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By Design, a book by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles, is shown in the Chronicle studio in Houston, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.<\/p>\n
Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
In his new book<\/a>,\u00a0state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles explains his thinking and strategy for education reform, using his controversial leadership of the state takeover of\u00a0Houston ISD as a model for other school leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Miles refers to HISD and his three years leading the district as the book’s main case study, citing examples like HISD’s pay-for-performance model, its crackdown on chronic teacher absences and\u00a0“high-quality instruction”\u00a0to illustrate his broader approach to systemic reform.<\/p>\n “These brief narratives are not presented as a template to be copied, but as illustrations of how systemic thinking can guide real decisions during periods of large-scale change,” Miles writes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The 200-page book offers rare insight into the thinking of Miles \u2014 a former Army Ranger turned\u00a0leader of the state’s largest district \u2014\u00a0and how he approaches decision-making, working with a board, responding to criticism and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Amazon reviewers have largely panned the book, giving it an average score<\/a> of 1.5 out of five stars. However, some Houston education leaders, such as Aldine ISD superintendent LaTonya\u00a0Goffney, have expressed support<\/a> for the book.<\/p>\n Here are five takeaways from “By Design: How to Transform School Systems” by Miles:<\/p>\n DISTRICT OVERHAUL: HISD will continue special education reforms. Experts say its plan conflicts with state orders.<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Governance is a \u2018constraint to be managed\u2019<\/p>\n Miles writes that the role of elected school boards in shaping accountability is \u201cintentionally treated lightly\u201d in the book. He says in many districts, governance plays a significant role in preserving the status quo or slowing reform. But he writes that it is a \u201cconstraint to be managed,\u201d not a reason to abandon systemic reform.<\/p>\n Due to the state takeover, the Texas Education Agency appointed Miles and a nine-member board to oversee HISD in June 2023. Miles writes that while governance can limit the pace of change, school leaders can redesign systems even under elected boards. He cited his experience as superintendent of Dallas ISD as an example.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Houston, the presence of a non-elected, appointed Board of Managers created conditions that allowed for whole-scale system transformation without the typical forms of political interference,\u201d Miles writes. \u201cThat context made it possible to move quickly, redesign accountability structure decisively and sustain focus on student outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n SCHOOL CLOSURES: HISD alumni, families scramble to preserve the histories of their closing schools<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Enforcing expectations for teacher absences<\/p>\n Miles uses the district\u2019s approach to teacher attendance as an example of how he articulated \u2014 and consistently enforced \u2014 high expectations as state-appointed superintendent. He writes that 17% of HISD teachers were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, meaning they used more than the 10 days of leave allocated to them by the district and state.<\/p>\n Starting in 2023, he says teachers were not allowed to exceed 10 absences or request leave without pay after using their allocated days off. If a teacher exceeded those absences, the district initiated a formal review of their situation and moved to fire them if they were ineligible for further leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n Miles said this policy drove down\u00a0chronic absenteeism<\/a> and helped students receive more consistent, high-quality instruction. He said fewer than 100 teachers were chronically absent at the end of the 2025-26 school year, and the district removed nearly all of those employees.<\/p>\n HISD teachers previously told the Chronicle<\/a> that they were reprimanded for missing more than a handful of days and were asked to sign memorandums that warned them about \u201cexcessive absences.\u201d Some teachers shared they felt scared to take days off, even for illness.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cSome readers will no doubt view the attendance regulations as overly strict and insufficiently understanding of the challenges teachers face,\u201d Miles writes. \u201cThat perspective deserves less weight when measured against the needs of students who depend on consistent, effective instruction from their assigned teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n TEST SCORES: HISD’s reform schools see big STAAR gains. Here’s why some experts urge caution.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018No vendors on the field\u2019<\/p>\n Miles writes that \u201cone of the most consequential steps\u201d that HISD took to improve instruction and student achievement was cracking down on a heavy reliance on instructional vendors.<\/p>\n Before his administration, Miles wrote that\u00a0HISD principals could purchase external services for their own campuses, resulting in a sprawling and \u201cincoherent\u201d marketplace of vendors and contractors. He implemented a \u201cno vendors on the field\u201d policy for HISD, which prohibited vendors from training employees on instruction. He said the policy\u00a0cut purchased services by more than $60 million in his first year.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Miles writes that districts will always need specialized expertise in areas such as medical services, legal compliance, information systems or technical operations. However, he writes district leaders should train principals and teachers on instruction \u2014 not vendors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInstruction should not be treated as something external experts deliver,\u201d Miles writes. \u201cIt is the school leader\u2019s most important responsibility and should not be abdicated.\u201d<\/p>\n As superintendent, Miles has invested heavily in developing\u00a0HISD’s own curriculum, which all schools in the New Education System model<\/a> must teach. However, nearly all schools in HISD, including high-performing campuses outside the reform system, use the district-developed lessons<\/a> in some capacity.<\/p>\n BUDGET: HISD passes $2 billion budget, with $25M deficit heading into 2026-27 school year<\/a><\/p>\n Changing student promotion requirements<\/p>\n Miles writes that schools currently promote students to the next grade based primarily on \u201ctime spent in classrooms\u201d and not their academic readiness. He urges district leaders to take a different approach.<\/p>\n \u201cDistrict leaders should ask a more fundamental question: What must a student truly demonstrate before moving to the next stage of learning?\u201d Miles writes. \u201cIf the answer includes competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaborating, leadership or civic awareness, then those competencies must be intentionally taught, practiced, and assessed.”<\/p>\n Miles notes that, as HISD\u2019s superintendent, he did not immediately make changes to student promotion requirements. In\u00a0HISD, students are promoted to the next grade level if they earn at least a 70 in core subjects and attend at least 90% of classes.<\/p>\n