to take part in a pared-down version<\/a> of the NES program in the upcoming school year will see a more standardized curriculum, potential cuts to non-teaching staff and new employee evaluation systems at their campuses. Principals must decide by Monday whether to voluntarily join.<\/p>\n The decision to cut employees is a \u201cpeople process,\u201d Miles said Friday, and one that he recognizes will be nerve-wracking for affected staff and their families.<\/p>\n \u201cThis, by no means, means that people haven\u2019t been working hard or that people aren\u2019t doing the job that they were assigned to do,\u201d Miles said. \u201cThis is about making sure we right-size central office, and also work most efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n
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