Teachers’ Morale Boosted as 95% of Houston ISD Survey Respondents Plan to Stay in the District
Chris Paul | Houston Public Media
Students gather for a lesson at Neff Early Learning Center.
Teachers’ Response to Survey
More than 95% of teachers who responded to a Houston ISD survey plan to stay in the district next school year, according to the district.
Around 91% of teachers responded to the survey, according to a district spokesperson. HISD has an estimated 10,600 teachers.
New Education System
The survey also found that among respondents, 95% of teachers at schools that are part of Superintendent Mike Miles’ New Education System “want to stay at NES.”
Background on the District
Miles and the district’s board of managers were appointed by the Texas Education Agency in 2023 after Wheatley High School received a streak of failing grades from the agency.
Teacher Exodus
The district started off this school year with nearly 750 fewer teachers than the school year before, which Miles at the time explained was due to “overstaffing” by the previous HISD administration.
“In HISD, we seek to staff our schools with effective teachers who want to make a real difference for our students, and who want to work in the most transformative district in the United States,” Miles said at the beginning of the school year. “As a result, it is sometimes necessary to remove some educators for performance.”
Recent Trends
This comes after teachers left in droves during the 2023-24 school year, when more than 630 teachers resigned from HISD between August and January. That was nearly double the amount that left the district during the same period in the 2022-23 school year — the last before the state takeover.
The district is also facing lower enrollment compared to years before. At the beginning of this school year, HISD saw an initial 9% decline in enrollment compared to last school year, a drop of roughly 16,000 students. Enrollment subsequently increased from about 168,000 students to nearly 176,000.
Union’s Response
The Houston Federation of Teachers, a union that represents about 6,000 teachers in HISD, declined to comment on the survey results released by the district.
FAQs
Q: What percentage of teachers plan to stay in the district next school year?
A: More than 95%
Q: How many teachers responded to the survey?
A: Around 91%
Q: How many teachers are currently employed by HISD?
A: An estimated 10,600 teachers
Q: What is the New Education System?
A: A program initiated by Superintendent Mike Miles to improve education in HISD
Q: Why did teachers leave the district in large numbers?
A: Due to various reasons, including “overstaffing” and personal decisions
