Students across Houston ISD on Thursday will leave their classes to protest Superintendent Mike Miles and his policies, decry a corrosive ICE operation and demand that HISD takes a stand saying it will protect its immigrant students.
Of course, no one knows how many will actually follow through. Many parents will urge caution, but there is, of course, the infallibility of adolescence. Threatened consequences have been repeatedly conveyed to teachers, students and parents. The Texas Education Agency is taking a hard line. HISD itself is keeping mum – I asked, they didn’t answer – although in past years Miles has made it clear he’s not a fan in previous student walkouts.
Understandably enough.
Just for grins I Googled “Who is the most walked out on superintendent in America.” Wednesday night the answer was: A Millicent Borishade of St Louis Public Schools who got fired after a no-confidence petition was signed by 2,000 teachers and support staff. Our own Mike Miles was first runner-up.
But by Thursday morning AI had updated itself with February figures and Miles had surged into the lead. “Since taking over in June 2023, Miles has been a lightning rod for criticism …” AI’s assessment read in part.
Yes, Mike Miles is the most walked out on superintendent in America.
Now let me acknowledge as my AI helper went on to say, that nowadays being a superintendent is really tough with little job security. But Miles has staying power that others don’t (although he did leave Dallas ISD with prodding from the school board there) bolstered by an appointed board, support from the TEA and its commissioner and some local business leaders.
Protests at board meetings have continued at a sustained fever pitch rarely seen anywhere but haven’t moved the needle. So today students will once again break the rules and leave class – with potential consequences heavier than most involved in this enterprise. Student leaders are urging their peers to step out for all or at least part of the school day Thursday.
On the one hand I admire kids from elementary to senior high grade levels willing to stand up and say “This is wrong. This is not how I want my education to go. I miss the teachers who’ve been forced out or left. I miss the librarians. I don’t know why we have to take so many timed tests every day.”
Kids have made these complaints repeatedly at board meetings. They deliver their one-minute (occasionally extended) speech, the crowd applauds, but whether they’re reaching much of anyone on the Board of Managers or the superintendent seems doubtful.
But walking out of school is a much riskier next step. Unless the principal bucks the directives from the TEA and its Commissioner Mike Morath, these students are going to be suspended and that action will go down on their permanent record.
This morning begins with a 7-8 a.m. gathering outside school hours by Lantrip Elementary organized by Community Voices for Public Education, a citizen group that has never warmed up to Miles. On the protest agenda: Miles, the state takeover, and how the district is protecting (or not) its immigrant students.
Next, the sickout throughout the day organized by a coalition of students and CVPE members. Although both parents and students are urged to stay home Thursday in protest, the reality is students are by far at the most risk.
Caught in the cross hairs: principals who risk sanctions. No discretion allowed. The TEA has made it clear that teachers should not assist students in the walkouts in any way and there will be repercussions for them if they do. Individual schools and even districts can be punished for any aiding and abetting.
Priscilla Rivas, principal of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts sent a message to parents warning about the consequences of a sickout, adding that “a student who misses class or leaves campus for a protest and a student who misses class or leaves campus for any other unauthorized reason will receive the same or similar consequences, assuming similar circumstances.”
Still, part of any discipline handed out may depend in part on where the students attend school.
Reports have circulated that students at one high school received much longer suspended sentences for previous walkouts than those at other schools. We asked the HISD press office for a response, there was no reply.
CVPE has come up with a “Student Protest Guide: Know Your Rights” based largely in part on ACLU guidance. Yes, you can be disciplined “However schools may not discipline students more harshly for the political content of their speech, because they disagree with their students’ viewpoints on a topic, or because the administration disfavors certain students.”
The grand finale will be at the school board meeting which starts at 5 p.m. Thursday. A number of elected officials are expectedto comment on the district’s policies.
Are the superintendent’s critics the majority voice of the district? Miles, his administrators and the state-appointed Board of Managers would answer no. And they might be right. A recent survey of parents showed that most of them overall were happy about their children’s school and the education their children were getting. Although a full third of them responded negatively to the question about whether the district is improving and moving in the right direction.
To his critics it doesn’t help that under Miles student test scores have improved and the TEA has said there are no F-rated schools in the district — a vast improvement over previous years. To his detractors, this means little. They charge that teaching a child to take tests falls short of what a complete education should be.
Miles believes that what he is doing in terms of curriculum is the right thing. He’s a man on a mission. The closest he comes to justifying himself publicly is when he talks about visiting the classrooms and says all the kids there are happy and engaged. Which he’s done several times at board meetings. Other districts want to know how he’s achieved what appears to be amazing results.
He has little tolerance for people he characterizes as “noise.” He’s probably never going to turn around and address the room at public meetings when he makes one of his reports to the board. He’s explained that his duty is to report to those nine people It still sends a message that he is not responsible to parents, students and the community at large.
As he’s said from the start, teachers, administrators and families who don’t share his vision can leave HISD. And at present he’s presiding over a shrinking district with departure numbers higher than HISD anticipated.
How effective can these protests be? Critics hammered away at a lack of trust and the massive$4.4 billion bond issue failed in 2024. But persuading the state or the man himself that it’s time for Miles to leave doesn’t seem probable. At this point anyway.
In one version of a perfect world, students will march their march, administrators and the Board of Managers will listen to them and understand that these kids are raising their hand to put everything on the line.
Whether that changes anything is up in the air. The only certainty is that there will be consequences. And that students, children, are risking more than anyone else in support of their principles. In the meantime, perhaps they can console themselves with the fact that they’ve made the record books. More walkouts about one superintendent than any other school district in the country. Whether you agree with them or not, that has to count for something, doesn’t it?
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.